---
title: Develop and Deploy SQL Server databases for Linux  | Microsoft Docs
description: SQL Server Data Tools with Visual Studio is a powerful development and database lifecycle management environment for SQL Server on Linux.
author: VanMSFT 
ms.author: vanto
ms.date: 03/17/2017
ms.topic: conceptual
ms.prod: sql
ms.technology: linux
ms.assetid: 1e924704-e07c-4a8b-b243-8c1dd8cff0d3
---

# Use Visual Studio to create databases for SQL Server on Linux

[!INCLUDE [SQL Server - Linux](../includes/applies-to-version/sql-linux.md)]

SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT) turns Visual Studio into a powerful development and database lifecycle management (DLM) environment for SQL Server on Linux. You can develop, build, test, and publish your database from a source-controlled project. Like you develop your application code.

## Install Visual Studio and SQL Server Data Tools

1. If you haven't already installed Visual Studio on your Windows machine, [Download and Install Visual Studio](https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/downloads/). If you don't have a Visual Studio license, Visual Studio Community edition is a free, fully featured IDE for students, open-source, and individual developers.

2. During the Visual Studio installation, select **Custom** for the **Choose the type of installation** option. Click **Next**

3. Select **Microsoft SQL Server Data Tools**, **Git for Windows**, and **GitHub Extension for Visual Studio** from the feature selection list.

   <img src="./media/sql-server-linux-develop-use-ssdt/ssdt-setup.png" alt="ssdt setup" style="width: 400px;"/>

4. Continue and finish the installation of Visual Studio. It can take a few minutes.

## Upgrade SQL Server Data Tools to SSDT 17.0 RC release

SQL Server on Linux is supported by SSDT version 17.0 RC or later.

* [Download and Install SSDT 17.0 RC2](https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=837939).

## Create a new database project in source control

1. Launch Visual Studio.

2. Select **Team Explorer** on the **View** menu. 

3. Click **New** in **Local Git Repository** section on the **Connect** page.

   <img src="./media/sql-server-linux-develop-use-ssdt/git-repository.png" alt="Screenshot of the Local Git Repository section with the New option called out." style="width: 300px;"/>

4. Click **Create**. After the local Git repository is created, double-click **SSDTRepo**.

5. Click **New** in the **Solutions** section. Select **SQL Server** under **Other Languages** node in the **New Project** dialog.

   <img src="./media/sql-server-linux-develop-use-ssdt/new-project.png" alt="Screenshot of the Solutions section with the New option and SQL Server option called out." style="width: 480px;"/>

6. Type in **TutorialDB** for the name and click **OK** to create a new database project.

## Create a new table in the database project

1. Select **Solution Explorer** on the **View** menu.

2. Open the database project menu by right-clicking on **TutorialDB** in Solution Explorer.

3. Select **Table** under **Add**.

   <img src="./media/sql-server-linux-develop-use-ssdt/create-table.png" alt="create table" style="width: 480px;"/>

4. Using table designer, add two columns, Name `nvarchar(50)` and Location `nvarchar(50)`, as shown in the picture. SSDT generates the `CREATE TABLE` script as you add the columns in the designer.

   <img src="./media/sql-server-linux-develop-use-ssdt/add-columns.png" alt="Screenshot of the table designer with the Name and Location values called out." style="width: 480px;"/>

5. Save the **Table1.sql** file.

## Build and validate the database

1. Open the database project menu on **TutorialDB** and select **Build**. SSDT compiles .sql source code files in your project and builds a Data-tier Application package (dacpac) file. This can be used to publish a database to your SQL Server instance on Linux. 

   <img src="./media/sql-server-linux-develop-use-ssdt/build.png" alt="Screenshot showing the TutorialDB with the Build option called out." style="width: 400px;"/>

2. Check the build success message in **Output** window in Visual Studio. 

## Publish the database to SQL Server instance on Linux

1. Open the database project menu on **TutorialDB** and select **Publish**.

2. Click **Edit** to select your SQL Server instance on Linux.

   <img src="./media/sql-server-linux-develop-use-ssdt/publish-dialog.png" alt="publish dialog" style="width: 480px;"/>

3. On the connection dialog, type in the IP address or host name of your SQL Server instance on Linux, user name and password.

   <img src="./media/sql-server-linux-develop-use-ssdt/connection-dialog.png" alt="connection dialog" style="width: 400px;"/>

4. Click the **Publish** button on the publish dialog.

5. Check the publish status in the **Data Tools Operations** window.

6. Click **View Results** or **View Script** to see details of the database publish result on your SQL Server on Linux.

   <img src="./media/sql-server-linux-develop-use-ssdt/publish-result.png" alt="publish result" style="width: 480px;"/>

You've successfully created a new database on SQL Server instance on Linux and learned the basics of developing a database with a source-controlled database project.

## Next steps

If you're new to T-SQL, see [Tutorial: Writing Transact-SQL Statements](../t-sql/tutorial-writing-transact-sql-statements.md).

For more information about developing a database with SQL Data Tools, see the below articles.

* [Download and Install Visual Studio](https://www.visualstudio.com/downloads/)
* [Download and Install SSDT](../ssdt/download-sql-server-data-tools-ssdt.md)
* [SSDT MSDN documents](/previous-versions/sql/sql-server-data-tools/hh272686(v=vs.103))
* [Tutorial: Writing Transact-SQL Statements](../t-sql/tutorial-writing-transact-sql-statements.md)
* [Transact-SQL Reference (Database Engine)](../t-sql/language-reference.md)