top of page

Getting Started with SQL Server Management Studio

In this Article (Click to Jump to the Topic)

Permissions

Permissions

You will need read and write permissions to create and edit tables, and you will need execute (or full sysadmin) permissions to create or edit stored procedures in SQL Server Management  Studio.

Using SQL Server Management Studio for the First Time

Using SSMS for the First Time

When using SSMS for the first time, it is recommended that you navigate to Tools > Options and:

  • Enable Line Numbers

  • Uncheck the box that says Prevent Saving Changes that Require Table Recreation

line numbers2.jpg
prevent2.jpg

Create a New Table

Create a New Table

Navigate to MinistryPlatform, expand the database, then right click on Tables and select Add > New Table.

New table.jpg

Configure the Primary Key

Configure the Primary Key

The first column in your table should be a unique identifier, an ID value that is unique.  Best practice is to label it close to what your table name will be.  For example Warehouse_People_ID for a Warehouse_People table.  The data type should be int (short for integer) and you should not allow NULL values for this field.

unique identifier.jpg

Once you name your field, right click on it and choose Set Primary Key.

set primarykey.jpg

Once you do that, right click again and select Properties.  The properties window may already be open.

​

Under Identity Column, click the white space and a drop-down arrow will appear.  Select your identity column from the list.

identity column.jpg

Finish Creating Your Table

Finish Creating Your Table

Continue adding fields to your table.  These are some of the most commonly used data types.

​

int is an integer, or whole numbers

nvarchar(50) is any characters (letters and numbers) limited to 50 characters

date is a date value with no time

datetime is a date value with time

bit is a true/false field

money is currency

data fields.jpg

If you add a description under Column properties, your text will show up as a tooltip when you hover over the field when you are in MinistryPlatform.  This can be helpful as a reference later on.

Description.jpg

Domain ID

Domain ID

For every table you create, you need a field called Domain_ID.  This can be the last field in the table, but it doesn't have to be.  This field will not appear in the platform.

​

It's good practice to set the default value to 1.

Domain id default value.jpg

Save Your Table

Save Your Table

Click the floppy disk icon to save your table.  Give it a name.  The name should not contain any spaces.

save.jpg

Make Changes to a Table

Make Changes to a Table

To make changes to a table, right click on the table name and click Design.  You can add fields to existing tables this way.

design.jpg

Create a Page Record for Your Table

Create a Page Record for Your Table

You will likely need to click About > Clear Cache for MinistryPlatform to recognize the changes you made.

2022-09-13_13-42-21.jpg

Create a new page record and fill out the appropriate fields.

2022-09-13_13-42-58.jpg

Add any desired tools or reports to the page.

2022-09-13_13-43-34.jpg

Create a page section page record for your new page.  This will determine where the page will appear in the platform.

2022-09-13_13-44-00.jpg

Finally, add page permissions to one or more security roles.

2022-09-13_13-44-36.jpg

Congratulations!  You have successfully created a table and corresponding page in MinistryPlatform.

bottom of page