🔍 SODA+ AI - Reference Guide

Quick Lookup for Features, Commands & Shortcuts

Version: 1.6.0 | Last Updated: December 31, 2025
Target Audience: All Users | Use Case: Quick Feature Lookup

📑 Table of Contents

  1. About This Guide
  2. Alphabetical Feature Index
  3. Keyboard Shortcuts
  4. Right-Click Context Menus
  5. Toolbar Button Reference
  6. Analysis Type Quick Reference
  7. Export Format Reference
  8. Chart Type Comparison
  9. Common Error Messages
  10. Configuration File Reference

About This Guide

This is your quick lookup reference for SODA+ AI features. Use it to:

For detailed instructions, see the Full User Guide.

Alphabetical Feature Index

A

Add Server

AI Analysis

AI Review Button (Toolbar)

Analyze Dependencies

Auto-Login

B

Best Practices Analysis

Breadcrumb (Code Viewer)

C

Call Order Tab

Chart Analysis

Chart Button (Toolbar)

Chart Direction ⭐ NEW!

Clear Chart ⭐ NEW!

Close Application Button

Copy Name

Cross-Database Search ⭐ NEW!

Custom Prompts

D

Database Explorer

Dependency Analyzer

Dependency Direction ⭐ NEW!

Depth Setting

Downstream Dependencies

Drill-Down Analysis

E

Environment Selection

Export Button (Toolbar)

Export Definition

F

File Menu ⭐ NEW!

Formatted View Tab

Full Window Button (Toolbar)

Functions (Object Type)

L

Load Mermaid ⭐ NEW!

Login

Logic Flowchart

M

Messages Panel

Multi-Tab Architecture

O

Object Explorer

Object Search

Open in SSMS ⭐ NEW!

Open SVG

P

Performance Analysis

Procedures (Object Type)

Q

Quick Chart

R

Reference Guide

Refactoring Suggestions

Registration

Remove Server

S

Save SVG As... ⭐ NEW!

Security Analysis

Server Explorer

Session Management

SQL Formatting Preferences ⭐ NEW!

SQL Code Viewer

Summary Analysis

T

Tables (Object Type)

Tabs (Analyzer)

Test Connection

U

Upstream Dependencies

V

Views (Object Type)

W

Windows Authentication

Keyboard Shortcuts

Global (Main Window)

Shortcut Action Context
F1 Toggle Server Explorer Any
F2 Toggle Database Explorer Any
F3 Toggle Object Explorer Any
Ctrl+F Open Cross-Database Search Any ⭐ NEW!
Ctrl+Shift+F SQL Formatting Preferences Any ⭐ NEW!
Ctrl+Tab Cycle through analyzer tabs Analyzer tabs open
Alt+F4 Close application Any

Analyzer Window

Shortcut Action Context
Ctrl+Tab Cycle through main tabs Multiple tabs open
Ctrl+F Search in code Code viewer focused
Escape Clear search Object search focused

AI Review Window

Shortcut Action Tab
Ctrl+C Copy selected text AI Response
Ctrl+S Save session Any
Alt+F4 Close window Any
Ctrl+Tab Cycle through tabs Any
Ctrl+F Browser search Formatted View
Enter Custom search Formatted View

Chart Window

Shortcut Action Context
Ctrl+S Save .mmd file File menu active
Ctrl+L Load .mmd file File menu active ⭐ NEW!
Ctrl+C Copy Mermaid code Mermaid Code tab
Alt+F4 Close window Any
Alt+F Open File menu Any ⭐ NEW!
Alt+O Open Output menu Any ⭐ NEW!

Right-Click Context Menus

Server Explorer (Servers)

Right-click server:

Object Explorer (Objects)

Right-click Procedure/Function:

Right-click Table:

Right-click View:

Dependency Trees (Analyzer)

Right-click dependency node:

Messages Panel

Right-click messages:

Toolbar Button Reference

Dependency Analyzer Toolbar

Button Icon Action When Visible
AI Review 🤖 Opens AI Review window with SQL code Procedures/Functions only
Chart 📊 Opens chart window with current data Always
Export 💾 Exports dependencies in 4 formats Always
Format - Clean 💎 Formats SQL using ScriptDom (fast, strips comments, 30s timeout) Always ⭐ NEW!
Format - AI 🤖 Formats SQL using Grok AI (preserves comments, 30-120s adaptive timeout) Always ⭐ NEW! [BETA]
Open in SSMS 📤 Auto-opens code in SSMS query window Always ⭐ NEW!
Full Window 📺 Opens standalone analyzer window Always
Depth 1-10 Sets dependency depth Always

Format Button Details:

Tools Menu ⭐ NEW!

