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Toad for SQL Server Freeware:

- Product Features
- Release Notes
- FAQ
- Beta Program

Downloads:

- Download Freeware
- Download Trial
- Buy Now

Resources:

- Toad Yahoo! Group
- SQL ServerPedia
- SQL Server Community
- SQL Server Backstage

Toad™ for SQL Server Freeware Features

Introduction

Toad for SQL Server is an application development tool built around a single integrated SQL, T-SQL, and Procedure Editor. Using Toad, developers can build and test T-SQL code and can use the Browser to quickly access, create and edit database objects. Toad lets you view tables, indexes, stored procedures and more - all through a multi-tabbed browser.

One of the most frequent requests from Toad for Oracle customers is to extend Toad to cover additional database technologies. Toad for SQL Server, Toad for DB2, and Toad for MySQL are several new versions of Toad, which address this need in the Database Technology market.

This freeware version of Toad for SQL Server is a limited functionality version of the commercial Toad for SQL Server. To have an impact on new functionality and report bugs and other issues in the freeware, please join the Yahoo! TOADSS Group. To see Toad for SQL Server commercial features above and beyond the freeware, click here.

If you know Toad...

When beginning to use Toad for SQL Server, you will immediately notice several similarities with Toad for Oracle. This is not an accident. The best things about Toad have been incorporated into Toad for SQL Server. This includes the FREEWARE program and the Yahoo! Discussion Group along with the SQL Editor and Object Explorer (known as the Schema Browser in the Oracle version).

The commonality between the versions of Toad continues with the Shortcut Keys. In the Editor, F9 executes a statement and F5 executes a script. As more functionality is introduced in Toad for SQL Server, the number of shared keyboard shortcuts will also increase.

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Getting Started

Client Requirements

Platform: 600 MHz minimum, 1 GHz recommended

Memory: 512 MB of Ram minimum, 1 GB recommended

Note: The memory required may vary based on the following:

  • Applications that are running on your system when using Toad
  • Size and complexity of the database
  • Amount of database activity
  • Number of concurrent users accessing the database

Hard Disk Space: 133 MB of disk space for installation.

Operating System:

  • Windows 2000
  • Windows Server 2003
  • Windows XP Professional (32-bit or x64)
  • Windows Vista (32-bit or x64)
  • Windows Server 2008

Note: Toad for SQL Server will not run on Linux, Unix, OS2, or Macintosh

Additional Requirements:

  • .Net Framework 2.0 or later
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or later

Server Requirements

Before installing Toad for SQL Server, ensure your server meets the following minimum hardware and software requirements:

Operating System:

  • Windows 2000 Server with SP4 or later
  • Windows 2000 Professional Edition with SP4 or later
  • Windows XP (32-bit with SP2 or later; x64)
  • Widows 2003 Server (32-bit or x64 with SP1 or later)
  • Windows Vista (32-bit or x64)
  • Windows Server 2008 (32-bit or x64)

Supported Databases:

  • SQL Server 2000 with SP3 or later
  • SQL Server 2005 with SP2 or later

Note: SQL Server Compact Edition is not supported.

Additional Requirements:

  • .Net Framework 2.0 with SP1 or later
To get started, Download the Toad for SQL Server freeware.

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:

 
Editor
Object Explorer .


Using the Editor

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.

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.

Database Dropdown

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 Manager

Click 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

  • Choose the Server Group
  • Choose the Server
  • Choose the Database
  • Choose the Object Type (in this case 'Tables')
  • Choose the Table on the RHS
  • Right-click on the table and choose Open Table > Return all Rows

Toad Object Explorer

In 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.

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Tips and Tricks

  • TOADSS Yahoo! Group

      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.

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For questions or comments on this site: webmaster@toadsoft.com
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