Tables

Last modified: July 8, 2025

Database Explorer allows you to perform operations on tables using the shortcut menu. Right-click in Database Explorer to access commands for specific tasks, such as creating, editing, or dropping a table, viewing and managing table data, exporting/importing data, etc.

Create a table

To create a table:

1. In Database Explorer, right-click a table or Tables node and select New Table.

2. In Table Editor that opens, specify the table details. For more information, see Work with Table Editor.

3. At the bottom of Table Editor, select Apply Changes to save the table.

Edit a table

To edit a table:

1. In Database Explorer, right-click the table you want to edit and select Open Editor.

2. In Table Editor that opens, update the table details. For more information, see Work with Table Editor.

Note

In the visual Table Editor, changing the table schema is not supported. This action requires moving the table to a different schema, rather than modifying its structure.

3. At the bottom of Table Editor, select Apply Changes to save and apply the changes made to the table.

Delete a table

To delete a table:

1. In Database Explorer, right-click the table you want to delete and select Delete. Alternatively, press Del.

2. In the Delete Table confirmation dialog that opens, select Yes to confirm the deletion.

Note

You cannot undo the drop table operation, as it permanently deletes all data and the table structure. It is recommended that you back up the database before deleting it. For instructions, see How to back up a SQL Server database.

View and manage table data

To view and manage table data:

1. In Database Explorer, right-click the table whose data you want to view and manage and select Open Data in Editor. Alternatively, select Open Editor and switch to the Data tab.

2. On the Data tab of Table Editor that opens, view the available data in the grid.

3. To perform any action on the data, right-click the selected row and then select the required command from the shortcut menu.

For more information, see Work with data in Data Editor.

Retrieve data

To retrieve data from the selected table, in Database Explorer, right-click it and select Select All Rows.

Truncate a table

To truncate the selected table:

1. In Database Explorer, right-click the table from which you want to delete all data and select Truncate Table.

2. In the Drop Table confirmation dialog that opens, select Yes to confirm the deletion.

Note

You cannot undo the truncate table operation, as it permanently deletes all data. It is recommended that you back up the database before deleting it. For instructions, see How to back up a SQL Server database.

Rename a table

To rename a table:

1. In Database Explorer, right-click the selected table and select Rename.

2. Specify the table name.

3. Press Enter to save the changes.

Find Object

To find an object from the database:

1. In Database Explorer, right-click the database, where you want to search for an object and select Find Object. Alternatively, press Ctrl+D,F.

2. In the Search window, switch to the Search objects by name and DDL mode and enter the search string.

3. Follow the steps in How to search for database objects.

The following table describes the shortcut menu commands, which appear when you right-click a table in Database Explorer.

Name	Description
Manage Index Fragmentation	Opens the Index Manager document to analyze SQL indexes by collecting index fragmentation statistics and detecting databases that require maintenance.
Export Data	Opens the Data Export wizard to export data to a file with the supported file extension.
Import Data	Opens the Data Import wizard to import data.
Duplicate Object	Opens the Duplicate Object dialog to copy object structure and/or data.
Generate Script As	Generates a script of the selected database using the CREATE, DROP, DROP and CREATE, SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, INSERT/UPDATE STORED PROCEDURE, or CRUD statements. The script can be saved to a new SQL document or a file, or copied to the clipboard.
Send to > Query Builder	Adds the selected table to the Query Builder diagram.
Send to > Master Detail Browser	Adds the selected table to the Master Detail Browser document.
Send to > Database Diagram	Adds the selected table to a database diagram.
Send to > Data Report	Adds the selected table to a simple data report.
Send to > Chart Designer	Opens Chart Designer to create a chart.
Send to > Pivot Table	Opens the query document to create a pivot table.
Show Details	Opens Object Viewer to view object details.
Delete	Drops the selected object from the database. Alternatively, press Del.
Refresh	Updates the object to reflect the latest changes. Alternatively, press F5.
Properties	Opens the Properties pane to view the object information. Alternatively, press F4.