SSMSPlus

SSMS Plus is a productivity extension for SQL Server Management Studio 18 / 19 / 20.

It extends SSMS with a handful set of features:

Query Execution History
Schema Object Search
Document Export for binary columns

Table Of Contents

• Getting started
  • Prerequisites
  • Download
  • Install
  • Update
  • Launch
• Features
  • Query History
  • Schema Object Search
  • Documents Export
• Contributing
  • How can I contribute ?
  • Project Goals
    • Goals
    • Non Goals
  • Debugging
    • Debug the SSMS instance
    • The Demo project
    • Troubleshooting

Getting started

Prerequisites

SQL Server Management Studio 18 / 19 / 20

Download

For SSMS 20

Get the latest build from the Releases page.

For SSMS 19

Get this release: https://github.com/akarzazi/SSMSPlus/releases/tag/5.0

For SSMS 18

Get this release: https://github.com/akarzazi/SSMSPlus/releases/tag/4.0

Install

SQL Server Management Studio extensions cannot be installed via VSIX Installer under SSMS 20.x. See https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/ssms/install-extensions-in-sql-server-management-studio-ssms?view=sql-server-ver15|

The release is an SFX package, extract the archive content to the SSMS install location.

On the extract dialog, fill the path of the extensions directory.

C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio 20\Common7\IDE\Extensions

Note: you might need to extract the SFX as admin

It should create an SSMSPlus folder like the following.

Update

Close SQL Server Management Studio.

Delete the SSMSPlus extension directory:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio 20\Common7\IDE\Extensions\SSMSPlus

Follow the install steps.

Launch

A new top menu "SSMS Plus" will be available.

Features

Query History

Every time you execute a query through the editor, SSMS Plus will save that query.

You'll find your query history through the main menu

Schema Object Search

Use this tool to find quickly any user object in the database.

Documents Export

This tool is handy when you want to preview or export files from the database.

The query is expecting two columns corresponding respectively to file name and file content.

Contributing

We're glad to know you're interested in the project.

Your contributions are welcome !

How can I contribute ?

You can contribute in the following ways :

• Report an issue / Suggest a feature.
• Create a pull request.

Project Goals

Goals

• Performance: Provide a lightweight plugin to bring to SSMS those missing features.
• Performance: React to events in an async and non blocking way.
• Minimal: Focus on handy features that matter for the community.
• Stable: Do not implement features using Reflection heavy stuff.
• Ever Green: Focus on the latest SSMS Major Editions.

Non Goals

• Implement domain specific features. (ex: integrate with FTP, Azure Services)
• Implement heavy features like intellisense.
• Seek for compatibility with an old edition of SQL Server or SSMS.

Debugging

Debug the SSMS instance

This section explains how to setup Visual Studio to debug the plugin within an SSMS Instance.

1. In the Debug section of the main project "SSMSPlus", setup your SSMS path as the startup program.

C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio 20\Common7\IDE\Ssms.exe

2. In the VSIX section of the main project "SSMSPlus", configure the deployment path for the plugin.

C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio 20\Common7\IDE\Extensions\SSMSPlus

3. That's All ! You may start your the debugging session.

The Demo project

A Demo project is available in the sources.

It is handy for faster UI prototyping, since it does not require to launch SSMS.

Troubleshooting

A log record in the folder corresponding to Environment.SpecialFolder.LocalApplicationData + "\SSMS Plus" which corresponds generally to C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\SSMS Plus.

Theses logs are very useful for diagnostics.