Menu Item Action Shortcut Access Level
SQL Formatting Preferences Opens SQL formatting configuration dialog Ctrl+Shift+F All users
- My Preferences Tab Configure personal formatting options - All users
- Organization Template Tab Set shop-wide defaults - Admins only

Chart Window Toolbar

Button/Menu Icon Action When Enabled
Chart Type ▼ Select chart generation mode Always
Direction ⬇️⬆️ Select dependency direction (Downstream/Upstream) Always ⭐ NEW!
Depth 1-10 Shows dependency depth from Analyzer Always (read-only)
Generate Chart 📊 Creates chart based on selected type Always
File Menu 📁 ▼ File operations dropdown Always ⭐ NEW!
- Save Mermaid (.mmd) 💾 Saves Mermaid source code After generation
- Load Mermaid (.mmd) 📂 Loads Mermaid from file Always ⭐ NEW!
- Copy to Clipboard 📋 Copies Mermaid code After generation
- Clear Chart 🗑️ Clears current chart After generation ⭐ NEW!
Output Menu 🖼️ ▼ Output operations dropdown Always ⭐ NEW!
- Render to SVG 🎨 Creates SVG graphic After generation
- Open SVG 📂 Views SVG in browser After render
- Save SVG As... 💾 Saves SVG to custom location After render ⭐ NEW!
Close ✖ Closes chart window Always

Chart Type Options

Type Speed AI Required Best For
Dependency (Quick) < 1 sec ❌ No Quick dependency checks
Dependency (AI) 5-30 sec ✅ Yes Complex dependencies, presentations
Flow Chart (AI) 10-45 sec ✅ Yes Understanding procedure/function logic

Direction Options ⭐ NEW!

Direction Shows Use Case
⬇️ Downstream What this object depends on (references) Understanding requirements
⬆️ Upstream What depends on this object (referenced by) Impact analysis before changes

Analysis Type Quick Reference

AI Analysis Types

Type Focus Output Auto-Refactor Tab
Summary Quick overview Observations, structure ❌ No
Low Hanging Easy wins Quick improvements ✅ Yes
Deeper 1-4 Progressive depth Foundational to expert ✅ Yes
Security Vulnerabilities SQL injection, permissions ✅ Yes
Performance Optimization Bottlenecks, indexes ✅ Yes
Best Practices Code quality Standards, maintainability ✅ Yes
Refactoring Restructuring Complexity reduction ✅ Yes

Chart Types

Type Speed Cost Offline Best For
Quick Chart < 1 sec Free ✅ Yes Quick checks, simple objects
AI-Enhanced 5-30 sec API credits ❌ No Complex dependencies, documentation
Logic Flowchart 5-30 sec API credits ❌ No Control flow, decision logic

Export Format Reference

Export Formats (From Analyzer)

Format Extension Best For Preserves
CSV .csv Excel analysis Hierarchy (flattened)
JSON .json API integration Full hierarchy
Markdown .md GitHub/Confluence Readable hierarchy
Text .txt Email/reports Simple list

Export Fields

All exports include:

Chart Type Comparison

Feature Quick Chart AI-Enhanced Logic Flowchart
Speed < 1 second 5-30 seconds 5-30 seconds
Cost Free Uses API credits Uses API credits
Offline ✅ Yes ❌ No ❌ No
Dependencies ✅ Direct only ✅ Multi-level Partial
SQL Analysis ❌ No ✅ Yes ✅ Yes
Control Flow ❌ No Partial ✅ Yes
Layout Basic AI-optimized AI-optimized
Direction Control ✅ Yes ⭐ NEW! ✅ Yes ⭐ NEW! N/A
Procedures ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ✅ Yes
Functions ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ✅ Yes
Views ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ✅ Yes
Tables ❌ No charts for tables ❌ No ❌ No
File Operations ✅ Save, Load ⭐ NEW! ✅ Save, Load ⭐ NEW! ✅ Save, Load ⭐ NEW!

