SSMS Tricks

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SSMS Tricks

Steve Jones - SSC Editor

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December 23, 2007 at 12:16 pm

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Comments posted to this topic are about the item SSMS Tricks

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Tom Garth SSCertifiable Points: 6193 More actions · Answer 1

That is all pretty good stuff, and most, I didn't know.

I still use SQL Query Analyzer as my primary editing tool, and will continue to do so. I have even installed it to servers that have never seen SQL Server 2000. It's main limitation is it's inability to "Edit" (from the menu) an existing object, and that's not a real show stopper.

The functionality of the SSMS SQL editor has gone the wrong way in my opinion.

Annoyance #1: Double-click on a quoted or bracketed word, and the selection includes the quotes or brackets.

Annoyance #2: Ctrl-Left, Ctrl-Right movements don't jump a block of special characters (--), but hops them one by one.

If this is the "Old dog /New trick' thing, then so be it, but it's a great editor, and 'Start>>Run>>isqlw' is pretty firmly embedded in my memory. (:

Tom Garth

Tom Garth
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"There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves." -- Will Rogers

Jim Foster SSC Veteran Points: 214 More actions · Answer 2

Good article, but there is one thing. You seem to be implying that using -nosplash makes SSMS start faster. If you actually time it (I did before I posted this) it starts in the same amount of time regardless of the setting (3 seconds on my box). If a splash screen is implemented correctly, it never slows down the start up of the application, it just gives the user something to look at when they start up the app so they have immediate feedback and don't try starting the app again because they think "did I start that?"

OK, with that said, I suppose if you have some killer machine and your SSMS starts almost instantly with –nosplash and slower without using –nosplash that may mean that Microsoft put in a minimum time to show the splash screen so the splash would not flash.

Thanks,

Jim

Steve Jones - SSC Editor SSC Guru Points: 736524 More actions · Answer 3

I definitely agree with you on SSMS. I tend to use QA unless I need to see an existing object. I like quick, lightweight stuff.

Jim,

you are correct and if I implied that, I did not mean to. It doesn't start quicker, just doesn't show the splash screen.

Carl Federl One Orange Chip Points: 25384 More actions · Answer 4

FYI: SQL Server 2008 SSMS starts much faster than 2005. An initial open takes about 9 seconds versus about 45 seconds for SSMS 2005 and a second open about 2 seconds. Computer is 1.6Ghz with 1GB of memory.

SQL = Scarcely Qualifies as a Language

TF-245998 Mr or Mrs. 500 Points: 587 More actions · Answer 5

Good article. Reminds me of a gripe I have about MS, though. In Enterprise Manager, using external tools, you could open explorer on the server where you had an open session of SQL Server - with Command = C:\\Windows\\explorer.exe (location of explorer on your desktop) & Parameter = "\\[SRV]\C$". Very handy, also works for server manager & event viewer, with the \\[SRV] parameter. Doesn't work any more with External Tools using Management Studio. BOL says it should work, but it doesn't.

Neelakandan V-453229 Ten Centuries Points: 1109 More actions · Answer 6

Excellent article. All simple but effective tips.

Warm Regards,
Neel aka Vijay.

Jeff Moden SSC Guru Points: 1004419 More actions · Answer 7

!! DIR C:\Temp

Not real sure I'm happy about THAT working because the following also works...

!! DEL C:\Temp\some file name

Great article of tips, Steve... thanks.

--Jeff Moden

RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.

Helpful Links:
How to post code problems
How to Post Performance Problems
Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

Ian Crandell SSCommitted Points: 1603 More actions · Answer 8

Steve Jones - Editor (12/24/2007)
I definitely agree with you on SSMS. I tend to use QA unless I need to see an existing object. I like quick, lightweight stuff.

Steve,

Great article - a lot of good tips. What are the advantages to using QA over SSMS? Are there any other limitations besides the one you mentioned? In my role, I may not use either of them as extensively to see a difference.

Ian.

"If you are going through hell, keep going."
-- Winston Churchill

Steve Jones - SSC Editor SSC Guru Points: 736524 More actions · Answer 9

The only advantage for QA that I've seen is that it's quick and starts immediately. I don't need to spend time waiting on SSMS to start up, eat system resources, and shut down to get a query done. QA can start up and have me enter a password in 5 sec.

Other than running a quick query, QA doesn't allow me to work with SS2K5 servers (see objects, edit them ,etc.

Tom Garth SSCertifiable Points: 6193 More actions · Answer 10

With QA, you can see the standard set of objects in the Object Explorer, and some actions are still possible because of the backwards compatibility for the old system views of 'sysobjects', 'syscolumns', and etc.

With table and views, you can open them, and script as select, insert, delete, or update, but not as create or drop.

With procedures, you can open them for execute, and script them to execute, but you cannot script them as create, alter, or drop. This makes since because they are stored differently in SS2K5.

Tom

Tom Garth
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"There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves." -- Will Rogers

Tom Garth SSCertifiable Points: 6193 More actions · Answer 11

I want to make sure there is no confusion about what I just said.

You can certainly create-alter-drop tables, views, indexes, procedures, and etc. with QA. You just can't get QA to script them for you from the existing objects.

Tom

Tom Garth
Vertical Solutions[/url]

"There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves." -- Will Rogers

Ian Crandell SSCommitted Points: 1603 More actions · Answer 12

Tom and Steve,

Thanks for the follow-up information. I didn't know you could use QA on a 2005 DB, but now that I do (and know what I can and can't do), I might start using it more with my 2005 DBs.

Ian.

"If you are going through hell, keep going."
-- Winston Churchill

JayTKay SSC Veteran Points: 277 More actions · Answer 13

re: "!! DIR C:\Temp"

This doesn't work for me

"Msg 102, Level 15, State 1, Line 1

Incorrect syntax near '!'."

Is it running the commands on the SQL server, like xp_CmdShell?

Or locally on the client where SSMS is running?

Wayne West SSC-Insane Points: 22586 More actions · Answer 14

I have one simple 'want' for SSMS: the ability to make filtered object lists persistent. Admittedly I've only done one production system in 2005, and that is taken off-line as soon as we're done with a run (it's only used 1-2 times a year, tops), it has ASP elements and you end up with a whole bunch of 'aspnet_*' objects in tables, views, sprocs, etc. I always filter them out, and I would really appreciate the ability to save a configuration so that it will always be that way when I restart SSMS.

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[font="Arial"]Knowledge is of two kinds. We know a subject ourselves or we know where we can find information upon it. --Samuel Johnson[/font]