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Connecting to Microsoft SQL Server 2008 from Microsoft
Visual Studio 2005 and 2008
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc440724.aspx
Connecting to Microsoft SQL Server 2008 from Microsoft
Visual Studio 2005 and 2008
Jackie Goldstein
March 2008 (Updated October 2008)
Summary
Microsoft SQL Server 2008 offers developers an advanced and powerful database engine and
comprehensive programming framework with which to create data centric solutions. Since Visual Studio
2008 and 2005 were released before SQL Server 2008, their respective tools and data designers do not
automatically support SQL Server 2008 and its new data types and features. Microsoft is providing SQL
Server 2008 support updates for Visual Studio in order to allow the designers to communicate with SQL
Server 2008 (CTP5 and later) and take advantage of many of these features. (5 printed pages)
Applies to:
SQL Server 2008 CTP5 (November 2007) and later
Visual Studio 2005 and Visual Studio 2008
For the latest information about SQL Server 2008, see http://www.microsoft.com/sql.
For the latest information about Visual Studio, see http://www.microsoft.com/VisualStudio.
Introduction
Connecting Existing Applications to SQL Server 2008
Visual Studio 2005
Visual Studio 2008
Visual Studio Express Editions
Conclusion
Introduction
Microsoft SQL Server 2008 and development technologies from the Microsoft Data Platform provide
many benefits to database application developers. Visual Studio 2008 and Visual Studio 2005 provide
many tools to allow developers to more easily take advantage of many of these features. However, since
these versions of Visual Studio were released before SQL Server 2008, the design-time tools cannot
interact with SQL Server 2008 - even though it is possible to programmatically access the data in a SQL
Server 2008 database from applications written with Visual Studio 2008 or 2005. Microsoft will be
releasing a set of updates for these versions of Visual Studio in order to enable the Visual Studio tools to
connect and interact with SQL Server 2008 (CTP5 – November 2007 – and later). This article discusses
these updates and describes the different levels of functionality that they provide.
Connecting Existing Applications to SQL Server 2008
Before describing the updates to Visual Studio 2005 and Visual Studio 2008, and the functionality that
they enable, it should be emphasized that existing ADO.NET applications that work against SQL Server
2005 can easily connect to SQL Server 2008, without the need for any updates. No changes need to be
made to the connection string – all you need to do is to change the server name to the name of your
SQL Server 2008 database server.
Visual Studio 2005
Even before applying the SQL Server 2008 support update, applications written with Visual Studio 2005
can programmatically connect to and access a SQL Server 2008 database. However, while this is an
important element of a strategy to migrate an application from SQL Server 2005 to SQL Server 2008,
such applications cannot take advantage of any of the new SQL Server 2008 data types from within the
Visual Studio 2005 design-time tools. Once the SQL Server 2008 support CTP update has been applied
to Visual Studio 2005, the Visual Studio Server Explorer, DataSet Designer, and other design-time tools
can view and edit SQL Server 2008 database objects. However, the viewing, creation, and/or editing of
table schemas will not be supported. It is recommended that developers use SQL Server Management
Studio 2008 to create or modify the schema of tables in their SQL Server 2008 database(s).
After the SQL Server 2008 support update has been applied to Visual Studio 2005, the following features
are also available for SQL Server 2008 databases:

Data binding for WinForms and WebForms projects

Deployment of SQL CLR projects

T-SQL SQL CLR debugging
Note:
The SQL Server 2008 support update for Visual Studio 2005 has the prerequisites of Visual
Studio 2005 SP1 and .NET Framework 2.0 SP1 being installed.
The SQL Server 2008 support update CTP for Visual Studio 2005 can be downloaded
from:http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=e1109aef-1aa2-408d-aa0f9df094f993bf.
Visual Studio 2008
Note:
The SQL Server 2008 support update CTP for Visual Studio 2008 is no longer available. SQL
Server 2008 support is available in Visual Studio 2008 Service Pack 1. For more information,
see Visual Studio 2008 Service Pack 1.
Once the Visual Studio 2008 version of the SQL Server 2008 support CTP update has been applied to
Visual Studio 2008, it will support the same features as described above for Visual Studio 2005 with its
update applied This means that Visual Studio 2008 with the SQL Server 2008 support CTP update
applied includes the following features:

