Query Analyzer includes time-saving shortcuts to two online Help files: Transact-SQL Help and Object Help. To access Transact-SQL Help in SQL Server 2000, 7.0, and 6.5, type a T-SQL statement such as
SELECT * FROM TRADE
Select the T-SQL command (e.g., SELECT in the example above) and press SHIFT+F1, and you'll get Help topics for the command.
To access Object Help in SQL Server 2000 and 6.5, open Query Analyzer, then type a T-SQL statement like the example above. Select the object name (e.g., TRADE in the example), and press ALT+F1 to execute the sp_help stored procedure against the object. This stored procedure returns full object details such as column, index, and constraint definitions. To provide this facility, SQL Server 2000 uses a new feature called query shortcuts. Microsoft has predefined a few shortcuts: ALT+F1, which executes sp_help; CTRL+1, which executes sp_who; and CTRL+2, which executes sp_lock. To configure additional query shortcuts in Query Analyzer, open the Tools menu, select Customize, and click the Custom tab. Unfortunately, Object Help isn't included in SQL Server 7.0.
—Terry Catt
terry.catt@selectstar.co.uk