SQL IntelliSense Auto-completion Alternative to SSMS

Is there a SQL developer who wouldn't love to make their daily coding simple and error-free? Would they resist smart assistance with suggestions and autocompletion that eliminate the need to memorize and type everything manually? Would they reject getting quick access to object and parameter information? 

The answer to all of these questions is, naturally, no, no, and no. We all want to get rid of monotonous tasks by automating and accelerating them. We all want to focus on more important matters at hand. And that's how we become so picky when it comes to selecting tools for our daily work - for instance, such tools as autocompletion in SQL Server Management Studio. 

SQL IntelliSense Autocompletion in SSMS 

Now, isn't IntelliSense one of the main reasons why so many people love SSMS? It provides the smart assistance we have been looking for. Its completion and productivity features reduce our manual coding, which in turn helps us to either accomplish our tasks much faster or, if required, produce more output. 

Still, for a seasoned SQL developer, the native IntelliSense of SSMS leaves much to be desired. That is why we can see an abundance of add-ins and extensions that focus on even more sophisticated autocompletion and can at least double the daily performance of a developer. 

But before we get acquainted with one of such add-ins, let's briefly recap the main features of the native SSMS IntelliSense and see what can be improved even further. 

SSMS IntelliSense Feature Overview 

Here are the key features that make SQL developer's life far easier:

Complete Word 

IntelliSense types the rest of a variable, command, or function name once the user has entered enough characters to uniquely identify it. If there is more than one match, the user can pick one from the displayed suggestions list. 

Parameter Info 

This feature provides the user with information about the number, names, and sizes of parameters for a function or stored procedure. 

Quick Info 

Quick Info allows getting tooltips that describe an identifier, such as a table or view name. Once the mouse pointer hovers over an identifier, its declaration is instantly shown in a pop-up window. 

Insert Snippet 

The quickly inserted reusable pieces of code are more than helpful at accelerating the daily work of a SQL developer. 

Automatic Matching of Syntax Pairs 

This is a convenient feature that helps match delimiters in the Database Engine Query Editor, match braces in the Analysis Services XMLA Query Editor, and match parentheses in the MDX and DMX editors. It is another fine contribution to the overall productivity. 

Outline Statements 

Code outlining helps quickly collapse and show statements, which simplifies navigation across large documents. 

Underline Errors 

The name of this feature speaks for itself. Any typo can be instantly located and corrected.  

Refresh Local Cache 

When a data source is opened in SSMS, IntelliSense caches its data. As the user creates, for instance, a new table or view, this cache has to be updated in order to reflect the introduced changes. This is where the Refresh Local Cache feature makes it easy to refresh SQL IntelliSense. 

As you can see, all these features are very handy. But how about more? Is it possible to improve on an already great product? Well, that's what add-ins are for. 

SQL Complete Express overview 

The add-in of our choice is dbForge SQL Complete, which was designed as the ultimate SSMS and Visual Studio add-in for code autocompletion, beautification, refactoring, and debugging. It helps developers code 2-4 times faster, drastically reduce the number of errors, unify SQL coding standards across teams, and safely operate with data.  

Let's not forget that SQL Complete is a commercial product that comes in three editions with gradually growing capabilities. So, to make our feature comparison as fair as possible, we chose the simplest Express edition, which is available for free download on the official website.

Native IntelliSense vs SQL Complete Express: Feature Comparison 

Conclusion 

The comparison above involves the free Express Edition. Its commercial editions offer advanced capabilities including more versatile context-sensitive suggestions, code snippets, SQL code refactoring and debugging tools, CLI support, and a huge selection of productivity-enhancing features. 

To learn more about the extended functionality of SQL Complete, you can always visit the SQL Complete Editions page.