--- title: "SQL projects tools" description: "This overview reviews the tooling for SQL database projects." author: dzsquared ms.author: drskwier ms.reviewer: maghan ms.date: 09/10/2024 ms.service: sql ms.topic: overview --- # SQL projects tools Tooling for SQL projects is available in several development environments and command line interfaces. The primary tools for SQL projects are the **SqlPackage** command line utility, **SQL Server Data Tools** (SSDT) in Visual Studio, and the **SQL Database Projects extension** for Azure Data Studio and Visual Studio Code. ## Graphical tools These tools provide a graphical interface for SQL projects, a T-SQL editor, and a build and publish process. [SQL Server Data Tools](../../ssdt/sql-server-data-tools.md) (SSDT) is a **Visual Studio** component that provides a graphical interface for SQL projects. SSDT provides a visual designer for tables, a T-SQL editor, and a build and publish process. [SQL Database Projects extension](https://aka.ms/azuredatastudio-sqlprojects) is an extension for **Azure Data Studio (ADS)** and **VS Code**. This extension provides a graphical interface for SQL projects, a T-SQL editor, and a build and publish process. ### Feature set comparison | Feature | SDK-style SSDT | SSDT | ADS | VS Code | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Create new empty project](get-started.md) | X | X | X | X | | [Create new project from existing database](tutorials/start-from-existing-database.md) | | X | X | X | | Open existing Microsoft.Build.Sql projects | X1 | | X | X | | Solution management and operations | X | X | | | | Project run build | X | X | X | X | | Publish project to existing server | X | X | X | X | | Publish project to a local development instance | X2 | X2 | X3 | X3 | | Publish options/properties | X | X | X | | | [Target platform](concepts/target-platform.md) can be updated | X | X | X | X | | [SQLCMD variables](concepts/sqlcmd-variables.md) | X | X | X | X | | [Project references](concepts/database-references.md) | | X | X | | | [Dacpac references](concepts/database-references.md) | | X | X | X | | [Package references](concepts/package-references.md) | | | X | | | Publish profile creation | X | X | X | | | SQL files can be added by placing in project folder | X | | X | X | | SQL files can be excluded from build | X | X | | | | [Pre/post deployment scripts](concepts/pre-post-deployment-scripts.md) | X | X | X | X | | New object templates | X4 | X | X4 | X4 | | Project files can be organized into folders | X | X | X | X | | [Schema comparison](concepts/schema-comparison.md) project to database | | X | X | | | [Schema comparison](concepts/schema-comparison.md) database to project | | X | X | | | Graphical table designer | | X | X | | | [Code analysis](concepts/sql-code-analysis/sql-code-analysis.md) – enable/disable rules | | X | | | | Project properties – build output settings | X | X | | | | Project properties – default schema | | X | | | | Project properties – database settings | | X | | | | Project run [code analysis](concepts/sql-code-analysis/sql-code-analysis.md) standalone | | X | | | | Object renaming and refactoring | | X | | | | Intellisense provided in database files from project model | | X | | | | SQL Server object explorer connectivity/view objects | X | X | X | X | | SQL Server object explorer context menu items | | X | X | X | | SQL Server query editor connectivity | | X | X | X | 1. In Visual Studio 2022 preview 2, SDK-style projects use the `.sqlprojx` extension instead of `.sqlproj`. 2. Local development instance is a SQL Server LocalDB instance. 3. Local development instance is a SQL Server container. 4. Limited subset of templates available ## Command line tools [SqlPackage](../sqlpackage/sqlpackage.md) is the primary command line utility for the DacFx library, enabling automation of the database development tasks such as deploying a `.dacpac` to a database or extracting the objects of a database to a SQL project or `.dacpac`. Custom console applications can be built using the DacFx .NET library to automate database development tasks. The [Microsoft.SqlServer.Dac](/dotnet/api/microsoft.sqlserver.dac) namespace contains classes for creating, deploying, and extracting database objects and is foundational to the rest of the DacFx library. CI/CD pipelines can be built with command line execution or with tasks specific to `.dacpac` and SQL projects deployment. The [GitHub sql-action](https://github.com/azure/sql-action) and [SqlAzureDacpacDeployment in Azure DevOps](/azure/devops/pipelines/tasks/reference/sql-azure-dacpac-deployment-v1) are examples of tasks that use SqlPackage underneath a management layer to facilitate deploying database changes. ## Third-party tools There are third-party tools available that provide functionality related to SQL projects and database deployment. Some tools are open source, such as [dbatools](https://docs.dbatools.io/Publish-DbaDacPackage.html). Developers have shared their projects utilizing extensibility points around SQL projects, including [code analysis](concepts/sql-code-analysis/sql-code-analysis.md) rules and customizing deployment plans. Some of these projects are: - https://github.com/tcartwright/SqlServer.Rules - https://github.com/davebally/TSQL-Smells - https://github.com/GoEddie/DeploymentContributorFilterer ## Related content - [Project-Oriented Offline Database Development](../../ssdt/project-oriented-offline-database-development.md) - [SQL Database Projects extension](/azure-data-studio/extensions/sql-database-project-extension) - [SqlPackage](../sqlpackage/sqlpackage.md) - [GitHub sql-action](https://github.com/azure/sql-action) - [Azure DevOps SQL deployments](/azure/devops/pipelines/targets/azure-sqldb) - [Data-tier applications (DAC)](../../relational-databases/data-tier-applications/data-tier-applications.md) - [DacFx feedback repository](https://github.com/microsoft/dacfx) - [Get started with SQL database projects](get-started.md) - [Tutorial: Create and deploy a SQL project](tutorials/create-deploy-sql-project.md)