DOC: Add comprehensive BUILDGUIDE.md with cross-platform build instructions and VS Code setup

[Copilot]

Work Item / Issue Reference

GitHub Issue: #145

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Summary

This pull request adds a comprehensive build guide for contributors to the mssql-python project. The guide provides detailed instructions for setting up the development environment, building native bindings, packaging the project as a Python wheel, and running tests.

Documentation Enhancements:

• New BUILDGUIDE.md file that includes:
  • Getting Started section with both command-line and Visual Studio Code approaches for forking and cloning
    • Command-line instructions for traditional Git workflows
    • VS Code-specific instructions including GitHub extension installation and integrated Git workflows
  • Prerequisites for development, including Python 3.10+, pybind11, and CMake
  • Platform-specific setup instructions for Windows, macOS, and Linux
    • Windows setup includes alternative VS Code configuration option
  • Steps for building native bindings using platform-specific scripts with correct directory paths
  • Instructions for building Python wheel packages after compiling native bindings
  • Enhanced test running guidance with proper directory navigation and environment variable setup
  • Comprehensive database setup section with detailed platform-specific commands for Windows, macOS, and Linux using go-sqlcmd for containerized SQL Server instances
  • Overview of project directory structure
  • Comprehensive troubleshooting section

Key Fixes Applied:

• Corrected all directory paths from pybind/ to mssql_python/pybind/ to match actual repository structure
• Fixed broken internal links, particularly the reference to the pybind README
• Added clear navigation instructions for running tests from the correct directory
• Enhanced Windows setup with VS Code alternative configuration
• Added comprehensive VS Code workflow instructions for contributors who prefer IDE-based development
• Added complete platform-specific database setup commands for all three major platforms (Windows, macOS, Linux) with detailed installation steps for Docker and sqlcmd

The guide now provides a complete contributor onboarding experience with accurate paths, comprehensive setup options, support for both command-line and VS Code workflows, and detailed database setup instructions for all platforms.

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This pull request was created and enhanced based on feedback to ensure all links work correctly, paths match the actual repository structure, includes modern development workflows using Visual Studio Code, and provides complete database setup instructions for Windows, macOS, and Linux.

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[Copilot]

Pull Request Overview

This PR adds comprehensive build and development documentation for the mssql-python project. The new BUILDGUIDE.md provides structured instructions for contributors to set up their development environment, build native bindings, and create Python wheel packages across Windows, macOS, and Linux platforms.

• Adds detailed cross-platform setup instructions with platform-specific requirements
• Provides clear steps for building native pybind11 bindings using existing build scripts
• Includes instructions for creating Python wheels and running tests with proper environment configuration

[dlevy-msft-sql]

We need to fix the broken links before this goes out. The other things seem like nice to haves.

[dlevy-msft-sql]

This is cd .\mssql-python\pybind on my machine.

[Copilot]

Corrected the directory path in commit d9a7ef7. The path is now correctly shown as cd mssql_python/pybind instead of cd pybind. All references to the pybind directory throughout the guide have been updated to use the correct path.

[dlevy-msft-sql]

This looks like we might have used pybind's doc for inspiration and missed updating a few links.

[Copilot]

Fixed the broken link in commit d9a7ef7. The reference to pybind/README.md has been corrected to mssql_python/pybind/README.md to match the actual directory structure. I also updated all other pybind directory references throughout the guide to use the correct paths.

[Copilot]

We need to fix the broken links before this goes out. The other things seem like nice to haves.

Fixed the broken links in commit d9a7ef7. The main issue was the incorrect path to pybind/README.md which has been corrected to mssql_python/pybind/README.md. All pybind directory references throughout the guide have been updated to use the correct path.

[dlevy-msft-sql]

Please add a note that in IDEs, like VS Code, you may have to close all open instances of the IDE to get it to pick up the new environment variable. If they are still getting errors about invalid connection strings, they may have to reboot.

[Copilot]

Added the reboot note in commit ed0ecc8. The tip now includes information about closing IDE instances and rebooting if connection string errors persist.

[dlevy-msft-sql]

Please add a note that in IDEs, like VS Code, you may have to close all open instances of the IDE to get it to pick up the new environment variable. If they are still getting errors about invalid connection strings, they may have to reboot.

[Copilot]

Added the reboot note in commit ed0ecc8. The tip now includes information about closing IDE instances and rebooting if connection string errors persist.