Editing Only Certain Columns with Data Sorted / Ordered from a SELECT Query in MSSMS

Question

In MSSMS a Select query that selects only certain columns in a certain order and orders data displays data only. It does not allow editing of the values in the columns.

How do I create a query that selects only certain columns in a certain order and orders the data, that will allow me to edit the values in the columns?

Displays Data Only:

Select Field1, Field7, Field17
FROM TableName
ORDER BY Field7 ASC;

Second Question:

If MSSMS is not the best way to edit data in this way, what is?

Answer 1

Hi @Dean Everhart

Did you have any chance to check Viorel's solution?

Step1: Right click the table and select 'Edit Top 200 Rows'.

Step2: Click SQL button in the toolbar to show SQL pane.

Step3: Modify the query code and then click the 'Execute SQL' button

Step4: It'll now allow you to view and edit the display data.

Second Question: If MSSMS is not the best way to edit data in this way, what is?

You might have a try on Visual Studio. I'm not an expert on VS, but I find this thread which might help.

Best regards,

Cosmog Hong

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Answer 2

SSMS = "SQL Server Management Studio" is a tool to manage SQL Server(s), not to edit data.

The "Edit" option is a mini-tool with less functionality.

And when you don't select the primary key, then you can not edit data, because SSMS don't know/identify which data to update.

Answer 3

You can use the UPDATE statement to edit data. But you need to use the WHERE clause to specify the search condition (with the primary key or the unique constraint column) for the rows you want to edit. For example, if you want to edit a person's address in the table Address in the Microsoft sample database AdventureWorks2019, you need to know which address you want to edit. That means the value of the column AddressID which is the primary key column. Here is the code example:

USE [AdventureWorks2019];
GO
UPDATE [Person].[Address]
SET [AddressLine2] = 'Apt. 101'
WHERE [AddressID] = 1;
GO