10/22/13 HowTo Create, Export and Import SQL Server 2008 Database Diagrams | JJ's Blog

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HowTo Create, Export and Import SQL Server 2008

Database Diagrams
17. Mrz 2011 jochenj Hinterlasse einen Kommentar Kommentare lesen

Documentation and communication of custom database models and objects should be a task with high
importance in every project and for every good database developer and administrator! Personally i advise one of
the following approaches for generating MSSQL Database documentation:

1. Reengineer DB-Diagrams with Visio 2010

(Needs Visio 2010 Professional! Only Professional Edition brings DB-reengineer feature! Visio 2007 brings SQL2000/2005 Support, and ONLY VISIO 2010 can
read SQL2008 DBs. If you also think this is *** please vote at MS Connect for change)

OR/AND

2. Use SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) ootb functionality > Diagram Designer

This post ist all about the second (Diagram Designer) approach:

With SSMS its easy to create DB-diagrams:

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With the integrated Diagram Designer you can produce multiple, nice looking diagrams, position tables and
relationships as needed, create annotations

Sample DB Diagram created with SSMS Diagram Designer

Limitations/Problems:

Unfortunately Diagram Designer misses features for printing or exporting your diagrams to formats like PDF. The
only option possible is to make a screenshoot or use copy diagram to clipboard function. Also its not possible
to copy diagrams from one database to other databases or create diagrams automatically during deploment..!

Solution:

Diagrams are stored in database table [dbo].[sysdiagrams]. So if you would copy this table by hand to
another database, the diagrams will be available in the destination DB.

To make this task easy you will find the code of a stored procedure at the end of this posting! This SP
must be created in your custom database! After that you can call this SP to script-out existing diagrams as insert
statement..Most of the honor goes to this blog-entry i found with google and adapted for my needs:
http://www.conceptdevelopment.net/Database/ScriptDiagram2008/

Heres the step-by-step howto:

You have already created my helper SP and have one or multiple diagrams created in your custom database:

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Now you execute the stored procedure without parameters:

The output will create a exec statement for each diagram included in table dbo.sysdiagrams

If you execute the SP with @Name Parameter it will script-out the diagram to insert statements which can be
executed in any database:

If you execute the generated insert statements in same database or if the diagram already exists in the database, a
new/copy of the diagram will be created with timestamp in name:

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Finally heres the Stored Procedure create statement. Just copy-paste and have fun!

IF EXISTS (SELECT * FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.ROUTINES WHERE ROUTINE_NAME =

Tool_ScriptDiagram2008)
BEGIN DROP PROCEDURE dbo.Tool_ScriptDiagram2008
END
GO

CREATE PROCEDURE [dbo].[Tool_ScriptDiagram2008]( @name VARCHAR(128) = NULL)

AS
BEGIN
DECLARE @diagram_id INT
DECLARE @index INT
DECLARE @size INT
DECLARE @chunk INT
DECLARE @line VARCHAR(max)
Set start index, and chunk constant value
SET @index = 1
SET @chunk = 32 values that work: 2, 6 values that fail: 15,16, 64

IF @name IS NULL
BEGIN
PRINT WARNING! Stored Procedure was called without defined @Name parameter WARNING! +
CHAR(10)+
Please call one of following TSQL to export a specific diagram +CHAR(10)

DECLARE @cnt int

DECLARE @cntMax int
SELECT @cnt=1;
SELECT @cntMax =Count(*) FROM dbo.sysdiagrams

DECLARE @y nvarchar(100)
WHILE @cnt <= @cntMax
BEGIN While Loop
WITH AbfrageLoop AS (SELECT row_number() OVER (ORDER BY diagram_id) AS Row,*
FROM dbo.sysdiagrams)
SELECT @y=name FROM AbfrageLoop WHERE Row=@cnt

do something based on the query

print EXEC [dbo].[Tool_ScriptDiagram2008] @Name = + @y +

SELECT @cnt = @cnt+1

END While Loop
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RETURN (-1)

END

Get PK diagram_id using the diagrams name (which is what the user is familiar with)
SELECT @diagram_id=diagram_id , @size = DATALENGTH(definition) FROM dbo.sysdiagrams
WHERE [name] = @name

IF @diagram_id IS NULL
BEGIN
PRINT /**<error>Diagram name [' + @name + '] could not be found.</error>*/
END
ELSE Diagram exists
BEGIN Now with the diagram_id, do all the work
PRINT /**
PRINT <summary>Restore diagram + @name + </summary>
PRINT <generated> + LEFT(CONVERT(VARCHAR(23), GETDATE(), 121), 16) +
</generated>
PRINT */

PRINT PRINT === Tool_ScriptDiagram2008 restore diagram [' + @name + '] ===
PRINT If the sysdiagrams table has not been created in this database, create it!

