Can this error message be improved?  
Author Message
John Paul Cook





PostPosted: Visual Studio Team System - Database Professionals, Can this error message be improved? Top

This is the error message you get when the design-time validation database needs to be specified. (It was captured by using Shift+Ctrl+C, which captures the text in the error dialog instead of capturing the error dialog as a graphic image.)

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Microsoft Visual Studio
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Database projects require a connection to a local instance of Microsoft SQL Server 2005 for design-time validation. To perform this operation, you must open the Tools menu, click Options, and specify an instance of SQL Server 2005 that is running and to which you can connect. When that is corrected, you must then refresh or reload the database project.
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OK
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My point is there there are two places a database instance can be specified. I suggest changing the text to read something more like this:

...open the Tools menu, click Options, open Database Tools, select Design-time Validation Database, and specify an instance of SQL Server 2005...

Also, the error message appears if . is specified instead of leaving the text box blank. Could blank, ., and (local) all be treated as correct inputs



Visual Studio Team System16  
 
 
tomsmi - MSFT





PostPosted: Visual Studio Team System - Database Professionals, Can this error message be improved? Top

That is a great suggestion.

The product was updated post-CTP5, and now the error message looks like this:

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Microsoft Visual Studio
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Database projects require a connection to a local instance of Microsoft SQL Server 2005 for design-time validation. To perform this operation, you must open the Tools menu, click Options and specify an instance of SQL Server 2005 that is running and to which you can connect in the Database Tools, Design-time Validation Database property page. When that is corrected, you must then refresh or reload the database project.
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OK Cancel
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Hope you like this message better.

-Tom