Search results matching tags 'Management Studio' and 'SQL Server 2008'

Why is IntelliSense not working?

AaronBertrand — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 18:05:00 GMT

I see people complain that IntelliSense (new in SQL Server 2008's Management Studio) is not working. Most of the time, it is for one of two reasons:

The object is not in the local IntelliSense cache, since it was created recently. You can fix this easily by going to Edit > IntelliSense > Refresh Local Cache, or CTRL+SHIFT+R.
The query window is connected to a downlevel server (e.g. SQL Server 2005), where IntelliSense does not function (see Connect #341872 from Whitney Weaver for more info and LOTS of community feedback on this decision :-)).

Little did I know, there are a number of other situations where IntelliSense will not function correctly (e.g. when you have switched to SQLCMD mode). I was also unaware, until today, that Alan Brewer at Microsoft created a Books Online page that documents these and other cases:

When IntelliSense Is Unavailable

So many thanks for this document Alan, as I think it will help others as well. What I'm still trying to figure out, though, is why there is a SQL Server 2005 version of the page, since IntelliSense does not exist in Management Studio for 2005, nor does it work in 2008 against 2005 instances.

Pushing for more tools-related fixes for SQL Server 2011

AaronBertrand — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 03:59:00 GMT

A few days ago I posted a list of Management Studio issues I hope they will add or fix for the next version of SQL Server (or sooner). Comments there and elsewhere, as well as some afterthoughts, have led me to publish an addendum. Again I will present them in separate categories.

Filtering

There are several issues about filtering, including one Alejandro Mesa added about being able to filter against multiple items (e.g. schema dbo or test). Personally I think they should scrap the current filtering mechanism and design one correctly, from the ground up, for the next version of SSMS.

#334444 (SSMS : filtering should work for databases, synonyms, and others)
http://connect.microsoft.com/SQLServer/feedback/ViewFeedback.aspx?FeedbackID=334444

#334443 (SSMS : filter dialog needs more filtering criteria)
http://connect.microsoft.com/SQLServer/feedback/ViewFeedback.aspx?FeedbackID=334443

#334442 (SSMS : filter dialog should be less modal, more interactive)
http://connect.microsoft.com/SQLServer/feedback/ViewFeedback.aspx?FeedbackID=334442

#334441 (SSMS : filter dialog calendar control is obnoxiously modal)
http://connect.microsoft.com/SQLServer/feedback/ViewFeedback.aspx?FeedbackID=334441

#338214 (SSMS : more consistent operators and filtering)
http://connect.microsoft.com/SQLServer/feedback/ViewFeedback.aspx?FeedbackID=338214

#334440 (SSMS : filter dialog calendar control opens at wrong size)
http://connect.microsoft.com/SQLServer/feedback/ViewFeedback.aspx?FeedbackID=334440

#362787 (To be able to filter objects, in the object explorer, by multiple items.)
http://connect.microsoft.com/SQLServer/feedback/ViewFeedback.aspx?FeedbackID=362787

Scripting

I asked Erland to come up with some of his biggest peeves with scripting (both performance and functionality), and he provided this shortlist:

#351363 (Temp table when generating script has too wide clustered index)
http://connect.microsoft.com/SQLServer/feedback/ViewFeedback.aspx?FeedbackID=351363

#351386 (The script wizard never produces the actual script, although all objects scripted)
http://connect.microsoft.com/SQLServer/feedback/ViewFeedback.aspx?FeedbackID=351386

#351375 (The script wizard is not able to complete scripting a database within 90 minutes)
http://connect.microsoft.com/SQLServer/feedback/ViewFeedback.aspx?FeedbackID=351375

#127167 (Trailing SET ANSI_PADDING OFF when scripting tables)
http://connect.microsoft.com/SQLServer/feedback/ViewFeedback.aspx?FeedbackID=127167

Editor

Erland also reminded me about the problems with the tab strip in the editor, and more issues with saving files:

