ApexSQL Knowledgebase: Visually Differentiating Databases through Tab Colors

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Visually Differentiating Databases through Tab Colors

DESCRIPTION
Many workplaces replicate the same database several times for Development, Testing, and Production purposes. Even when being "really careful," it is easy to mistake the active Production database window for the Development database. ApexSQL Edit allows you to visually differentiate your databases through colored tabs. This KB article discusses how you can use this feature to avoid the mistake of executing an SQL statement against the wrong version of your database.

SOLUTION
To illustrate, we use three versions of the Northwind Database: NorthwindProd (production DB), NorthwindTest (testing/validation DB), and Northwind (development DB).

1. To begin, right-click on a database and select "Set Query Tab Colors":

2. In the Database Tab Color dialog box, select a color that is indicative of the environment you have selected (e.g. Green for Dev, Blue for Validation and Red for Production):

3. Select the OK button and open a "New Query Window" for that database. You will see that the tab at the top of the screen has changed colors:

Repeat this process for each of your databases.

Tip: You can change the gradient (fade) color of the active tab to be more easily recognizable. Simply press Ctrl+Shift+s and find the option "SelectedTabGradient" and change it to a different color (Black is used in the screen shot below):

5. When done, the different tab colors enable you to quickly and easily differentiate between your open editor windows:

AUTHOR
Stephen Schmidt

LAST REVIEW DATE
21 August 2007

Labels: Apex SQL Edit

posted by Janice Lee on Wednesday, July 25, 2007

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