Slimming down the SSIS Script Task

SSIS Script Task History

Gather 'round children, I want to tell you a tale of woe. The 2005 release of SQL Server Integration Services allowed you to use any .NET language you wanted in a Script Task or Script Component, as long as you liked Visual Basic .NET. The 2008 release of SSIS allowed us to use either "Microsoft Visual C# 2008" or "Microsoft Visual Basic 2008". Many .NET devs rejoiced over this and that's what today's post is about.

This, is what the standard Task would generate as template code.

/*
   Microsoft SQL Server Integration Services Script Task
   Write scripts using Microsoft Visual C# 2008.
   The ScriptMain is the entry point class of the script.
*/

using System;
using System.Data;
using Microsoft.SqlServer.Dts.Runtime;
using System.Windows.Forms;

namespace ST_d80f6050516944fa8639234f7b2e50b9.csproj
{
    [System.AddIn.AddIn("ScriptMain", Version = "1.0", Publisher = "", Description = "")]
    public partial class ScriptMain : Microsoft.SqlServer.Dts.Tasks.ScriptTask.VSTARTScriptObjectModelBase
    {

        #region VSTA generated code
        enum ScriptResults
        {
            Success = Microsoft.SqlServer.Dts.Runtime.DTSExecResult.Success,
            Failure = Microsoft.SqlServer.Dts.Runtime.DTSExecResult.Failure
        };
        #endregion

        /*
        The execution engine calls this method when the task executes.
        To access the object model, use the Dts property. Connections, variables, events,
        and logging features are available as members of the Dts property as shown in the following examples.

        To reference a variable, call Dts.Variables["MyCaseSensitiveVariableName"].Value;
        To post a log entry, call Dts.Log("This is my log text", 999, null);
        To fire an event, call Dts.Events.FireInformation(99, "test", "hit the help message", "", 0, true);

        To use the connections collection use something like the following:
        ConnectionManager cm = Dts.Connections.Add("OLEDB");
        cm.ConnectionString = "Data Source=localhost;Initial Catalog=AdventureWorks;Provider=SQLNCLI10;Integrated Security=SSPI;Auto Translate=False;";

        Before returning from this method, set the value of Dts.TaskResult to indicate success or failure.
        
        To open Help, press F1.
    */

        public void Main()
        {
            // TODO: Add your code here
            Dts.TaskResult = (int)ScriptResults.Success;
        }
    }
}

That's 50 lines in total, my trim job brings that down to 23.

I hate regions. Hate them with the fury of a thousand suns. Ctrl-M, Ctrl-P stops all outlining but I have to click that every time I open the script, or I have to remove the stupid #region lines. That's a minor annoyance but one I lived through.

The 2012/2014 release of SSIS was designed to make it easier for people to get started. We had these getting started videos that were suggested every time you create a new integration services project which is really charming when your job is an ETL developer. As part of the rookie developer changes, the default Script Task now provides you with a lot more hand holding with regard to developing your first Task. The following is that template

#region Help:  Introduction to the script task
/* The Script Task allows you to perform virtually any operation that can be accomplished in
 * a .Net application within the context of an Integration Services control flow. 
 * 
 * Expand the other regions which have "Help" prefixes for examples of specific ways to use
 * Integration Services features within this script task. */
#endregion


#region Namespaces
using System;
using System.Data;
using Microsoft.SqlServer.Dts.Runtime;
using System.Windows.Forms;
#endregion

namespace ST_12345
{
    /// <summary>
    /// ScriptMain is the entry point class of the script.  Do not change the name, attributes,
    /// or parent of this class.
    /// </summary>
    [Microsoft.SqlServer.Dts.Tasks.ScriptTask.SSISScriptTaskEntryPointAttribute]
    public partial class ScriptMain : Microsoft.SqlServer.Dts.Tasks.ScriptTask.VSTARTScriptObjectModelBase
    {
        #region Help:  Using Integration Services variables and parameters in a script
        /* To use a variable in this script, first ensure that the variable has been added to 
         * either the list contained in the ReadOnlyVariables property or the list contained in 
         * the ReadWriteVariables property of this script task, according to whether or not your
         * code needs to write to the variable.  To add the variable, save this script, close this instance of
         * Visual Studio, and update the ReadOnlyVariables and 
         * ReadWriteVariables properties in the Script Transformation Editor window.
         * To use a parameter in this script, follow the same steps. Parameters are always read-only.
         * 
         * Example of reading from a variable:
         *  DateTime startTime = (DateTime) Dts.Variables["System::StartTime"].Value;
         * 
         * Example of writing to a variable:
         *  Dts.Variables["User::myStringVariable"].Value = "new value";
         * 
         * Example of reading from a package parameter:
         *  int batchId = (int) Dts.Variables["$Package::batchId"].Value;
         *  
         * Example of reading from a project parameter:
         *  int batchId = (int) Dts.Variables["$Project::batchId"].Value;
         * 
         * Example of reading from a sensitive project parameter:
         *  int batchId = (int) Dts.Variables["$Project::batchId"].GetSensitiveValue();
         * */

        #endregion

        #region Help:  Firing Integration Services events from a script
        /* This script task can fire events for logging purposes.
         * 
         * Example of firing an error event:
         *  Dts.Events.FireError(18, "Process Values", "Bad value", "", 0);
         * 
         * Example of firing an information event:
         *  Dts.Events.FireInformation(3, "Process Values", "Processing has started", "", 0, ref fireAgain)
         * 
         * Example of firing a warning event:
         *  Dts.Events.FireWarning(14, "Process Values", "No values received for input", "", 0);
         * */
        #endregion

