In MS SQL 2000 Management Studio it was possible to directly edit data when performing a query by using the “Open Table -> Query” menu option on a table. Microsoft changed things around for SQL 2005 & 2008, so that menu option is gone, but it can still be done. Here’s how to do it:
An effective way to do this is to first create an empty table AnEmptyTable that is easy to find at the top in Object Explorer.
Right-click your newly created table and click “Open Table”. As it is empty, this is much faster than opening any other table. At the top is a little button in the upper left which says “SQL” and a tooltip that says “Show SQL Pane”. Enable them both and voila! You can now run queries at the top and edit the results below.
Know a better way? Post comment please.