SQL Server 2017 Tutorial

Explores the new features introduced in SQL Server 2017, and demonstrates how to create databases using SQL Operations Studio (now called Azure Data Studio). Best of all, virtually all the steps in this tutorial can be done whether you're running Windows, Linux, or Mac!

Screenshot of SQL Operations Studio (SQLOPS).

One of the biggest changes introduced in SQL Server 2017 is that it now supports Linux and Docker (which means you can also run SQL Server on your Mac).

All the steps in this tutorial were done using SQL Operations Studio (now called Azure Data Studio) on a Mac. SQLOPS (and Azure Data Studio) runs on Windows, Linux, and Mac, so you should be able to follow along if you're running one of those operating systems. If you're running Linux or Mac, you should find this tutorial particularly helpful, because SSMS (the most commonly used management tool for SQL Server) doesn't run on Linux or Mac (it only runs on Windows).

If you use Windows, you can still follow along, because Azure Data Studio is available on Windows. However, if you'd prefer to use SSMS, check out the SQL Server 2016 Tutorial. The steps in that tutorial should also work with SQL Server 2017, as the differences between SQL Server 2017 and 2016 are not so significant that they change the basic functionality of SQL Server.

This tutorial assumes a basic understanding of databases and how they work, but it does not assume any prior experience with SQL Server 2017 or previous editions.

If you don't know how databases work, start with the database tutorial first.

Tutorials for other versions of SQL Server