Missing topics in help system -- sql server new users

Paul
2/28/2006 11:11:06 AM

I can multitask complaints and questions at the same time :+>

Silly me for expecting the help I installed from the CD to be the right
one. Whatever help was coming up for the management studio wasn't too
good. I installed the new one and there seem to be a lot more topics,
and I can find things like "uniqueidentifer" etc. I prefer to RTM
instead of go to usenet. Thanks.

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Gail Erickson [MS]
2/28/2006 12:49:09 PM

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I agree it would have been optimal if the version of Books Online that
shipped with the CD was the final version. However, for a variety of
reasons, that wasn't possible so we provided an updated version as soon as
we could after SQL Server 2005 was released.

For the near-term, you can expect additional updates to Books Online
approximately every quarter. The next update is currently scheduled for
early April. In the updated versions you will see new topics and
corrections or enhancements to existing topics. Many of the changes are
based on comments we receive from users who submit feedback on the topics.
So, if you're not finding what you're looking for, or feel a topic is
lacking in detail, by all means, submit feedback on the topic. When you
submit feedback, your comments create a "doc bug" which is assigned to the
appropriate writer who evaluates the information and determines when and how
to incorporate your suggestion.

--
Gail Erickson [MS]
SQL Server Documentation Team
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights

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Gail Erickson [MS]
3/1/2006 3:46:03 PM

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The quarterly update is published as a BOL download and to the MSDN
Library. After we publish to the MSDN Library, their next update into the
subscription service will automatically pick up our updated topics.

Our schedules are not always synchronized to the MSDN quarterly update
cycle, so there will be times when our updates in the MSDN Library will not
be included in the subscription service update for some time. For example,
our April Books Online update schedule is driven more by the SQL Server 2005
SP1 schedule. Our drop of the April Books Online into the MSDN Library will
most likely be after their cutoff for their April subscription update. So
for the period from April until July the only way to get the updated Books
Online content onto your local computer is by using the Books Online
download, which is linked to from the download pages in the SQL Server
TechCenter, the SQL Server DevCenter, and the product site at
http://www.microsoft.com/sql.

Regards,
Gail
--
Gail Erickson [MS]
SQL Server Documentation Team
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights

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Lawrence Garvin
3/1/2006 3:52:22 PM

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Gail.. while we're on the topic..

Will the April update also ship in the April MSDN Library update?

Or will it be a separate update only?

Gail Erickson [MS]
3/2/2006 10:51:42 AM

Thanks for the feedback Lawrence. I've forwarded your comments to the
release/schedule team.

--
Gail Erickson [MS]
SQL Server Documentation Team
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights

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Lawrence Garvin
3/2/2006 10:57:50 AM

Thank you for the answer; unfortunately, that's a =very= disappointing
answer.

It completely obliviates any reason for maintaining BoL in my local MSDN
library at all if the MSDN copy is always one rev behind the current BoL
release, because the release schedules cannot be coordinated on a more
practical basis.

Looks like I should go ahead and uninstall BoL from my VS2005 doc package
and forget about the integrated library solution.

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Michael Hotek
3/5/2006 10:47:12 PM

It's no different than dozens of other things in BOL. It is never going to
be in synch with service packs, documentation, even actual product releases.
MSDN has a cut-off date for every release they do in order to produce
CDs/DVDs and ship them. The MSDN schedule won't dictate the scheduling of
any product that it contains. It is an absolute guarantee that you are
going to get an MSDN update at some point that doesn't contain a Visual
Studio service pack that is available before the CDs/DVDs even reach you.
The same goes for documentation of all kinds as well as entire products.
The MSDN website is more up to date than the CD/DVD updates and neither one
claim to always cover everything as it happens. You will always have to use
MSDN as a base and then download anything more up to date from a variety of
places.

No, I don't work for Microsoft. This is a simple fact of life with ANY
product that ships on physial media while everything it contains is
constantly being worked on.

--
Mike
http://www.solidqualitylearning.com
Disclaimer: This communication is an original work and represents my sole
views on the subject. It does not represent the views of any other person
or entity either by inference or direct reference.

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sql server new users : Missing topics in help system