bsQuery for SQL Server developers — feedback wanted on a focused query/reporting tool

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1

Hi All,

I’m looking for developer feedback on a new Windows desktop tool I’ve been
building called bsQuery: www.datafortress.app/bsquery

bsQuery is a focused SQL query, data inspection, reporting, and
troubleshooting utility currently aimed at Microsoft SQL Server. It is
designed for developers, support teams, consultants, software vendors, and
trusted power users who want a faster, cleaner workspace for day-to-day
database work without the overhead of launching a full IDE every time.

I personally use bsQuery every day in my own software development projects
and for end-user support, so this is a tool being shaped by real-world daily
use rather than just theory. I simply got tired of waiting for SSMS to load
and wanted something that works the way I want it to work after 26 years of
SQL Server development.

A few of the things it includes:

  • multi-tab SQL editor
  • schema browser w/fast double-click multi field SELECT build
  • results grid
  • exports (json, xml, excel, csv, pdf, html w/formatting options)
  • report generator (report query results w/chart embedding, lots of
    configuration parameters)
  • charting
  • Ask A.I. assistance (have it write the script)
  • script/snippet support (pinned queries option)
  • comparison/helper tools
  • safer SELECT-first workflow options
  • much more!

I’m also exploring OEM / embedded use for software vendors that want to
include it with their vertical applications.

For more details, screenshots, and a printable one-page overview, please
take a look here:

www.datafortress.app/bsquery

The page is easy to share internally with a manager, product owner, business
owner, or anyone involved in purchase approval. They can also print it or
forward the link to others who need to review the product.

At this stage, I’m mainly trying to gauge interest and hear what other
developers think:

  • Would a tool like this be useful in your environment?
  • What features would you want added?
  • What would make it more valuable than the tools you already use?

I’m also considering two possible editions:

bsQuery Standard - SQL Server only
bsQuery Pro - All engines (PostgreSQL, MySQL, Oracle added)

I’d genuinely appreciate any feedback, criticism, feature requests, or
thoughts on positioning.

Thanks for your interest!
Greg Berthume
www.datafortress.app

2

Hi Greg

For me, the key questions are: what does this cost, and what additional value does it provide over SSMS? You’d also need to factor in the learning curve of adopting a new tool.

I’ve looked at your page, but I have to admit it doesn’t clearly show the value of switching - although that may be because I don’t fully understand the tool yet. If one of my technical team brought me that page, I wouldn’t feel confident approving the purchase based on it.

A short video demonstrating the standout features and real benefits would likely make it much easier to evaluate.

Thanks

Nardus

3

Hi Nardus,

Thank you for the thoughtful feedback. That is genuinely helpful, and I think your comments are fair.

To clarify, bsQuery is not intended to replace SSMS. SSMS is an excellent full-featured tool, and most developers already have it. My goal with bsQuery is different: a lightweight, fast-loading SQL query tool for situations where a simpler, more focused tool makes more sense alongside SSMS.

The value proposition I am aiming for is:

  • fast startup and a simpler interface
  • optional lockout mode where only SELECT statements are allowed
  • easy query building for users who are not full-time SQL developers
  • built-in export, lightweight reporting, and charting
  • a practical tool for power end users who would never have SSMS installed on their PCs
  • potential OEM/add-on use by vertical market software vendors who want to give customers controlled query/report access

So rather than “Why switch from SSMS?”, the better question may be, “Where does a lightweight, safer, easier-to-deploy SQL tool make sense alongside SSMS?”

Pricing will need to reflect that reality. I agree that developers are not likely to pay a high price for something in a space where SSMS is free. My thinking is to keep bsQuery affordably priced, especially for developers, while also making it attractive for software vendors who may want to deploy it to end users as a branded add-on or bundled companion tool. For software vendors, that can also create an additional revenue opportunity by giving their customers an easy way to build their own queries, exports, reports, and charts without having to install SSMS.

I am also considering a branding option so the tool could be included with, or offered as an optional add-on to, vertical market SQL Server-based products.

In addition, I am considering a source code licensing option for developers or software vendors who want to customize the product further. bsQuery is a Visual Studio C# / WinForms application, so it is built on a mainstream stack that can be extended, rebranded, simplified, or enhanced for tighter integration with a vendor’s own product line. With today’s AI-assisted development tools, that kind of customization is becoming faster and more practical than it used to be.

Also, the current page is intentionally just an early interest / preview page, not the final sales site. It is meant to give people a taste of the direction and help me gauge interest. The fuller documentation is here for anyone who wants more detail:

https://datafortress.app/bsquery/bsQuery_User_Guide.html

I also think your suggestion about a short video is a very good one. A brief demo showing the standout features, intended use cases, and real-world benefits would probably communicate the product much better than a short web page alone, and that is something I am seriously considering.

Thanks again. Feedback like this is exactly what I was hoping to get at this stage.

Greg Berthume

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I also think there is an underappreciated opportunity for SQL Server software vendors to offer trusted power users a controlled, read-only query and reporting tool as part of their overall product strategy. Most vendors provide fixed reports, dashboards, SSRS reports, Crystal Reports, or an internal report writer, but those approaches still do not fully address the customer who wants to answer unique business questions on demand without waiting on the vendor.

