Preview Refresh of the Microsoft Driver for Node.js for SQL Server
Hi everyone,
We've been overwhelmed with the level of interest from the community since our first preview release of the Microsoft Driver for Node.js for SQL Server. We've had a total of 82 issues created, with 24 bugs closed, and 18 questions asked by our users. We've also marked our very first community contribution, which we are always grateful for. Now that a few months have passed since our first preview, we are now releasing a refresh of the driver, along with a few changes.
Name change to msnodesql
The very first thing you'll notice is that we've changed the name of the driver to 'msnodesql'. We wanted to make sure that the name was short and meaningful, and to this end, we've updated our name to reflect this. You will find that 'node-sqlserver' has been marked as deprecated on NPM, and we've published a new package name. We will be using this package going forward.
Github branch changes
Our community has been very eager to pick up the latest changes as we make them, and having a separate 'develop' branch has brought some difficulties. To address this, we've converged all of our development efforts into our 'master' branch. For the users out there familiar with SVN nomenclature, we'll be treating our 'master' branch as our 'trunk'. All development work which reaches an acceptable level of stability will be checked in to 'master'. If you like bleeding-edge bits, this is the branch you'll want to focus on.
We've also created a servicing branch named 'v0.2'. If you prefer stable, tested bits, you should track this branch. This is where we'll be making any changes to the existing stable release if they are required. Please keep in mind that this branch will see very little activity as we focus on our next version. You should only follow this branch if you require stability for your applications. Additionally, please keep in mind that as this driver is a preview release, we do not recommend using it inside a production environment. There will still be bugs in the servicing branch, and we will only address these if they are critical enough. Most of our changes will land in the 'master' branch as we progress towards our v1.0 release.
Finally, given our focus on a 'trunk' and 'service' branch, we've stopped all development work in our 'develop' branch, and have removed it from the repository. If you were previously tracking our progress in this branch, you should switch to 'master'.
Getting the Preview Refresh
You can find the latest bits on our Github repository, at our existing address. You can also download a pre-compiled binary on our download page at the Microsoft Download Center. We provide limited support while in preview on our Github Issues page.
As always, we welcome contributions of any kind, be they Pull Requests, or Feature Enhancements. You can find out how to get involved with our Contribution Guidelines.
Thank you,
Jonathan Guerin
Program Manager
Microsoft Corporation