        #region Help:  Using Integration Services connection managers in a script
        /* Some types of connection managers can be used in this script task.  See the topic 
         * "Working with Connection Managers Programatically" for details.
         * 
         * Example of using an ADO.Net connection manager:
         *  object rawConnection = Dts.Connections["Sales DB"].AcquireConnection(Dts.Transaction);
         *  SqlConnection myADONETConnection = (SqlConnection)rawConnection;
         *  //Use the connection in some code here, then release the connection
         *  Dts.Connections["Sales DB"].ReleaseConnection(rawConnection);
         *
         * Example of using a File connection manager
         *  object rawConnection = Dts.Connections["Prices.zip"].AcquireConnection(Dts.Transaction);
         *  string filePath = (string)rawConnection;
         *  //Use the connection in some code here, then release the connection
         *  Dts.Connections["Prices.zip"].ReleaseConnection(rawConnection);
         * */
        #endregion


        /// <summary>
        /// This method is called when this script task executes in the control flow.
        /// Before returning from this method, set the value of Dts.TaskResult to indicate success or failure.
        /// To open Help, press F1.
        /// </summary>
        public void Main()
        {
            // TODO: Add your code here

            Dts.TaskResult = (int)ScriptResults.Success;
        }

        #region ScriptResults declaration
        /// <summary>
        /// This enum provides a convenient shorthand within the scope of this class for setting the
        /// result of the script.
        /// 
        /// This code was generated automatically.
        /// </summary>
        enum ScriptResults
        {
            Success = Microsoft.SqlServer.Dts.Runtime.DTSExecResult.Success,
            Failure = Microsoft.SqlServer.Dts.Runtime.DTSExecResult.Failure
        };
        #endregion

    }
}

Mercy, I get all twitchy in the eye just looking at it. That is 113 lines of code and for those that really pay attention to such things, there's a delightful mix of tabs and space characters. Again, after I go through my defluffing process, I'm back to 23 lines. But, the stripping process is much slower. I have more regions to deal with and inaccurate comments to clean and it's just a lot more work than my OCD brain should have to expend.

There must be a way to take the training wheels off a Script Task. Today I found that switch. Meet the ProjectTemplatePath property. On my 2012 installation, it points to C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\110\DTS\Binn\VSTA11_IS_ST_CS_Template.vstax

VSTA11_IS_ST_CS_Template.vstax

In fine Microsoft tradition, the vstax file is a ... what? Anyone? This fine document states An Open Packaging Container (OPC) file that contains one or more project templates which to me says "a zip file." So, I copied that out of my installation location and unzipped it. 10 files

• AssemblyInfo.cs
• IS%20Script%20Task%20Project.csproj
• Resources.Designer.cs
• Resources.resx
• ScriptMain.cs
• Settings.Designer.cs
• Settings.settings
• VSTA11_IS_ST_CS_Template.vstatemplate
• vstax.manifest
• [Content_Types].xml

Oh, how lovely! Point your favourite text editor at ScriptMain.cs. Look familiar? That is your ScriptMain, except it has a token of $safeprojectname$ instead of ST_12345 for the namespace.

There be dragons here

What we're about to do has the possibility of breaking your Visual Studio/BIDS/SSDT installation and you should not do it.

Really, by mucking about you and you alone are responsible for your actions. You break it, you fix it.

Excellent, you're still here. Step 1. Edit the contents of ScriptMain.cs as you see fit. Mine looks like the following.

using System;
using System.Data;
using Microsoft.SqlServer.Dts.Runtime;
using System.Windows.Forms;

namespace $safeprojectname$
{
    [Microsoft.SqlServer.Dts.Tasks.ScriptTask.SSISScriptTaskEntryPointAttribute]
    public partial class ScriptMain : Microsoft.SqlServer.Dts.Tasks.ScriptTask.VSTARTScriptObjectModelBase
    {
        public void Main()
        {
            Dts.TaskResult = (int)ScriptResults.Success;
        }

        enum ScriptResults
        {
            Success = Microsoft.SqlServer.Dts.Runtime.DTSExecResult.Success,
            Failure = Microsoft.SqlServer.Dts.Runtime.DTSExecResult.Failure
        };

    }
}

I do comment my code, usually to the level that F/X Cop stops barking at me but I don't want to start with the annoying boilerplate comments.

Step 2 Create a new version of the vstax file. I could not figure out how to make the native windows compressed folder thing to not compress the archive. 7-Zip however makes this a snap.

1. Select all 10 files in the folder. Do not select the enclosing folder or your archive will be wrong
2. Right click and choose the Add to Archive option
3. Change your "Archive format" to zip and the "Compression level" to Store
4. Give the archive a name like VSTA11_IS_ST_CS_Template.vstax

If the resulting zip is approximately 8KB, you have compression turned on. This won't cause SSDT to break, but it also won't be able to instantiate the Task editor until you fix it.

Step 3 Backup. Make a copy of your existing VSTA11_IS_ST_CS_Template.vstax file in the Binn folder. Keep this safe.

Step 4 Replace the vstax file in the Binn folder with the one you just created. You will be prompted to perform an admin task with this since it's a protected folder. I clicked yes, but you shouldn't because you machine may catch on fire.

Step 5 Test. You don't even have to restart Visual Studio. Just drag a new Script Task onto your canvas and click edit script. If you've done everything correctly, you'll be sporting a slimmer Script Task. If this doesn't work, then replace your modified vstax file with the copy you made in Step 3.