A tool such as bsQuery can provide that missing layer. With SELECT-only access, power users can build their own ad hoc queries, exports, lightweight reports, and charts while remaining safely locked out of inserts, updates, and deletes. That gives customers more flexibility without exposing the system to the risks that come with full database tools.

For the software vendor, the benefits are meaningful. It can reduce report-request backlog, cut down on support time spent creating minor custom report variations, improve customer satisfaction, and provide a new paid add-on offering. It can also strengthen the vendor’s product positioning by showing that their system supports both everyday users and advanced analytical users.

Just as important, most end users do not have SSMS installed, and many vendors would not want them using it even if they did. A lighter, faster, simpler, branded query tool is far easier to deploy, support, and productize. That makes it a practical companion to the main application rather than a replacement for enterprise developer tools.

Viewed that way, a read-only tool like bsQuery is not just a utility for developers. It can also serve as a revenue-generating extension for software vendors who want to offer customers more reporting freedom in a controlled and supportable way.

Greg
https://datafortress.app/bsquery/bsQuery_User_Guide.html

5

I will also have a downloadable full trial available soon…

6

More detail here:

7

Hi Greg,

More than a couple of decades ago I used to provide my power users with a free copy of WinSQL, configured with a read-only login, so they could run some management queries whenever they liked. It was a really simple tool that proved invaluable for them and also helped me learn how to write SQL queries.

I couldn’t remember the name of it today and did a search for it - there are now scores of these tools available. I’ve looked at several of them recently, for other projects and most of them are pretty crap to be honest. So to my way of thinking, WinSQL is your best competitor but you’d also be competing against quite a few others.

PS: I’m not sure how devoted you are to the name? I’m sure bsQuery has some useful meaning, but over here in oz, “bs” is the polite way of saying bullshit! I guess that could make the name memorable, but might not convey the message you intend?

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The BS is for Berthume Software. bsQuery will most likely be renamed. This is a temp name.

BS in America is AKA bullshit as well. Maybe it should be NobsQuery. LOL

9

I’d say a name change is definitely in order :joy:
I see value in it the way you are pitching - a lightweight alternate.
If this were available a few years ago I would’ve considered it once the pricing was right.
I had a few users who I believe would’ve benefitted from it.
May be worth the effort to push forward. At the very least you have a tool for your own use so not a loss regardless of outcome.

10

I’ll give you my perspective as a sort of power user in a government environment6. .

  1. Read-only, i.e. limiting the ability to change or delete data, is only one of the two main reasons why the powers that be don’t want ad hoc tools. The other one is confidentiality. They don’t want vast chunks of data being copied out into Excel workbooks. Also, a lot of places will solve the read-only problem by making periodic copies of the production data that their developers can test stuff on, and that power users can run their queries on.
  2. Read-only has disadvantages. I’m probably on the powerful end of power users, but I create views and procedures in my database (where the weekly dump of production data is still read-only for me), and not being able to do that would be a big limitation.
  3. Occasionally, when people are interested in trying to do their own stuff I will help them set up SQL Developer (the free Oracle version of something like SMS), but I wouldn’t consider spending money on them. If they actually got past the point of tinkering (I’ve never had anyone past that stage) they’d probably want to keep on with the more capable version they were already used to
  4. The part of our government (OCIO) that actually looks after computer services likes having me around because otherwise they would have to deal with the many requests that come my way, but I’m a part of the furniture. Putting a tool on everyone’s desk that might just end up involving more time dealing with requests from wannabe power users may not be all that attractive.
  5. There are tools out there (BI) that position themselves as being easy for end-users to learn. They normally involve setting up a sort of data warehouse scheme and don’t require the users to learn SQL. One of the systems I have been involved in set that up invested in that. I was the only person who ever created new reports. Now if they need new stuff they go to the OCIO expert to set them up for them. One of the things that pushed them in the BI direction was that the vendor of the original system was charging them in the order of 2-3K for ad hoc reports, but I’m not sure the BI investment has broken even yet.
  6. If your target is people sort of unfamiliar with SQL, one thing you might need to focus on is error messages. The free Oracle version gives you very verbose messages about what went wrong and how you might fix it, which I find sort of annoying, but learners might not.
  7. The people with the money have probably run into people who are beguiling them with the power of AI, and how it will give users data at their fingertips without the hassle of learning SQL. Convincing them that the way of the past is still probably the way of the near future may be a tough sell.
  8. I do actually have a paid SMS-type product in addition to the free Oracle one. That’s because a few years ago the Minecraft exploit got them all worried about the security of the Java/Apache based free Oracle product. Oracle fixed their product within a few days, but three months later the OCIO insisted we stop using it and got a site license for the commercial product. They haven’t maintained it. I happily use both – they have different strengths.
    Overall, not saying that there is no one out there who would use your porduct, but I think it’s a very small niche.
11

Thanks for your thoughtful feedback Jon. All very good points.

I may just put it out there in source format for a small fee and each company/developer can do what they want with it. All it requires is Visual Studio to build it.

I did add a Power User feature that toggles between two toolbars.

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Basic query and report mode:

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Power User:

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The FULL mode option is just an INI file switch.

If off, then read-only queries else any script can be run.

Hotkeys:

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Greg