SQL Server Management Studio is where most SQL scripts and queries are run, and although it does a decent job, it doesn't provide much help storing, sharing and managing the scripts particularly in the context of a team. Red Gate is considering building functionality into SSMS to help its users consume and share queries and scripts. Please help us by completing this short survey to help us define the requirements.   Read more...

SQL Server expert David Poole discusses how teams can work together and share templates in Management Studio.  Read more...

While working with the Results to Text option in SSMS, you may come across a situation where the output from dynamically generated data is truncated. In this article I will guide you on how to fix this issue and print all the text for the Results to Text option.   Read more...

We’ve all heard about Extended Events and how they can help troubleshoot SQL Server performance, connectivity, and locking problems, but they seem so difficult to implement using T-SQL. Isn’t there a better way to implement SQL Server Extended Events?  Read more...

Today Steve Jones talks about his favorite feature in SSMS 2012 and why everyone should use it.  Read more...

This article describes how to use the built in repository for SQL Server Management Studio Templates and how to customize and share a common repository with your team.  Read more...

If you work with SSMS, you’ll know how frustrating it can be when tasks you perform every day aren’t part of the core features. Malden Prajdic certainly did, which is why he developed his free SSMS Tools Pack. Now on its second version, Grant Fritchey explains the functionality of this great free plugin.  Read more...

Provides a SQL code that generates a source-target transformation query and can be helpful at several stages of data warehouse development lifecycle.  Read more...

With the following technique, you can quickly read information stored in the extended properties of a SQL Server table.  Read more...

This is the first of three tips on how ETL Developers can be more productive by applying custom SSMS shortcuts to the most often used tasks.  Read more...

This tip outlines a test environment and then walks through the process of setting up Database Mirroring. This includes the configurations, backups, restores and verification process.  Read more...

Simple-Talk's free wallchart of the most important SSMS keyboard shortcuts aims to help find all those curiously forgettable key combinations within SQL Server Management Studio that unlock the hidden magic that is available for editing and executing queries.   Read more...

As responsibilities are growing every day, a DBA or developer needs to improve his/her productivity. One way to do this is to use as many shortcuts as possible instead of using your mouse and the menus. In this tip we take a look at common tasks you may perform when using SSMS and the associated shortcut keys.  Read more...

What happens when double clicking a .SQL file doesn't open the file in SSMS? This article provides the solution to fixing that annoying SSMS issue.  Read more...

While looking through the new features and improvements in SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) we found a potentially interesting one to Hide System Objects in Object Explorer in SQL Server Management Studio. In this tip we will take a look at how to Hide System Objects in Object Explorer.  Read more...

So often, one sees developers doing repetitive coding in SQL Server Management Studio or Visual Studio that could be made much quicker and easier by using the Regular-Expression-based Find/Replace functionality. It is understandable, since the syntax is odd and some features are missing, but it is still worth knowing about.   Read more...

SQL Server MVP Jeff Moden shows us a quick and dirty bit of SQL Spackle to display the content of VARCHAR(MAX) and NVARCHAR(MAX).  Read more...

I feel that it is wise move for a script to actually check itself that the database connection that is...  Read more...

I am always conscious to keep a record of all operations performed on my database servers. Operations through T-SQL in an SSMS query pane can easily be saved in query files. For table modifications through SSMS designer I have predefined setting to generate T-SQL scripts. However there are numerous database and server level tasks that I use the SSMS GUI and I would like to have a script of these changes for later reference. Examples of such actions through the SSMS GUI are backup/restore, changing compatibility level of a database, manipulating permissions, dealing with database or log files or creating/manipulating any login/user. I am looking for any way to generate T-SQL code for such actions, so that it may be kept for later reference  Read more...

Index fragmentation can cause problems with query performance. Indexes therefore need to be occasionally rebuilt. the Rebuild Index task of the SSMS Database Maintenance Wizard drops and rebuilds every index in a database. It is effective but an off-line activity that is resource-intensive, so it not always the best way of avoiding index fragmentation in a production database. Brad explains..  Read more...