Working with DB Referenece projects
This week I started to experience lots of new stuff. One of them, which was new for me (I apologize for that - this should not happened)
and I find it useful, is the work with DB reference in a .NET.
DB reference is a DB project template in VS (we use 2003) that u can
add to your solution like u do with any other project and benefits the option to manage
your DB sql scripts within VS. Each team member/s can use a DB reference
to his local DB server instance.
With this method the team members can work (should) with SOURCE
SAFE the almost the same as working with ther kind of projects.
The DB reference template will generate three folders -
Change Script - a place to keep your local DB instance sql script changes,
Create Script - a place to keep your local DB instance create scripts like create tables scripts
and Query - for keeping SPs, views sql scripts
All create DB structure changes being gather in each of the team member.
Once a day or two all the changes being move to Create script folder and team members will
get it from source safe and run it on their local DB instance.
Queries on existing DB structure will be created in Query folder
and can be synch immediately with other team members as long they r basing on existing structure.
Another important benefit (in addition to the work with source control) is the option to work with Unit Testing locally.
You can run store procedure using your project DAL against your local DB copy
without intefer the work of other team members and without filling your centeral DB with testing data.
Its fun to learn new stuff every day!!!