Introduction
I’m happy to announce that the development of VersionSQL 2.0 is well underway! This new version will include many exciting features and enhancements, such as support for blockchain technology.
Haha, just kidding 🤣 But seriously folks, I’ve been hard at work on the next major release of VersionSQL and wanted to give everyone a little taste of what’s coming. Read on for a short recap of the VersionSQL story thus far, an overview of upcoming features, and an invitation to try the preview release.
The History
As a full-stack developer, I found myself frequently inheriting large SQL databases with lots of complex business logic and no proper change management in place. As you can imagine, this was a recipe for disaster. Inevitably, changes would be made to the database schema without anyone knowing, resulting in all sorts of mayhem.
To try and mitigate this issue, I started developing my own change tracking system – which eventually became VersionSQL. VersionSQL helps keep track of all the schema changes made to a database (including who made the change and when) and provides a history of past versions so that you can roll back if necessary.
VersionSQL first entered public beta in early 2016. Since then it has evolved into a powerful and reliable tool, trusted by database administrators, developers, team leads, and IT directors all over the world. Now, after months of development and alpha testing, VersionSQL is almost ready for its biggest update yet.
The Features
VersionSQL 2.0 will include easy access to a database’s history of changes, allowing you to view all modifications made to the schema with a click. You’ll be able to see who made each change, when it was made, and what the old and new scripts were, all without leaving SSMS.
Another new feature is undo script generation. This will allow you to quickly and easily roll back any changes made to a database schema. Select a previous revision and VersionSQL will generate a script to revert the object back to its previous state.
The most requested new feature in VersionSQL 2.0 is automatic generation of deployment scripts. You’ll be able to deploy recent changes from version control to a live database or keep multiple environments in sync with little effort.
Finally, the new version will include an optional dark mode, to make the interface easier on the eyes in low-light environments. VersionSQL’s dark mode will engage automatically if SSMS’ hidden dark mode is enabled or if SQL Shades is installed and active.
I’ll be going into more detail about each of these features in future blog posts. For now, suffice it to say that I’m pumped about where VersionSQL is headed.
The Preview
The first preview release of VersionSQL 2.0 introduces the History of Changes window. Continue to the next article for details: Feature #1: History of Changes
If you’d rather jump straight into testing, head to the VersionSQL 2.0 Preview download page. I’ll update that page each time a new feature is ready for testing.
I hope you’ll join me on this journey as we continue to make VersionSQL the best tool for managing database changes. Thanks for reading!
– Michael (Founder & Developer)
P.S. VersionSQL 2.0 is a free upgrade for everyone with an active subscription. If you were thinking about buying VersionSQL already, there’s no need to wait!