#252879 (Handling when there are more tabs to fit the strip needs to be improved)
http://connect.microsoft.com/SQLServer/feedback/ViewFeedback.aspx?FeedbackID=252879

#252881 (There should be an option of having new tabs rightmost in Mgmt Studio)
http://connect.microsoft.com/SQLServer/feedback/ViewFeedback.aspx?FeedbackID=252881

#265343 (SSMS: Tabs should not change position unless I change them!)
http://connect.microsoft.com/SQLServer/feedback/ViewFeedback.aspx?FeedbackID=265343

#124686 (Prompting for modified windows when closing SSMS should be optional)
http://connect.microsoft.com/SQLServer/feedback/ViewFeedback.aspx?FeedbackID=124686

#308372 (Permit nameless windows that do not need saving in SSMS)
http://connect.microsoft.com/SQLServer/feedback/ViewFeedback.aspx?FeedbackID=308372

Object Explorer

Of course I posted comments about the new Object Explorer and how its pre-fetching of Object Explorer Details information can cause the loading to be very slow, or to fail completely, depending on the number of databases on the server, and the permissions of the principal. I am stil in awe that I was able to publish a list without these, as I feel most strongly about these fixes; further, I hope that they can be fixed in the first service pack, as they really should have been show-stoppers. Here are the relevant Connect items:

#124651 (Can't see database with Object Explorer)
http://connect.microsoft.com/SQLServer/feedback/ViewFeedback.aspx?FeedbackID=124651

#273830 (Need VIEW DEFINITION permissions per database)
http://connect.microsoft.com/SQLServer/feedback/ViewFeedback.aspx?FeedbackID=273830

#362646 (SSMS 2008 Exception Expanding Databases)
http://connect.microsoft.com/SQLServer/feedback/ViewFeedback.aspx?FeedbackID=362646

I hope that you will weigh in on the issues that you feel are important. Without hearing from the general public, Microsoft will have a hard time determining which issues should have priority, as they start to prepare their list of work items for SQL Server 2011.

My Management Studio wishlist for SQL Server 2011

AaronBertrand — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 03:56:00 GMT

Inspired both directly and indirectly by fellow MVP Erland Sommarskog, whose programming wishlist I talked about the other day, I have decided to compile a list of my own wish list items, in the same spirit of, "it's never too early." This list is restricted to issues involving Management Studio; I was going to cover all of the management tools that ship with SQL Server, but this quickly proved to be quite an undertaking on its own, and the rest I might leave to someone else.

I have grouped the items in seven different categories, and present them here in no particular order. Some are bugs that should be fixed, and some are suggestions that could use more weight if you are interested in seeing the changes. I did not spend a lot of time describing the items below, so if you don't get enough information here, please feel free to read the Connect feedback items themselves, as there is certainly more detail available there.

Editor / Results

Support an advanced option to allow downlevel IntelliSense (e.g. in SQL Server Management Studio for the next version, SQL Server 2008 should be supported).
Connect #341872
Restore full Ctrl+N functionality, which doesn't appear to be available in all cases as of SQL Server 2008 RTM.
Connect #362331
Never truncate column names in grid results... currently depending on the font you have chosen, column names get truncated.
Connect #230600 / Connect #230912
Use the same rules for deciding on column widths in grid results. It appears to partly be a function of the data, but also partly a function of how many resultsets have already been presented. Pulling the exact same data in successive queries, you can see staggered widths for the same columns.
Connect #356926
Support pushpin/auto-hide functionality for the results pane... this is one of the only panes that can't auto-hide and requires keyboard input to show/hide.
Connect #361770
There is a generic item that suggests some improvements to the new tab functionality.
Connect #361707
A while back I suggested improvements to the "save multiple files" dialog you get when you have multiple unsaved files open and try to close Management Studio. Currently you need to save each file one by one, and I think it could be more streamlined.
Connect #264434
It should be harder to accidentally start debugging; currently the debug icon is not very intuitive... it looks like the execute button from Query Analyzer, and many users upgrading directly from 2000 to 2008 tools are going to start debugging sessions accidentally.
Connect #362572

