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A DatabaseSpy® 2008 project file is a toolbox for collecting database connections along with your favorite tables, views, SQL statements, and visual database design files.

When you launch Altova DatabaseSpy® 2008 and connect to any of its supported database types, your work is automatically organized as a project. A DatabaseSpy® 2008 project contains one or more database connections and can also include SQL files, database design files, and any tables and views you designate as favorites. A DatabaseSpy® 2008 project file makes it easy to organize all the files related to your database work and to restore quick access to them later.

The DatabaseSpy® 2008 Project helper window displays the contents of the project in hierarchical format regardless of where individual files may be – on your local workstation or across the network.

You can connect to any database or open any file from the Project window without having to rebuild the database connection string or browse for the file location.

The project toolbar gives you quick access to commands to create, open, and save projects and to add files to your active project.

Each of the major elements of DatabaseSpy® 2008 can contribute to a project:

• As you work in the SQL Editor, you can save your SQL statements and scripts at any time and easily add them to your project as SQL files
• The Online Database Browser automatically creates SQL queries when you retrieve data from tables and views that you can save as SQL files and include in your project
• The Database Design Editor lets you save design files and database structure change scripts that can also be conveniently placed in the project file

As your project grows to encompass multiple database connections and numerous files, you can drag and drop to reorder the list of project components and you can create folders and subfolders that individually collapse or expand to group SQL files and designs as you wish. DatabaseSpy® 2008 lets you organize your project in a convenient hierarchy that is saved and restored when you later reopen the project file.

You don’t want to risk your live data when developing complex SQL script to enhance functionality of an existing database. It makes much more sense to write, test, and refine your SQL statements against a copy or a test database to be certain the SQL statements produce the intended results.

The DatabaseSpy® 2008 Properties window below the Project window displays detailed information about each component in the project. For SQL files included in your project, for instance, the Properties window shows which database the file is assigned to for execution. After you have completed, tested, and verified a new SQL script against a test database, you can use the Data Source pull-down menu in the Properties window to reassign the target to your live database.

You can select the tables and views most relevant to your current needs and assign them to the DatabaseSpy® 2008 Project Favorites folder. Later, when you’re working in the DatabaseSpy® 2008 database browser, you can limit the list of visible database objects to show only the items in Favorites. Organizing frequently needed data objects as Favorites helps you quickly navigate complex relational databases that can be comprised of literally hundreds of tables and views.

You can even increase productivity by customizing DatabaseSpy® 2008 to provide quick access to specialized database utilities or other software tools as you work with your project. You can define your own additions to the Tools menu in the entry labeled User-defined tools.

The right-click context menu for DatabaseSpy® 2008 toolbars opens a dialog that lets you specify the application, arguments, and default path for your user-defined tool.

If you are part of a team developing XML content for your database, for instance, you can add Altova SchemaAgent® 2008 to your DatabaseSpy User-defined tools menu for a quick shortcut to shared XML Schema resources.

Discover for yourself how you can work more efficiently by organizing your database efforts in DatabaseSpy® 2008 project files. Download a free 30-day trial today!