Working with the Scratch pad

The Scratch pad in SQL Tran provides a powerful, real-time SQL editing environment designed for experimentation, testing, and rapid iteration. It acts as a sandbox where you can write and evaluate SQL code independently of the source and target database states.

When you enter code in the source editor in the Scratch pad (source pane), SQL Tran immediately translates it into the target SQL dialect (target pane), applying all necessary transformations and emulations to ensure compatibility with the configured target environment (e.g., Microsoft Fabric Warehouse).

This real-time translation enables quick validation of code changes, making it an ideal space for exploring how SQL Tran adapts and emulates different SQL constructs.

Importantly, code created in the Scratch pad:

• Does not alter the actual source or target databases — it remains entirely isolated.

• Can reference and interact with existing objects from the source database — just like regular project code would.

• Is project-specific and persisted, ensuring that each project maintains its own independent Scratch pad that you can return to at any time.

The Scratch pad also benefits from SQL Tran’s advanced integrated development environment (IDE) capabilities. As you type, the built-in static analysis engine validates your code in real time, detecting syntax errors and unresolved references, and providing immediate feedback through underlining and annotations.

This ensures that your code is not only syntactically correct but also semantically aware of database structure.

Testing table creation code in "Scratch pad"

(Note: The Scratch pad feature is available only in the SQL Tran BYOL (Bring Your Own License) version of SQL Tran.)