SQL Server: How to edit a view without scripting it?

Question

How can i edit the definition of a view without having to "script" it in SSMS?

The previous easy-to-use tools from Microsoft let me:

Enter
wait a moment
Make change
Carefully move mouse to large OK button
Click OK
Down Arrow
goto 1

With SSMS i've having a much more tedious time of it:

Carefully move mouse to _small view to script
Right-click
wait a moment
Carefully move mouse to _small menu option Script View as
Carefully move mouse to _small menu option ALTER TO
Carefully move mouse to _small menu option New Query Editor Window
wait a moment
Press F5
Carefully move mouse to _{tiny _x} icon
Click close button
Carefully move mouse to large No button
Click No
goto 1

i'm really not interested in scripting my view to a new query editor window. i want to edit the view definition. Microsoft seemed to implement editing the definition of a view by resorting to an ALTER VIEW in a new query window.

Is there a way to view/edit the definition of (a lot) of views, without having to resort to the UI tedium introduced with SQL Server Management Studio?

Steps 9 to 13 are off. If you're doing step thirteen, just stop before step 9. — Joel Coel, Sep 16 '11 at 20:27
@Joel Coel: If i don't close the tabs then after 5 or 6 dozen SSMS really begins to get sluggish. — Ian Boyd, Sep 16 '11 at 20:48
@Seth Spearman: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa215396(v=sql.80).aspx — Ian Boyd, Sep 16 '11 at 20:49
What @Joel is trying to say is, instead of opening a new window every time you make your changes in the same window and hit F5. You don't need to reopen the view every time you want to make a change to it. — squillman, Sep 16 '11 at 20:54
i see the confusion. i'm not editing one view (over and over). i'm going through dozens of views, one by one. — Ian Boyd, Sep 16 '11 at 22:58

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Sep 16 '11 at 20:26

1

Maybe you could give us a hint as to what the aforementioned "easy-to-use tools from Microsoft" were?

There is a View Designer in SSMS as an option. In Object Explorer, right-click a view, click Design or right-click the Views node and click New View..., but it is a bit limited. If your views are at all complex (ie- much beyond simple JOINs) you're pretty much going to be scripting it.

answered Sep 16 '11 at 20:26

squillman

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It doesn't matter, or affect the question, or answer. It's a tool that SQL Server 2005 refuses to accept a connection from. And since it's not supported since 2002, and has not been updated for 64-bit Windows, i can no longer run it without `Windows XP Mode`. Finally, the view designer modifies view definition formatting, and removes comments. – Ian Boyd Sep 19 '11 at 13:05

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Sep 16 '11 at 20:26

0

Right click on the view.
Left click on Design
Make your changes in the query window.
Close the designer and click on any prompts that come up

answered Sep 16 '11 at 20:26

Wil

1

Designer modifies the formatting, and removes comments, from views. – Ian Boyd Sep 16 '11 at 20:49
He more than likely, by his description, was previously using some kind of designer and made no mention of retaining formatting or comments ;) – Wil Sep 21 '11 at 19:02

SQL Server: How to edit a view without scripting it?

2 Answers2