---
title: "Create Queries (Visual Database Tools) | Microsoft Docs"
ms.custom: ""
ms.date: "06/13/2017"
ms.prod: "sql-server-2014"
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ms.technology: ssms
ms.topic: conceptual
helpviewer_keywords: 
  - "queries [SQL Server], creating"
ms.assetid: 696a080d-848f-44d3-a918-e29bafaab85a
author: stevestein
ms.author: sstein
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---
# Create Queries (Visual Database Tools)
  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](visual-database-tools.md), the [SQL Pane](sql-pane-visual-database-tools.md), the [Criteria Pane](criteria-pane-visual-database-tools.md), and the [Results Pane](results-pane-visual-database-tools.md).  
  
### 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)](save-queries-visual-database-tools.md)   
 [Types of Queries (Visual Database Tools)](types-of-queries-visual-database-tools.md)   
 [Specify Search Criteria (Visual Database Tools)](specify-search-criteria-visual-database-tools.md)   
 [Summarize Query Results (Visual Database Tools)](summarize-query-results-visual-database-tools.md)   
 [Perform Basic Operations with Queries (Visual Database Tools)](perform-basic-operations-with-queries-visual-database-tools.md)