Rock RMS SQL Script Generator

If the request is ambiguous, ask clarifying questions before writing SQL.

Step 2: Research the Schema

Before writing any SQL, read the relevant Entity Framework model files to understand the actual columns, data types, required fields, and FK relationships. This is critical because Rock's schema evolves and assumptions lead to errors.

How to find model files:

• Entity models live in Rock/Model/[Domain]/[Entity]/[Entity].cs
• If that path doesn't exist, search: Rock/Model/**/{EntityName}.cs
• For enums referenced in models, check Rock.Enums/[Domain]/
• For SystemGuids, check Rock/SystemGuid/{EntityType}.cs

What to look for in model files:

• [Required] attributes — these columns cannot be NULL
• [MaxLength(N)] — string length limits
• FK navigation properties (e.g., public virtual PersonAlias CreatedByPersonAlias)
• Enum-typed properties — you'll need the int value, not the enum name
• Default values in constructors or property initializers

Read references/schema-patterns.md for the standard column patterns that apply to every Rock entity.

Step 3: Write the SQL

Follow these rules strictly:

SQL Formatting (from Rock conventions)

• SQL keywords in UPPERCASE: SELECT, FROM, WHERE, JOIN, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, DECLARE, SET, BEGIN, END
• Wrap all table and column names in brackets: [Person].[FirstName]
• Use JOIN syntax, not WHERE clauses for joins
• Use aliases: [Person] AS [p], [GroupMember] AS [gm]

Required Patterns

Every INSERT must include:

1. [Guid] — use NEWID() unless a specific Guid is required
2. [IsSystem] — 0 for user-created data, 1 only for Rock core data
3. Audit columns where applicable:
   • [CreatedDateTime] = GETDATE()
   • [ModifiedDateTime] = GETDATE()
   • [CreatedByPersonAliasId] = looked up from a known person (use admin or sample data person)
   • [ModifiedByPersonAliasId] = same as above

PersonAlias vs Person — this is the most common mistake:

• Audit fields (CreatedByPersonAliasId, ModifiedByPersonAliasId) reference [PersonAlias], NOT [Person]
• To get a PersonAliasId from a Person, query: SELECT [Id] FROM [PersonAlias] WHERE [PersonId] = @PersonId AND [AliasPersonId] = @PersonId
• Many FK columns throughout Rock reference PersonAliasId, not PersonId. Always check the model.

Lookups by Guid (preferred over hardcoded Ids):

DECLARE @CampusId INT = (SELECT TOP 1 [Id] FROM [Campus] WHERE [Guid] = 'some-guid-here')
DECLARE @DefinedValueId INT = (SELECT TOP 1 [Id] FROM [DefinedValue] WHERE [Guid] = 'some-guid-here')

Safety guards:

-- For idempotent scripts (can be re-run safely)
IF NOT EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM [TableName] WHERE [Guid] = 'your-guid')
BEGIN
    INSERT INTO [TableName] (...) VALUES (...)
END

Transactions for multi-statement scripts:

BEGIN TRANSACTION

-- Your statements here

IF @@ERROR <> 0
BEGIN
    ROLLBACK TRANSACTION
    RETURN
END

COMMIT TRANSACTION

Referencing People

Whether to use existing sample data people or create new ones depends on context. Use your judgment:

Use existing sample data people when:

• The script is about generating related records (transactions, attendance, notes, group memberships) and the user hasn't specified particular people
• The user says "test data", "sample transactions", or similar — they want quick, realistic data tied to people who already exist
• Creating new people would be unnecessary overhead for the actual goal

Create new people when:

• The user explicitly asks to add a person, family, or member
• The scenario requires it (e.g., "add a new family and their giving history")
• The user describes specific people who don't match anyone in sample data

When creating new people, remember to also create the PersonAlias and add them to a Family group — an orphaned Person record causes problems in Rock.

Read references/sample-data.md for the full list of available sample people, their GUIDs, and family structures.

