I’m not sure if this is common knowledge, but you can place template parameters in your SQL scripts and evaluate them within query analyzer. I think I learned this one a long time ago from a former fantastic SysAdmin, turned DBA, turned Developer, Tyler.

Here’s an example of a short script that makes use of a template variable.

`SELECT * FROM <tableName, varchar(32), 'MyTable'>`

Paste that into SQL Query Analyzer and hit CTRL+SHIFT+M. A dialog to replace the template parameters will pop up like so

Replace Template Parameters Dialog

Just fill in the values and hit return and you’re ready to run the script.

The format for a template parameter is <parameterName, sql data type, default value>.