!!TOP!! Download Pubs And Northwind Database

How to Download and Install the Pubs and Northwind Sample Databases for SQL Server

If you want to practice your SQL skills or learn how to use some of the features of ADO.NET, you might need to download and install the pubs and Northwind sample databases for SQL Server. These databases contain sample data that you can query, modify, and manipulate using SQL statements or ADO.NET code.

In this article, we will show you how to download and install the pubs and Northwind sample databases for SQL Server using two different methods: SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) and SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT) or Visual Studio.

Download the Pubs and Northwind Sample Databases

The first step is to download the scripts that create and load the pubs and Northwind sample databases from the following GitHub repository:

Northwind and pubs sample databases for Microsoft SQL Server

You will find two files: instnwnd.sql for the Northwind database and instpubs.sql for the pubs database. Save these files to a folder on your computer.

Install the Pubs and Northwind Sample Databases using SSMS

If you have SSMS installed on your computer, you can use it to run the scripts and create the sample databases. To download SSMS, go to Download SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS).

To install the sample databases using SSMS, follow these steps:

Open SSMS and connect to the target SQL Server instance.

Open the instnwnd.sql script in a new query window.

Run the script. This will create and populate the Northwind database.

Repeat steps 2 and 3 for the instpubs.sql script. This will create and populate the pubs database.

Refresh the Databases node in Object Explorer to see the newly created databases.

Install the Pubs and Northwind Sample Databases using SSDT or Visual Studio

If you have SSDT or Visual Studio installed on your computer, you can use them to run the scripts and create the sample databases. To download SSDT, or to enable its features in Visual Studio, go to Download and install SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT) for Visual Studio.

To install the sample databases using SSDT or Visual Studio, follow these steps:

Open SSDT or Visual Studio and open the SQL Server Object Explorer.

Connect to the target SQL Server instance.

Open the instnwnd.sql script in a new query window.

Run the script. This will create and populate the Northwind database.

Repeat steps 3 and 4 for the instpubs.sql script. This will create and populate the pubs database.

Refresh the Databases node in SQL Server Object Explorer to see the newly created databases.

Conclusion

In this article, we showed you how to download and install the pubs and Northwind sample databases for SQL Server using two different methods: SSMS and SSDT or Visual Studio. These databases are useful for practicing your SQL skills or learning how to use some of the features of ADO.NET. You can also explore other sample databases from Microsoft, such as AdventureWorks or Wide World Importers[^1^]. Happy coding! 061ffe29dd