Add `sqlcmd open vscode` and `sqlcmd open ssms` commands #688

dlevy-msft-sql · 2026-02-01T03:46:18Z

Summary

This PR adds two new commands to replace the deprecated Azure Data Studio integration:

sqlcmd open vscode - Opens VS Code with a configured connection profile
sqlcmd open ssms - Opens SQL Server Management Studio (Windows only)

Both commands use clipboard-based password sharing since these tools use sandboxed credential storage that can't be accessed directly.

Changes

New Features

`sqlcmd open vscode`

Creates a connection profile in VS Code's user settings (mssql.connections)
Uses context name as profile name (e.g., mssql, mssql2)
Copies password to clipboard for easy paste when connecting
Sets trustServerCertificate: true and encrypt: Optional for local container connections
Optional --install-extension flag to install the MSSQL extension (not auto-installed)

`sqlcmd open ssms` (Windows only)

Launches SSMS with server and username pre-filled
Uses -C flag to trust server certificate
Copies password to clipboard (SSMS 18+ removed -P flag for security)
Exits with friendly error on macOS/Linux with guidance to use VS Code instead

New Files

File	Description
`cmd/modern/root/open/vscode.go`	VS Code launcher with profile creation
`cmd/modern/root/open/vscode_*.go`	Platform-specific VS Code support
`cmd/modern/root/open/ssms.go`	SSMS launcher (Windows only)
`cmd/modern/root/open/ssms_linux.go`	Linux stub (exits with helpful error)
`cmd/modern/root/open/ssms_darwin.go`	macOS stub (exits with helpful error)
`cmd/modern/root/open/clipboard.go`	Helper to copy password to clipboard
`internal/pal/clipboard*.go`	Cross-platform clipboard implementations
`internal/tools/tool/vscode*.go`	VS Code tool detection
`internal/tools/tool/ssms*.go`	SSMS tool detection

Bug Fixes

Fixed panic in tool.IsInstalled() when tool executable path is empty
Updated TestAds to skip when Azure Data Studio is not installed (deprecated)

Usage Examples

VS Code

# Create a SQL Server container and open in VS Code
sqlcmd create mssql --accept-eula
sqlcmd open vscode

# Output:
# Opening VS Code...
# Use the 'mssql' connection profile to connect
# Password copied to clipboard - paste it when prompted

VS Code with Extension Installation

# Open VS Code and install the MSSQL extension if needed
sqlcmd open vscode --install-extension

# Output:
# Installing MSSQL extension...
# MSSQL extension installed successfully
# Opening VS Code...
# Use the 'mssql' connection profile to connect
# Password copied to clipboard - paste it when prompted

SSMS (Windows)

sqlcmd open ssms

# Output:
# Password copied to clipboard - paste it when prompted
# Opening SSMS...

SSMS on Non-Windows

sqlcmd open ssms

# Output:
# SSMS is only available on Windows. Use 'sqlcmd open vscode' instead.

Technical Notes

Why Clipboard-Based Password Sharing?

VS Code MSSQL extension uses VS Code's SecretStorage API which is sandboxed per-extension
SSMS 18+ removed the -P command-line parameter for security reasons
Clipboard is the standard UX pattern for credential handoff between applications

Trust Server Certificate

Both commands configure trust for server certificates on local container connections:

VS Code: trustServerCertificate: true and encrypt: "Optional" in profile
SSMS: -C command-line flag

This is required because local SQL Server containers use self-signed certificates.

Extension Installation

The MSSQL extension is not auto-installed to respect user consent. Use --install-extension to explicitly opt-in:

sqlcmd open vscode --install-extension

Build Constraints

ssms.go has //go:build windows - only compiles on Windows
ssms_linux.go and ssms_darwin.go provide stubs that exit with helpful error messages

Testing

Tests skip gracefully when tools are not installed:

=== RUN   TestAds
    ads_test.go:25: Azure Data Studio is not installed (deprecated - use 'sqlcmd open vscode' instead)
--- SKIP: TestAds (0.00s)
=== RUN   TestVSCode
--- PASS: TestVSCode (0.07s)
=== RUN   TestSsms
--- PASS: TestSsms (0.06s)
...
PASS
ok      github.com/microsoft/go-sqlcmd/cmd/modern/root/open     2.721s

Checklist

All tests pass
Code follows project conventions
golangci-lint passes
Cross-platform support (Windows, macOS, Linux)
Error handling for missing tools
No auto-install without user consent

