More Management Studio Wishlist Items
[Send In Your Request(s) Here]
David: "How about something simple that used to be in Enterprise Manager for SQL Server 2000, viz. "Export list"? If I wanted a file with a list of databases in an instance, or tables in a database, or linked servers, or stored procedures, or SQL Server Agent jobs, or Logins, or even object locks, I could click on an item and choose "Export list" in Enterprise Manager. Don’t bother looking for "Export list" in SQL Server Management Studio – it’s gone. Sure, you can drill down and see instances, databases, tables, columns, indexes, etc., but if you want the list in a file to work with, you’ll have to figure out what system tables and/or views to query for the list. In the case of locks, you’ll probably have to pull from master and tempdb system databases. Bring back "Export list"!"
Tim: "I use Studio every day, and there are some things about the interface that I wish were improved:
1. When a new SQL Query window is opened, it makes sense that it would be given a generic name like SQLQuery1. However, this naming convention is also used when “Modifying” (in 2005) or scripting to a new Query Window (in 2008). This makes it difficult to know which of the tabs / windows is what. I would like to see, when an Object is scripted out to a new Query Window, that the Window be given that object’s name as the Window’s name, so that I can look at a list of tabs/windows and know what I am looking at (without having to save to a SQL file to give it a name).
2. In our office, we have a lot of active databases, and a tree structure doesn’t feel very good to organize them – the list is too long. In some circumstances, the number of tabs/windows open can also make a list harder to read. I would like the ability (perhaps) to put databases in “Folders” – this would not impact the databases in any real way, but would make it easier to expand and collapse groups to organize what is seen. A similar Grouping mechanism would be nice for open Tabs / Windows.
3. In 2005, the Object Explorer Details window would only change the current location if you navigated within it, or if you click on something in the Object Explorer. However, in 2008 this was changed so that whenever you use the Object Explorer Details window to script out an object, it immediately jumps back to the currently selected object in the Object Explorer. I would like a return to 2005 functionality, as I am more likely to want to script out numerous related objects than I am to want to return to some other place, and I prefer to navigate within the Details window because the Object Explorer tree structure takes a long time to load long lists.
These are all minor issues, and perhaps there are many things about Studio I don’t understand. I still enjoy working in Studio a lot, and I appreciate the chance to tell someone about my small gripes with an otherwise good environment."
Cliff: "We have a ton of databases we work with and it would be nice to be able to filter by database name like we can do with other objects within SSMS.
Another suggestion, allow organization of the projects within Management Studio. You are stuck with the folders supplied by default. As it is, I just open up VS and create a database project there to organize my scripts which allows me to categorize stored procedures based on their scope (IE Administrative, Product A, Product B, Common) which makes it much more efficient for getting new developers up to speed on the organization of objects."
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