IF NOT EXISTS (SELECT * FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.TABLES WHERE TABLE_NAME

= sysdiagrams)
BEGIN
Create table script generated by Sql Server Management Studio
_Assume_ this is roughly equivalent to what Sql Server/Management Studio
creates the first time you add a diagram to a 2008 database

CREATE TABLE [dbo].[sysdiagrams]( [name] [sysname] NOT NULL

,[principal_id] [int] NOT NULL
,[diagram_id] [int] IDENTITY(1,1) NOT NULL
,[version] [int] NULL
,[definition] [varbinary](max) NULL
,PRIMARY KEY CLUSTERED
([diagram_id] ASC)WITH (PAD_INDEX = OFF, IGNORE_DUP_KEY = OFF)
,CONSTRAINT [UK_principal_name] UNIQUE NONCLUSTERED
([principal_id] ASC,[name] ASC)WITH (PAD_INDEX = OFF, IGNORE_DUP_KEY = OFF)
)

EXEC sys.sp_addextendedproperty @name=Nmicrosoft_database_tools_support, @value=1 ,

@level0type=NSCHEMA,@level0name=Ndbo,
@level1type=NTABLE,@level1name=Nsysdiagrams

PRINT [sysdiagrams] table was created as it did not already exist

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10/22/13 HowTo Create, Export and Import SQL Server 2008 Database Diagrams | JJ's Blog

END
Target table will now exist, if it didnt before

PRINT SET NOCOUNT ON Hide (1 row affected) messages

PRINT DECLARE @newid INT
PRINT DECLARE @DiagramSuffix varchar (50)
PRINT
PRINT PRINT Suffix diagram name with date, to ensure uniqueness
PRINT SET @DiagramSuffix = + LEFT(CONVERT(VARCHAR(23), GETDATE(), 121), 16)
PRINT
PRINT PRINT Create row for new diagram
Output the INSERT that _creates_ the diagram record, with a non-NULL [definition],
important because .WRITE *cannot* be called against a NULL value (in the WHILE loop)
so we insert 0x so that .WRITE has something to append to
PRINT BEGIN TRY
PRINT PRINT Write diagram + @name + into new row (and get [diagram_id])
SELECT @line =
INSERT INTO sysdiagrams ([name], [principal_id], [version], [definition])
+ VALUES ( + [name] + +@DiagramSuffix, + CAST (principal_id AS VARCHAR(100))+,
+CAST (version AS VARCHAR(100))+, 0x)
FROM dbo.sysdiagrams WHERE diagram_id = @diagram_id
PRINT @line
PRINT SET @newid = SCOPE_IDENTITY()
PRINT END TRY
PRINT BEGIN CATCH
PRINT PRINT XxXxX + Error_Message() + XxXxX
PRINT PRINT XxXxX END Tool_ScriptDiagram2008 fix the error before running again
XxXxX
PRINT RETURN
PRINT END CATCH
PRINT
PRINT PRINT Now add all the binary data
PRINT BEGIN TRY

WHILE @index < @size

BEGIN
Output as many UPDATE statements as required to append all the diagram binary
data, represented as hexadecimal strings
SELECT @line =
UPDATE sysdiagrams SET [definition] .Write ( +
+ UPPER(sys.fn_varbintohexstr (SUBSTRING (definition, @index, @chunk)))
+ , null, 0) WHERE diagram_id = @newid index: + CAST(@index AS VARCHAR(100))
FROM sysdiagrams WHERE diagram_id = @diagram_id

PRINT @line

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SET @index = @index + @chunk

END
PRINT
PRINT PRINT === Finished writing diagram id + CAST(@newid AS VARCHAR(100)) +
===
PRINT PRINT === Refresh your Databases-[DbName]-Database Diagrams to see the new diagram
===
PRINT END TRY
PRINT BEGIN CATCH
PRINT If we got here, the [definition] updates didnt complete, so delete the diagram row
PRINT (and hope it doesnt fail!)
PRINT DELETE FROM sysdiagrams WHERE diagram_id = @newid
PRINT PRINT XxXxX + Error_Message() + XxXxX
PRINT PRINT XxXxX END Tool_ScriptDiagram2008 fix the error before running again
XxXxX
PRINT RETURN
PRINT END CATCH
END
END
GO

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