Object Explorer

Restore full F8 functionality. Currently this opens Object Explorer (sometimes), but it is no longer possible to close it using the same keyboard shortcut.
Connect #362211
Allow custom folders to organize objects by schema, or functionality, etc.
Connect #290825
Same custom folder organization could be implemented for SQL Server Agent and Linked Servers
Connect #339153
In the list of synonyms, show different icons or group the items to Indicate object type.
Connect #338885
Include synonyms (with slightly different icon) in list of procedures, tables etc., making them more discoverable.
Connect #338883

Object Explorer Details

Do not load all object explorer details data when the window is not even displayed; barring that, at least fix the cursor that runs queries for every db when showing Object Explorer results.
Connect #357349
Rather than generate an error, ignore or bypass Object Explorer Details for objects (e.g. databases) where the user doesn't have access.
Connect #355238
There are some sorting issues in Object Explorer Details as well.
Connect #357367

Scripting / Designers

Fix BIT data type entry in "open table" / "edit top n"... currently this grid only accepts TRUE/FALSE, and does not accept 1, 0, -1, T, F, etc. There are five active items about this... take your pick.
Stop referencing deprecated objects such as sysobjects.
Connect #289696
(There should also be a thrust for not submitting ad hoc sql to the server. And definitely lose any old-style joins... though I couldn't find any examples of this in SSMS 2008.)
Deprecate open table. 'Nuff said.
Connect #264592
Some scripting options still yield dynamic SQL, which generates scripts that are much harder to read/debug.
Connect #242799
Many people have complained about slow scripting performance; I'm hoping Erland will point me to one of his items that demonstrates this symptom.

SQL Server Agent

Job step command window should support most editor functionality -- syntax highlighting has gone away, tab and shift+tab don't work as expected against selected text, and the parse button behaves differently than in a normal query window. I think IntelliSense could be there too, but didn't feel strong enough about it to submit an item.
In the Job Activity Monitor and Job History viewer, consistent times need to be shown. In some cases server time is shown, and in some cases client time is shown... this can cause confusion when the server is in a data center on the other side of the country or on the other side of the world. This should be more consistent.
Connect #355428
There should be a top level node for managing schedules, as currently you can only edit a schedule from within one of the jobs it is enclosed in, and it is not clear whether the changes affect that job only, or if they affect all jobs associated with that schedule.
Connect #298940
In the history / log file viewer, there is no ability to sort any columns.
Connect #239004
The history / log file viewer is modal, making it hard to escape and go back to the job steps... or to compare history of two jobs in separate windows (instead of interspersed in the same window). Would be great if this were non-modal and/or allowed multiple.
Connect #288174

Dialogs

Since occasionally an error message is long enough to be clipped, all dialogs should have a maximize button.
Connect #337332
There are several minor issues with dialogs (especially modal) not respecting primary or initial monitor when using SSMS on multiple monitors.
Connect #336597
On many dialogs where you can browse for a folder, you can create a new folder inline; however, there are many examples in SSMS where you can't. The browse or find folder dialogs should all use a common underlying control that allow inline folder creation. I'm surprised this kind of dialog is allowed within Windows logo guidelines, or whatever they're calling their standards compliance policies these days.
Connect #291312

Activity Monitor

In the grid mode of Top SQL, queries that contain carriage returns, line feeds, tabs etc. end up displayed with ugly boxes.
Connect #350736
With a long query, the tooltip that hovers over the grid row shows part of the SQL, but not all. My suggestion is that if the tooltip can't show the whole query (which is reasonable), it should indicate that there is more behind it, for example with ellipses.
Connect #350743

Of course, you will note that most of the items above are my own. However, I am sure I missed many that are equally important, or more so. If you have other Connect items that you feel deserve more exposure, please post them below.