sql server management studio suggestions

Like most people who use SSMS daily, I have a list of suggestions that would really improve the usability of the product for me. Does anyone know a Microsoft forum where these suggestions can be submitted?

The three main improvements that come to mind are:

When viewing object dependencies in Object Explorer, I would like to be able to double-click on a dependent object and have the Object Dependencies dialog navigate to the double-clicked object. The Object Dependencies dialog will now display dependencies of the double-clicked object.
When viewing object dependencies in Object Explorer, I would like to be able to right-click on a dependent object and have a "Script Object as" option.
When typing "SELECT * FROM tTable AS t1" in the text window, I would like to be able to place the curson on the *, and with a keystroke replace the * with all the field names in a comma-separated list, including any table aliases. This would be especially useful for writing T-SQL for tables with many columns.

What are your thoughts on these suggestions?

asked Jun 22 '11 at 01:42 AM in Default

xnl28
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2 answers:

You will see people referring to 'Connect' items on forums such as this. That is where SQL Server suggestions and bug reports are made - https://connect.microsoft.com/SQLServer/Feedback

Some of your suggestions are already in other products and I suspect that Microsoft wont be as responsive as 3rd party developers. Have you tried tools from Atlantis Interactive (http://www.atlantis-interactive.co.uk/), Mladen Pradjic's SSMS Tools Pack (http://www.ssmstoolspack.com/) or RedGate tools (http://www.red-gate.com)

answered Jun 22 '11 at 01:59 AM

Fatherjack ♦♦
38.8k ● 55 ● 69 ● 104

Item #3 is absolutely done by Red Gate SQL Prompt.

Jun 22 '11 at 03:25 AM Grant Fritchey ♦♦

Item # 3 is also available in SSMS. If you grab the "folder" labeled Columns under the table name in object explorer and drag it to the editor wondow, it spells out a comma-delimited list of all columns. I use it all the time in order to avoid select * thingy specifically if the table has some heavy columns like varbinary(max) which I really don't want to travel to the results window. So I drag and drop the folder after I type select and then optionally exclude the undesired columns from the list if I have to.

Same feature is available for any "folder" under the table name (except Indexes). For example, if for whatever reason you want a comma-delimited list of all constarints then drag and drop the "folder" labeled Constraints to the editor.

Same thing applies to any object in the object explorer, so for item # 3 I type select from as t1, drag and drop the columns folder after select and then drag and drop the table after from (this also avoids spelling errors when trying to spell the table name manually :)

Jun 22 '11 at 09:11 AM Oleg

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