Documentation

for SQL Delta

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SQL Delta Help

Command Line

SQL Delta can run projects without user interaction by passing one or more saved project names, or project file paths, on the command line. This is the normal entry point for Task Scheduler and other unattended automation.

Recommended setup

  1. Create and save the project interactively first, including all connection details, compare options, and any passwords you expect the build to retain.
  2. Use the relevant On Completion, Data Compare On Completion, or Schema View On Completion page to configure the outputs you want after a run, such as scripts, reports, snapshots, email, or log files.
  3. Test the project manually before relying on quiet automation, especially if the workflow can generate or execute scripts.

Create a shortcut to SQLDelta.exe and add the saved project name to the target. If the project name has spaces then enclose the project name in quotes. Multiple projects can be added to the command line.

For example: ...\SQLDelta.exe "My CLTest"

Opening that shortcut will immediately run the saved project.

Command Line Options

sqldelta.exe "project name" "project name 2" ... /Q /A /M:x

"Project Name" = the name shown in the project list, case insensitive, or the project filename including path.

Multiple project names can be supplied. Recent Version 7 release notes also describe asynchronous execution when multiple projects are passed on the command line, so completion order should not be assumed to match the order typed.

/Q = Quiet or Silent mode. The user interface is not shown and SQL Delta shuts down automatically when the last project and last On Completion event has finished.

/A = Run all checked projects. In Project Manager you can check projects and /A will run every checked project without naming each project explicitly.

/M:x = Monitor override. SQL Delta is normally shown on the last used monitor. If that monitor is no longer physically available, SQL Delta may appear off-screen.

Run SQLDelta.exe /M:0 to force SQL Delta to display on the primary monitor or enter another monitor number to force a specific screen.

Quiet mode and automation safety

Running a project using /Q does not show the normal results UI, so unattended runs should use On Completion events to create the outputs you need. The Version 6 and Version 7 release notes repeatedly mention improvements to quiet-mode processing, return values, folder handling, and data compare command-line stability, but you should still verify the exact behavior of your installed build before wiring it into production scheduling.

In practice this means:

  • use On Completion events to write scripts, reports, snapshots, or email/log output to predictable locations;
  • test quiet runs with non-production projects first so you can confirm exit codes and post-run artifacts;
  • review any project that can execute change scripts, because quiet mode hides prompts that would otherwise be visible in the UI.

Things to do with Command Line

All of these tasks use On Completion events to perform extra work beyond simply running the project.

  • Run a Schema View project on a schedule and save a snapshot of the database. This gives you a lightweight schema-history trail that can later be used in Schema Compare.
  • Run a Schema Compare project on a schedule, save the sync script to file, and email or archive it for later review.
  • Run a Data Compare project on a schedule, generate the sync script, and optionally execute it to synchronize downstream databases.

Changes from Version 5

In Version 5 the command line process required more manual project editing for useful output. From Version 6 onward, On Completion events are the main way to define what unattended runs should produce.

Older command-line workflows also depended on automatic logging behavior. Current guidance is to configure logging and other automation outputs explicitly per project.