SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) 18.0 was the primary toolset released alongside SQL Server 2019. This release marked a significant evolution for the platform, shifting toward a lighter, faster standalone installer and introducing a host of "modern" features for both DBAs and developers.
If you are looking into what's new for this generation of the tool, here is a comprehensive breakdown of the major updates. 1. Modernized User Experience sql server management studio 2019 new
This version was built on the Visual Studio 2017 isolated shell, providing a more stable and responsive environment compared to previous versions. 2. Powerful Querying & Performance Enhancements SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) 18
A new UI-driven tool that scans your database for security risks and provides actionable recommendations for hardening. 3. Expanded Cloud & Hybrid Support Powerful Querying & Performance Enhancements A new UI-driven
Managing performance became significantly easier with deep integration for SQL Server 2019's "Intelligent Query Processing".
In older versions, results-to-grid were capped at 64KB per cell, often truncating long strings. In SSMS 18, both "Results to Grid" and "Results to Text" support up to 2MB per tuple , making it much easier to inspect large XML or JSON strings.
One of the most immediate changes in the SSMS 2019 era (starting with version 18.x) was the overhaul of the installation process and the interface.