Looking up existing people — prefer Guid over hardcoded Ids:

-- By Guid from sample data
DECLARE @TedDeckerPersonId INT = (SELECT TOP 1 [Id] FROM [Person] WHERE [Guid] = '8FEDC6EE-8630-41ED-9FC5-C7157FD1EAA4')
DECLARE @TedDeckerPersonAliasId INT = (SELECT TOP 1 [Id] FROM [PersonAlias] WHERE [PersonId] = @TedDeckerPersonId AND [AliasPersonId] = @TedDeckerPersonId)

-- By name if Guid isn't critical
DECLARE @PersonId INT = (SELECT TOP 1 [Id] FROM [Person] WHERE [FirstName] = 'Ted' AND [LastName] = 'Decker')

-- Grab a set of existing people for bulk data generation
SELECT TOP 10 [Id] FROM [Person] WHERE [IsDeceased] = 0 AND [RecordStatusValueId] = (SELECT [Id] FROM [DefinedValue] WHERE [Guid] = '618F906C-C33D-4FA3-8AEF-E58CB7B63F1E') ORDER BY [Id]

Common Script Patterns

Insert a DefinedValue:

DECLARE @DefinedTypeId INT = (SELECT TOP 1 [Id] FROM [DefinedType] WHERE [Guid] = '{guid}')
DECLARE @MaxOrder INT = (SELECT ISNULL(MAX([Order]), 0) FROM [DefinedValue] WHERE [DefinedTypeId] = @DefinedTypeId)

INSERT INTO [DefinedValue] ([IsSystem], [DefinedTypeId], [Order], [Value], [Description], [IsActive], [Guid], [CreatedDateTime], [ModifiedDateTime])
VALUES (0, @DefinedTypeId, @MaxOrder + 1, 'New Value', 'Description here', 1, NEWID(), GETDATE(), GETDATE())

Add a person to a group:

DECLARE @GroupId INT = (SELECT TOP 1 [Id] FROM [Group] WHERE [Guid] = '{group-guid}')
DECLARE @GroupTypeId INT = (SELECT TOP 1 [GroupTypeId] FROM [Group] WHERE [Id] = @GroupId)
DECLARE @DefaultRoleId INT = (SELECT TOP 1 [Id] FROM [GroupTypeRole] WHERE [GroupTypeId] = @GroupTypeId AND [IsDefaultGroupTypeRole] = 1)
DECLARE @PersonId INT = (SELECT TOP 1 [Id] FROM [Person] WHERE [Guid] = '{person-guid}')

IF NOT EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM [GroupMember] WHERE [GroupId] = @GroupId AND [PersonId] = @PersonId AND [IsArchived] = 0)
BEGIN
    INSERT INTO [GroupMember] ([IsSystem], [GroupId], [PersonId], [GroupRoleId], [GroupMemberStatus], [Guid], [CreatedDateTime], [ModifiedDateTime], [DateTimeAdded], [IsNotified], [IsArchived], [CommunicationPreference], [GroupTypeId])
    VALUES (0, @GroupId, @PersonId, @DefaultRoleId, 1, NEWID(), GETDATE(), GETDATE(), GETDATE(), 0, 0, 0, @GroupTypeId)
END

Set an attribute value:

DECLARE @AttributeId INT = (SELECT TOP 1 [Id] FROM [Attribute] WHERE [Key] = 'AttributeKey' AND [EntityTypeId] = (SELECT [Id] FROM [EntityType] WHERE [Name] = 'Rock.Model.Person'))
DECLARE @EntityId INT = (SELECT TOP 1 [Id] FROM [Person] WHERE [Guid] = '{person-guid}')

IF EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM [AttributeValue] WHERE [AttributeId] = @AttributeId AND [EntityId] = @EntityId)
BEGIN
    UPDATE [AttributeValue]
    SET [Value] = 'new value', [ModifiedDateTime] = GETDATE()
    WHERE [AttributeId] = @AttributeId AND [EntityId] = @EntityId
END
ELSE
BEGIN
    INSERT INTO [AttributeValue] ([IsSystem], [AttributeId], [EntityId], [Value], [Guid], [CreatedDateTime], [ModifiedDateTime])
    VALUES (0, @AttributeId, @EntityId, 'new value', NEWID(), GETDATE(), GETDATE())
END

