Tip: Hidden Features in Query Analyzer's Object Browser

From time to time, I run across undocumented Query Analyzer features. Microsoft software designer Gert Drapers—primary designer of all the SQL Server 2000 tools, including Query Analyzer—recently showed me an undocumented way to generate a list of columns in a large table.

In Object Browser, navigate to the table name that you want and click the plus (+) character next to the table name. You'll see several submenus, including one named Columns. Drag the Columns collection to a Query Analyzer window, and Query Analyzer will create a list of all the columns for that table. You can also drag a table name from Object Browser to Query Analyzer—a helpful feature when you're working with tables that have long names.