Static Analysis Rule-sets for SQL Projects
Overview
A library of SQL best practices implemented as over 140 database code analysis rules checked at build time.
The rules can be added as NuGet packages to SQL Database projects:
- Modern SDK-style projects: MSBuild.Sdk.SqlProj and Microsoft.Build.Sql
- Classic .sqlproj: Legacy SSDT projects (Visual Studio 2017+ required)
For a complete list of the current rules we have implemented see here.
Component Stack
flowchart TD
VS["Visual Studio T-SQL Analyzer<br/>Live feedback in Visual Studio"]
SSMS["SSMS T-SQL Analyzer<br/>Live feedback in SQL Server Management Studio"]
VSC["VS Code T-SQL Analyzer<br/>Live feedback in Visual Studio Code"]
CLI["T-SQL Analyzer CLI<br/>tsqlanalyze command line tool"]
MBSQL["SQL Database Projects<br/>Build-time SQL Project analysis"]
RULES["SqlServer.Rules<br/>(NuGet package)<br/>Static SQL code analysis rules"]
MCP["MCP Server<br/>AI Agent integration for SQL code analysis rules"]
VS --> CLI
SSMS --> CLI
VSC --> CLI
CLI --> RULES
MBSQL --> RULES
MCP --> CLI
Usage
The latest version is available on NuGet
dotnet add package ErikEJ.DacFX.SqlServer.Rules
Modern SDK-style Projects
The rules are available as a NuGet package that can be added to your SQL Database project. The rules will run during build, and report any issues in the Error List window.
You can read more about using and customizing the rules in the docs here
Classic .sqlproj Projects
You can download and manually use the rules with Visual Studio and "classic" SQL Database projects, as described in my blog post here.
Command line tool - T-SQL Analyzer CLI
This repository also contains a .NET command line tool that uses the rule set.
You can use it to analyze SQL scripts or SQL Database projects and output the results in a variety of formats, including XML and JSON.
You can also use the tool as an MCP Server with GitHub Copilot in VS Code and Visual Studio, allowing you to get feedback on your SQL code using GitHub Copilot Chat.
The T-SQL Analyzer MCP Server supports quick installation across multiple development environments. Choose your preferred client below for streamlined setup:
Read more in the dedicated readme file
Visual Studio extension - T-SQL Analyzer
This repository also contains a Visual Studio extension that uses the rule set.
Run live analysis of your SQL scripts in Visual Studio and get the results in the Error List window.
Download the extension from the Visual Studio Marketplace or get the CI build
Read more in the dedicated readme file
SQL Server Management Studio extension - T-SQL Analyzer
This repository also contains a SQL Server Management Studio extension that uses the rule set.
Run live analysis of your SQL scripts in SQL Server Management Studio and get the results in the Error List window.
Download the latest build of this extension from the SSMS VSIX Gallery
Read more in the dedicated readme file
VS Code extension - T-SQL Analyzer
This repository also contains a VS Code extension that uses the rule set.
Get live squiggles and diagnostics for your .sql files as you type in Visual Studio Code — no build step required.
Read more in the dedicated readme file