“Create new table” is not visible on SSMS 2016 for SQL Server 2008

Question

I have a shared hosting. I was happy with it. I was creating new databases on its panel and then I was managing my databases with SQL Server Management Studio. I could add new table by right clicking the database with designer.

Database is: SQL Server 10.0.2531 (SQL Server 2008 SP1 I think)

My SSMS details

Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio          13.0.15500.91
Microsoft Analysis Services Client Tools        13.0.1605.86
Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC)         10.0.10586.0
Microsoft MSXML                                 3.0 6.0 
Microsoft Internet Explorer                     9.11.10586.0
Microsoft .NET Framework                        4.0.30319.42000
Operating System                                6.3.10586

I have updated my SSMS to 2016. But now, when I right click on my database, there is no "New -> Table menu". The right-click menu is only "Filter, Start Powershell, Report and Refresh"

Now I can create new table by New Query menu (by writing query), but where is my "New -> Table menu"? Is this a security issue ?

Answer 1

There is a bug reported for this issue

connect.microsoft.com

social.msdn

Answer 2

In SSMS you can use a SQL script to create a new table because that processing is done on the server. However, SSMS provides the capability to add a table, here the User interface has to be developed to provide the necessary features for each version of SQL Server, this obviously has an overhead. So gradually older versions get dropped.

SSMS for SQL 2012 did not provide support for SQL Server 2005.

Now as Damien_The_Unbeliever points out SSMS for SQL Server 2016 supports all supported versions of SQL Server. But this is for "Mainstream Support End Date", so alas, SQL Server 2012 is the last version that has full UI support.

Still you can have mulitple versions of SSMS installed, just like you may need to keep BIDS as well as Data Tools installed to maintain older verions of SSIS