Specifing sqlcmd variable values when using sqlpackage.exe

Question

Hi,

I am using sqlpackage.exe to try and publish my project. I have a sqlcmd variable called $(Id_value) and I want to supply a value for it. The following:

>"C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 10.0\Microsoft SQL Server Data
Tools\sqlpackage.exe" /TargetDatabaseName:MyDB /TargetServerName:".\RC0" /Action
:Publish /SourceFile:"C:\Users\jamie\Documents\Visual Studio 2010\Projects\SSDT\
TestRequiredSqlCmdVars\TestRequiredSqlCmdVars\bin\Debug\TestRequiredSqlCmdVars.d
acpac" /p:Id_value=1

fails with:

*** 'Id_value' is not a valid argument for the 'Publish' action.

Please could someone tell me ow to specify a value for a sqlcmd variable?

thanks
Jamie

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ObjectStorageHelper<T> – A WinRT utility for Windows 8 | http://sqlblog.com/blogs/jamie_thomson/ | @jamiet | About me

Answer 1

Never mind, I found it: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh550080(v=vs.103).aspx

SQL Command Variables

The following table describes the format of the option that you can use to override the value of a SQL command (sqlcmd) variable used during a publish action. The values of variable specified on the command line override other values assigned to the variable (for example, in a publish profile).

Parameter	Default	Description
/v: SQLCommandVariableName = value	N/A	Required if /Action:Publish is specified.

You guys changed the syntax. It used to be /p: not /v:  :)

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ObjectStorageHelper<T> – A WinRT utility for Windows 8 | http://sqlblog.com/blogs/jamie_thomson/ | @jamiet | About me

Answer 2

Thanks Jamie. Your answer helped me.

Continuing to Jamie's answer, if we have multiple SQLCMD variables, we can use multiple /v: switches.

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- Chintak (My Blog)

Answer 3

Thank you, Chintak! I've been looking for doco on how to provide multiple variables, and your post was the only answer I found!

Answer 4

Here is the syntax sugar for MULTIPLE SQLCMD variable values.

SqlPackage.exe (other stuff pointing to dacpac)       /Variables:MyVariableOne="MyValueOne" /Variables:MyVariableTwo="MyValueTwo" /Variables:MyVariableThree="MyValueThree"