Programmatic consumption of new SQL Server 2008 data types

Design-Time consumption of new SQL Server 2008 data types

Server Explorer view & edit SQL Server 2008 database objects

Server Explorer view SQL Server 2008 table schemas

Data binding for WinForms and WebForms projects

Deploy SQL CLR projects that target SQL Server 2008

T-SQL SQL CLR debugging for SQL Server 2008

Connect to SQL Server 2008 using LINQ to SQL and the LINQ to SQL Designer. Note you will
not be able to consume new SQL Server 2008 Data Types (see below for SP1 information).
If you have also installed the ADO.NET Entity Framework and ADO.NET Entity Designer, you will be able
to connect to SQL Server 2008 once the current SQL Server 2008 support CTP update has been applied
but you will not be able to consume new SQL Server Data Types using the ADO.NET Entity Framework
and the Entity Designer.
The released versions of this update, will be available in the coming months as part of the Visual Studio
2008 Service Pack 1 (SP1) beginning with the Visual Studio 2008 SP1 Beta 1.
With the release and installation of Visual Studio 2008 SP1 Beta 1 you will gain the following support:

Connect and consume SQL Server 2008 Data Types (Date, Time, DateTime2, DateTimeOffset
and Filestream) with LINQ to SQL and the LINQ to SQL Designer

Connect and consume SQL Server 2008 Data Types (Date, Time, DateTime2, DateTimeOffset
and Filestream) with the Entity Framework and the Entity Designer
Visual Studio Express Editions
The express editions of Visual Studio offer developers and hobbyists a working version of Visual Studio,
albeit with various limitations as compared to the other versions of Visual Studio. Regarding the ability
of the Visual Studio Express Editions to support SQL Server 2008 and its new data types, note the
following:
Visual Studio 2005 Express Editions – There will not be an SQL Server 2008 support update offered,
so the design-time tools of this edition will not be able to support new SQL Server 2008 Data Types.
Visual Studio 2008 Express Editions – There will not be a standalone SQL Server 2008 support
update offered; however, when the Service Pack 1 (SP1) version of the Express Editions become
available it will include this update and you can then download the new version.
Summary of Updates
The additional functionality offered by these different updates is summarized in the table below.
Visual Studio
2005 SP1 +
SQL Server
2008 Support
- CTP
Visual Studio
2005 SP1 +
SQL Server
2008 Support Final Release
Visual Studio
2008 + SQL
Server 2008
Support CTP
Visual
Studio
2008 +
Visual
Studio
2008 SP1
Programmatic
consumption of new SQL
Server 2008 data types
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Design-Time
consumption of new SQL
Server 2008 data types
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Server Explorer view &
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Feature
edit SQL Server 2008
database objects
Server Explorer view
SQL Server 2008 table
schemas
No (1)
No (1)
No (1)
Yes
Create & Edit SQL Server
2008 table schemas
using Table Designer
No (1)
No (1)
No (1)
Yes
Data binding for
Windows Forms and Web
Forms projects
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Deploy SQL CLR projects
that target SQL Server
2008
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
T-SQL SQL CLR
debugging for SQL
Server 2008
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
SQL Database Publishing
Wizard for SQL Server
2008
No
No
No
Yes
Connect to SQL Server
2008 with LINQ to SQL
Designer (No use of SQL
2008 Data Types)
No
No
Yes
Yes
Support SQL Server
2008 Data Types(3) in
LINQ to SQL Designer
No
No
No
Yes
Connect to SQL Server
2008 with ADO.NET
Entity Designer (No use
of SQL Server 2008 Data
Types)
No
No
Yes (2)
Yes
Support SQL Server
2008 Data Types(3) in
ADO.NET Entity Designer
No
No
No
Yes
1.
The SQL Server 2008 Management Studio can be used to view, create and edit table schemas.
2.
Prior to the release of Visual Studio 2008 SP1 you must install the ADO.NET Entity Framework
and ADO.NET Entity Designer separately from http://msdn.microsoft.com/data.
3.
SQL Server Data Types supported in LINQ to SQL and the ADO.NET Entity Framework as of
Visual Studio 2008 SP1 include Date, Time, DateTime2, DateTimeOffset and Filestream
Conclusion
Even though it is possible to programmatically access the data in a SQL Server 2008 database from
applications written with Visual Studio 2008 or 2005, many of the design-time tools cannot connect and
access the SQL Server 2008 database "out of the box". To correct this, Microsoft is releasing a set of
SQL Server 2008 support updates for Visual Studio 2005 and 2008 (to later be incorporated into VS
2008 SP1) in order to address these limitations. CTP versions for both Visual Studio 2005 and 2008 are
currently available. The official released versions of these updates, will be available in the coming
months (for Visual Studio 2008, it will be incorporated into SP1 for Visual Studio 2008).
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Visual Studio 2008 Support for SQL Server 2008
For Visual Studio 2008, download Visual Studio 2008 SP1:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/products/cc533447.aspx
Rob Caron MSFT
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