SSMS 21 First Impressions

Some exciting news recently as SQL Server Management Studio 21 is available in preview. Head over here to download it and experiment with the latest. I’ve worked with it a little bit so far and hope to play around more over the Thanksgiving break.

Here are my early thoughts on what I’ve seen so far.

(Mostly) Dark Mode Now Available

After installing SQL Server Management Studio 21, navigate to Tools > Theme > Dark. That will take you from this:

to this:

Keep in mind it’s far from perfect. I clicked around and found a few places, like editing a table, for example, where dark mode isn’t applied:

Considering it’s in preview, I can’t complain too much. Beggars can’t be choosers. I never would have expected dark mode to make it to SSMS, so this was cool to see.

Additional Database Properties Configurations Page

Under Database Properties, there’s now a Configuration window to set database scoped options:

I did notice some weirdness when scripting out changes with varying amounts of “USE master” and “GO” statements:

It’s not something I plan to use too often but a nice addition nonetheless.

Query Tab Location

With SSMS 21, you can place tabs on the right or left instead of always having query windows across the top. Right-click in the query tab area and hover over “Set Tab Layout” to see your choices:

The first time I chose “Place Tabs on the Right” my tabs disappeared altogether. When I closed and reopened SSMS, they showed up as expected as I added new query windows:

On the Right Track

SQL Server Management Studio 21 brings some interesting new features. Understandably, there are a few kinks to work out, but I’m happy with what I’m seeing so far. Give it a try and see what you think.

Thanks for reading!