The MSSQL Extension for VS Code continues to evolve, delivering features that make SQL development more integrated, more consistent, and more developer-friendly. In version v1.36.0, we’re announcing the Public Preview of Fabric Connectivity (Browse), SQL Database in Fabric Provisioning, and GitHub Copilot Slash Commands — three capabilities that bring Microsoft Fabric and AI-powered assistance directly into your development workflow inside Visual Studio Code.
What’s new in MSSQL extension for VS Code v1.36
This release introduces three major capabilities designed to streamline the SQL development experience:
- Fabric Connectivity (Public Preview) — Browse and connect to Fabric workspaces directly from the Connection dialog using Microsoft Entra ID, with tree-view navigation and search.
- SQL Database in Fabric Provisioning (Public Preview) — Create new SQL databases in Fabric directly from the Deployments page, with instant connection in VS Code.
- GitHub Copilot Slash Commands (Public Preview) — Use structured slash commands in GitHub Copilot Agent Mode to connect, explore schemas, and run queries directly from chat.
In addition to these major features, this release includes multiple quality and performance improvements:
- Enhanced performance and usability of the query results grid.
- Fixed accessibility issues affecting error messages and UI feedback.
- Addressed edge case errors in GitHub Copilot Agent Mode when switching connections.
Fabric Connectivity (Public Preview)
The MSSQL extension for Visual Studio Code now includes Fabric connectivity, making it easier than ever to browse and connect to your Fabric workspaces directly from your development environment. This new integration eliminates the friction of connection strings and brings Fabric resources into the familiar VS Code experience.
With this update, you can authenticate once, browse all your workspaces in an intuitive tree view, and establish connections to your Fabric resources in just a few clicks—all without leaving VS Code.
Key highlights
- Dedicated Fabric Experience – A new “Fabric” connection type joins the existing “Parameters” and “Azure” options in the connection dialog.
- Seamless Authentication – Leverage Microsoft Entra ID for secure, one-click authentication with persistent sign-in.
- Intelligent Workspace Browsing – Explore Fabric workspaces in an intuitive tree view that loads resources on-demand.
- Smart Search & Discovery – Find workspaces quickly with real-time search and relevant results at the top.
- Cross-extension Support – Use the “Open in MSSQL” option directly from the Fabric extension or Portal.
SQL database in Fabric Provisioning (Public Preview)
With Fabric Provisioning, you can now create SQL databases in Fabric without leaving VS Code. The new provisioning flow allows you to authenticate, s
elect or create a workspace, name your database, and connect instantly—all in under three minutes.
By bringing provisioning directly into the Deployments page, this experience eliminates the need to use the Fabric Portal or Azure Portal, reducing context switching and making early prototyping significantly faster.
Key highlights
- Simple Provisioning Flow – Authenticate, select or create a workspace, name your database, and create.
- Immediate Connection – The new database is automatically added to your connections for instant querying.
- Consistent Experience – Provisioning flow aligns with other backend options, like local SQL Server containers.
- Capacity Awareness – Disabled workspaces are clearly shown with guidance if capacity isn’t available.
GitHub Copilot Slash Commands (Public Preview)
The MSSQL extension now contributes slash commands to GitHub Copilot Agent Mode, giving you a faster, more structured way to interact with your databases directly in chat. Instead of typing full prompts, you can invoke commands like /connect, /listDatabases, or /runQuery to perform common tasks with less effort and greater predictability.
Key highlights
- Connection management – Establish, switch, or disconnect database connections with structured commands.
- Schema exploration – List schemas, tables, views, functions, or generate schema diagrams directly in chat.
- Query execution – Run queries or request optimizations with simple commands.
Other updates
- Connection reliability – Fixed issues that prevented users from establishing connections.
- Fabric connectivity stability – Resolved query failures when working with Fabric tables.
- Authentication persistence – Fixed a bug where saved passwords were lost after failed connections.
- Performance & memory – Addressed excessive memory usage and unresponsive queries.
Conclusion
The v1.36 release marks a major milestone by introducing Fabric Connectivity (Browse), SQL Database in Fabric Provisioning, and GitHub Copilot Slash Commands in Public Preview. Together, these capabilities simplify connectivity, accelerate prototyping, and bring AI-powered assistance directly into your SQL development workflows in VS Code. Combined with important reliability fixes, this update makes the MSSQL extension more powerful, stable, and developer-friendly than ever.
If there’s something you’d love to see in a future update, here’s how you can contribute:
- 💬 GitHub discussions – Share your ideas and suggestions to improve the extension
- ✨ New feature requests – Request missing capabilities and help shape future updates
- 🐞 Report bugs – Help us track down and fix issues to make the extension more reliable
Want to see these features in action?
Thanks for being part of the journey—happy coding! 🚀
Microsoft