Editing GUI for Synapse SQLPool DDL statements

Andreas 26 Reputation points
2020-06-02T17:01:56.557+00:00

Have to ask this newbie question after reading the Synapse documentation...
I just installed Visual Studio with the DB addons, and connect to Synapse SQL Pool. All working fine so far.
However, I am looking for a convenient way to manager relational DBs in a graphical editor, e.g. managing everything around DDL statements.
So far I only found the pure listing of DB objects, but there is no dialogue e.g. for altering tables schema as exists for SQL DB.
In understand that Synapse only serves as an abstraction layer for various DBs, and that it is using general T-SQL. But is there no convenient interface for RDBMS? For instance, I have a table with 150 columns from which I need to change 20 columns - I can certainly write 20 ALTER TABLE statements, but it would be more comfortable to do it via GUI in one go.
Do I miss something here? A somewhere hidden module in VS?
Thanks!

Azure Synapse Analytics
Azure Synapse Analytics
An Azure analytics service that brings together data integration, enterprise data warehousing, and big data analytics. Previously known as Azure SQL Data Warehouse.
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  1. HimanshuSinha-msft 601 Reputation points
    2020-06-03T23:18:15.457+00:00

    Hello @Andreas

    Not sure if you have used the tool SSMS . You can download that from here

    It does generated a lot of script , which I think you are looking for . I am adding the screenshot for clarity

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    HImanshu

    Please do consider to click on "Accept Answer" and "Up-vote" on the post that helps you, as it can be beneficial to other community members

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  2. Ronen Ariely 15,096 Reputation points
    2020-06-04T02:55:05.347+00:00

    Good day Andreas ( @Andreas )

    I just installed Visual Studio with the DB addons

    I assume that you speak about "SQL Server Data Tools for Visual Studio" or in short SSDT

    I am looking for a convenient way to manager relational DBs in a graphical editor, e.g. managing everything around DDL statements.

    There are three tools which Microsoft provides for this task (other then the SSDT which is extension to the VS and meant used mostly by developers):

    1) First one exists for many years named "Sql Server Management Studio" or in short SSMS. You must know this tool if you are using products which base on "SQL Server" (such as Azure SQL Database) or "Parallel Data Warehouse" (Such as Azure Synapse), since this is the most common tool. This tool can be installed only on Windows OS. It is a close application but you can develop extensions for it.

    2) Second option (My preferred option for most cases) is the newer application named "Azure Data Studio" or in short ADS. This application is fully open source and have versions for all common operating system. It does not require any installation which is a HUGE advantage. You can have for example a version for windows and version for Linux Ubuntu on the same disk-on-key and take it with you to any client. The code source is managed on GitHub project open to all.

    3) The third tool and probably the most un-known but considered as the main tool, is the "Synapse Studio". An awesome new tool which is used only for Azure Synapse. This tool is still in preview. It is a web tool, built-in the Portal.

    All these tools developed by Microsoft teams. Each tool has some features which the other does not have, but since ADS is open source it has multiple free extensions contributed by the community.

    In understand that Synapse only serves as an abstraction layer for various DBs

    Let's say various entities and tools and not only DBs.

    Azure Synapse has several components, like: Azure Synapse Analytics workspaces, Synapse SQL pool (The enterprise data warehousing features - formally named "Azure Data Warehouse"), SQL on-demand, Spark, Synapse Pipelines , and Synapse Studio...

    Note: "Azure Synapse Analytics workspace" comes with "SQL on-demand" endpoint, which allows us to query data in the Data Lake, and "SQL Pool" which is the endpoint to the Data Warehouse.

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  3. Andreas 26 Reputation points
    2020-06-08T11:48:19.317+00:00

    Thank you both for your help.
    Interesting that SSMS also works for Synapse. I have used SSMS for years on SQL Servers - MS does not even mention it on the help page for Synapse.

    However, none of the proposed tools provides a GUI for DDL. They all create SQL-Statements, but not a full GUI like for SQL Servers in SSMS.

    Operating on hundreds of columns, I am really searching for a smarter solution which provides a more convenient way to manipulate tables, than just dropping back to SQL statements.

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