SQL Server extended properties

[DBAEric]

Most modeling tools I've used have functionality that takes the table and column level notes and includes them as extended properties in the generated code scripts. I can't find any info about EA supporting this and my tests haven't been successful. I know that you can generate documentation from EA that includes these details, but I prefer to have my databases "self documented" with extended properties, and I don't like my documentation locked into a particular modeling tool. Has anybody been able to accomplish what I'm trying to do with EA?
Thanks,
Eric

[DBAEric]

Given the lack of responses and all attempts to figure this out being unsuccessful I'm now facing abandoning our licenses and switching my team to a different tool. This is unfortunate since I liked many aspects of this product, and the recent release had more database specific features, but not this one which is critical to my data warehouse.

[qwerty]

EA is not a database modeling tool but an UML modeling tool which can help modeling databases to quite some extend. Maybe you look at a specific MDG for EA (can't recall the name but it's from Sparx Japan - dbmode or the like!?).

q.

[Geert Bellekens]

Eric,

Have you asked Sparx support?
Remember, this is a user forum, so typically you will only get answers from users who happend to know the answer. Occasionally we have a Sparx employee that joins the conversation, but there is no guarantee.
If you contact Sparx support directly you will definitely get an answer (hopefully a positive one)

Geert

[Sunshine]

Haven't tried this but if you can't see a direct way of doing it here are some alternative ideas to work around it;
a) Export to csv file and import into your database to populate the descriptions.
b) Write some SQL to populate the target DB with descriptions directly from the Sparx EA repository(database).
 

[Guillaume]

I would think that the DDL templates should let you customize what's generated in your SQL Server scripts so notes can be added.
If you use EA12, you can access them via the Package menu > Database Engineering > Edit DDL Templates > select the language for your DBMS.

You may need some help from Sparx support in writing the scripts if you don't find the information from EA Help.

[DBAEric]

Eric,

Have you asked Sparx support?
Remember, this is a user forum, so typically you will only get answers from users who happend to know the answer. Occasionally we have a Sparx employee that joins the conversation, but there is no guarantee.
If you contact Sparx support directly you will definitely get an answer (hopefully a positive one)

Geert

Thanks Geert, I'm now in contact with support about this. In trying out other modeling tools it appears that this is a common issue since SQL Server breaks ANSI SQL with regards to commenting data objects with customizable extended properties.

Eric