Supersedes #685
Fixes #584

- Created VSCode tool implementation with platform-specific search locations - Created vscode command with connection profile management - Updated open command to include vscode subcommand - Added tests for VSCode functionality - Updated README.md to use VSCode instead of ADS Co-authored-by: dlevy-msft-sql <194277063+dlevy-msft-sql@users.noreply.github.com>

Co-authored-by: dlevy-msft-sql <194277063+dlevy-msft-sql@users.noreply.github.com>

- Improved test skip message with detailed explanation - Added security comment about encrypt setting - Removed unnecessary else block in VSCode tool - Renamed settingsDir to dir for consistency Co-authored-by: dlevy-msft-sql <194277063+dlevy-msft-sql@users.noreply.github.com>

- Created SSMS tool with platform-specific search paths (Windows only) - Created SSMS command to launch with connection parameters - Added SSMS to open command alongside VSCode and ADS - Uses SSMS command-line parameters: -S (server), -U (username), -E (integrated auth) - Note: -P (password) removed in SSMS 18+ for security - Tests passing for all platforms Co-authored-by: dlevy-msft-sql <194277063+dlevy-msft-sql@users.noreply.github.com>

Use strings.ReplaceAll instead of strings.Replace with -1 for better readability Co-authored-by: dlevy-msft-sql <194277063+dlevy-msft-sql@users.noreply.github.com>

- Use promoted fields from embedded structs (endpoint.Address, endpoint.Port, endpoint.ContainerDetails) - Wrap all user-facing strings with localizer.Sprintf for proper localization - Fix VSCode Insiders settings path detection - prefer Insiders if directory exists - Remove redundant fmt imports from platform-specific files - Addresses staticcheck QF1008 warnings about redundant embedded-field selectors Co-authored-by: dlevy-msft-sql <194277063+dlevy-msft-sql@users.noreply.github.com>

- Use promoted field endpoint.Id instead of endpoint.ContainerDetails.Id - Applied to both ssms.go and vscode.go ensureContainerIsRunning functions - All staticcheck QF1008 warnings now resolved Co-authored-by: dlevy-msft-sql <194277063+dlevy-msft-sql@users.noreply.github.com>

Co-authored-by: Copilot <175728472+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

- Add 'sqlcmd open vscode' command with connection profile creation - Add 'sqlcmd open ssms' command for Windows with SQL authentication - Auto-install MSSQL extension when launching VS Code - Copy password to clipboard for easy paste in login dialogs - Add trustServerCertificate for local container connections - Add comprehensive tests (15 new tests) - Update README with documentation for both commands

Copilot

Pull request overview

This PR adds support for opening Visual Studio Code and SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) to work with SQL Server connections managed by sqlcmd, addressing the deprecation of Azure Data Studio. The implementation uses clipboard-based password sharing since both tools use sandboxed credential storage.

Changes:

Adds sqlcmd open vscode command that creates connection profiles in VS Code settings and auto-installs the MSSQL extension
Adds sqlcmd open ssms command (Windows-only) that launches SSMS with pre-configured connection parameters
Implements cross-platform clipboard support for secure password sharing
Includes comprehensive tests and documentation updates

Reviewed changes

Copilot reviewed 30 out of 31 changed files in this pull request and generated 3 comments.

Show a summary per file

File	Description
`cmd/modern/root/open.go`	Updates open command to include VSCode and SSMS subcommands
`cmd/modern/root/open/vscode.go`	Main VSCode command implementation with settings file manipulation
`cmd/modern/root/open/vscode_*.go`	Platform-specific VSCode implementations
`cmd/modern/root/open/ssms.go`	Main SSMS command implementation
`cmd/modern/root/open/ssms_*.go`	Platform-specific SSMS implementations (Fatal on non-Windows)
`cmd/modern/root/open/clipboard.go`	Helper function for clipboard-based password sharing
`cmd/modern/root/open/*_test.go`	Comprehensive test coverage for new commands
`internal/tools/tool/vscode*.go`	VSCode tool detection and configuration
`internal/tools/tool/ssms*.go`	SSMS tool detection and configuration
`internal/pal/clipboard*.go`	Cross-platform clipboard implementation using native APIs
`internal/tools/tools.go`	Registers VSCode and SSMS tools
`README.md`	Adds clear documentation with usage examples
`.gitignore`	Adds `/modern` build artifact

cmd/modern/root/open/vscode.go

cmd/modern/root/open/ssms.go

cmd/modern/root/open/vscode.go

- Check error returns from os.WriteFile and json.Unmarshal in tests - Simplify embedded field access (endpoint.ContainerDetails instead of endpoint.AssetDetails.ContainerDetails)

