Can I disable Query Designer in Visual Studio in favor of plain SQL editor with highlighting?

Question

I hate the standard Query Designer window that comes up when you select New Query on a data connection in Server Explorer. I'd much rather have a T-SQL Editor come up. Is this possible?

Maybe not replace that functionality but a shortcut key or something that would bring up a T-SQL editor?

score 9 · Answer 1 · answered Apr 17 '12 at 08:45

9

Tools > Options > Database Tools > Query and View Designers > Panes shown by default

Uncheck the Diagram and Criteria (and Results if you want even more clean look)

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answered Apr 17 '12 at 08:45

Oleg Grishko

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score 4 · Accepted Answer · answered Aug 02 '11 at 16:39

I found a workaround, although it does not solve the problem completely:

Open Tools > Customize > Commands
Select Context menu: Other Context Menus | Server Explorer
Remove annoying New Query
Click Add Command...
Locate Data > New Query Connection...
Click OK to add it to Server Explorer context menu

This adds New Query Connection... context menu to all Server Explorer connections (as well as the root Data Connections item):

New Query Connection menu

This will fire up the T-SQL Editor.

The only problem with this workaround is that, invoked this way, T-SQL Editor has no way of knowing which connection was selected so it asks for connection settings again. You will also have to specify the database in the toolbar (easy if you're working with just one).

Although it's not perfect, I find it a better solution that constantly hitting the Query Designer awkwardness.

In Visual Studio 2012 this command is found under the SQL category as "New Query..." (substitute in step 5) — mcw, Aug 05 '13 at 13:40
I hate the Query Designer with a passion. Thank-you for this — Michael Chi Lam, Nov 16 '16 at 17:06

Can I disable Query Designer in Visual Studio in favor of plain SQL editor with highlighting?

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