How to: Import a Schema From a Command Prompt

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You can import objects and settings from a database or server into a .dbschema file at a command prompt by using the VSDBCMD tool. For more information, see Starting Team Development of Databases That Reference Other Databases. You might use this tool if the computer where you use Visual Studio Team System Database Edition does not have network access to the database or server from which you want to import objects and settings. To use this tool, you must copy it and the following files either over a network or to a universal serial bus (USB) drive:

  • DatabaseSchemaProviders.Extensions.xml

  • Microsoft.Data.Schema.dll

  • Microsoft.Data.Schema.ScriptDom.dll

  • Microsoft.Data.Schema.ScriptDom.Sql.dll

  • Microsoft.SqlServer.BatchParser.dll

  • Sqlceer35en.dll

  • Sqlceme35.dll

  • Sqlceqp35.dll

  • Sqlcese35.dll

  • System.Data.SqlServerCe.dll

  • VSDBCMD.EXE

You can specify additional arguments at the command prompt. For more information, see Command-Line Reference for VSDBCMD (Deployment and Schema Import).

To copy the supporting files to your USB drive

  1. Navigate to the [Program Files]\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VSTSDB\Deploy folder, and copy the contents of that folder to your USB drive.

  2. Navigate to the [Program Files]\Microsoft SQL Server Compact Edition\v3.5 folder, and copy the DLLs that are listed earlier in this topic to your USB drive.

    Next you use these files to import objects and settings for a database or a server.

To import database objects and settings by using VSDBCMD

  • Open a Command Prompt window, and type the following command line:

    VSDBCMD /a:Import /cs:"connectionstring" /dsp:Sql /p:ModelType:Database /model:DatabaseName.dbschema

    For DatabaseName, you specify the name that you want to give the .dbschema file.

To import server objects and settings by using VSDBCMD

  • Open a Command Prompt window, and type the following command line:

    VSDBCMD /a:Import /cs:"connectionstring" /dsp:Sql /p:ModelType:Server /model:ServerName.dbschema

    For ServerName, you specify the name that you want to give the .dbschema file.

See Also

Concepts

Terminology Overview of Database Edition

Build and Deploy Databases to a Staging or Production Environment

Reference

Command-Line Reference for VSDBCMD (Deployment and Schema Import)