Can I have multiple rows of tabs in SQL Server Management Studio

Question

I'm wondering if it's possible to setup SQL Server to have multiple rows of tabs for files / queries.

I have a lot of queries I want to switch between, and could move them to different horizontal groups, but I think two rows would be much easier to navigate than that pin on the left that drops down the big list of open queries.

Visual Studio kind of supports this if you pin enough code windows to fill up the top bar.

Is there something similar in SQL Server?

Edit:

I'm trying to achieve something like this (screenshot from Visual Studio)

While SQL Server is more like this

Solution 1

I know of at least one plugin that will do this in SSMS (and Visual Studio). Because, yeah, it would be nice.

Tabs Studio - document tabs manager for Visual Studio IDE.

Solution 2

It's now available in current ssms version. From menu => Tools => options:

Solution 3

By default SSMS includes Database name, File name, Login name and server name in each query tab title. So that we can see only 3 or 4 tabs at a time.

There is a work around for this, go to Tools > Options > Text Editor > Editor Tab and Status Bar and change all of the "Tab Text" group options to false except for the file name.

This will reduce the tab name, so that SSMS will show more tabs at a time

Solution 4

You can do this by pinning all the tabs. If tabs are pinned, they won't go out of sight but will go to the next tabline instead.

The last line in the picture is a result of "Show pinned tabs in a separate row" option described in this answer.

Solution 5

You can get a list of open tabs (Active Files) using the Ctrl-Tab shortcut. Continue pressing Tab to cycle through the list and release when the desired tab is highlighted. Or just mouse click on the required tab while keeping Ctrl depressed.

Some people do this by managing their files in an SSMS Solution and keeping the Solution Explorer loaded, but I find these to be inflexible and unwieldy.

SQL Prompt 6 has an "Open Tabs" list in the Tab History feature, which you might also find useful.

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Comments

[Mikey Mouse]

That's exactly what I wanted, +100!

[Harag]

Would be better if they sold a cheaper SSMS version - I already use a FREE plugin for VS.

[Paul-Sebastian]

Yes but it only works for pinned tabs, and the pinned tabs still stay on one row of their own, no matter how many you pin. So this is not a good answer.

[Nick.McDermaid]

A very practical solution. I like it.

[Barka]

just pin the tabs that you always want to see

[wha7ever]

That's actually a very neat hack!