- Add safe type assertion for profileName in updateOrAddProfile to prevent panic - Add nil check for user.BasicAuth before accessing Username in vscode.go - Add nil check for user.BasicAuth before accessing Username in ssms.go

- Change endpoint.ContainerDetails.Id to endpoint.Id in ssms.go - Change endpoint.ContainerDetails.Id to endpoint.Id in vscode.go

Copilot

Pull request overview

Copilot reviewed 30 out of 31 changed files in this pull request and generated 9 comments.

cmd/modern/root/open/ssms_linux.go

cmd/modern/root/open/vscode.go

cmd/modern/root/open/ssms.go

cmd/modern/root/open/vscode_test.go

cmd/modern/root/open/ssms_test.go

cmd/modern/root/open/ssms_darwin.go

cmd/modern/root/open/vscode.go

- Use explicit endpoint.AssetDetails.ContainerDetails pattern for consistency - Use endpoint.AssetDetails.ContainerDetails.Id instead of embedded field - Replace custom contains() with strings.Contains() in tests - Replace custom itoa() with strconv.Itoa() in tests - Move SSMS platform check to run() for early exit on non-Windows - Set authenticationType and savePassword conditionally in VS Code profiles

Fixes govulncheck CI failure caused by duplicate run() method declaration. The ssms.go file (Windows SSMS launcher) was being compiled on all platforms, conflicting with ssms_linux.go and ssms_darwin.go which define platform-specific run() methods that exit with a friendly error message.

- Simplify embedded field access per staticcheck QF1008: endpoint.AssetDetails.ContainerDetails -> endpoint.ContainerDetails - Add DefineCommand to Linux/macOS SSMS stubs so run() is referenced and the command is properly registered on all platforms

- Simplify endpoint.ContainerDetails.Id to endpoint.Id (QF1008) The Id field is promoted through Go embedding chain - Remove unused displayPreLaunchInfo stubs from Linux/macOS files These were dead code since run() exits via Fatal()

Copilot

Pull request overview

Copilot reviewed 33 out of 34 changed files in this pull request and generated 2 comments.

cmd/modern/root/open/vscode.go

cmd/modern/root/open/ssms.go

- Only use relaxed TLS settings (encrypt=Optional, trustServerCertificate=true) for local connections (containers, localhost, 127.0.0.1, host.docker.internal) - Use secure defaults (encrypt=Mandatory, trustServerCertificate=false) for production/remote connections - Add isLocalEndpoint helper to detect local connections - Update SSMS to only add -C flag for local connections

Copilot

Pull request overview

Copilot reviewed 33 out of 34 changed files in this pull request and generated 4 comments.

internal/tools/tool/tool.go

cmd/modern/root/open.go

cmd/modern/root/open/ssms.go

cmd/modern/root/open/vscode.go

- Add nil check for ProcessState in tool.Run() to prevent panic - Fix grammar: 'e.g' -> 'e.g.,' in open command description - Clarify SQL authentication comment in ssms.go - Add warning when MSSQL extension verification fails

Copilot

Pull request overview

Copilot reviewed 33 out of 34 changed files in this pull request and generated no new comments.

Use 'asset := endpoint.AssetDetails' pattern to satisfy staticcheck QF1008 while maintaining nil-safety.

Copilot

Pull request overview

Copilot reviewed 33 out of 34 changed files in this pull request and generated 1 comment.

internal/pal/clipboard_windows.go

Replace complex Win32 API calls with simple exec.Command to clip.exe. This eliminates unsafe code, manual memory management, and nolint directives while being more maintainable and reliable.

Copilot

Copilot encountered an error and was unable to review this pull request. You can try again by re-requesting a review.

Copilot

Pull request overview

Copilot reviewed 33 out of 34 changed files in this pull request and generated 1 comment.

internal/pal/clipboard_linux.go

Collect all errors from clipboard utility attempts (xclip, xsel, wl-copy) and return a combined error message instead of just the last error. This provides better debugging information when all utilities fail.

Copilot

Pull request overview

Copilot reviewed 33 out of 34 changed files in this pull request and generated no new comments.

