SQL Server™ 2005 Bible

Chapter 6. Using Management Studio

In This Chapter

• Introducing Management Studio

• Navigating SQL Server's objects

• Organizing projects

• Using Query Editor

SQL Server 2005's primary user interface is Management Studio—a powerful set of tools in a Visual Studioesque look and feel that enables the developer or DBA to develop database projects and manage SQL Server with either a GUI interface or T-SQL code. For business intelligence (BI) work with Integration Services, Reporting Services, and Analysis Services, there's a companion tool called SQL Server Business Intelligence Development Studio.

Like many things in life, Management Studio's greatest strength is also its greatest weakness. The number of tasks, tree nodes, and tools within the studios can overwhelm the new user. The windows can dock, float, or become tabbed, so the interface can appear cluttered without any sense of order, as shown Figure 3-6 of Chapter 3.

However, once the individual pages are understood, and the interface options mastered, the studios are very flexible, and interfaces can be configured to meet the specific needs of any database task. Management Studio can even be configured to look almost like SQL Server 2000's Query Analyzer or Enterprise Manager.

Many subsequent chapters in this book will explain how to accomplish tasks using Management Studio or BI Studio, so you won't learn about every feature in this chapter. Instead, this chapter is a navigational guide to the landscape, pointing out the more interesting ...