The new Visual Query builder allows users to graphically select tables, views and relationships to build queries. The user selects the tables and views desired in the query, maps the JOIN relationships between the tables, and then selects the columns needed in the results of the query. The user may then query for the results or copy the generated SQL statement to the Query Analzyer to manually work on it.

The Diagram Panel allows the user to select tables and views. User may then drag-n-drop columns from the source table to the target table to create JOIN representations. The user may right-click on the JOIN link and select properties to customize the JOIN.

The Columns Panel allows the user to customize the column parameters of the query. The column name provides a combo box for the user to select a column from a list based off of the selected tables in the Diagram Panel. The alias column allows the user to define an optional alias name for the column.

Panel Columns:
  Name: The name of the column or expression
  Alias: The alias name used for the column or expression
  Table: The name of the table
  Output: Determines if the column or expression is used in the SELECT statment
  Sort Type: Determines whether column is sorted and in what direction.
  Sort Order: Determines the sort level of the column
  Criteria: Criteria statement used in the WHERE clause of the statement
  Or ...: Defines optional criterias appended as OR criterias

The SQL Panel provides a read-only SQL representation of the Diagram Panel. The user may copy or save this SQL statement for later use.

The Results Panel provides a grid results equivalent to the grid results in the Query Analyzer window.

Query Builder Enhancements:

• General enhancements:
  • Added an ability to query accross different databases. When a user can opens the Add Table Dialog, he/she can select tables from different databases and the Query Builder will generate an appropriate SQL for execution.
  • Now has an ability to save queries to a file and and reopen the file. This allows the user to save working queries for later use, or to share them with other users.
  • Toolbar now has a "reconnect" button to allow users to reconnect to the database in case the connection has been dropped by the database server.
  • When closing the query window the Query Builder now prompts the user to "Cancel", "Discard", "Save" or "Save As".
  • Added Index Panel to show the indexes. When a user clicks on an index, the participating columns are highlighted at the Column Pane.
  • General: Filters button on toolbar now has the option "Database Qualified Tables"; if it's selected, the Preview SQL window will display full database path for table qualification.
  • Toolbar now provides information on "Username:", "Schema:" and "spid:"
  • Added options to save results: "Save" and "Save As"
  • Added navigation to the menubar->Window: Next Pane, Previous Pane, Next Index, Previous Index.
  • Hot Keys:
    • Press Alt-D or Alt-M hot keys to gain focus on Database or Max Results fields
    • Press Alt-Left or Alt-Right to go to the Previous Pane or to the Next Pane; Alt-PgUp or Alt-PgDown to go to the previous Index or to the Next Index respectivelly.
  
  
• Add Table Dialog
  • Dialog has option for column selection. This option allows the user to specify what columns will automatically be selected into the Column Pane for the tables added into the query.
  • Dialog now has database combo box which allows the user to change the context of the database, so that the user may select tables and views from different databases.
  • Under the application File->Options:Query Builder there is now an option to "Show Add Table Dialog at startup" which allows the user to control whether the Add Dialog is displayed automatically when the Query Builder frame is initially displayed.
  • Auto-Find functionality allows the user to type the name of the table for a quick table lookup. The user may also specify a fully qualified table name (eg. Northwind.dbo.MyTable or Northwind..MyTable) and the auto find will change and the database context, refresh the tables and views and auto find the table.
  • Windows menu now has the option "Limit Add Table to User Schema". The is will limit options in the schema combo box to the user schema. This can provide a performance boost in scenarios when the database has a large number of user schemas and tables, by limiting the list of tables and views to the users objects.
  • Added hot key mnemonics to column selection type options (Column Selection)
  • Hot Keys
    • Press Alt-D or Alt-S hot keys to gain focus on Database or Schema comboboxes respectivelly.
  
  
• Diagram Pane
  • Table and View panels in the Diagram now have the primary key bolded and indexed columns italicized. This assists the user in identifing candidate columns for criteria creation.
  • Tables in diagram pane now have extra items in popup menu: "Select All Columns", "Unselect All Columns", "Select All Indexed Columns" and "Select Leading Index Column".
  
  
• Column Pane
  • The toolbar and windows menu now have the options "Show Datatype", "Show Index" and "Show Index Order" which will enable/disable the columns in the Column Pane to identify the column datatype, the name of the indexes the column is bound to and the position the column is in the index.
  • Window menu now has the option to place the columns pane into "Novice Mode". This will convert the criteria columns into only two columns consisting of the operation and value. Where the "Operater" is a combo box of the items "LIKE, =, IS NULL, NOT NULL, <>, >=, =", and "Criteria" is the column to enter the value
    
  • Window menu: Added "Clear Column Criteria" [Ctrl-Alt-K]
  • Operator combo box now has a "" blank string as a selection.
  • Now has extra items in popup menu: "Move Up", "Move Down", "Move Top" and "Move Bottom" for selected rows.
  • Delete when not in the cell editor will delete the full value of the cell for columns Alias, Operator, Criteria, Or1, Or2, or3 and Group By.
  • Added "NOT IN" to operators in Quick Criteria mode.
  • Delete key on Columns Pane now deletes all the selected cells not just the current one.
  • Hot Keys:
    • When in Cell Editor Shift-Ctrl-Left/Right/Home would close the cell editor.
    • Alt-Down now activates popup menu
    • Ctrl-Alt-K clears Column Criteria
  
  
• Grid Results:
  • Added autosearch feature. If the user starts typing in the grid autosearch will begin similar to the Query Analizer.
  • Table search is cleared after table is selected with an "enter" key.
  • Added "View In" to popup menu similar to the Query Analyzer.
  • Double click on tab of results will expand/collapse results pane