Using SQL Compare options with add-ons
Published 21 May 2018
The following SQL Change Automation add-on steps use SQL Compare to compare database schemas:
- Build (to validate the scripts folder against a temporary live DB created from it, before creating the package, and generate documentation from a temporary DB)
- Test (to build the live database used for running the tests)
- Sync (to build the target database)
- Create release (to generate the deployment script)
- Deploy from package (to generate the deployment script)
- Deploy from live database (to generate the deployment script)
SQL Compare has a range of options that allow you to configure what is compared between the schemas and modify certain other behavior of the comparison.
The SQL Change Automation add-ons use a set of sensible defaults for these options when they run a comparison. See Default SQL Compare options used by SQL Change Automation PowerShell module.
SQL Change Automation addons ignore SQL Compare options specified in SQL Source Control
SQL Source Control also uses SQL Compare options. The default options used by the SQL Change Automation add-ons aren't the same as those used by SQL Source Control.
If you specify SQL Compare options in SQL Source Control, these are not used by SQL Change Automation add-ons.
Using the SQL Compare Options input
Each add-on has a SQL Compare Options text box for input in these situations - often under Advanced Options. You can use this to turn off the default options or specify additional SQL Compare options.
Turning off a default option
Specify a default option you want to turn off, preceded by a minus sign - e.g. -ForceColumnOrder
Adding additional options
Use a comma-delimited list of options to specify additional SQL Compare options - including additional negative options if you wish.
e.g. IgnoreComments,-ForceColumnOrder,
ObjectExistenceChecks
You can use the alias rather the full option name, for example ic
for IgnoreComments
For a list of SQL Compare options you can include, see Options used in the command line (SQL Compare documentation).