External data sources

An external data source defines a connection to data stored outside the current SQL Server instance, allowing you to query remote data without importing or moving it.

In Database Explorer, you can perform operations on external data sources by using the shortcut menu. Right-click an external data source to access options such as generating a script or viewing its properties.

Create an external data source

You can create external data sources in SQL Editor by using one of these features:

• Code completion to write a script.
• SQL snippets to insert predefined or custom code.

Generate a script for the external data source

1. In Database Explorer, right-click an external data source and select Generate Script As, then select the statement type.

2. Select an output option:

• To New SQL Window – Opens the script in a new SQL document.
• To File – Saves the script to a .sql file.
• To Clipboard – Copies the script to the clipboard.

View external data source properties

In Database Explorer, right-click the external data source or External Data Sources node and select Show Details.

Object Viewer opens, displaying detailed information about the external data source.

Refresh the external data source

In Database Explorer, right-click the external data source or External Data Sources node and select Refresh, or press F5.

Open the Properties pane

In Database Explorer, right-click the external data source and select Properties, or press F4.

Filter external data sources

1. In Database Explorer, right-click the External Data Sources node and select Filter.

2. In the Filter Settings dialog, configure the filter parameters.

3. Click OK to apply the filter.

Note

When you expand the External Data Sources node, the number of objects it contains appears in parentheses next to the node name. This number changes depending on the applied filter settings.

Delete an external data source

1. In Database Explorer, right-click the external data source you want to delete and select Delete, or press Delete.

2. Click Yes to confirm the deletion.

Note

You cannot undo the drop operation, as this action permanently deletes the external data source. To avoid data loss, back up the database before deleting it.

Shortcut menu options for an external data source

The following table describes the shortcut menu options available for an external data source in Database Explorer.

Name	Description
Generate Script As	Generates a script for the selected object using the CREATE, DROP, and DROP and CREATE statements. The script can be generated to a new SQL document or to a .sql file, or copied to the clipboard.
Show Details	Opens Object Viewer that displays object details.
Delete	Drops the selected object from the database. Shortcut: Delete
Refresh	Updates the object list to reflect the latest changes. Shortcut: F5
Properties	Opens the Properties pane that displays the object information. Shortcut: F4

Shortcut menu options for the External Data Sources node

The following table describes the shortcut menu options available for the External Data Sources node in Database Explorer.

Name	Description
Filter	Opens the Filter Settings dialog to control which external data sources should appear in Database Explorer.
Show Details	Opens Object Viewer that displays object details.
Refresh	Updates the object list to reflect the latest changes. Shortcut: F5

Bulk operations

In Database Explorer, hold down Ctrl and select multiple external data sources. Then right-click the selection and select the required option.

The following table describes the shortcut menu options available for multiple external data sources.

Name	Description
Generate Script As	Generates a script for the selected objects using the CREATE, DROP, and DROP and CREATE statements. The script can be generated to a new SQL document or to a file, or copied to the clipboard.
Delete	Drops the selected external data sources from the database. Shortcut: Delete