Understanding SQL Server Management Studio Windows Management
The tool windows in Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio are a highly functional, flexible, and efficient system that allows you to:
- Maximize the user workspace for development and management.
- Reduce the number of unused windows displayed at one time.
- Easily customize the user environment.
Manipulating windows is central to the Management Studio environment. Users can easily access the tools and windows they use frequently. Users can control how much space they want to allocate to different information, and the environment should maximize the space available for editing queries accordingly. Windows can be moved to different locations on the screen. Many windows can be undocked and dragged out of the Management Studio frame. This is particularly useful when using more than one monitor.
To increase your editing space while maintaining functionality, all windows offer the Auto Hide feature, which displays the window as a tab within a bar along the border of the main Management Studio environment. When the pointer is placed over one of these tabs, the underlying window reveals itself. Auto Hide for a window can be toggled by clicking the Auto Hide button, represented by a pushpin in the upper-right corner of the window. There is also an Auto Hide All option on the Window menu.
Some components can be configured in either tabbed mode where components appear as tabs in the same docking location, or in multiple document interface (MDI) mode where each document has its own window. To configure this feature, on the Tools menu, click Options, click Environment, and then click General.
To become more familiar with managing Management Studio windows, take the SQL Server Management Studio Tutorial.
See Also
Other Resources
Introducing SQL Server Management Studio
The SQL Server Management Studio Environment