MS SQL Maestro 11.9 released

Sep 28, 2011

SQL Maestro Group is happy to announce the release of MS SQL Maestro 11.9, a powerful Windows GUI solution for Microsoft SQL Server administration and database development. Please consider the list of new features implemented in this version since the last official release:

Server management extensions:

• The main feature of the new version is the Restore Database Wizard - a powerful tool for managing your database backups in a few mouse clicks. This piece of the software is intended for restoring of full and differential backups using the Simple Recovery model. The generated script can be copied to Clipboard, saved to a file, sent to SQL Script Editor or executed immediately. The wizard is accessible through the Tools | Restore Database... main menu item.
• Database Explorer: now it's possible to hide rarely used objects from the Explorer tree to reduce it size and speed up the database schema refreshing. For example, if you never operate as a DBA, you can disable the displaying of such objects as alerts, operators, jobs and so on.

  Picture 1. Database explorer options: excluding rarely used objects

• The Split Table Wizard has been implemented. This feature allows you to refactor your database schema vertically splitting an existing table into two tables that is useful, for example, if you need to enforce referential integrity on a set of columns. Generated SQL scripts will modify the primary table, create a secondary table with a primary key from shared columns (i.e. columns that exist in both primary and secondary tables), and then transfer data from the primary table to the secondary one without duplicating of data. To invoke the wizard, use the popup menu of the corresponding node at the Explorer tree or the Main Menu | Object | Split Table menu item.

Interface improvements:

• Now the application allows you to use Code snippets, segments of reusable code that you can copy into the editor. The feature is available from SQL Editor, SQL Script Editor, and editors of objects containing SQL bodies (such as views, triggers, etc.) with the corresponding item of the popup menu or with Ctrl+J shortcut.

  Picture 2. Working with code snippets

• Table Editor features:
  • Another way of index creating has been implemented. Now you can create a new index directly from the Fields tab of the table editor. To add an index, select column(s) the new index to consist of and use the Create index on columns... command.

    Picture 3. Creating a new index

  • Foreign key references i.e. foreign keys created in other tables and referencing for columns of the current one, are now displayed well.
• Data Import: starting with this version it becomes possible to import data from any database accessible via an ODBC driver or OLE DB provider, such as SQL Server, MySQL, Oracle, MS Access, Sybase, DB2, PostgreSQL, etc. Let's look through some details of the new feature:
  • To import data in this way, you have to specify a connection string and select appropriate identifier quote characters to escape improper symbols and blanks in object names according to the source database (for example, double quotes for Oracle and PostgreSQL, backticks for MySQL, or square brackets for SQL Server and MS Access).

    Picture 4. Data Import: connecting to an ODBC data source

  • Another thing to note is that this kind of import completely supports BLOBs (if they are supported by the ODBC driver / OLE DB provider used).
  • Now each time you start the wizard to import data to a table it stores all the options as them were set on the previous session of working with this table.
• The Execute at cursor command has been added to SQL Editor (available in the Navigation bar or with Ctrl+F9 shortcut). Use this command to execute statements the cursor is over without selecting them.
• Database Designer features:
  • Now you can view all columns included in a foreign key by selecting the relation based on the foreign key.

    Picture 5. DB diagram: highlighting of columns included in the selected foreign key

  • All print options are now preserved between sessions.
• Visual Query Builder: the Create view from SQL link has been added to the Navigation panel. This feature allows you to create a view based on a SELECT query prepared within the builder as quickly as possible.
• BLOB Viewer: starting with this version it's possible to view or edit BLOB data as PDF document.

  Picture 6. BLOB Viewer: representing data as PDF document

• Prepared database reports now run fine on UNIX systems.
• Table Editor Options: starting with this version it's possible to allow the application to open details at the Data tab automatically.
• A Spanish translation is now included into the installation package. Other available languages are English, German, French and Italian.

In addition to this, several bugs have been fixed and some other minor improvements and corrections have been made.

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