---
title: Use the Visual Studio Code mssql extension for SQL Server on Linux | Microsoft Docs
description: Use the mssql extension for Visual Studio Code to edit and run Transact-SQL scripts for SQL Server on Linux.
author: rothja 
ms.author: jroth 
manager: craigg
ms.date: 12/18/2018
ms.topic: conceptual
ms.prod: sql
ms.technology: linux
ms.assetid: 9766ee75-32d3-4045-82a6-4c7968bdbaa6
ms.custom: "sql-linux"
---
# Use Visual Studio Code to create and run Transact-SQL scripts on Linux

[!INCLUDE[appliesto-ss-xxxx-xxxx-xxx-md-linuxonly](../includes/appliesto-ss-xxxx-xxxx-xxx-md-linuxonly.md)]

This article shows how to use the *mssql* extension for Visual Studio Code to develop SQL Server databases in Linux.

## Install and start Visual Studio Code

Visual Studio Code is a graphical code editor for Linux, macOS, and Windows that supports extensions. 

1. [Download and install Visual Studio Code] on your machine.
   
1. Start Visual Studio Code.
   
   >[!NOTE]
   >If Visual Studio Code does not start when you are connected through an xrdp remote desktop session, see [VS Code not working on Ubuntu when connected using XRDP](https://github.com/Microsoft/vscode/issues/3451).

## Install the mssql extension

The [mssql extension for Visual Studio Code] lets you connect to a SQL Server, query with Transact-SQL (T-SQL), and view the results.

1. In Visual Studio Code, select **View** > **Command Palette**, or press **Ctrl**+**Shift**+**P**, or press **F1** to open the **Command Palette**. 
   
1. In the **Command Palette**, select **Extensions: Install Extensions** from the dropdown. 
   
1. In the **Extensions** pane, type *mssql*.
   
1. Select the **SQL Server (mssql)** extension, and then select **Install**. 
   
   ![Install the mssql extension](./media/sql-server-linux-develop-use-vscode/vscode-extension.png)   
   
1. After the installation completes, select **Reload** to enable the extension. 

## Create or open a SQL file

The mssql extension enables mssql commands and T-SQL IntelliSense in the code editor when the language mode is set to **SQL**.

1. Select **File** > **New File** or press **Ctrl**+**N**. Visual Studio Code opens a new Plain Text file by default. 

1. Select **Plain Text** on the lower status bar, or press **Ctrl**+**K** > **M**, and select **SQL** from the languages dropdown. 
   
   ![SQL language mode](./media/sql-server-linux-develop-use-vscode/vscode-language-mode.png)   
   
If you open an existing file that has a *.sql* file extension, the language mode is automatically set to SQL.  

## Connect to SQL Server

Follow these steps to create a connection profile and connect to a SQL Server.

> [!TIP] 
> You can also create and edit connection profiles in the User Settings file (*settings.json*). To open the settings file, select **File** > **Preferences** > **Settings**. For more information, see [Manage connection profiles].
   
1. Press **Ctrl**+**Shift**+**P** or **F1** to open the **Command Palette**. 
   
1. Type *sql* to display the mssql commands, or type *sqlcon*, and then select **MS SQL: Connect** from the dropdown.
   
   ![mssql commands](./media/sql-server-linux-develop-use-vscode/vscode-commands.png)   
   
   >[!NOTE]
   >A SQL file, such as the empty SQL file you created, must have focus in the code editor before you can execute the mssql commands. 

1. Select **Create Connection Profile** to create a new connection profile for your SQL Server.
   
1. Follow the prompts to specify the properties for the new connection profile. After specifying each value, press **Enter** to continue. 
   
   1. **Server name or ADO connection string**: Specify the SQL Server instance name. Use *localhost* to connect to a SQL Server instance on your local machine. To connect to a remote SQL Server, enter the name of the target SQL Server, or its IP address. If you need to specify a port, use a comma to separate it from the name. For example, for a local server running on port 1401, enter *localhost,1401*. 
      
      >[!NOTE]
      >You can also enter the ADO connection string for your database here, press **Enter**, optionally name the connection profile, and press **Enter** again to connect and create the profile. 
      
   1. **Database name** (optional): The database that you want to use. To create a new database, don't specify a database name, and press **Enter** to continue. 
      
   1. **Authentication Type**: Press **Enter** to select **SQL Login**. 
      
   1. **User name**: Enter the name of a user with access to a database on the server.
      
   1. **Password**: Enter the password for the specified user.
      
   1. **Save Password**: Press **Enter** to select **Yes** and save the password. Select **No** to be prompted for the password each time the connection profile is used. 
      
   1. **Profile Name** (optional): Type a name for the connection profile, such as *localhost profile*. 
   
   After you select **Enter**, Visual Studio Code creates the connection profile and connects to the SQL Server. 
   
   > [!TIP]
   > If the connection fails, try to diagnose the problem from the error message in the **Output** panel in Visual Studio Code. To open the **Output** panel, select **View** > **Output**. Also review the [connection troubleshooting recommendations].
   
1. Verify your connection in the lower status bar.
   
  ![Connection status](./media/sql-server-linux-develop-use-vscode/vscode-connection-status.png)   
   
## Create a SQL database

1. In the new SQL file that you started earlier, type *sql* to display a list of editable code snippets. 

  ![SQL snippets](./media/sql-server-linux-develop-use-vscode/vscode-sql-snippets.png)   
   
1. Select **sqlCreateDatabase**.
   
1. In the snippet, replace `DatabaseName` with `TutorialDB`:
   
   ```sql
   -- Create a new database called 'TutorialDB'
   -- Connect to the 'master' database to run this snippet
   USE master
   GO
   IF NOT EXISTS (
      SELECT name
      FROM sys.databases
      WHERE name = N'TutorialDB'
   )
   CREATE DATABASE [TutorialDB]
   GO
   ```
   
1. Press **Ctrl**+**Shift**+**E** to execute the Transact-SQL commands. View the results in the query window.
   
  ![Create database messages](./media/sql-server-linux-develop-use-vscode/vscode-create-database-messages.png)   
   
> [!TIP]
> You can customize the shortcut keys for the mssql commands. See [Customize shortcuts].

