Microsoft® SQL Server™ 2008 All-In-One Desk Reference For Dummies®

IV.1.5. Modifying a Script

Any script that you create can be opened, modified, and saved again just as easy as you can rewrite your resume or a letter to your Mom.

The query window within SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) is the best choice for modifying scripts because you have IntelliSense and color coding to help you quickly and easily see anything that might be wrong. However, any text editor can be used.

IntelliSense provides you with a choice of several valid options to help you easily complete queries. It can complete parameters, find the information you need, insert language elements, and more. The best thing is that it's free and always available in the SSMS editor.

Color coding helps you identify different elements in your scripts just by the color of the text. Keywords (such as SELECT) are in blue, comments are green, SQL strings are red, and identifiers are black. To make writing a script more meaningful, imagine that you want to check the structural integrity of databases in your system. The following command can be used:

DBCC CHECKDB(databasename)

When executed against the Adventureworks2008 database, the command provides a lot of details on the internal storage of the database and then ends with a very important message showing zero errors.

CHECKDB found 0 allocation errors and 0 consistency
   errors in database 'Adventureworks2008'.
DBCC execution completed. If DBCC printed error
   messages, contact your system administrator.

IV.1.5.1. Creating a script to check ...