Biml Tools

Choose the right tool for your Biml development needs.

Quick Comparison

Tool	Best For	Cost	Target Platforms
BimlExpress	Learning, small SSIS projects	Free	SSIS
BimlStudio	Enterprise SSIS/SSAS projects	Licensed	SSIS, SSAS
BimlFlex	Modern cloud data platforms	Licensed	ADF, Databricks, Snowflake, Fabric

BimlExpress

Overview

Free Visual Studio add-in for SSIS development with Biml. BimlExpress extends Visual Studio with Biml file support, syntax highlighting, and IntelliSense.

Key Features

• IntelliSense and syntax highlighting for Biml
• Generate SSIS packages (.dtsx)
• Model relational database objects
• BimlScript code nuggets for automation
• Preview pane to view expanded BimlScript
• VSIX installer (no admin rights required)

Installation

1. Download from varigence.com/bimlexpress
2. Run the VSIX installer
3. Register for a free activation key (perpetual license)
4. Restart Visual Studio

Basic Usage

1. Create an SSIS project in Visual Studio
2. Right-click project → Add New Biml File
3. Write Biml code with IntelliSense support
4. Right-click .biml file → Check Biml for Errors (validates syntax)
5. Right-click .biml file → Generate SSIS Packages

Selecting Multiple Files

Hold Ctrl and click to select multiple Biml files, then right-click to generate packages from all selected files together.

Limitations

• No visual designers
• Cannot import existing SSIS packages
• No SSAS support
• No command-line compiler (manual builds only)
• Manual file selection for each build
• Single SSIS version target (based on Visual Studio version)

BimlStudio

Overview

Full IDE designed specifically for Biml development. BimlStudio provides visual designers, live preview, command-line compilation, and support for SSAS in addition to SSIS.

Key Features

• Three editing modes (Visual Designer, Biml Editor, Biml Designer)
• Import existing SSIS packages to Biml
• SSAS support (cubes, tabular models)
• Command-line compiler for CI/CD
• MSBuild integration
• Transformers for pattern injection
• Live preview as you code
• Target multiple SSIS versions from single project

Editing Modes

Mode	Best For	Description
Visual Designer	Drag-and-drop package design	Similar to SSIS designer in SSDT
Biml Editor	Text-based Biml with IntelliSense	Pure code editing
Biml Designer	BimlScript with live preview pane	Code + expanded output side-by-side

Logical vs Project View

• Project View: Shows files on disk (source Biml files)
• Logical View: Shows objects your Biml will create (packages, tables, cubes)

The Logical View previews which artifacts will be generated, organized by type (Connections, Tables, Packages, etc.).

Live vs Reference Files

• Live files: Always compiled during build
• Reference files: Only compiled on demand or when included by other files

Use Reference files to temporarily exclude problematic code from builds.

Multi-Version Targeting

BimlStudio can emit packages for any SSIS version (2005-2022) from the same Biml code. Change the target version in project properties without modifying your Biml.

CI/CD Integration

# Command-line compilation
BimlStudio.exe /project:MyProject.mst /build

# MSBuild integration
msbuild MyProject.mst /t:Build

# Specify output directory
BimlStudio.exe /project:MyProject.mst /build /output:C:\Output

When to Choose BimlStudio

• Enterprise SSIS projects
• SSAS cube or tabular model development
• Teams needing visual designers
• CI/CD pipeline integration required
• Need to import existing SSIS packages
• Multi-version SSIS targeting

BimlFlex

Overview

Enterprise platform for modern data platforms. BimlFlex provides metadata-driven automation with pre-built patterns for data vault, dimensional modeling, and data lake architectures.

Supported Target Platforms

• Azure Data Factory - Pipelines, datasets, linked services
• Databricks - Notebooks, Delta Lake tables
• Snowflake - Stages, tables, stored procedures
• Microsoft Fabric - Lakehouses, warehouses, pipelines
• SSIS - All BimlStudio capabilities included

Key Features

• Metadata-driven automation
• Pre-built data vault patterns (Hub, Link, Satellite)
• Web-based metadata editor (BimlFlex App)
• Multi-platform output from single metadata model
• Enterprise orchestration and dependency management
• Source-to-target lineage tracking
• Accelerators for common source systems

Architecture

Metadata (BimlFlex App)
    ↓
BimlFlex Engine
    ↓
Multiple Outputs: ADF | Databricks | Snowflake | Fabric | SSIS

When to Choose BimlFlex

• Cloud-first data platforms (ADF, Databricks, Snowflake, Fabric)
• Data vault implementations
• Multi-platform deployments from single metadata
• Enterprise data warehouse automation
• Teams preferring UI-based metadata management

Feature Comparison

Feature	BimlExpress	BimlStudio	BimlFlex
Relational Databases
Model database objects	✓	✓	✓
Generate DDL scripts	✓	✓	✓
Import via BimlScript	✓	✓	✓
Visual import wizard	-	✓	✓
SSIS
Generate packages (.dtsx)	✓	✓	✓
Generate projects (.dtproj)	-	✓	✓
Import existing packages	-	✓	✓
Multi-version targeting	-	✓	✓
SSAS
Cubes and tabular models	-	✓	✓
Modern Platforms
Azure Data Factory	-	-	✓
Databricks	-	-	✓
Snowflake	-	-	✓
Microsoft Fabric	-	-	✓
Automation
BimlScript code nuggets	✓	✓	✓
Command-line compiler	-	✓	✓
MSBuild support	-	✓	✓
Transformers	-	✓	✓
User Interface
Code editor with IntelliSense	✓	✓	✓
Visual designers	-	✓	✓
Live preview	-	✓	✓
Web-based metadata editor	-	-	✓
Extensibility
Biml Bundles (packaged frameworks)	-	✓	✓
Custom transformers	-	✓	✓
API access	-	✓	✓

Decision Guide

Start with BimlExpress if:

• You're learning Biml
• Building small SSIS projects (< 20 packages)
• Budget is constrained
• No CI/CD requirements
• Single SSIS version target

Upgrade to BimlStudio if:

• You need visual designers
• Building enterprise SSIS solutions
• SSAS development required
• CI/CD pipeline integration needed
• Need to import existing packages
• Require multi-version SSIS targeting
• Team size justifies license cost

Choose BimlFlex if:

• Targeting cloud platforms (ADF, Databricks, Snowflake, Fabric)
• Implementing data vault architecture
• Multi-platform deployment from single source
• Enterprise data warehouse automation
• Prefer UI-based metadata management over code
• Need pre-built patterns and accelerators

Download Links

Tool	Link
BimlExpress	varigence.com/bimlexpress
BimlStudio	varigence.com/bimlstudio
BimlFlex	varigence.com/bimlflex

Next Steps

• Quick Start Guide - Build your first Biml solution with BimlExpress
• What is Biml? - Core concepts and code examples
• Common Patterns - Reusable automation patterns