1. Connection alias
   
   Server names are often too long and difficult to percept, memorize and operate (like customerserver823127.hosteddomainsample.com). To fix this inconvenience SSMSBoost added the possibility of defining user friendly Server Display Names to the original server names:
   
   customerserver823127.hosteddomainsample.com -> DEVELOPMENT
   customerserver823555.hosteddomainsample.com -> PRODUCTION


2. Additional Connection Parameters
   
   Sometimes you need to specify additional parameters to establish connection with a server. SSMS basiс functionality does not provide space for the storage of these parameters forcing you to enter strings manually every time you connect to your server. SSMSBoost allows you to predefine and save Additional Connection Parameters once and for all.


3. Connect Object Explorer at Startup
   
   Choose this parameter if you need SSMS to automatically start with Object Explorer connected


4. Open empty query window at Startup
   
   Choose this parameter if you need SSMS to automatically start with an empty query window opened


5. Status Bar Connection Color
   
   Color coding is a very effective method that improves and speeds up the perception of visual information. SSMSBoost adds this feature to help you rapidly distinguish between development (e.g. green) and production databases (e.g. red). Any RGB color can be chosen. If you define color for a preferred connection where no database is specified this color will be applied whenever any database from that server is active. SSMSBoost tracks connection changes and selects the relevant color on every reconnection.
   
   


6. Important DB Alert
   
   This feature uses the same color coding method and protects you from occasional data modifications in production environments. As soon as you change connection to the database for which this option is enabled a warning message will appear.
   
   
   
   Text, color, width and the position of the warning message are fully customizable, you can use the following replacement tokens: {@Server}, {@Database}, {@User}, \r, \n, \t.
   To configure message position go to SSMSBoost -> Settings -> Important DB Alerts.


7. Fatal Actions Guard Mode
   
   Fatal Actions Guard is an SSMSBoost security tool that parses scripts executed in SSMS and checks for potentially dangerous statements. You can configure Fatal Actions Guard mode individually for each preferred connection

• Tokens can be case-sensitive
• It is possible to specify final cursor location, after AutoReplacement is triggered
• You can use standard SSMS parameters like <name, type, default value> in AutoReplacements. SSMSBoost detects these parameters and automatically shows Parameters replacement dialog saving you additional clicks/keystrokes.
• The following parameters can be used in AutoReplacements: {User}, {Server}, {Database}, {Connection}, {Timestamp} , {Timestamp:Format} (.Net datetime format). These parameters will be replaced with the actual information after AutoReplacement is triggered. For example you can create an AutoReplacement to place a Username/Timestamp comment into your source code.

1. Sync connection with current document sets search context to the current connection of the active SQL Editor window.
2. Current search context drop-down (in single-database search mode) allows you to select search context.
3. Refresh reloads objects cache. Use it only if you have modified database objects.
4. Limit to Favorite Object Types search will be performed only within your favorite object types (configurable in settings).
5. Show System Objects adds system objects to search results
6. Multi-Database search button switches between single- and multi-database search modes.
7. Settings button opens Settings window where you can configure default behavior of the dialog and some additional useful options. Make sure you check these options - they can save you a lot of time.

8. Script Selected Object(s) - opens SQL source in a new editor window
9. Locate Object - navigates Object Explorer to object's node
10. Copy Selected Identifier(s) into Current Document - inserts selected objects into current cursor position
11. Right-click an object (or the selection of multiple objects) to open the context menu with the functions described above.

• Create region creates unnamed region. If you run it with some part of code selected - it will be wrapped into newly created region.
• Create named region creates a region with a name:
  
  
  
  If you run it when some part of code is selected - it will be wrapped into a newly created region.
  
  
  
  
• Reparse/Refresh regions forces re-processing of the current document. All regions will be recreated. This can be necessary if you apply massive changes to the document. Regions are parsed automatically when a script is opened in the editor.

