SQL Server to PlantUML

A .NET tool that generates PlantUML entity relationship diagrams from SQL Server databases.

Features

• 🔗 Multiple Connection Methods: Support for SQL Server, Azure SQL Database with Managed Identity
• 📊 Two Diagram Types: Entity relationship diagrams and class diagrams
• 🎛️ Flexible Configuration: Command-line options and JSON configuration files
• 🔍 Smart Filtering: Include/exclude schemas, tables with regex patterns and wildcards
• 🎨 Customizable Output: Themes, custom directives, and styling options
• 🚀 High Performance: Async operations with cancellation support
• 📝 Rich Metadata: Includes descriptions, data types, indexes, and relationships
• ✅ Input Validation: File extension validation and automatic directory creation
• 🛠️ Robust Error Handling: Comprehensive logging and error reporting

Installation

Install as a .NET global tool:

dotnet tool install --global sqlserver2puml

Or install from source:

git clone https://github.com/pregress/sqlserver2puml.git
cd src
dotnet pack -c Release
dotnet tool install --global --add-source ./bin/release sqlserver2puml
sqlserver2puml -h

Or Run from source:

git clone https://github.com/pregress/sqlserver2puml.git
cd src
dotnet run -- -h

Usage

Basic Usage

# Generate entity relationship diagram
sqlserver2puml -c "Server=localhost;Database=Northwind;Integrated Security=true;" -o northwind.puml

# Generate class diagram
sqlserver2puml -c "Server=localhost;Database=Northwind;Integrated Security=true;" -o northwind.puml --type class

Azure SQL Database with Managed Identity

sqlserver2puml -c "Server=myserver.database.windows.net;Database=MyDatabase;Authentication=Active Directory Default;" -o diagram.puml

Advanced Options

# Include only specific schemas
sqlserver2puml -c "connection_string" -o output.puml --include-schemas dbo,sales

# Exclude system schemas and limit tables
sqlserver2puml -c "connection_string" -o output.puml --exclude-schemas sys,guest --max-tables 50

# Exclude specific tables (supports wildcards)
sqlserver2puml -c "connection_string" -o output.puml --exclude-tables "*temp*,__*,sysdiagrams"

# Use configuration file
sqlserver2puml -c "connection_string" -o output.puml --config my-config.json

# Include indexes and use a theme
sqlserver2puml -c "connection_string" -o output.puml --include-indexes --theme aws-orange

Configuration File

Create a JSON configuration file for advanced options:

{
  "includeDescriptions": true,
  "includeDataTypes": true,
  "includeIndexes": false,
  "includeRelationships": true,
  "maxTables": 0,
  "includeSchemas": ["dbo", "sales"],
  "excludeSchemas": ["sys", "INFORMATION_SCHEMA"],
  "excludeTables": ["*temp*", "__*", "sysdiagrams"],
  "includeTablePatterns": ["^Product.*", "^Customer.*"],
  "excludeTablePatterns": ["^temp_.*", ".*_backup$"],
  "theme": "aws-orange",
  "customDirectives": [
    "skinparam linetype ortho",
    "skinparam roundcorner 5",
    "skinparam class {",
    "    BackgroundColor LightYellow",
    "    BorderColor DarkGreen",
    "}"
  ]
}

Command Line Options

Connection String Examples

SQL Server with Windows Authentication

Server=localhost;Database=MyDatabase;Integrated Security=true;

SQL Server with SQL Authentication

Server=localhost;Database=MyDatabase;User Id=myuser;Password=mypassword;

Azure SQL Database with Managed Identity

Server=myserver.database.windows.net;Database=MyDatabase;Authentication=Active Directory Default;

Azure SQL Database with Service Principal

Server=myserver.database.windows.net;Database=MyDatabase;Authentication=Active Directory Service Principal;User Id=app-id;Password=client-secret;

Output Examples

Entity Relationship Diagram

@startuml
entity "Customer" {
  * CustomerID : int <<NOT NULL>> <<IDENTITY>>
  --
  CompanyName : nvarchar(40) <<NOT NULL>>
  ContactName : nvarchar(30)
  Phone : nvarchar(24)
}

entity "Order" {
  * OrderID : int <<NOT NULL>> <<IDENTITY>>
  --
  CustomerID : nchar(5)
  OrderDate : datetime
  ShipName : nvarchar(40)
}

"Order" }o--|| "Customer" : CustomerID -> CustomerID
@enduml

Supported SQL Server Versions

• SQL Server 2012 and later
• Azure SQL Database
• Azure SQL Managed Instance

Authentication Methods

• Windows Authentication (Integrated Security)
• SQL Server Authentication
• Azure Active Directory Authentication
• Managed Identity (Azure-hosted applications)
• Service Principal (CI/CD scenarios)

PlantUML Themes

You can use any PlantUML theme:

• aws-orange
• blueprint
• carbon-gray
• cerulean
• cerulean-outline
• crt-amber
• crt-green
• hacker
• mars
• materia
• materia-outline
• metal
• mimeograph
• plain
• reddress-darkblue
• reddress-darkgreen
• reddress-darkorange
• reddress-darkred
• reddress-lightblue
• reddress-lightgreen
• reddress-lightorange
• reddress-lightred
• sketchy
• sketchy-outline
• spacelab
• toy
• united
• vibrant

Samples: https://plantuml.com/theme-gallery

Security Best Practices

• Use Managed Identity when running in Azure
• Never hardcode credentials in source code
• Use least privilege database permissions
• Enable SSL/TLS encryption for database connections

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. Invalid File Extension: Output file must have a PlantUML extension

   # ✅ Valid extensions
   sqlserver2puml -c "connection_string" -o diagram.puml
   sqlserver2puml -c "connection_string" -o diagram.plantuml
   sqlserver2puml -c "connection_string" -o diagram.pu
   
   # ❌ Invalid extension
   sqlserver2puml -c "connection_string" -o diagram.txt

2. Connection Timeout: Increase connection timeout in connection string

   Server=localhost;Database=MyDB;Connection Timeout=60;
   

3. Permission Denied: Ensure the user has read permissions on system tables:

   GRANT VIEW DEFINITION TO [username];
   GRANT SELECT ON INFORMATION_SCHEMA.TABLES TO [username];
   GRANT SELECT ON INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS TO [username];

4. Azure SQL Authentication: For Managed Identity, ensure the identity is added to the database:

   CREATE USER [managed-identity-name] FROM EXTERNAL PROVIDER;
   ALTER ROLE db_datareader ADD MEMBER [managed-identity-name];

Debug Mode

Enable verbose logging for troubleshooting:

sqlserver2puml -c "connection_string" -o output.puml --verbose

License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details.

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Commit your changes
4. Push to the branch
5. Create a Pull Request

Support

For issues and questions:

• Create an issue on GitHub