Step 4: Validate Before Presenting

Run through this checklist before giving the script to the user:

1. Every INSERT has [Guid] with NEWID() (or a specific Guid if required)
2. Every INSERT to a Model entity has [CreatedDateTime] and [ModifiedDateTime]
3. [IsSystem] is set to 0 unless this is core Rock data
4. All FK columns reference valid lookups (no hardcoded Ids without a DECLARE)
5. PersonAlias is used for audit columns, not Person
6. String values don't exceed [MaxLength] from the model
7. Required (NOT NULL) columns are populated
8. [Order] columns are calculated, not hardcoded to 0
9. Enum values use the correct integer (check the enum definition)
10. The script is idempotent where appropriate (IF NOT EXISTS guards)

Output Format

Write the SQL script to a .sql file in the Dev Tools/Sql/ directory. Follow the existing naming conventions:

Use PascalCase with underscores between words in the filename.

File contents should include:

• A brief comment header explaining what the script does
• DECLARE statements for all lookups at the top
• The main operations
• Any cleanup or verification queries at the end (e.g., a SELECT to confirm the data was inserted)

SET NOCOUNT ON

-- =============================================
-- Description: [What this script does]
-- Date: [Current date]
-- =============================================

-- Lookups
DECLARE @SomeId INT = (...)

-- Main operations
BEGIN TRANSACTION
...
COMMIT TRANSACTION

-- Verify
SELECT * FROM [TableName] WHERE [Guid] = '...'

Also show the script contents in the conversation so the user can review it without opening the file.

Examples

Example 1: Populate test data for existing people

User says: "Create some financial transactions for the sample data people"

Actions:

1. Read references/schema-patterns.md and references/sample-data.md
2. Read Rock/Model/Finance/FinancialTransaction/FinancialTransaction.cs and Rock/Model/Finance/FinancialTransactionDetail/FinancialTransactionDetail.cs for required columns
3. Look up FinancialAccount, TransactionType, CurrencyType DefinedValues via SystemGuid
4. Use existing sample data people (Ted Decker, Bill Marble, etc.) — no new Person records needed
5. Write script to Dev Tools/Sql/Populate_FinancialTransactions_SampleData.sql

Result: A runnable .sql file that creates realistic transactions tied to existing sample people.

Example 2: Add a new entity

User says: "Add a new campus called North Campus"

Actions:

1. Read references/schema-patterns.md
2. Read Rock/Model/Core/Campus/Campus.cs for required columns
3. Look up CampusStatus and CampusType DefinedValues
4. Write script with IF NOT EXISTS guard
5. Write script to Dev Tools/Sql/Populate_Campus_NorthCampus.sql

Result: An idempotent script that adds a new Campus record with all required fields.

Example 3: Add new people with related data

User says: "Add a new family — the Johnsons — with two adults and a child, and give them some attendance history"

Actions:

1. Read references/schema-patterns.md
2. Read Person, PersonAlias, Group, GroupMember, Attendance model files
3. Create new Person records with PersonAlias and Family GroupMember records
4. Generate attendance records tied to the new people
5. Write script to Dev Tools/Sql/Populate_JohnsonFamily_WithAttendance.sql

Result: A transactional script that creates a complete family with attendance data, no orphaned records.

Troubleshooting

FK constraint violation: You're referencing an Id that doesn't exist. Check your DECLARE lookups — did the subquery return NULL? Add a NULL check: IF @SomeId IS NOT NULL BEGIN ... END

Cannot insert NULL: You missed a required column. Read the model file and look for [Required] attributes.

String truncation: Your string value exceeds the column's [MaxLength]. Check the model.

Duplicate key: Your INSERT conflicts with a unique constraint (usually on [Guid] or a composite key). Use IF NOT EXISTS.