In SQL Server Management Studio can I search for assets across multiple databases?

Question

My everyday IDE is Eclipse which has a wonderful Open Resource feature (CTRL+SHIFT+R or Navigate > Open Resource) which allows the user to search for files/resources across multiple projects.

I can't find a similar feature in SQL Server Management Studio, is there one?

Answer 1

You can search for objects in a sql database using the Information Schema Views http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms186778.aspx There's one for tables, columns, functions, sprocs, etc.

select * from INFORMATION_SCHEMA.routines where ROUTINE_DEFINITION like '%xp%_'

Answer 2

I believe this is what you are looking for: http://www.red-gate.com/products/sql-development/sql-search/

It is completely free, and completely awesome.

http://www.red-gate.com/products/sql-development/sql-search/assets/images/fullview.png

Answer 3

No. There is no default mechanism in SMS to be able to search across projects.

Answer 4

You could use sp_MSforeachdb like so:

sp_MSforeachdb 'SELECT * FROM ?.INFORMATION_SCHEMA.routines WHERE ROUTINE_TYPE = ''PROCEDURE'''

The above will select all procedures across all databases and return them in different result sets. Using different views, you can also select tables, columns and so forth.

Answer 5

I hope someone has a better answer to this than I do. In the past, I've used a CURSOR to search through all the databases and insert results into a temp table. I could then select from the temp table and show the results.

I don't have this code laying around anymore. If no one comes up with a better answer, I'll come back and edit this with some real code. I would think that there'd be a DMV for this. Anyone?