This topic gives a detailed description of command-line switches and examples of their usage.
You can select the required options while setting the comparison in the Data Comparison wizard and generate a file with command line arguments by clicking Save settings to a file.
datacompare [/argfile:path] [/operation_switch] [/switch1[:value | [parameter1:value parameter2:value ..]] /switch2 ..]
The first argument for datacompare is usually an operation switch that corresponds to the operation that you want to perform with the application.
| Switch | Usage |
|---|---|
| /argfile | /argfile:<path> |
| Path to command-line arguments file. Options specified in the command line have higher priority than the options which were given in the file. | |
| /activate | Activate a product using activation key. |
| /deactivate | Deactivate a product. |
| /execute | Execute a script. |
| /datacompare | Launch data comparison. |
| /script | Script a database. |
| /scriptsfolder | Create a scripts folder of the target schema. |
| /quiet (/q) | Hide console window in console mode. It should be used after the main operation switch. |
Execute a script.
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| connection | Is used to specify the connection string: /connection:<connection_string> |
| database | Is used to specify a database to script or override the database specified in a template or in a connection string. |
| encoding | Is used to specify the encoding which should be applied to open and execute the script: /encoding:<codepage|encoding name> |
| inputfile | Is used to specify an SQL or ZIP file with a script to execute. |
| password | Is used to specify the server password or override the password specified in the connection string: /password:<pw> |
| zippassword | Is used to enter a password for protected archive with script: /zippassword:<zip password> |
Launch data comparison.
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| compfile | Usage: /compfile:<path>. Loads command line settings from comparison .dcomp project file. |
| log | Usage: /log:<filepath>. Generates comparison log file in the specified directory. |
| meobjmask | Usage: /meobjmask:<expression/N>. Excludes objects from the comparison if they match the given expression. To exclude objects from the comparison, specify mask expression. To turn off the option, specify: No, N, Off, False, F. |
| micolmask | Usage: /micolmask:<expression/N>. Includes objects to comparison if they match the given expression. To include objects to comparison, specify mask expression. To turn off the option, specify: No, N, Off, False, F. |
| report | Usage: /report:<filepath>. Generates data comparison report file. If the output file name has .html, .xls or .xml extension, it’s not necessary to specify the file format - it will be chosen depending on the extension. Please see the documentation to learn more about report formats. |
| reportformat | Usage: /reportformat:<HTML|XLS|CSV>. Specifies the format of the file comparison report: HTML - a simple HTML file; XLS - a simple Microsoft Excel file; CSV - a simple CSV file. If the format was not specified, it is determined by the extension of the report file. |
| source | Specifies source with the following options: |
| server:<name> database:<db> [user:<name>] [password:<pw>] Connects to a live database by specified parameters. If ‘user’ is not specified, the system’s integrated security is used. | |
| connection:<connection_string> Allows specifying the full connection string with additional parameters. | |
| backup:<filepath> setid:<GUID> Loads database backup from one or several files. To specify multiple backup files, you should specify “backup:<path>” parameter as many times as many files you have. The parameter “setid” specifies unique backup set. | |
| scriptsfolder:<folderpath> Loads database objects from the specified scripts folder. | |
| sync | Usage: /sync[:path] Launches database synchronization. If an output file path is specified, the program will generate only a synchronization script. |
| target | Specifies target with the following options: |
| server:<name> database:<db> [user:<name>] [password:<pw>] Connects to a live database by specified parameters. If ‘user’ is not specified, the system’s integrated security is used. | |
| connection:<connection_string> Allows specifying the full connection string with additional parameters. | |
| backup:<filepath> setid:<GUID> Loads database backup from one or several files. To specify multiple backup files, you should specify “backup:<path>” parameter as many times as many files you have. The parameter “setid” specifies unique backup set. | |
| scriptsfolder:<folderpath> Load database objects from the specified scripts folder. | |
| options | Usage: /{option}:[value]. Specifies the value for comparison or synchronization option. To turn on the option, specify: Yes, Y, On, True, T. To turn off the option, specify: No, N, Off, False, F. You can use this switch as many times as many options you want to specify. |
Script a database.
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| connection | Is used to specify the connection string: /connection:<connection_string> |
| database | Is used to specify a database to script or override the database specified in a template or in a connection string. |
| outputfile | Is used to specify a file name for storing the database script or override the file name specified in template. |
| password | Is used to specify the server password or override the password specified in the connection string: /password:<pw> |
| projectfile | Is used to specify script template to use. Some template options can be overridden by switches: /projectfile:<path> |
Make a scripts folder of the target database.
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| connection | Is used to specify the connection string: /connection:<connection_string> |
| database | Is used to specify a database to script or override the database specified in a template or in a connection string. |
| decrypt | Is used to define if source objects should be decrypted during describing: /decrypt:[value] |
| includedata | Is used to define whether to include data: /includedata:[value] |
| * To turn on the option, specify: Yes, Y, On, True, T. | |
| * To turn off the option, specify: No, N, Off, False, F. | |
| password | Is used to specify the server password or override the password specified in the connection string: /password:<pw> |
| path | Is used to define a scripts folder path: /path: |
To practice comparison and synchronization through the command line, try to generate a synchronization script for a database backup and a live database. To do this, you should first change the default path in the command line by typing cd
"C:\Program Files\Devart\dbForge Data Compare for SQL Server\datacompare.com" /datacompare /source backup:"D:\backup_file.bak" /target server:mssql2014 database:db_name user:user_name password:"password" /CheckIdentical:Yes /sync:"D:\sync_script.sql"( /report:"D:\report_file.html")
1. Compare data using settings from a file saved earlier:
/datacompare /compfile:"D:\workDir\DC1vsDC2.dcomp"
2. Compare and synchronize data using a connection string. To write a log to the specified file, use: /log:”D:\sync.log”.
/datacompare /source connection:"Data Source=serverA;Enlist=False;Initial Catalog=AdventureWorks2019;Integrated Security=False;User ID=sa;Pooling=False;Transaction Scope Local=True" /target connection:"Data Source=ServerB;Enlist=False;Initial Catalog=AdventureWorks2019_Test;Integrated Security=False;Password=su;User ID=su;Pooling=False;Transaction Scope Local=True" /sync /log:"D:\sync.log"
3. To compare data of the specified databases and save the synchronization script to the file, use: /sync:”D:\compare_result.sql”
/datacompare /source connection:"Data Source=serverA;Enlist=False;Initial Catalog=AdventureWorks2019;Integrated Security=False;User ID=sa;Pooling=False;Transaction Scope Local=True" /target connection:"Data Source=ServerB;Enlist=False;Initial Catalog=AdventureWorks2019_Test;Integrated Security=False;Password=su;User ID=su;Pooling=False;Transaction Scope Local=True" /sync:"D:\compare_result.sql"
4. Compare and synchronize data using settings from the file, do not generate comments in the synchronization script, turn off dml triggers during synchronization; generate a report to the specified file in the HTML format:
/datacompare /compfile:"DC1vsDC2.dcomp" /nocomments:yes /nodml:yes /report:"report.txt" /reportformat:HTML /sync
5. Compare and synchronize data using settings from a file. Synchronize Lob columns using files:
/datacompare /compfile:"D:\workDir\DC1vsDC2.dcomp" /fspath:"\\SqlHost\Temp" /sync
6. Compare data and generate data report using settings from a file. Comparison and data writing settings of the different objects will be included into the report.
/datacompare /compfile:"DC1vsDC2.dcomp" /report:"report.html" /incdata:Yes /incsettings:Yes