## Create a table

1. Delete the contents of the code editor window.
   
1. Press **Ctrl**+**Shift**+**P** or **F1** to open the **Command Palette**. 
   
1. Type *sql* to display the mssql commands, or type *sqluse*, and then select the **MS SQL:Use Database** command.
   
1. Select the new **TutorialDB** database. 
   
   ![Use database](./media/sql-server-linux-develop-use-vscode/vscode-use-database.png)   
   
1. In the code editor, type *sql* to display the snippets, select **sqlCreateTable**, and then press **Enter**.
   
1. In the snippet, type *Employees* for the table name and *dbo* for the schema name.
   
1. Create the columns as shown in the following code:
   
   ```sql
   -- Create a new table called 'Employees' in schema 'dbo'
   -- Drop the table if it already exists
   IF OBJECT_ID('dbo.Employees', 'U') IS NOT NULL
   DROP TABLE dbo.Employees
   GO
   -- Create the table in the specified schema
   CREATE TABLE dbo.Employees
   (
      EmployeesId        INT    NOT NULL   PRIMARY KEY, -- primary key column
      Name      [NVARCHAR](50)  NOT NULL,
      Location   [NVARCHAR](50)  NOT NULL
   );
   GO
   ```
   
1. Press **Ctrl**+**Shift**+**E** to create the table.

## Insert and query

1. Add the following statements to insert four rows into the **Employees** table. 

   ```sql
   -- Insert rows into table 'Employees'
   INSERT INTO Employees
      ([EmployeesId],[Name],[Location])
   VALUES
      ( 1, N'Jared', N'Australia'),
      ( 2, N'Nikita', N'India'),
      ( 3, N'Tom', N'Germany'),
      ( 4, N'Jake', N'United States')   
   GO   
   -- Query the total count of employees
   SELECT COUNT(*) as EmployeeCount FROM dbo.Employees;
   -- Query all employee information
   SELECT e.EmployeesId, e.Name, e.Location 
   FROM dbo.Employees as e
   GO
   ```
   
   > [!TIP]
   > While you type, use T-SQL IntelliSense to help complete the statements.
   >![T-SQL IntelliSense](./media/sql-server-linux-develop-use-vscode/vscode-intellisense.png)   
   
1. Press **Ctrl**+**Shift**+**E** to execute the commands. The two result sets display in the **Results** window. 
   
   ![Results](./media/sql-server-linux-develop-use-vscode/vscode-result-grid.png)   

## View and save the result
   
1. Select **View** > **Editor Layout** > **Flip Layout** to switch to a vertical or horizontal split layout.
   
1. Select the **Results** and **Messages** panel headers to collapse and expand the panels.
   
   ![Toggle headers](./media/sql-server-linux-develop-use-vscode/vscode-toggle-messages-pannel.png)   
   
   > [!TIP]
   > You can customize the default behavior of the mssql extension. See [Customize extension options].
   
1. Select the maximize grid icon on the second result grid to zoom in to those results.
   
   ![Maximize grid](./media/sql-server-linux-develop-use-vscode/vscode-maximize-grid.png)   
   
   > [!NOTE]
   > The maximize icon displays when your T-SQL script produces two or more result grids.
   
1. Open the grid context menu by right-clicking on the grid. 
   
   ![Context menu](./media/sql-server-linux-develop-use-vscode/vscode-grid-context-menu.png)   
   
1. Select **Select All**.
   
1. Open the grid context menu again and select **Save as JSON** to save the result to a *.json* file.
   
1. Specify a file name for the JSON file. 
   
1. Verify that the JSON file saves and opens in Visual Studio Code.
   
   ![Save as JSON](./media/sql-server-linux-develop-use-vscode/vscode-save-as-json.png)   

If you need to save and run SQL scripts later, for administration or a larger development project, save the scripts with a *.sql* extension.

## Next steps

If you're new to T-SQL, see [Tutorial: Write Transact-SQL statements] and the [Transact-SQL Reference (Database Engine)].

For more information on using or contributing to the mssql extension, see the [mssql extension project wiki].

For more information on using Visual Studio Code, see the [Visual Studio Code documentation](https://code.visualstudio.com/docs).

[mssql extension for Visual Studio Code]:https://aka.ms/mssql-marketplace
[Download and install Visual Studio Code]:https://code.visualstudio.com/Download
[.Net Core instructions]:https://www.microsoft.com/net/core
[Manage connection profiles]:https://github.com/Microsoft/vscode-mssql/wiki/manage-connection-profiles
[connection troubleshooting recommendations]:./sql-server-linux-troubleshooting-guide.md#connection
[Customize shortcuts]:https://github.com/Microsoft/vscode-mssql/wiki/customize-shortcuts
[Tutorial: Write Transact-SQL statements]:https://docs.microsoft.com/sql/t-sql/tutorial-writing-transact-sql-statements
[Transact-SQL Reference (Database Engine)]:https://docs.microsoft.com/sql/t-sql/language-reference
[Visual Studio Code documentation]:https://code.visualstudio.com/docs
[Windows 10 Universal C Runtime]:https://github.com/Microsoft/vscode-mssql/wiki/windows10-universal-c-runtime-requirement
[Customize extension options]: https://github.com/Microsoft/vscode-mssql/wiki/customize-options
[mssql extension project wiki]: https://github.com/Microsoft/vscode-mssql/wiki