docs: update README for documentation freshness#639
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Pull request overview
This PR updates the README.md to improve documentation freshness and accuracy by correcting outdated information and adding missing details.
Changes:
- Fixed discussion link typo from #293 to #292
- Updated "Switches not available" section to reflect current implementation (most switches now implemented, only -j and -p[1] remain)
- Corrected ActiveDirectoryIntegrated authentication description (removed outdated fallback text)
- Added missing authentication methods to documentation (ActiveDirectoryInteractive, ActiveDirectoryAzCli, ActiveDirectoryDeviceCode, and additional methods via --authentication-method)
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- Fix discussion link typo (microsoft#293 -> microsoft#292) - Update 'Switches not available' section to reflect current state - Most switches now implemented (-e, -f, -g, -k, -t, -z, -Z, -r, -X) - Only -j and -p[1] remain unimplemented - Add missing authentication methods to :Connect documentation - ActiveDirectoryInteractive, ActiveDirectoryAzCli, ActiveDirectoryDeviceCode - Fix ActiveDirectoryIntegrated description (no longer falls back) - Document additional authentication methods: - ActiveDirectoryWorkloadIdentity - ActiveDirectoryClientAssertion - ActiveDirectoryAzurePipelines - ActiveDirectoryEnvironment - ActiveDirectoryAzureDeveloperCli - ActiveDirectoryServicePrincipalAccessToken - SqlPassword
…e auth docs - Revert ActiveDirectoryIntegrated to accurate fallback description (driver still falls back to DefaultAzureCredential per source comment) - Add -f (codepage) to unimplemented switches table - Replace generic auth method descriptions with driver-verified details including actual env var names and connection parameters
- Expand -p[1] from 'optional colon format' to explain what it does - Explain tokenfilepath is a path to the federated token file - Add ClientAssertion usage: client_id@tenant_id as user, JWT as password
- Replace SqlAuthentication with SqlPassword in :Connect -G list (SqlAuthentication is not a recognized value; -G routes unknown strings to the AAD path) - Note that ServicePrincipalAccessToken does not currently propagate SQLCMDPASSWORD into the connection string - Remove mention of tokenfilepath/serviceconnectionid/systemtoken as connection parameters; sqlcmd has no way to pass them, only env vars
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This was referenced May 19, 2026
- Fix double space in :Connect -G description (line 178) - Soften ActiveDirectoryServicePrincipalAccessToken wording and link tracking issue microsoft#758
Assumes microsoft#756 lands before this PR is merged.
- -f tracked by microsoft#628 (and microsoft#111) - -j and -p[1] still only in discussion microsoft#292
- -p[1] tracked by open PR microsoft#631 - -j: only a closed/unmerged attempt (microsoft#624); kept discussion microsoft#292 as primary ref
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Summary
Updates the README.md to fix documentation freshness issues and improve accuracy.
Changes
Fixed Issues
Discussion link typo: Fixed link text from Require --password-encryption for add-user #293 to Prioritize implementation of back-compat flags #292 (the link URL was correct but display text was wrong)
Updated 'Switches not available' section: Reflects current implementation state
-e,-g,-k,-t,-z,-Z,-r,-X-f(input/output code page),-j(raw error messages), and-p[1](print statistics) remain unimplementedRewrote ActiveDirectoryIntegrated description: The previous text just said "currently not implemented and will fall back to
ActiveDirectoryDefault". The fallback is still real (the go-mssqldb driver does not implement true Integrated auth), so the rewrite preserves that fact and explains why — the gap is in the driver, not in sqlcmd's wiring. No behavior change.Added missing authentication methods to
:Connect-G list:ActiveDirectoryInteractiveActiveDirectoryAzCliActiveDirectoryDeviceCodeSqlAuthentication(never a recognized value) withSqlPasswordDocumented additional authentication methods that are available via
--authentication-method:ActiveDirectoryWorkloadIdentityActiveDirectoryClientAssertionActiveDirectoryAzurePipelinesActiveDirectoryEnvironmentActiveDirectoryAzureDeveloperCliActiveDirectoryServicePrincipalAccessTokenSqlPasswordFor
WorkloadIdentityandAzurePipelines, the docs only mention the supported environment variables and explicitly note that sqlcmd has no mechanism to pass per-connection parameters liketokenfilepath,serviceconnectionid, orsystemtoken.Related
This addresses documentation freshness issues identified when comparing the README with the actual implementation in
cmd/sqlcmd/sqlcmd.go,pkg/sqlcmd/azure_auth.go,pkg/sqlcmd/connect.go, and the Microsoft Learn documentation.Depends on
ActiveDirectoryServicePrincipalAccessTokenis currently broken in sqlcmd (the token is not propagated into the connection string). This PR documents the method as functional, which is only accurate once fix: using ActiveDirectoryServicePrincipalAccessToken does not set password in connection URL #756 merges. Merge fix: using ActiveDirectoryServicePrincipalAccessToken does not set password in connection URL #756 first.Testing
Documentation-only change - no functional changes.