SQL Server data tools in visual studio 2015

Question

I'm trying to create an SSIS package to import xml data file into sql server table. I have sql server 2008 R2 and visual studio professional 2015 on Windows 10 machine. In VS Help About I can see SQL Server Data Tool 14.0.50730.0. I did an update via control panel just to be sure and the help list stayed the same. From loads of searching I'm guided to use New Project / Templates / Other Languages / Sql data tools - but this does not appear. Nearest I get is SQL Server/Sql Database project. SSDT does not appear in my start menu program list

How do I find and run sql server data tools so I can create a package?

Answer 1

You won't.

SSIS packages are bound to the edition (or upgraded to current) of SQL Server they are created against.

• SQL Server 2005 uses VS 2005 to create SSIS packages.
• 2008/2008R2 uses VS 2008. Both of those will be sourced from the SQL Server installation media.
• SQL Server 2012 uses both VS 2010 and VS 2012 to author SSIS packages (same .dtsx file, just different color palates for designer). This can be installed from either the installation media or by downloading SSDT-BI
• SQL Server 2012 uses VS 2013 to author SSIS packages and now the bits only come via the download
• SQL Server 2016 will use VS 2015 to author SSIS packages and, breaking with the above pattern, will be able to create SSIS packages against earlier versions. (As of this answer, 2016 is not released but the speculation is that SQL Server 2012-2016 will all be able to targeted within VS 2015). These bits will also be available exclusively through download and there is a slight change in that process as you will be able to only download what you want (SSIS, SSAS, and/or SSRS)

If you Biml, then while you still need multiple installations of BIDS/SSDT/VS on your machine at least the problem just becomes a matter of "recompiling" to target the version instead of hand coding it per version of SQL Server you have to support.

Launching the correct visual studio

My start screen looks something like

Those are going to all point to the executable devenv.exe which, by default, will be in C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio * where you need to tie your year-version to internal number

You can find the installation locations for visual studio by issuing the following command dir /s /b devenv.exe from your C:\ location

C:\Program Files (x86)>dir /s /b devenv.exe
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 10.0\Common7\IDE\devenv.exe
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 11.0\Common7\IDE\devenv.exe
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 12.0\Common7\IDE\devenv.exe
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 14.0\Common7\IDE\devenv.exe
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\Common7\IDE\devenv.exe
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\Common7\IDE\devenv.exe