Silent installation of ADD-in Tools (i.e., dbForge SQL Complete) with custom IDE selection.

Silent installation of ADD-in Tools (i.e., dbForge SQL Complete) with custom IDE selection.

dbForge SQL Complete can be installed in silent mode (without user interaction) using a configuration file (.ini).

This file allows you to define in which IDEs (SSMS or Visual Studio) the integration should be performed. It also includes parameters for managing native image (NGen) generation, which optimizes application startup performance.

Preparing the Configuration File

Create a new text file, for example in Notepad++, and insert the following content:

[InstallSettings]

NGenInstallationMode = 0
Ms2016Integrate = 0
Ms2017Integrate = 0
Ms2018Integrate = 0
Ms19Integrate   = 0
Ms20Integrate   = 0
Ms21Integrate   = 1

Vs2015Integrate = 0
Vs2017Integrate = 0
Vs2019Integrate = 0
Vs2022Integrate = 1

Explanation
  1. In the provided example, integration will be performed with SSMS 21 and Visual Studio 2022, while NGen image generation is disabled.
  2. Ms2016Integrate = 0 is SQL Server Management Studio and its version for further integration
  3. Vs2015Integrate = 0 is Visual Studio and its version for further integration
  4. A value of 1 means that integration with the corresponding IDE will be performed.
  5. A value of 0 means that integration is disabled.
NGen images are precompiled files that help the application start faster.

In this example, if the installation were performed through the GUI, the following option would be selected, as shown in the screenshot below:


Save the file with the following name and extension: Settings.ini.

Placing the Installer and Configuration File

Copy the following files to the same folder:
  1. The downloaded installer, for example, sqlcompletesql.exe
  2. The configuration file you created, Settings.ini
For example: D:\SQLCompleteInstall\

Running the Installation from the Command Line

Open Command Prompt (CLI) or PowerShell and run the following command:
D:\SQLCompleteInstall\sqlcompletesql.exe /VERYSILENT /settings="D:\SQLCompleteInstall\Settings.ini"

Parameter Description:
  1. /VERYSILENT — performs installation in the background, without displaying any windows or progress indicators.
  2. /SILENT — performs installation in a mode with a visible interface (UI), allowing you to observe progress without user interaction.
  3. /settings="..." — specifies the path to your .ini configuration file.

Installation Scenario Examples

Example 1: Installation without generating NGen images, with integration into SSMS 21 and Visual Studio 2022, completely without UI:
sqlcompletesql.exe /VERYSILENT /settings="D:\Settings.ini"

Example 2: Installation in SILENT mode with progress displayed in the interface:
sqlcompletesql.exe /SILENT /settings="D:\Settings.ini"

After the installation is completed, SQL Complete will be integrated into the specified IDEs according to the parameters defined in the .ini file.

Info
The same installation procedure can be applied to all add-ins listed below:
  1. dbForge SQL Complete
  2. dbForge Source Control for SQL Server
  3. dbForge Unit Test for SQL Server
  4. dbForge Index Manager for SQL Server
  5. dbForge Data Pump for SQL Server
  6. dbForge Search for SQL Server
  7. dbForge Monitor for SQL Server

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