Modernizing the Native Query (SQL) Editor Experience in Power BI Desktop
The Problem: The current "Native Query" input window in database connectors (SQL Server, Azure Databricks, Snowflake, etc.) is a simple text box that offers a poor developer experience. It lacks basic modern code-editing features, forcing developers to constantly switch to external IDEs (like SSMS or VS Code) to write and debug queries.
The Solution: I propose upgrading the SQL input field to a modern IntelliSense-enabled code editor, bringing it to the same standard as the DAX Query View, TMDL, and the Power Query Advanced Editor.
Key Improvements Requested:
Expandable UI & Full-Screen Mode: Resizable input box or a "Pop-out" option to handle long queries without excessive scrolling.
Syntax Highlighting & Zoom: Color-coded support for SQL keywords, strings, and comments, plus Ctrl + Mouse Scroll for font scaling.
IntelliSense & Auto-complete: Support for standard SQL functions and context-aware suggestions for table aliases/fields.
Real-time Syntax Validation: Visual cues (red squiggles) for unclosed parentheses, trailing commas before FROM, or missing logical operators.
Minimap Navigation: A high-level overview (minimap) on the right side of the editor for quick navigation in large scripts, consistent with the Power Query Advanced Editor.
Advanced Search & Replace: Full support for Ctrl + F (Find) and Ctrl + H (Replace) within the query window.
Smart Highlighting & Multi-cursor Editing: * Selecting a word should automatically highlight all other occurrences of that string.
Support for Multi-occurrence selection (similar to Ctrl + F2 in Databricks/VS Code) to allow mass editing of aliases or field names simultaneously.
Why this matters: This update would provide UI Consistency across the Fabric ecosystem. Power users rely heavily on Native Queries for performance and complex logic; providing a professional-grade editor inside the Connector UI would significantly reduce "workflow friction," minimize syntax errors, and increase development speed.
Recent ideas
Semantic model connection bindings should be in source control (Git)
Semantic model data source connection bindings should be source controlled. A semantic model can contain multiple data source references, each of which can be mapped to a separate Fabric data connec...frithjof_v2 hours agoCommunity ChampionNew10Views1like0CommentsBulk changing column names in Visualizations Pane
We often use raw/api column names or measures with a set nomenclature to be consistent and to keep track of them but we do not want to display these names in the visuals. Currently we have to change ...vishal1401976 hours agoFrequent VisitorNew5Views0likes0CommentsAbout "Download SQL database project" and fix the downloaded project
1. The sqlproj must be fixed, it is downloaded without the xml markup line <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"> 2. The sdk must be updated: Actual: <Sdk Name="Microsoft.Build.Sql" Version="0.1...Jarrinf16 hours agoFrequent VisitorNew48Views3likes2Comments