SSMSBoost formatting engine

• Open one of your SQL scripts (it will be used to display formatting result while you're changing options)
• Run SSMSBoost ->Query->SQL Format style templates editor




• Change template options and they will immediately be applied to your code.
• Hit "Save changes" when you are done

"Poor Man's T-SQL Formatter"

Grid Scripting Templates

• Excel (MS XML Spreadsheet) - saves results in MS XML Spreadsheet format that can be opened in MS Excel.
  Values preserve their data types: If you export telephone numbers to Excel they will not be treated as formulas anymore!
• JSON - get Results Grid data directly in JSON format. No further converters required.
• HTML table - results are saved as HTML Table
• INSERT INTO - generates a table declaration that can be used to insert execution results of the stored procedure.
• INSERT INTO #tmpres EXEC sp_storedProc - quickly generates a temporary table declaration that can be used to insert execution results of the stored procedure.
• Property:Value - copies results as ColumnName:Value
• SELECT - scripts results as SELECT VALUES statement. It is some kind of table data exported as script. Data types are preserved.
• WHERE Column=Value - selected values are copied as 'WHERE (ColumnName=Value) OR ...' allowing you to quickly generate WHERE filters by selecting required column values
• WHERE ColumnName IN (value1,value2..) - generates WHERE ColumnName in (Value1,..) filter based on selected values
• XML - results are saved as pure XML document

• Refine your search using wildcards and regular expressions
• Define search range, search tolerance and search order
• Double-click search result to navigate to corresponding cell
• Copy cell data, preview data, focus matched cell
• Switch to "Find column in Results Grid" dialog in just one click

• Search using wildcards
• Double-click the column to focus it in the corresponding grid
• Select a column name and press CTRL+C to copy it
• See the column data type, precision and NULLability that are displayed in results set. Yes - now you know the exact data types of the result set.
• Quickly switch to Find in Results Grid dialog using Go to "Find data" button at the bottom

• Using Quick connection switch drop-down on the toolbar:
  
  


• Using SSMSBoost->Recent->Pick recent connection command on the toolbar which displays the list of recent connections.
  
  
  
  This list allows you to connect to any available connection or promote a recent connection to Preferred Connection. If you tick "Freeze" option for any connection it will remain in the list until unticked or manually deleted. To filter all your frozen connections check "Show only Frozen" checkbox.
  
  

• Restore last closed tab restores the last closed tab including its connection with no further questions (provided "Restore Connection" checkbox is checked)
• Pick recent tab shows Recent Tabs dialog, allowing you to choose one of the Tabs from the history:
  
  
  
  "Freeze" option allows you to force persistence of the tab in the Recent Tabs until unticked or manually deleted
  "Display full paths" option displays full path to the saved *.sql files
  
  

• Named set of documents
• Own pre-set connection per document

• "Ask" token - will force SSMSBoost to ask a user for execution confirmation. For example, if you add "#checklater" token in "ask" tokens list and start adding it to your scripts SSMSBoost will keep asking you for execution confirmation until you delete all these tokens. This can be practical if you are working on some script and want to mark critical places that should be verified.
• "Prohibit" token has a pretty similar logic but in case of triggering SSMSBoost will not allow you to run the script at all. You can add it to the script files that are not intended for blind execution. Sometimes system administrators collect frequently used commands in one script and it can be fatal if someone executes that file.
• "Magic unblocking" tokens allow you to disable execution guard for some particular script. For example, if you often use "full wipe" script to initialize your test database and use TRUNCATE there just add #breakingbad in settings and then add this token as a comment to your script to have the Execution Guard disabled that particular file.

• Select the query that you need to export for execution to Excel
• Execute SSMSBoost->Query->Run in MS Excel command




• SSMSBoost will create a Database Query (*.dqy) file containing selected SQL Statement and current connection information
• *.dqy file will be passed to Excel for further processing. You may be prompted to adjust security settings in Excel to allow the processing of "*.dqy" files