Common Error Messages

Connection Errors

Error: "Cannot connect to server"

Error: "Login failed for user"

Error: "Trust server certificate required"

Analysis Errors

Error: "No SQL code available for AI analysis"

Error: "Maximum 10 tabs reached"

Error: "API key unavailable"

Chart Errors

Error: "Render failed - SVG file not created"

Error: "WebView2 initialization failed"

Session Errors

Error: "User not found"

Error: "No API keys available"

Error: "Session file corrupted"

Search Errors ⭐ NEW!

Error: "Cross-database search returned no results"

Error: "Multi-server search failed on some servers"

Error: "AI filtering unavailable"

Error: "Permission denied accessing database"

Configuration File Reference

User Configuration File

Location: %APPDATA%\SODA_PLUS\appsettings.user.json

Structure:

{
  "Environments": {
    "SANDBOX": {
      "DisplayName": "Sandbox Environment",
      "Servers": [
        {
          "DataSource": "localhost\\SQLEXPRESS",
          "DisplayName": "Local Dev Server",
          "AuthenticationType": "Windows",
          "TrustServerCertificate": true,
          "ConnectTimeout": 30,
          "IsActive": true
        }
      ]
    },
    "TEST": { ... },
    "PROD": { ... }
  }
}

Fields:

Security:

Session File

Location: %APPDATA%\SODA_PLUS\user_session.dat

Contents:

Security:

Application Configuration

Location: appsettings.json (in installation directory)

Key Settings:

{
  "Grok": {
    "Model": "grok-2-1212",
    "ApiKey": "your-key-here",
    "Temperature": 0.7,
    "MaxTokens": 4000
  },
  "Mermaid": {
    "MaxSqlChars": 25000,
    "RenderTimeout": 30000
  },
  "Prompts": {
    "Summary": "...",
    "MermaidFlowchart": "...",
    "Refactoring": "..."
  }
}

Do NOT modify unless:

Quick Answers to "How Do I...?"

How do I add a SQL Server?
→ Right-click Server Explorer → Add Server...

How do I search for an object?
→ Use search box above Object Explorer tree

How do I search across all databases? ⭐ NEW!
→ Search menu → Search Current Server → Enter term → Search

How do I search across all servers? ⭐ NEW!
→ Search menu → Search All Servers → Select databases → Search

How do I search inside code? ⭐ NEW!
→ Search dialog → Check "Search inside code definitions" → Search

How do I analyze dependencies?
→ Right-click object → Analyze Dependencies

How do I generate a chart?
→ Right-click object → Chart Analysis → Quick Chart

How do I control chart direction? ⭐ NEW!
→ Chart Window → Direction dropdown → Select Downstream or Upstream

How do I save a chart? ⭐ NEW!
→ Chart Window → File menu → Save Mermaid (.mmd)

How do I load a saved chart? ⭐ NEW!
→ Chart Window → File menu → Load Mermaid (.mmd)

How do I render a chart to SVG? ⭐ NEW!
→ Chart Window → Output menu → Render to SVG

How do I save rendered SVG? ⭐ NEW!
→ Chart Window → Output menu → Save SVG As...

How do I get AI suggestions?
→ Right-click procedure/function → AI Analysis → Pick type

How do I export dependencies?
→ Click Export button (💾) in analyzer toolbar → Pick format

How do I open full window?
→ Click Full Window button (📺) in analyzer toolbar

How do I switch environments?
→ Restart application, select different environment

How do I close all tabs?
→ Close tabs individually with ✖ or restart application

How do I open code in SSMS automatically? ⭐ NEW!
→ Dependency Analyzer → Click 📤 Open in SSMS button

How do I avoid certificate errors in SSMS? ⭐ NEW!
→ Use "Open in SSMS" button (preserves existing connection)

How do I customize SQL formatting? ⭐ NEW!
→ Tools menu → SQL Formatting Preferences → Adjust settings → Save

How do I change indentation size? ⭐ NEW!
→ SQL Formatting Preferences → Indentation Size (0-10 spaces)

How do I change keyword casing? ⭐ NEW!
→ SQL Formatting Preferences → Keyword Casing (UPPERCASE/lowercase/PascalCase)

How do I set organization-wide formatting? ⭐ NEW!
→ SQL Formatting Preferences → Organization Template tab → Save (admins only)

When should I use Format - AI vs Format - Clean? ⭐ NEW!
→ Use Format - AI if SQL has internal comments you want to keep, or @Parameters you want unchanged. Use Format - Clean for speed (< 1s).

Why did my format timeout after 30 seconds? ⭐ NEW!
→ SQL too large/complex for Clean mode. Try Format - AI (adaptive 30-120s timeout) or simplify SQL first.

