How to Connect SQL Server in VS Code

Galaxy Glossary

How do I connect Microsoft SQL Server to VS Code?

Use the VS Code mssql extension or Azure Data Studio engine to open a secure, reusable connection to any Microsoft SQL Server.

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Description

Why use VS Code instead of SSMS?

VS Code is lightweight, cross-platform, and integrates Git, REST clients, and AI plug-ins—ideal for developers that write code and T-SQL in one place.

What do I need before connecting?

Install Microsoft SQL Server (on-prem or Azure), enable TCP 1433, and create a login with db_datareader permission on your ecommerce database.

Which VS Code extension handles connections?

Search for “SQL Server (mssql)” in the Extensions view, click Install, and reload VS Code.This adds the mssql command palette items.

How do I create a connection profile?

Press F1 → MS SQL: Connect. Choose “Create new connection”. Supply server name, authentication type, user, password, and optional database (e.g., ecommerce).Save the profile so it appears in settings.json.

Can I connect quickly with a one-off string?

Use :connect at the top of a .sql file:
:connect localhost\SQLEXPRESS -d ecommerce -U shop_user -P yourPassword! -l 30

How do I run queries once connected?

Open a .sql file, pick your connection in the Status bar, and press Ctrl+Shift+E (Run Query). Results appear in an editor-integrated grid and can export as CSV.

How do I parameterize connections per workspace?

Create .vscode/settings.json → {"mssql.connections": [...]}.Commit this file so teammates share credentials via environment vars or Azure Key Vault references.

How do I switch between dev, staging, prod?

Create multiple connection profiles (“Local-Dev”, “Staging-ReadOnly”, “Prod-Admin”).Select the needed profile from Status bar; VS Code remembers the last used one per workspace.

Best practice: use read-only accounts

Grant only SELECT on Customers, Orders, Products, and OrderItems when running analytics queries to avoid accidental data changes.

How can I auto-format T-SQL?

Install “SQL Formatter” or enable built-in formatter (editor.formatOnSave) for consistent style in pull requests.

How do I share query snippets?

VS Code supports code snippets or leverage Galaxy Collections so teammates endorse reusable ORDER reports without pasting SQL in Slack.

What if the connection fails?

Check firewall, make sure SQL Browser is on, verify server name (e.g., localhost,1433 for default instance) and that TLS certificates are trusted.

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Why How to Connect SQL Server in VS Code is important

How to Connect SQL Server in VS Code Example Usage


-- List top-10 customers by spend in the ecommerce DB
SELECT c.id,
       c.name,
       SUM(o.total_amount) AS lifetime_value
FROM   Customers AS c
JOIN   Orders    AS o ON o.customer_id = c.id
GROUP  BY c.id, c.name
ORDER  BY lifetime_value DESC
LIMIT  10;

How to Connect SQL Server in VS Code Syntax


-- Command Palette interactive profile
MS SQL: Connect -> Create new connection

-- Inline :connect statement (similar to sqlcmd)
:connect <server>[\\instance][,<port>] \
        -d <database> \
        -U <user> \
        -P <password> \
        -l <timeout_sec>

-- Workspace settings JSON
{
  "mssql.connections": [
    {
      "server": "localhost",           // or mydb.company.com
      "database": "ecommerce",        // default db
      "user": "shop_user",
      "password": "${env:SQL_PASSWORD}",
      "authenticationType": "SqlLogin",
      "profileName": "Local-Dev"
    }
  ]
}

Common Mistakes

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Does the mssql extension cost anything?

No. The extension is free and open-source from Microsoft.

Can I connect to Azure SQL?

Yes. Use the server’s full name your-db.database.windows.net, enable “Allow Azure services” firewall rule, and set encryption to required.

How do I run multiple result sets?

Separate statements with GO. The Results window displays each set in its own tab.

Want to learn about other SQL terms?

dbt tests

dbt tests are declarative assertions in dbt that automatically validate data quality during model builds.

dbt utils

dbt utils is a community-maintained dbt package that adds time-saving utility macros for analytics engineers, such as generating surrogate keys, safely unioning models, and automating date spines.

dbt Tutorial Glossary: Build, Test & Deploy SQL Models

dbt is an open-source framework that lets data teams transform raw warehouse tables into tested, documented, production-ready datasets using version-controlled SQL.

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