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Toad for SQL Server Freeware:
Downloads:
Resources:
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Toad™ for SQL Server Freeware Features
Introduction
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Once you have installed and opened Toad,
you will need to connect to a database. Read the 'Create New Connections' Help topic for detailed
instructions...but, Toad for SQL Server can handle SQL Server-authenticated or
Windows-authenticated connections. As with Toad for Oracle, Toad for SQL Server can store multiple connection strings. You can also configure Toad to auto-connect to specific instances and save your passwords. Once you are connected, you are ready to start interacting with your SQL Server Database. The two primary windows are the: |
A developer will spend at least half of their time in the Editor window. The Editor window consists of two sections: an upper text edit window and a lower data grid. The text edit window supports standard windows editing commands and keystrokes.
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Below we have a snapshot of the Editor window with a query and its output. You can split the Editor window horizontally and/or vertically so you can scroll different areas within the same file. If you have more than one Editor window open and want to switch between them, click and drag one of the Editor tabs to another location in the window. The SQL Editor supports multiple tabs or scratch spaces. This allows you to have multiple files or scripts open at a given time. Once you have a file loaded or a query entered, it's time to run it. This is accomplished by either pressing F5 or clicking on the button with a script with the green arrow overlayed on it in the Toad editor toolbar. The upper text edit section also has a left-panel window that shows you the contents of your editor. You can use this to easily navigate between your different editor statements.
The result set displays in the grid component in the lower panel of the screen. You have 2 output choices 'Grid View' and 'Card View'. Grid is default; you can toggle by right-clicking on the output panel. The Editor can handle multiple result sets from multiple query runs. You also have access to the Script Output (a sequential log of executed commands displays in the Script Output tab), and Explain Plans for each statement you have executed. The Editor toolbar contains a Database Dropdown control that you can use to select a default database for your queries to run against. This allows queries to run without prefixing the database name for the queried objects.
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Object Explorer vs. Enterprise Manager
Toad's Object Explorer is its most powerful feature. The Object Explorer is comprised of a left and a right panel. The left panel contains the server and database objects you can work with in the Object Explorer. The Object Explorer lets you view objects and related information in an easy tabbed interface. Double-clicking the database object will bring up the the right (object) panel called the Viewer which consists of information about the selected object.
Enterprise ManagerClick here to see a screenshot of MS SQL Server's Enterprise Manager. In the Enterprise Manager, the need to access all of the functionality available for a given node is via right-mouse click. For example, if a user wants to view the data of a given table, they must
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Toad Object ExplorerIn Toad's Object Explorer, the process is less involved. All of the information for each object is immediately available on the right hand side of the Object Explorer, called the Viewer. Click here to see a screenshot. There is also a control on the browser to control the number of records returned. Finally, the dataset can be easily modified. Rows can be updated, inserted, or deleted on-the-fly. |
Join and interact with this group! This is the primary source for guiding new development in Toad for SQL Server. This is also a place for fellow SQL Server developers to interact.
For questions or comments on this site: webmaster@toadsoft.com
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