What happens to comments when I format? ⭐ NEW!
→ Format - Clean strips internal comments (header comments preserved). Format - AI preserves ALL comments.

How do I logout?
→ Delete %APPDATA%\SODA_PLUS\user_session.dat, restart

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SSMS Integration ⭐ NEW!

Overview

Open in SSMS button provides fully automated workflow for opening SQL code in SQL Server Management Studio.

Key Benefits:

How It Works

1. Click 📤 "Open in SSMS" button
   ↓
2. System detects if SSMS is running
   ↓
3. Prepares code with USE [Database] statement
   ↓
4. Copies code to clipboard
   ↓
5. Activates SSMS window
   ↓
6. Sends Ctrl+N (new query window)
   ↓
7. Sends Ctrl+V (paste code)
   ↓
8. Done! Code ready to execute

Total time: 3-5 seconds
Manual steps: Zero

Features

Feature Description
Smart Detection Detects running SSMS (avoids duplicate instances)
Multi-Version Supports SSMS 18, 19, 20, 21+ (prefers newest)
Keyboard Automation Uses Windows API (keybd_event) for Ctrl+N, Ctrl+V
Connection Preservation Uses existing SSMS connection (no re-auth)
USE Statement Auto-adds USE [Database] with GO separator
Temp Files Creates timestamped .sql files in %TEMP%\SODA_PLUS_SSMS\
Graceful Fallback Shows manual instructions if automation fails
Window Activation Brings SSMS to front (restores if minimized)

Button Location

Toolbar: Dependency Analyzer (right side, after Export button)
Icon: 📤
Tooltip: "Open this object in SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS 18-21)"

Supported Objects

Object Type Supported Notes
Stored Procedures ✅ Yes Full code with USE statement
Functions ✅ Yes Full code with USE statement
Views ✅ Yes Full code with USE statement
Tables ✅ Yes Object name copied (no code)

Workflow Comparison

Before (Manual - 10 steps, 30-45 seconds)

  1. Copy object name to clipboard
  2. Activate SSMS window
  3. Press Ctrl+F in Object Explorer
  4. Paste object name (Ctrl+V)
  5. Navigate to object
  6. Right-click → Script As → CREATE
  7. Copy SQL code
  8. Press Ctrl+N for new query
  9. Paste code (Ctrl+V)
  10. Manually type USE [Database]

After (Automated - 1 step, 3-5 seconds) ⭐

  1. Click 📤 "Open in SSMS" button

Time Saved: 10x faster!

Dialog Messages

SSMS Running + Code Available

SSMS is already running (PID: 12345).

Object: dbo.GetCustomer
Server: YourServer
Database: YourDatabase

Would you like to automatically open this code in SSMS?

Automated steps:
• Activate SSMS window
• Send Ctrl+N (new query window)
• Send Ctrl+V (paste code with USE statement)

Your existing connection will be preserved!

[Yes] [No]

Automation Complete

✅ SQL code automatically opened in SSMS!

Object: dbo.GetCustomer
Server: YourServer
Database: YourDatabase

Actions performed automatically:
• SSMS window activated
• New query window opened (Ctrl+N)
• Code pasted (Ctrl+V)

The query window contains:
• USE [YourDatabase] statement
• Complete object definition

Next step: Execute the USE statement (F5) if needed

[OK]

SSMS Not Found

Could not find SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) installation.

SSMS 18, 19, 20, or 21 must be installed to use this feature.

Would you like to download SSMS?

[Yes] [No]

Temp File Format

Location: %TEMP%\SODA_PLUS_SSMS\{ObjectName}_{Timestamp}.sql

Example: C:\Users\YourName\AppData\Local\Temp\SODA_PLUS_SSMS\dbo_GetCustomer_20250112_150000.sql

Content:

-- Object: dbo.GetCustomer
-- Server: YourServer
-- Database: YourDatabase
-- Generated: 2025-01-12 15:00:00

USE [YourDatabase]
GO

CREATE PROCEDURE [dbo].[GetCustomer]
    @CustomerId INT
AS
BEGIN
    SELECT * FROM Customers WHERE Id = @CustomerId
END

Troubleshooting

Error: "SSMS Not Found"

Error: "Automation Failed"

Error: "Certificate Chain Not Trusted"

SSMS Opens But No Code

Security & Privacy

What's Stored:

What's NOT Stored:

Clipboard:

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