SQL Find & Replace .NET Windows Utility

SQL Database Management & Editing Tool: SQL Find & Replace Utility

SQL Find & Replace Documentation

• Getting Connected
• Using SQL Find & Replace

Installation:

If you are installing SQL Find & Replace on a machine with MSSQL2005 or higher, chances are you already have the prerequisites installed.

For remote users and to be sure you have what is needed installed, visit the prerequisites section found on this page. After the prerequisites are installed the installation is quite simple and can be accomplished by running the program installation file.

License File Installation

1. Start SQL Find & Replace
2. Go to the "Help" menu and choose "About"
3. Click the "License" button and browse to your license file.

If you are evaluating SQL Find & Replace you do not need to install a license file.

Getting connected:

When SQL Find & Replace first runs, it will check for any new updates and then go to the connection page. Here you can configure and test your connection to the server.

If you are a pro, you know the connection string just needs to be perfect to work, if you are new to SQL the connection can be tricky. Connecting to MSSQL in all the available methods is beyond the scope of this document, but we will outline the general practice below.

 

There are two basic authentication methods:

• Windows Authentication
• SQL Authentication.

When using Windows Authentication it’s important to understand that it’s the Windows user account on the SQL server. If it’s installed locally to you it will be the account you use to log into SQL. If it’s remote it needs to be the same user account on each machine.

When using SQL Authentication you can use any SQL account that has been granted logon credentials to the server/database you are trying to connect to.

 

After choosing your authentication method and supplying your login information, hit the “Test” button and you should see a “Test Passed” dialogue.

Using SQL Find & Replace

The table you are working in will need to have a “primary key field” in order to insure accurate replacement of individual records. Here is a good reference for SQL documentation: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/sql/default.mspx

After you successfully connect to the SQL Server you will go directly to the SQL Find and Replace main screen.

Database:

Use the drop down menu to choose the “Database” you want to work in.

Table:

Use the drop down menu to choose the “Table” you want to work in.

Column:

Use the drop down menu to choose the “Column” you will be replacing data in.

Replace:

This is the string you will look for to replace. Note: You can search using exact “Case” or you can “Ignore Case” by selecting the checkbox “Ignore Case when Replacing”

With:

This is the string that will be used to replace the string in the “Replace” field. Note: You can use a blank here in order to delete the “replace” string.

Ignore Case when Replacing:

Use this checkbox to toggle “Case Sensitivity” on and off.

Limit To:

Use this checkbox to enable the range feature.

You can specify the “range” of rows to run the replace on. The first image on the right shows a full range replace on 184,557 rows and the preview dialogue shows 388 rows will be updated.

The second image shows the same operation limiting the replace from rows 100,000 to 184,557 and the preview dialogue shows 28 rows will be updated.

Preview Before Replacing:

This is a nice feature to see the number of rows to be replaced PRIOR to actually replacing anything. At this point if the number affected isn’t right simply choose “No” and no replacements will be made.

Go:

This will execute the preview, or the replace operation depending on the state of the “Preview Before Replacing” checkbox.