Viewing Server Messages and Errors

When you run a query against a database server, it returns a response to the client. There are three types of server response to a SQL query:

  • Tabular data
  • Status (info) message
  • Error

Tabular data is displayed in the data editor. Status messages and errors are logged to the Output window. Errors are not only logged to the Output window but they are also shown in the Error List window.

Using Output Window

The following image represents a general view of the Output window.

Output Window

Output Panes

The window can contain up to four output panes (depending on a specific product):

  • General pane contains most output messages, not only from a database server but from the application itself.

  • SQL Log pane displays all SQL queries executed by an application during the current session. However, you need to select the Write queries sent by the program to SQL Log option in Tools > Options > Environment > Output .

Searching Output Messages

You can search text in the Output window. To find specific text, do the following:

  1. Click the Output window.

  2. To open the Find and Replace window, press CTRL+F.

  3. Enter some search text and press Enter or click Find Next.

Using Error List Window

When something goes wrong, typically you see an error. If this is a user or database server error, such as a mistyped query, in most cases you will see it in the Error List window.

Here is an example of an error displayed in the Error List window.

Error List

Error List shows not only errors, but also warnings and informational messages which require user attention. A warning is a non-blocking error. An informational message is just a user notification.

You can filter messages by type using appropriate options on the Error List toolbar.

You can navigate to the place of an error by double-clicking it in the list or by selecting Go to Error from the shortcut menu.

How to View Errors from Current Document Only

Error List aggregates all error messages in the application. And if you have multiple open documents with errors, the error processing can quickly become awkward.

However, using In Active Document allows you to view only the errors that are located in the current document window.