…erateCommandLine - README: Update VS Code section to reflect --install-extension is opt-in - tool_linux.go: Implement generateCommandLine (was panic placeholder)

Copilot AI and others added 10 commits January 31, 2026 19:49

Initial plan

162fa57

Remove binary artifact and update .gitignore

88988bb

Co-authored-by: dlevy-msft-sql <194277063+dlevy-msft-sql@users.noreply.github.com>

Address code review feedback - use ReplaceAll

d596ea5

Use strings.ReplaceAll instead of strings.Replace with -1 for better readability Co-authored-by: dlevy-msft-sql <194277063+dlevy-msft-sql@users.noreply.github.com>

Update cmd/modern/root/open/vscode_windows.go

85089c9

Co-authored-by: Copilot <175728472+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

dlevy-msft-sql self-assigned this Feb 1, 2026

dlevy-msft-sql added Size: S Small issue (less than one week effort) needs-work SSMS vscode-mssql-ext labels Feb 1, 2026

dlevy-msft-sql requested a review from Copilot February 1, 2026 03:46

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dlevy-msft-sql mentioned this pull request Feb 1, 2026

Add VSCode+MSSQL extension and SSMS support to replace deprecated ADS #685

Closed

dlevy-msft-sql added 3 commits January 31, 2026 22:36

fix: address golangci-lint errors from PR review

6d558cd

- Check error returns from os.WriteFile and json.Unmarshal in tests - Simplify embedded field access (endpoint.ContainerDetails instead of endpoint.AssetDetails.ContainerDetails)

fix: address Copilot review feedback

e5f1d09

- Add safe type assertion for profileName in updateOrAddProfile to prevent panic - Add nil check for user.BasicAuth before accessing Username in vscode.go - Add nil check for user.BasicAuth before accessing Username in ssms.go

fix: simplify embedded field access (staticcheck QF1008)

645a021

- Change endpoint.ContainerDetails.Id to endpoint.Id in ssms.go - Change endpoint.ContainerDetails.Id to endpoint.Id in vscode.go

dlevy-msft-sql requested a review from Copilot February 1, 2026 04:44

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dlevy-msft-sql added 4 commits January 31, 2026 22:56

fix(open): resolve remaining golangci-lint errors

e5c2c09

- Simplify endpoint.ContainerDetails.Id to endpoint.Id (QF1008) The Id field is promoted through Go embedding chain - Remove unused displayPreLaunchInfo stubs from Linux/macOS files These were dead code since run() exits via Fatal()

dlevy-msft-sql requested a review from Copilot February 1, 2026 05:33

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fix: address Copilot review feedback

1134bf4

- Add nil check for ProcessState in tool.Run() to prevent panic - Fix grammar: 'e.g' -> 'e.g.,' in open command description - Clarify SQL authentication comment in ssms.go - Add warning when MSSQL extension verification fails

dlevy-msft-sql requested a review from Copilot February 1, 2026 19:55

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fix: use local variable pattern in isLocalEndpoint for QF1008

05c3386

Use 'asset := endpoint.AssetDetails' pattern to satisfy staticcheck QF1008 while maintaining nil-safety.

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refactor: simplify Windows clipboard using clip.exe

4173017

Replace complex Win32 API calls with simple exec.Command to clip.exe. This eliminates unsafe code, manual memory management, and nolint directives while being more maintainable and reliable.

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refactor: improve Linux clipboard error handling

547fea7

Collect all errors from clipboard utility attempts (xclip, xsel, wl-copy) and return a combined error message instead of just the last error. This provides better debugging information when all utilities fail.

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dlevy-msft-sql requested a review from shueybubbles February 2, 2026 01:32

docs: update README for opt-in extension install; implement Linux gen…

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…erateCommandLine - README: Update VS Code section to reflect --install-extension is opt-in - tool_linux.go: Implement generateCommandLine (was panic placeholder)

Add sqlcmd open vscode and sqlcmd open ssms commands #688

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Summary

Changes

New Features

sqlcmd open vscode

sqlcmd open ssms (Windows only)

New Files

Bug Fixes

Usage Examples

VS Code

VS Code with Extension Installation

SSMS (Windows)

SSMS on Non-Windows

Technical Notes

Why Clipboard-Based Password Sharing?

Trust Server Certificate

Extension Installation

Build Constraints

Testing

Checklist

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Add `sqlcmd open vscode` and `sqlcmd open ssms` commands #688

Add `sqlcmd open vscode` and `sqlcmd open ssms` commands #688

dlevy-msft-sql commented Feb 1, 2026 •

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`sqlcmd open vscode`

`sqlcmd open ssms` (Windows only)