asked
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: 1. 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. 2. 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. 3. 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?
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)
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 :)
Yup [Connect][1] is the place to do this For the points about object explorer and dependencies see [this item on Connect][2] [1]:
https://connect.microsoft.com/ [2]:
https://connect.microsoft.com/SQLServer/feedback/details/287221/object-dependencies-dialog-needs-overhaul
