vscode_data_lineage

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vscode_data_lineage

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VS Code extension for visualizing SQL Server database object dependencies from .dacpac files or MS SQL DB import. Interactive graph with trace, search, DDL preview and Copilot support.

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# Data Lineage Viz

[![License](https://img.shields.io/badge/license-MIT-blue.svg)](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ChrisDevRepo/vscode_data_lineage/main/LICENSE)
[![VS Code](https://img.shields.io/badge/vscode-1.101+-blue.svg)](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=datahelper-chwagner.data-lineage-viz)
![Status](https://img.shields.io/badge/status-stable-green.svg)

Visualise SQL dependencies right inside VS Code. Browse your lineage graph with search, trace, and Schema View — and, if you use GitHub Copilot, ask `@lineage` to explore the loaded model in natural language.

Import from `.dacpac` files or connect directly to SQL Server, Azure SQL, Fabric Data Warehouse, or Synapse Dedicated SQL Pool.

[![Data Lineage Viz — search, trace, and preview DDL](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ChrisDevRepo/vscode_data_lineage/main/images/viz-search-screenshot.png)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ybg2daCrB0)

▶ **[Watch the demo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ybg2daCrB0)**

## Get started

1. Run **Data Lineage: Open Wizard** (`Ctrl+Shift+P`).
2. Pick a `.dacpac` file — or **Connect to Database** via the [MSSQL extension](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ms-mssql.mssql).
3. Select schemas and click **Visualize**.

No data? Click **Try with demo data** or run **Data Lineage: Open Demo** to explore the AdventureWorks sample.

## Explore your lineage

Once your model loads, the visual graph is ready to use — no Copilot required:

- **Data Lineage: Search Objects** finds any table, view, procedure, or function instantly.
- **Trace dependencies** — follow sources upstream or consumers downstream from any node.
- **See the blast radius** — spot hubs, islands, orphans, and circular dependencies before you change anything.
- **Read the SQL** — click any node for DDL with syntax highlighting; full-text search across procedure and view bodies.

![Interactive dependency graph with schema-coloured nodes](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ChrisDevRepo/vscode_data_lineage/main/images/viz-screenshot.png)

## Optional AI lineage with `@lineage`

If GitHub Copilot is installed, `@lineage` adds natural-language exploration on top of the visual graph. The assistant answers from your loaded data model — never from general knowledge.

```text
@lineage trace from Sales.SalesOrderDetail upstream to the source tables
@lineage how is sales calculated — show me the lineage in the app
@lineage which objects are hubs with the most connections?
```

Use it to ask dependency questions, open bookmarked graph views, and — where the metadata allows — follow column mappings or explain SQL logic.

![AI lineage analysis — annotated graph with column mappings and join paths](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ChrisDevRepo/vscode_data_lineage/main/images/viz-ai-screenshot.png)

`@lineage` has two modes of operation:

- **Discovery (chat)** — the default. Catalog lookups, DDL search, graph-pattern questions, bounded upstream/downstream scope questions, and explicit source-to-target path questions are answered directly in chat from deterministic tools.
- **Structured walkthrough** — when you ask for a graph in the side panel, request a column trace, or open a scope too large for chat, the assistant first shows the planned scope (nodes, schemas, depth) and asks for confirmation. Once approved, it walks the graph hop-by-hop and colours source / transform / target nodes in the result.

Only the `@lineage` chat experience requires [GitHub Copilot](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=GitHub.copilot). The visual graph, search, trace, SQL preview, demo data, profiling, and export features work without Copilot.

## Features

- **Interactive graph** — search objects, trace upstream or downstream, and find shortest paths between nodes.
- **Graph analysis** — identify islands, hubs, orphans, circular dependencies, and long dependency chains.
- **Schema View** — large graphs auto-summarise at schema level; double-click to drill in.
- **SQL preview** — inspect DDL with syntax highlighting and search across procedure / view bodies.
- **Optional `@lineage` AI** — use GitHub Copilot Chat to ask lineage questions, follow column mappings where the metadata allows, and build bookmarked graph views.
- **Multiple sources** — SSDT and SDK-style `.dacpac` files, live database connections, external tables, and virtual external refs (OPENROWSET, cross-DB, CETAS).
- **Projects & views** — save connections, schema selections, and named filter states for one-click reopen.
- **Table profiling** — on-demand column statistics for live databases (null %, distinct, min / max, AVG, STDEV).
- **Export** — Draw.io diagram generation.

For the full feature catalogue, settings, and customisation paths see [`docs/FEATURES.md`](docs/FEATURES.md).

## Limitations

The extension is built from database DDL/catalog metadata only. The following are out of scope:

- **External ingestion pipelines** — ADF, SSIS, Spark, Fabric Dataflow, or any ETL/ELT process that writes *into* the database from an external source. Target tables appear as leaves; the upstream pipeline does not.
- **Cross-database / cross-server flow** — fully qualified three- or four-part references can surface as virtual external nodes, but the remote database internals are not introspected.
- **Dynamic SQL** — `EXEC(@sql)` and `sp_executesql` cannot be analysed statically.
- **Unqualified references** — references without a schema prefix are ambiguous; metadata may resolve some known dependencies, but dynamic/default-schema cases are not guaranteed.

## FAQ

**Do I need a `.dacpac` file?**
No — connect directly to a database. If you prefer a `.dacpac`, extract one from Visual Studio, SSMS, Azure Data Studio, or the Fabric portal. See [Microsoft's documentation](https://learn.microsoft.com/sql/relational-databases/data-tier-applications/data-tier-applications).

**Why are some dependencies missing?**
Dynamic SQL cannot be analysed statically. Only dependencies visible in compiled metadata or parseable SQL bodies are detected.

**Why are unqualified references unreliable?**
Unqualified names depend on caller default schema and context. Schema-qualified names are the only reliable source for static lineage.

## Documentation

- [`docs/FEATURES.md`](docs/FEATURES.md) — full feature catalogue, settings, customisation paths.
- [`docs/ARCHITECTURE.md`](docs/ARCHITECTURE.md) — Map & Router engine, bipartite analysis, memory model.
- [`docs/DEVELOPER_GUIDE.md`](docs/DEVELOPER_GUIDE.md) — fork starting point, repo layout, build / test, prompt-builder hierarchy.
- [`docs/DMV_QUERIES.md`](docs/DMV_QUERIES.md) — DBA contract for live-database ingestion (no black box).
- [`docs/PROFILING_PATTERNS.md`](docs/PROFILING_PATTERNS.md) — generated SQL for table profiling.
- [`docs/PARSE_RULES.md`](docs/PARSE_RULES.md) — YAML reference for the SQL parser.
- [`docs/AI_PROMPTS.md`](docs/AI_PROMPTS.md) — prompt architecture + YAML reference for `@lineage` capture / render templates.
- [`docs/TROUBLESHOOTING.md`](docs/TROUBLESHOOTING.md) — common issues.
- [`CONTRIBUTING.md`](CONTRIBUTING.md) — coding standards, testing protocol, PR hygiene.

## Contributing

Bug reports welcome. For custom features, fork and extend under the MIT license. See [`CONTRIBUTING.md`](CONTRIBUTING.md).

---

MIT License · [Christian Wagner](https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-wagner-11aa8614b) · [GitHub](https://github.com/ChrisDevRepo/vscode_data_lineage) · Developed with Claude Code, Codex and Gemini

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