SQL Server Management Studio - A Management and Development tool
Applies to:
Microsoft SQL Server 2005 (Yukon)
Summary: In this article the features of SQL Server Management Studio are explained.
Contents
Abstract
Non-modal dialog boxes
Large number of database objects
Creation of Software Projects
Abstract
With the release of SQL Server 7.0/2000, SQL Server Database Administrators/Developers got two great tools called SQL Server Enterprise Manager (also known as MMC) and SQL Server Query Analyzer. Enterprise Manager was designed to accomplish all the DBA tasks, whereas Query Analyzer was the core T-SQL development tool.
SQL Server 2005 has a brand new management and development tool proudly known as SQL Server Management Studio (See the figure below).
SQL Server Management Studio replaces both the SQL Server Enterprise Manager and SQL Server Query Analyzer, and offers improvements over these old tools.
The enhancements in SQL Server Management Studio are as follows:
Non-modal dialog boxes
The dialog boxes displayed in SQL Server Management Studio are non-modal, means can shift the control to other windows with out responding to the dialog. Whereas the dialog boxes with Enterprise Manager were modal, means you were bound to respond to the dialog before you do anything else.
The new non-modal dialogs in SQL Server Management studio make it possible to do perform other tasks while one of the dialogs is displayed.
Large number of database objects
Well, all versions of SQL Server were designed to work with large number of database objects but
in the previous version of SQL Server, the Enterprise Manager has a tendency of always enumerating all the database objects when it was connecting to a server. This turned up in a time consuming process for organizations with very large databases, and it was making Enterprise Manager unusable until all the objects were listed.
With SQL Server 2005, the SQL Server Management Studio handles database objects in a manner that it does not enumerate database objects until the user chooses to expand a database item from Object Explorer. This simply enables SQL Server Management Studio to provide better support and response if used to handle large databases.
Creation of Software Projects
Like Visual Studio 2005, the SQL Server Management Studio supports the creation of software projects. It allows writing, editing, running and debugging code. It can also be integrated with the Visual SourceSafe for source code version control.
However, unlike Visual Studio 2005, it does not allow to compile VB .NET, C#, J# or VC++. Instead, the SQL Server Management Studio works with T-SQL, MDX (Multidimensional Expression), XMLA (XML for Analysis).
About the author
Vidya Vrat Agarwal, a Microsoft .NET Purist, and an MCT, MCSD.NET, MCAD.NET, MCSD. He is also a Life Member of Computer Society of India (CSI). He started working on Microsoft.NET with its beta release. He has been involved in software development, consultation, corporate trainings, T3 programs and technical writing for Microsoft .NET for various corporate clients.
He lives with his beloved wife and lovely daughter nick named Pearly. He believes that nothing will turn into a reality without them. In technologies the part which really fascinates him is the architecture of that particular technology. He is the follower of the concept No Pain, No Gain.
Presently he is working with
LionBridge Technologies in Mumbai - India, where he work with Microsoft Dept. on Visual Studio 2005 (Whidbey) and SQL Server 2005 (Yukon) and his business card reads Subject Matter Expert (SME). His technical profile holds .NET Framework, VC#, VB.NET, WebServices, Remoting, SQL Server, COM, DCOM, COM+, MTS, MSMQ. Visual Studio 2005 (Whidbey), SQL Server 2005 (Yukon) and Longhorn.
His blog can be read at
http://dotnetpassion.blogspot.com
