The command line interface provides access to the functionality provided by SQL Packager. For example, using the command line interface you can:

• automate the comparison, synchronization, and packaging of both database structures and data
• perform scheduled comparisons and synchronizations
• synchronize multiple databases
• upgrade customer databases without manual intervention

You invoke the command line either from a script, such as a batch script or VBScript, or by using the facilities provided by compiled languages such as C++ and C#.

These pages provide a description of basic command line features and examples illustrating how you can use the command line interface.

Getting help from the command line

To display full help on all of the switches that are available for the command line, at the command prompt enter:

sqlpackager /help /verbose

where /help displays the help message and can be used in conjunction with /verbose for more detailed information. To output the help in HTML format, use the /html switch, for example:

sqlpackager /help /verbose /html > filename.htm

If you specify any other switches, they are ignored.

Prerequisites

To use the SQL Packager command line interface, you must have:

• a license for SQL Packager 6.0 (or later versions), a license for the Professional Edition of SQL Packager version 5.5 and earlier, or a SQL Toolbelt license
  If you do not have a license, you can use the command line for 14 days.
• .NET framework version 2.0 or later
  This is required to run the command line interface, but it is not required when you develop applications and scripts that use the interface.
• MDAC 2.8 or later

For information about distributing the command line interface with your application, see Integrating the command line with applications.