create-queries-visual-database-tools.md

title	Create Queries
ms.custom	seo-lt-2019
ms.date	01/19/2017
ms.prod	sql
ms.prod_service	sql-tools
ms.technology	ssms
ms.topic	conceptual
helpviewer_keywords	queries [SQL Server], creating
ms.assetid	696a080d-848f-44d3-a918-e29bafaab85a
author	markingmyname
ms.author	maghan
ms.manager	jroth
ms.reviewer

Create Queries (Visual Database Tools)

[!INCLUDEappliesto-ss-asdb-asdw-pdw-md] Queries allow you to retrieve data from the tables and views in your database. You create and work with queries in Query and View Designer, which is composed of four panes: the Diagram Pane, the SQL Pane, the Criteria Pane, and the Results Pane.

To create a new query

1. In Object Explorer, expand the Tables node for the database you want to query. Right-click the table you want to query and click Open Table.

2. To add more tables to the query, on the Query Designer menu, select Add Table.

   [!NOTE]
   If you do not see the Diagram, SQL, Criteria, or Results panes, from the Query Designer menu, point to Pane and click the pane you want to open.

3. In the Add Table dialog box, select the tables you want to query and click Add for each one.

4. Once you have added all the tables you want to query, click Close.

   To add more tables later, right-click the open space in the Diagram pane and from the shortcut menu click Add Table.

5. In the Diagram Pane, check the boxes in the table-valued objects for each column you want to query.

6. From the Query Designer menu, choose Execute SQL to run your query.

To further refine your query, you can change the SQL code in the SQL Pane or choose options such as sort order and column aliases in the Criteria Pane.

See Also

Save Queries (Visual Database Tools)
Types of Queries (Visual Database Tools)
Specify Search Criteria (Visual Database Tools)
Summarize Query Results (Visual Database Tools)
Perform Basic Operations with Queries (Visual Database Tools)