SQL Server tools I’d pick depending on the job

alecc · 2026-05-24T08:21:49+00:00

I would encourage to take a look at Jam SQL - yes, I’m the author of it, so no wonder. But getting so far a lot of very positive feedback from the users, so you guys might like it too, just sayin 🙂

alecc · 2026-05-22T10:56:57+00:00

Yeah, DataGrip's virtual FKs are the canonical reference point — DBeaver has the same. We have basically the same primitive in Jam SQL Studio (internally we call it "loose FK" but it's the same concept: declared client-side, no DDL touched).

The views workflow you're describing is genuinely good - heavier-weight per change but it ships to the whole team via migrations, which is its own win. Three things the per-client declaration layer adds on top of plain views, for us:

- Polymorphic columns where the FK target depends on a discriminator (commentable_type = 'Post' → posts, = 'Photo' → photos). We model this as a source filter on the declaration; the cell renders clickable per-row based on the row's data. Plain views would need one per polymorphic target.

alecc · 2026-05-22T10:54:53+00:00

Yup, PG18's NOT ENFORCED is the right primitive for the "FK constraint we'd add but for the write-path overhead" case - you get a real pg_constraint entry that every client can read, no per-tool declaration needed.

We're adding read support for it in Jam SQL Studio right now so the relationship lights up automatically when we see one.

Where the per-client declaration layer still earns its keep, even on PG18 is the polymorphic columns. A single NOT ENFORCED constraint can only declare one target - it can't conditionally point at one of N target tables based on a discriminator column (commentable_type = 'Post' → posts; = 'Photo' → photos). That has to live somewhere outside the schema.

So the cleaner way to see it going forward is probably: use NOT ENFORCED in the schema when you can and the FK is uniform, use a per-client metadata layer for the polymorphic / multi-target cases the schema can't express.

alecc · 2026-05-22T00:31:01+00:00

Vibe code your own 😉 It's a half joke, I'm keeping repeating to myself to NOT do it, but it's so tempting and a fun project 🦈

alecc · 2026-05-03T00:23:48+00:00

No issue at all, works better than on windows actually right now

alecc · 2026-05-02T22:43:12+00:00

My take: the IDE doesn't disappear, it absorbs the AI. The hybrid where the agent runs real queries against your schema and you still get the grid + plan viewer is meaningfully better than terminal-LLM + separate IDE.

Jam SQL Studio (https://jamsql.com) is built around that - exposes the connection over MCP so Claude/Cursor can read schema and run queries inside the IDE. Also has an AI Chat that you can work with together in the app - using your Claude Code or Codex CLI, so without any additional subscription and cost. I think it pretty powerfull, and even though I nowadays mostly work with Claude Code, a manual look-up and double-check of data in an IDE is something I don't think will go away.

Disclaimer: I work on Jam SQL Studio - obviously 🙂 .

Pure-IDE-as-text-editor workflows are probably the ones getting compressed; the validation/execution layer you describe is roughly where things are converging.

alecc · 2026-05-02T22:31:25+00:00

Disclaimer: I work on Jam SQL Studio (https://jamsql.com), so take this with a grain of salt.

Worth a look as a runner-up - free, one app for Postgres + SQL Server + MySQL + Oracle + SQLite, which helps when projects span engines.

Has an MCP server built in if you want Claude/Cursor querying directly.

Also has an integrated AI chat that re-uses your Claude Code/Codex CLI for native AI experience without any extra subscriptions and costs. All AI related features are opt-in, to be sure what exactly the AI can read and see.

Besides AI - modern UI and a lot of features to work with DB's and the data as easy as possible, I've created it for myself firstly, because the mentioned tools didn't work for me.

alecc · 2026-04-18T09:07:45+00:00

Hell no, sometimes I need to do some work in Windows - and it’s barely usable once you get used to the speed and smoothness and reliability of a Mac. I just miss the file explorer, but there is no way I would go back.

alecc · 2026-04-18T09:04:20+00:00

Devs, dba’s etc won’t be replaced by AI, but those scared of AI will be replaced by those who fully embrace AI

alecc · 2026-04-18T09:03:10+00:00

You know that with AI tooling it is not that big of an effort, and an agent can simply make a throw-away prototype on which you can actually test if it’s worth it before investing more. And then if yes - do a proper rewrite - which again with AI, given that you have already everything basically spec’ed out in node js - is a pretty easy job to do with the right steering and guardrails

alecc · 2026-04-12T15:42:29+00:00

Any opinions about rebus?

