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ASP Kitchen:
SQL Server Articles: How to automatically document your SQL Server databases
The SQL Documentation Tool creates technical developer documentation for Microsoft SQL
Server 7.0, 2000 and 2005 databases. The documentation is created in HTML,
HTML Help, RTF text and plain
text formats.
The HTML format documentation can be viewed in any web browser. It can be incorporated
into an organisation's Intranet site allowing access to technical database documentation
for those who require it.
The HTML Help format documentation is fully cross-referenced and searchable, and
provides comprehensive database documentation in a single .chm file.
The RTF text and plain text reports may be easily incorporated into existing reports
and technical documentation.
An evaluation version of the SQL Documentation Tool is
available for download - the full version may be purchased online
for immediate download.
Documentation Produced by the SQL Documentation Tool
For convenience the SQL Documentation Tool allows more than one database to be
documented in a single help file - the databases can be on different servers.
HTML and HTML Help Reports
The SQL Documentation Tool documents the following items in a SQL Server database:
- Tables
- Column names
- Whether column is a primary key
- Column data types
- Column lengths
- Whether column is nullable
- Table relationships to primary and foreign keys
- Dependency information
- Views
- Column names
- Column data types
- Column lengths
- Whether column is nullable
- SQL script for creating each View
- Dependency information
- Stored Procedures
- Column names
- Column data types
- Column lengths
- Column type (input or output parameter)
- Dependency information
- The
Create Procedure SQL script for creating the stored procedure.
- Functions
- Column names
- Column data types
- Column lengths
- Dependency information
- The
Create Procedure SQL script for creating the stored procedure.
- Triggers
- Shows which table is associated with the trigger.
- Shows which SQL actions (insert, update, delete) the trigger is associated with
- Dependency information
- The
Create Trigger SQL script for creating the trigger.
- Full-Text Catalogs
- Shows the full-text catalogs that may be associated with a database.
- Shows the tables and table columns in each full-text catalog.
- Jobs
- DTS Packages
[  View a sample HTML Report  View
a sample HTML Help Report ]
RTF Report
The SQL Documentation Tool documents the following items in a SQL Server database:
- Tables
- Column names
- Whether column is a primary key
- Column data types
- Column lengths
- Whether column is nullable
- Views
- Column names
- Column data types
- Column lengths
- Whether column is nullable
- Stored Procedures
- Functions
This report can be easily incorporated into existing word processed reports and
technical documentation.
[  View
a sample RTF Report ]
Plain Text Report
The SQL Documentation Tool documents the following items in a SQL Server database:
- Tables
- Views
- Stored Procedures
- Triggers
- Full-Text Catalogs
As such, the plain text report can form the basis of other database technical
documentation and reports.
[  View a sample text Report ]
Advantages of Using the SQL Documentation Tool
- The HTML format documentation can be easily incorporated into the company Intranet as a
ready source of database technical documentation.
- The report contains the transact SQL code for Views and Stored Procedures, so if a view
or stored procedure becomes accidentally deleted, it is possible to replace it without
requiring an often complicated system restore.
- The text format reports can form the basis of the technical database documentation for a
project.
- Extracts the MS_Description field from most entities in SQL Server 2005, which allows you
to create an almost self-documenting database with the minimum of effort.
- The HTML and HTML Help reports can be used by developers to build database connected
websites without requiring access to the SQL Server Enterprise Manager. The reports
contain useful information for developers, such as the table column names, data types,
whether they accept null values etc.
- Bring new hires and contract workers up to speed on the structure of an application's
database design.
- Assist with developers and database administrators (DBAs) in code reviews.
- Assist with database/application conversion to other platforms.
Download the Evaluation Version
The evaluation version is fully function except for the following limitations:
- Only the first 10 database items (tables, views etc.) are included in each report.
- JavaScript popups on some pages in the report.
Purchase The SQL Documentation Tool
Useful Development Tools
| ASP
Documentation Tool™ |
| Automatically creates technical documentation for ASP 2.0
and 3.0 web applications written in VBScript and JScript. Documentation for Microsoft
Access, SQL Server 7/2000 databases and Visual Basic 6.0 components associated with the
web application can also be incorporated into the reports. Documentation is created in
HTML, HTML Help and plain text formats. |
View Sample
Output (HTML Help format).
View Sample Output (HTML Format).
 Download
Trial Version (5.2Mb ZIP file). |
| .NET Documentation Tool |
| Automatically creates technical documentation for .NET Framework applications written in C# or VB.NET (including ASP.NET).
Documentation for SQL Server 7/2000/2005 databases and C#/VB.NET components associated with the
web application can also be incorporated into the reports. Documentation is created in
HTML, HTML Help and plain text formats. Additional support for ASP.NET web applications. A useful alternative to NDoc! |
View Sample
Output (HTML Help format).
View Sample Output (HTML Format).
Download
Trial Version (3Mb ZIP file). |
| SQL
Documentation Tool |
| The SQL Documentation Tool creates technical documentation for Microsoft SQL Server 7.0, 2000 and 2005 databases. Technical documentation is created in HTML and HTML Help formats. The HTML Help format documentation is fully searchable and cross referenced. The SQL Documentation Tool documents SQL Server Tables, Views, Stored Procedures, Triggers, Table Relationships, Jobs and DTS Packages. |
View Sample
Output (HTML Help format).
View Sample Output (HTML Format).
Download
Trial Version (10.3Mb ZIP file). |
| Text Workbench |
| Text Workbench is a file search and replacement utility for text files and Microsoft Office documents. Make rapid file replacements on multiple files and folders full of files. Advanced replacement options include regular expressions support. It even works on remote file systems via FTP. A Regular Expression Laboratory allows advanced pattern matching and replacement expressions to be built and tested. This great utility will make your everyday development tasks much easier!
|
|
Download
Trial Version (3Mb ZIP file; you have the option to either install directly from this link or save the file for later installation). |
| ASP Spell Check |
| ASPSpellCheck is the easy way to add spell checking capabilities to your ASP or ASP.NET websites, Intranets and web applications. The utility allows you to add spell checking capabilities to any HTML text field or rich content editing text box. It works with all common web browsers, and there are no components or databases to install on the server.
|
Read ASPSpellCheck Review.
View ASPSpellCheck Examples.
Download
Trial Version (3Mb ZIP file; you have the option to either install directly from this link or save the file for later installation). |
Author details
Brett Burridge
has worked as a web developer since 1997 and has developed web applications for a range of corporations, start up busiensses and educational establishments.
Brett is presently employed as an Internet developer and technical writer
through his own company,
Winnersh Triangle Web Solutions Limited.
The company produces a number of
innovative products, including a range of software documentation tools, which include the
ASP Documentation Tool™, the .NET Documentation Tool for VB.NET and C#, and the SQL Server Documentation Tool. Other products include The Website Utility, which functions as a website error checker, search engine optimizer and ASP/ASP.NET search engine builder application.
As well as the ASPAlliance, Brett has written articles for Ariadne.ac.uk,
ASPToday, the software documentation portal www.softwaredocumentation.info, and has contributed recipes to the ASP.NET Developer's Cookbook.
links
Outside web development, Brett is interested in travelling (here are my travel logs from New York, Hong Kong and Tokyo), digital photography (here's my photo gallery), tropical fishkeeping
and collecting contemporary works of art by artists such as Doug Hyde.
Contact Brett by emailing
ASP Kitchen:
SQL Server Articles: How to automatically document your SQL Server databases
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