SQL Server - Do you know the different ways to query data?

SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS)

Pros

✅ Mature tool with rich feature set, tailored specifically for SQL Server.

✅ Offers full-fledged management capabilities, from querying to administration tasks.

✅ Has built-in SQL Server specific features, like Profiler and SQL Server Agent.

Cons

❌ Windows-only software, can't be used on macOS or Linux.

❌ UI can be clunky and outdated compared to newer tools.

❌ May be overkill for simple query execution and data exploration.

Azure Data Studio

Pros

✅ Cross-platform (Windows, macOS, and Linux).

✅ Modern UI with customizable dashboard.

✅ Notebooks support (SQL and Python), enabling better documentation and interactive analysis.

Cons

❌ Less mature, so it might lack some advanced features compared to SSMS.

❌ Primarily designed for Azure SQL databases, though it supports on-premises SQL Server.

❌ Some users might find its user experience less intuitive than SSMS.

VS Code with the MSSQL extension

Pros

✅ Lightweight and cross-platform.

✅ Excellent if you're already using VS Code for other development tasks.

Cons

❌ Not as feature-rich as SSMS or Azure Data Studio when it comes to SQL Server specific tasks.

❌ Figure: Bad Example - SQL Server Enterprise Manager is old and outdated

✅ Figure: Good Example - SSMS is feature rich

✅ Figure: Good Example - Azure Data Studio is lightweight and cross-platform

✅ Figure: Good Example - The VS Code MSSQL extension is embedded right in VS Code