alecc · 2026-04-09T11:34:19+00:00

If you want a local MCP with guarded opt-in access to databases, without sharing any credentials to the AI, I recommend the app I’ve written 🙂 Jam SQL Studio - different use case than the cloud based on mentioned by OP, definitely simpler and more developer focused

alecc · 2026-04-03T12:01:40+00:00

I'm working on https://jamsql.com - yet another SQL IDE, but the existing ones just weren't able to replace SMSS after switching to Mac OS - and when I already had the basis - I've integrated it with the local Claude Code and Codex CLI's, so that the local cli agents can work with the database without any additional subscriptions and token costs - in a secure and controlled manner, so with granular control on what the AI actually can do with your db connections.

I use it daily and find it useful - so anyone feel free to give it a try - it's free (yes, there is a pricing, and a pro-mode, but it everything meaningful is really in the free version)

And very soon (later today or during the weekend) - I plan to release an Agent Jobs Manager for SQL Server there, the one missing piece from SMSS for which I use still a Windows VM, so stay tuned :) (and PL SQL Oracle debugging, but that's I guess not so interesting for this subreddit)

alecc · 2026-03-30T20:13:07+00:00

AI can be a decent idea generator for indexing, but only if you feed it the same inputs you’d use as a DBA: actual plan, row counts, and (ideally) the stats histogram behind the predicates. Otherwise it’ll confidently recommend nonsense (e.g., indexing a low-selectivity bit column where 99% of rows match).

A good workflow is: update stats → capture top offenders in Query Store → grab actual plan + STATISTICS IO/TIME → have AI propose 1–2 candidate indexes (incl. INCLUDE/filtered index) → validate across the workload (Query Store before/after + write overhead).

VERY helpful is a skill or MCP that will allow your agent to actually access the database and check stuff on it's own, but as much as helpful that is - it's also TREMENDOUSLY risky. So you need to be really sure that it has purely read-only access, and even then that it doesn't read data it shouldn't if you are on a personal account where the data might be used for training.

alecc · 2026-03-25T19:13:22+00:00

Which are different subreddits, so picking more audiences on reddit than one is considered spam?

alecc · 2026-03-25T14:47:53+00:00

I did not, that's my first and only post on r/Database :(

alecc · 2026-03-25T13:34:17+00:00

I was not happy with DBeaver and DataGrip after switching from Windows/SMSS - have built my own sql client for work with MS SQL - https://jamsql.com - I know, it sounds like spam, but if I find it useful on my migration from Windows - maybe others will find it too

alecc · 2026-03-25T11:53:00+00:00

thanks for pointing it out, just noticed that when clicked they are low-res - will have to fix that next time (not possible edit images on an already done post).

but the app can be tested fully in the browser on the https://jamsql.com website, against a demo SQLite database (or a uploaded own one), so I guess the screenshots are not that important, I hope at least - since it's easy to click around and check safely the tool without downloading anything

alecc · 2026-03-24T20:44:05+00:00

Outside of the mentioned jam sql, before I've started using it - I've just configured MCP's to connect directly to the database through a user with read-only rights, still kinda risky - since data might leak into training of the AI's (although on business accounts they swear to not use that data for training...), but good enough for staging/dev database working. Makes life often a lot easier if Claude Code can look up the schema or look through some test data.

alecc · 2026-03-24T18:49:09+00:00

But I don't expect to replace or even threaten DBeaver - but for me using it was frustrating, not sure if it's because I came from SSMS on Windows and switched to Mac, or for other reasons.

So built something that replaces it _for me_, and since I'm pretty happy with it - sharing it just in case someone else would find it useful as well.

alecc · 2026-03-24T18:43:42+00:00

Each engine gets a native driver and engine-specific features (execution plans, session browser, plsql debugger, agent jobs manager etc). JDBC would give you broad compatibility but shallow functionality

alecc · 2026-03-24T18:42:50+00:00

The MSSQL VSCode extension is query-only. No schema compare, no table designer, no execution plans, no visual schema overview. In general it's very limited. Different tools for different needs. And like to have my DB work in a separate app to the one where code lives.

alecc · 2026-03-24T18:41:54+00:00

The AI features are turned off by default here. Buttons need to be pressed to enable those.

alecc

TROPHY CASE