ApexSQL Analysis

SQL join analysis

Analyze database dependencies and create SQL join relationship visualizations

 

Overview

·View and analyze SQL dependencies

·Customize the appearance of dependency diagrams

·Map dependencies down to the column level

·Visualize object dependencies graphically

·Export diagrams as image files

·Perform impact analysis on potential object deletions

 

Feature

 

Column-level dependencies

Track SQL object dependencies down to the column level

 

Graphical dependencies

View SQL objects dependencies graphically

 

Dependency diagrams customization

Customize the appearance of dependency diagrams by using the Display options by layout mode. Show/hide columns, labels and more

 

Export dependency diagrams

Save entire diagrams or partial selections into JPEG, BMP and PNG formats

 

Show SQL object scripts

View the SQL code of selected objects in an integrated SQL script editor

 

Visual themes

Customize the visual appearance with interface themes.

 

 

Stand-alone tools

GUI themes including Light, Blue and Dark, let you modify the complete appearance of ApexSQL tools which makes them suitable for different work environments and personal preferences.

Light

 

Blue

 

 

Dark

Visual Studio

Themes are supported for our Visual Studio add-ins as well, to insure a consistent implementation into the host environment aka host aware theming. The theme of the ApexSQL add-in will automatically detect and adapt to the host theme

To select the desired GUI theme in Visual Studio, follow these instructions:

1. Click the Tools dropdown menu and choose Options.
2. In the Options window, choose the General tab under Environmental options.
3. In the Color theme dropdown list, select the preferred theme.

Here are examples of supported themes

Light

Blue

Dark

SQL Server Management Studio

SSMS Add-ins are also host aware like Visual Studio Add-ins but by default only Light and Blue themes are available for use in SSMS theme settings.

The Dark theme is not officially supported by Microsoft, at the time this blog post was written, but our Add-ins offer complete support for this theme if enabled. Complete instructions on how to enable the dark SSMS theme for use can be seen in our article Setting up the dark theme in SQL Server management studio.

Here are examples of theme implementation of ApexSQL add-ins in SSMS

Light

Blue

Dark

Web tools

We also offer themes for our web based tools including ApexSQL Monitor, ApexSQL BI Monitor, ApexSQL VM Monitor and the Web dashboard for the ApexSQL CI/CD toolkit

Light

 

Dark

 

ApexSQL Analyze

 

General

 Can I save my projects and options for future reference?

Yes. All settings and options that are set up in the project can be saved in a project file by clicking the Save button from the main ribbon bar. A project file can be consumed via the CLI for unattended execution in future releases.

 

 Is ApexSQL Analyze offered as an add-in in SQL Server Management Studio and or Visual Studio?

No. Currently, ApexSQL Analyze is a stand-alone application. Integration into SQL Server Management Studio is planned for ApexSQL Analyze 2018 R2.

 

 Can I run ApexSQL Analyze unattended via a CLI?

No. ApexSQL Analyze does not have a command line interface currently. This feature is planned for ApexSQL Analyze 2018 R2.

 

Dependency analysis

 Can I filter objects from my display diagrams?

Yes. To filter out specific objects use the Object browser panel or the Display options from the main ribbon bar.

 

 Can ApexSQL Analyze identified unreferenced objects in my database? If so, how can I hide these objects?

Yes. To hide unreferenced objects, click the Hide unreferenced option from the main ribbon bar. To revert that action and show these objects again, click the Show hiddenoption.

 

 Can ApexSQL Analyze show which object columns participate in a dependency relationship?

Yes. ApexSQL Analyze can show column level dependencies for selected objects in the Dependencies panel.

 

 Can ApexSQL Analyze identify dependencies that exist in dynamic SQL in objects like stored procedures and functions?

Yes, dependencies of all object types that are listed in the Object browser can be viewed in ApexSQL Analyze.

 

 Can I manage which dependency levels are shown?

