Visual Studio database projects: beyond source control

Visual Studio database projects (or SSDT projects) are often compared to other source control systems, and usually found wanting. They definitely seem clunkier, and require a developer to jump through hoops they may not be used to. However, this is largely because they are not just designed as a source control tool. In fact, I would argue their primary purpose is to separate your code base from your database, and allow you to manage that code base as a whole solution rather than a set of loosely connected objects. This session will go through what exactly that means, and some of the benefits you get from developing your databases this way. It assumes you have at least a passing familiarity with database projects, and aims to help you realise the full potential of this technology. The first half of the talk deals with a lot of the smaller features and options you have available to you, and the second half will look in more detail at how you can use this technology to break up your databases into more manageable and reusable blocks of code.