code folding in ssms?
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Hello - What are some techniques you use for code folding in SSMS? For example, in Visual Studio you can add regions like this:
#region Protected Methods
//some code here
#endregion
Then a developer can use the context menu in VS to auto-expand and auto-collapse all regions on the page.
For example, a new developer can choose to auto-collapse all regions of a class in order to understand the high-level structure of the class. I'm not aware of a similar way to do this in SSMS but I'm not a full-time SQL developer.
I've read that SSMS Tool Pack provides code folding capabilities. I used SSMS Tool Pack on a previous project and I liked it a lot. Unfortunately, it's no longer free
So do you know if code folding is available in SSMS through a free external plugin or maybe in the latest or upcoming version? I'm currently using SS2008 R2....
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http://www.ssmstoolspack.com/Download
http://www.ssmstoolspack.com/Licensing
Licensing is only applicable to SSMS 2012 and higher versions.For previous SSMS versions the SSMS Tools Pack is still FREE.
Lowell
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I downloaded SSMS Tools Pack and the region functionality seems to be a bit quirky. For example, for 2 regions on top of each other, collapsing the top region seems to collapse the bottom region as part of it. Have you noticed this behavior? Also, if I just type:
--#region test
-- some sql
--#endregion
Then the region doesn't seem to get automatically "activated" - ie it doesn't collapse and expand. There seem to be other basic quirks as well. Have you found these regions to be buggy as well - a nice thought but not ready for prime time?
Also, do you know if there is any momentum for SSMS to include built-in regions in an upcoming release? Seems like it would be really nice to have considering Visual Studio has had this functionality for over 10 years?
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sqlguy-736318 (5/10/2013)
I downloaded SSMS Tools Pack and the region functionality seems to be a bit quirky. For example, for 2 regions on top of each other, collapsing the top region seems to collapse the bottom region as part of it. Have you noticed this behavior? Also, if I just type:--#region test
-- some sql
--#endregion
Then the region doesn't seem to get automatically "activated" - ie it doesn't collapse and expand. There seem to be other basic quirks as well. Have you found these regions to be buggy as well - a nice thought but not ready for prime time?
Also, do you know if there is any momentum for SSMS to include built-in regions in an upcoming release? Seems like it would be really nice to have considering Visual Studio has had this functionality for over 10 years?
Region handling - code folding - is present in SSMS 2012, but it is awful, sorry to say.
What I would say is that if your code is long enough to warrant code folding, perhaps you should consider making it more modular - very long procedures can become a nightmare for support - just a thought
MM
select geometry::STGeomFromWKB(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orum Etiquette: How to post Reporting Services problems [/url]
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How is region handling awful in SSMS 2012?
Is it quirky and inconsistent or does it have a poor overall design?
sqlguy-736318 (5/11/2013)
How is region handling awful in SSMS 2012?Is it quirky and inconsistent or does it have a poor overall design?
Both.
It is single level and automatic, so you can't define your own regions, it tries to guess based on parsing the query window, which also leads to poor performance when editing, and it gets it's guesses badly wrong a lot of the time.
Here is a simple example of how it gets it wrong:
Thankfully SSMS 2012 is built on VS2010, so you can write your own addins quite easily, including a region handler. I had a go myself a while back using a sample on MSDN and it worked ok (similar to VS, using #region flags with titles and previews) but in the end I don't use it because I just don't need it/like it.
MM
select geometry::STGeomFromWKB(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