Overview

xSQL Object Command Line utility allows for comparing the schema of SQL Server databases via the command line. With the xSQL Object Command Line you can:

• Perform automated schema comparisons and synchronizations;
• Compare and synchronize database schema as part of your setup and deployment solution;
• Compare database schemas and execute the synchronization script in batch files;
• Schedule schema comparison via the Windows scheduler.

Comparison options are specified via an xml configuration file. Additional command line switches are used for other settings such as encoding, file location etc.

Runtime files

The following files are required to run the Command Line:

• xSQLObjectCmd.exe
• xSQL.ObjectSchema.dll
• xSQL.SchemaCompare.dll
• xSQL.Licensing.dll
• xSQL.xSQLShared.dll
• xSQLObjectCmdSchema.xsd
• C1.C1Zip.dll

Command Line argument and options

The command line options control the general behavior of the xSQL Object Command Line utility such as the mode of operation (quiet), file encoding, the location of the log and error files. Each option has a short and a long form. For example /q and /quiet specify the "quiet" mode which suppresses all the comparison messages from being displayed on the screen or saved to a file. The value of the option should be separated from the option switch using a colon, not a space. For example /l:c:\compare.log saves all comparison messages to the output file c:\compare.log.

The schema comparison options and preferences on the other hand are specified via an xml configuration file. When the same command line option exists for an xml-specified parameter, the command line value has priority over the one specified in the xml file.

xSQL Object Command Line utility supports the following argument and options:

Xml configuration file

Overview

Due to the large number of arguments, xSQL Object Command Line utility uses an xml configuration file for all the comparison options.

The Xml configuration file allows you to:

• Specify SQL Server databases that should be compared;
• Define the comparison options;
• Specify the files for the comparison logs and synchronization script;
• Choose to log the comparison errors to Windows log or disk file;
• Take a snapshot of the database schema before comparing it;
• Choose to execute the synchronization script.

The xml file groups the comparison parameters and options into the following sections:

A simple Xml configuration file has the following structure:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<CommandLineParameters xmlns="http://www.xsqlsoftware.com/schemas/xSQLObjectCmdSchema.xsd">
        <LeftDatabase>
                <SqlServer>(local)</SqlServer>
                <DatabaseName>DB_Prod</DatabaseName>
                <TrustedConnection>true</TrustedConnection>
        </LeftDatabase>
        <RightDatabase>
                <SqlServer>(local)</SqlServer>
                <DatabaseName>DB_Staging</DatabaseName>
                <TrustedConnection>true</TrustedConnection>
        </RightDatabase>
        <SchemaObjects>
                <Object Type="DefaultObjects"></Object>
        </SchemaObjects>
        <SchemaOptions>
                <Option>DefaultOptions</Option>
        </SchemaOptions>
        <CommandLineSettings>
                <SchemaScriptFile>CmpScript.sql</SchemaScriptFile>
                <SchemaLogFile>CmpLog.txt</SchemaLogFile>
                <ErrorLogType>File</ErrorLogType>
                <ErrorLogName>CmpErr.txt</ErrorLogName>
                <CompareSchema Direction="LeftAsRight" Synchronize="false"></CompareSchema>
        </CommandLineSettings>
</CommandLineParameters>
      

The <LeftDatabase> and <RightDatabase> elements specify the database on the "left" and the "right" side of the comparison respectively. In this example the databases DB_Prod and DB_Staging are located on the "(local)" SQL Server and the connection to SQL Server is Trusted Connection.
<Objects> elements contains the type of database objects to compare. The value DefaultObjects specified with the attribute "Type" indicates the default selection of database objects.
<SchemaOptions> tag determines the schema comparison options. The value DefaultOptions indicates the default options.
<CommandLineSettings> element contains:

The following command invokes the Command Line with the Xml configuration file (assuming that the file is named simpleXml.xml)

        xSQLObjectCmd simpleXml.xml
      

Examples

xSQL Object Command Line sample xml files are located in the \Samples\CommandLines\ObjectCmd subfolder under the main installation folder of xSQL Bundle.

Xml Configuration File Schema

<CommandLineParameters>
        <LeftDatabase>
                <SqlServer>
                <DatabaseName>
                <Username>
                <Password>
                <TrustedConnection>
                <ConnectionTimeout>
                <CommandTimeout>
                <SnapshotFile>
                <CreateSnapshot>
        </LeftDatabase>
        <RightDatabase>
                <SqlServer>
                <DatabaseName>
                <Username>
                <Password>
                <TrustedConnection>
                <ConnectionTimeout>
                <CommandTimeout>
                <SnapshotFile>
                <CreateSnapshot>
        </RightDatabase>
        <SchemaFilterValueSets>
                <FilterValueSet Name>
                        <Value MatchType>
                </FilterValueSet>
        </SchemaFilterValueSets>
        <SchemaObjects>
                <Object Type Action FilterValueSet FilterValidationType>
        </SchemaObjects>
        <SchemaOptions>
                <Option>
        </SchemaOptions>
        <CommandLineSettings>
                <LogFile>
                <ErrorFile>
                <SchemaScriptFile>
                <SchemaLogFile>
                <FileEncoding>
                <CompareSchema Direction Synchronize>
        </CommandLineSettings>
</ CommandLineParameters >  
      

Error Codes

The Command Line utility returns the following error codes:

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