How to generate database diagram in SSMS in powershell and save it in pdf automatically

Question

Hi,

I would like to generate a database diagram in SSMS using powershell and save it automatically in PDF. I think that this is not documented, I'm not sure, but if someone knows how to do it or knows the cmdlet, it will help me a lot.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hello there,

To generate a database diagram in SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) using PowerShell and save it as a PDF automatically, you can follow these steps:

Install SQL Server PowerShell Module: Ensure that you have the SQL Server PowerShell module installed on your system. You can install it using the following command in an elevated PowerShell session:

Install-Module -Name SqlServer

Connect to the SQL Server Instance: Use the Invoke-Sqlcmd cmdlet to connect to your SQL Server instance. Provide the appropriate server name, database name, and credentials:

$serverName = "YourServerName"

$databaseName = "YourDatabaseName"

$cred = Get-Credential # Provide the SQL Server credentials

Invoke-Sqlcmd -ServerInstance $serverName -Database $databaseName -Credential $cred

Generate Database Diagram: Use the Invoke-Sqlcmd cmdlet to execute the T-SQL script that generates the database diagram. The script should contain the appropriate USE statement to select the target database, followed by the EXEC sp_dbcmptlevel 'YourDatabaseName', 90 command to set the compatibility level to SQL Server 2005 (required for diagram generation), and finally the EXEC sp_help 'YourTableName' command to generate the diagram for a specific table:

$script = @"

USE YourDatabaseName;

EXEC sp_dbcmptlevel 'YourDatabaseName', 90;

EXEC sp_help 'YourTableName';

"@

$result = Invoke-Sqlcmd -ServerInstance $serverName -Database $databaseName -Credential $cred -Query $script

Save Diagram as PDF: You can use a PowerShell module like ConvertTo-PDF to convert the generated diagram into a PDF file. Install the module using the following command:

Install-Module -Name ConvertTo-PDF

Once installed, you can convert the diagram to PDF using the ConvertTo-PDF cmdlet:

$result | ConvertTo-PDF -Path "C:\Path\To\Save\Diagram.pdf"

Make sure to replace the placeholders (YourServerName, YourDatabaseName, YourTableName, and the path to save the PDF) with your actual values.

Note that generating database diagrams using PowerShell may not be as feature-rich as using SSMS directly. The above steps provide a basic approach to generate a diagram and save it as a PDF using PowerShell.

I used AI provided by ChatGPT to formulate part of this response. I have verified that the information is accurate before sharing it with you.

Hope this resolves your Query !!

--If the reply is helpful, please Upvote and Accept it as an answer–

Answer 2

Well, Limitless Technology said that they used Chat GPT which is known to lie when it doesn't know the answer. (Or "hallucinate" if you like.) Limitless Technology claimed to have tested the solution, but the story about cmptlevel 90 makes me doubt. And to be blunt: Limitless Technology has a poor track record.

I can't see how this can be done. For this to be possible, you need to be able to control SSMS through PowerShell, but to my knowing, there is no way to control SSMS, save for a few command-line options.