Mr Microsoft can you fix SQL Studio please!

I want to start but saying I don't want to sound too negative about SQL 2005, because the core features of this version are performing very well compare to SQL 2000.

However, SQL Management Studio is the worst piece of management code I ever used in my developer's life. It's slow, the UI is over complicated (too many clicks in the tree view to do simple things). It's really annoying when you work in a small organisation and you need to maintain your databases as fast as possible.

I am repeating this, I am sure about it, but a new version of SQL Server is already in the pipe (for 2008?), and I beg Microsoft to get it right this time with the management tool.

I can write thousand of pages on all the troubles I have with SQL Studio but I like to give you this example. I have a query, not too complicated, just a full text search with a join to another table.

OK now in SQL 2000 enterprise manager, this executes perfectly well, but with SQL Studio, well I am told that SQL can't parse my text (see below) but weird enough the query execute perfectly well!

I have this kind of behavior dozen of time every day. One other thing, I would like that Microsoft get right also the way to edit an existing stored procedure. The Modify feature is not what I want, I just like the plain easy way that SQL 2000 has, open the SP, edit whatever you want and click OK to save it.

Here in SQL 2005 studio management, you call for Modify, then your procedure come in a new query window as ALTER PROCEDURE. Imagine when you need to change multiples procedures, all the tabs got meaningless names.

I also find very annoying that I can't open multiple time the same table, as in SQL 2000. 

When I use * in a query, please let me doing my way and don't replace it by all the fields.

Select * from MyTable transforms as Select Myfield1, MyField2, etc... (imagine if you have 200 fields!). 

Well the list is longer than that but hopefully Microsoft will release a better next version soon.

Tell me what other issues you have with SQL Studio Management?

 

4 Comments

  • Just this moment I've installed the Express version of SQL 2005 in order to try and get the feel for the 2005 interface again.

    I've used SQL 2000 since it was out and so I'm very familar with Enterprise Manager.

    Last time I tried using the 2005 equivlent I found it bulky and slower. I'm glad I'm not the only one!

  • I didnt like Sql Server Manaagemet Studio at first but now I do and I havent noticed anything like the kinds of problems you guys have so I would have to say I enjoy using Management Studio in 2005.

  • I concur with the article.

  • Totally agree:

    - Can't edit grid values when columns have dots in their name. Confirmed by MS long time ago as "fixed in the next SP release" - ha! not fixed in SP2!
    - No more DTS support. Need VS.NET 2005. Nonsense!
    - Can't customize keyboard shortcuts.

    Every day I seem to find some new bad behavior. Sad :-(

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