Yes. The option to set the depth level of dependencies that will be shown in the Dependencies panel can be found in the General tab of the Options window. For example, when the Dependency depth is set to 2, dependencies for all selected objects will be shown and additionally the dependencies for referenced and referencing objects will be also visible.

 

 Can I add objects from other databases?

No, adding objects from other databases is currently not possible. The External database analysis feature is planned for future releases of ApexSQL Analyze.

 

Graphical dependencies

 What export options do I have in ApexSQL Analyze?

Dependency diagrams can be exported to a variety formats such as .JPG, .BMP, .PNG. Selected parts of dependency diagrams can also be exported using the Export part option from the main ribbon bar.

 

 Can I change the layout and appearance of objects in ApexSQL Analyze?

Yes. To customize the appearance of dependency diagrams, use the Display options like layout mode, show/hide columns, labels and more.

 

 What layout styles and modes are available?

Available layout styles are Shapes and colors and Icons. These can be found in the Layout tab in the Options window. Available layout modes are Organic, Circular and Orthogonal and these options can be found in the main ribbon bar.

 

 Can I selectively remove objects from a diagram?

Yes. Any selected object can be removed from the diagram by clicking the Remove option from the right-click context menu. Additionally, selected objects can be removed by pressing the Delete keyboard button.

 

 What information is shown for each dependency?

Information that is shown for each dependency is a list of selected objects, referencing objects and objects that are referenced by the selected object. Additionally, dependency types can be displayed on diagrams when clicking the "Show labels" toggle button from the main ribbon bar.

 

 What detail is shown for each object?

Details include:

• the number of objects that are referenced by the selected object,
• the number of referencing objects,
• and the schema and object type, e.g. table

Additionally, object columns can be displayed on diagrams when clicking the "Show columns" toggle button from the main ribbon bar.

 

 Can I print out diagrams?

Not currently, but this feature is planned in future versions of ApexSQL Analyze.

 

Requirements

ApexSQL Analyze
Hardware	Dual Core 2.0 GHz CPU  4GB memory 100MB disk space
SQL Server	SQL Server 2005 and higher [1] Azure SQL Database [1] Amazon RDS for SQL Server [1]
Add-in integration	SQL Server Management Studio 2012 and higher [2] Visual Studio 2010 and higher [1]
OS	Windows 7 SP1/Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 and higher [1]
Software	.NET Framework 4.7.2 or higher
Permissions and additional requirements	Windows user account with administrative privileges

 

Compare

	ApexSQL	Redgate®
SQL Server version
SQL Server 2005 - 2017	〇	〇
SQL Server 2019	〇
SQL Server editions
Express	〇	〇
Standard	〇	〇
Enterprise	〇	〇
Cloud
Azure SQL Database	〇	〇
Amazon RDS for SQL Server	〇	〇
Integration
SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS)	〇	〇
Visual Studio	〇
Inputs
SQL Server database	〇	〇
MySQL database	2019 R2
Schema snapshot	〇
Reports and exports
PDF report	〇	〇
XML export	〇	〇
DOCX report	〇
Diagram exports
EMF	〇	〇
PNG	〇	〇
BMP	〇
JPEG	〇
Partial diagram	〇
Analysis features
Dependency lists/tables	〇	〇
Interactive visual dependencies	〇	〇
Visible columns on objects	〇	〇
Dependency details	〇
Dependency levels	〇
Visible dependency types	〇
Exploring options
External database analysis	〇	〇
Filter, search and sort objects	〇	〇
Hide unreferenced objects	〇	〇
Impact analysis	2019 R2	〇
Layout options	〇	〇
Shape options	〇	〇
Show/hide constraints and system objects	〇	〇
Show/hide objects	〇	〇
SQL object code	〇	〇
Zoom options	〇	〇
Show/hide filegroup dependencies		〇
Column level dependencies	〇
Show snapshot dependencies	〇
Other
Print diagram	〇	〇
Projects	〇	〇
Update all objects from schema	〇	〇
Object style customization	〇
Interface
GUI themes	〇
High DPI and 4K resolution support	〇
Microsoft standard iconography, colors and other visual effects	〇