Bring Back TFS and Git in SSMS
According to this post: https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/dataplatforminsider/2016/11/21/source-control-in-sql-server-management-studio-ssms/ these features were removed "because they didn't fit in the overall experience" for SSMS. This seems like an incredibly short-sighted decision for your user base. Many SQL developers use SSMS specifically because it is lightweight and does not require the massive baggage and learning curve of the full VS. That doesn't mean we don't need source control or task tracking in our process. Removing functionality that integrates two Microsoft products seems like a massive step backward. The suggestion to "work around" this poor decision by manually editing a definition file comes across as particularly condescending, given SSMS's "intended" use as a lightweight tool. Our team can not adopt a standard that involves "hacking" configuration files.

Upvotes: 1
33 comments
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Jimmy Rüedi commented
since we have more and more SQL server higher than 2017 we get more and more problems using SSMS 17.9.1.
Please bring back at least source control, since we manage all source codes of our stored procs, functions and views for all of our interfaces within TFS since YEARS.
Thanks in advance!! -
CubeSparke commented
It seems as if Visual Studio and SSMS are going to be merged into Visual Studio. Too bad. SSMS is better for managing TSQL and the MSSCCI Provider for TFS or GIT is badly needed. Please give us an easy option.
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Helmut Schwarzin commented
It may be a better practice to manage database objects with SSDT. But not having the ability to organize and have scripts used for daily processes and/or other purposes easily put under source control is a pain in the A**.
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Todd Chittenden commented
SSMS splash screen tells you it is “powered by Visual Studio”. So why can it NOT take advantage of VS standard features?
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Thomas commented
We need TFS/GIT with SSMS. This feature makes it easier for data migrations in many of the environments that I have provided process improvement solutions.
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JR commented
We need this capability from within SSMS. We don't want to use SSMS and then a different tool to check in changes to scripts.
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Lothar Schneck commented
We need TFS back in SSMS.
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Jimmy Rüedi commented
This is crucial for us.
We are a small team of application managers supporting somewhat a dozen applications.
We use TFS online to manage our codes and used the workaround which worked until SSMS 17.9.1.
We would love a proper integration of source control in Git and TFS. -
Anant Vakharia commented
Such a poor decision by Microsoft.
We need TFS back in SSMS. -
Celso commented
I really do not understand why to not integrate two MS PRODUCTS as SSMS and TFS? Is SSMS a dead tool and should I stop to use it once a lot of features that users like to have has been removed because somebody decides to? SSDT is not friendly to use and has a lot of bugs like to not understand encryption keys and others small flaws. SSMS used to be a safe and reliable tool but not anymore. Maybe the explanation is that somebody in MS has a parent in RedGate or other company that offers tools that must have in SSMS.... SSMS TEAM DOES NOT CARE FOR ITS USERS!!!
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Darek Spiewak commented
Ha! What a bummer... I've been using SSMS 17.x and was so happy about the integration with Git. Yesterday I installed the newest "shiny"(?) version, 18.4, only to find out that there was no Team Explorer in there :((( What a disappointment! How could it be that such an important feature has been removed? This decision is utterly incomprehensible. Can this, please, be restored?
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Anonymous commented
Totally agree. it is so poor decision :(
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Ushma commented
As of Jan,2020 - SSMS 18.4 does not have option to show TFS as a source control plug-in. By changing file - C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio 18\Common7\IDE ssms.pkgundef , I am able to get Tools -> Options -> Source Control in SSMS 18.4 But it doesn't show TFS or Git as options. I have VS 2017 Professional installed on my machine. There aren't any packages related to TFS entries in ssms.pkgundef file.
Get Source control integration back to SSMS 18.x. -
Eric commented
I've removed SSMS 2019 and downgraded back to 2017. The 'overall experience' without source control in SSMS don't fit me.
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Gerald Britton commented
Expose the functionality in the Visual Studio 2017 shell (upon which SSMS v18 is built, IIUC) for git integration, including cloning, commits, history, branches, merging etc, etc.
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Schlosser, Ken R commented
To make matters even worse, you can't script out objects in SSMS 17 when you are connected to a SQL2019 database. So using the older version of SSMS so you can use source control won't work going forward. Please get TFS/GIT enabled in SSMS 18!!
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David commented
Like the others, source control is even more important in SSMS 18+
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TStevens commented
It's November 18, 2019, and the SSMS dev team at Microsoft have yet to enable TFS and GIT in SSMS 18 (currently 18.4). Please put this on the front burner. SQL 2019 just went RTM on Nov 3rd, and I have authority to upgrade, once SSMS supports source control by way of TFS or GIT.
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Angela Kim commented
Ditto on all of the previous comments.
When the push is even greater to move to DevOps and to automate deployments, why would Microsoft remove an integration with source control.
This capability is necessary from SSMS, our db developers do not need the power of VS. -
Kevin commented
I echo the sentiments. It is astounding that Microsoft would tell its customers that SSMS can no be used for database development. That is exactly the message, since no one in their right mind would think of publishing a dev tool without source control integration.
I use and love the VS db project. But it is too heavyweight to be used everywhere, and SSMS still has traction.
Microsoft, do better!