I do not see the available databases toolbar item in SSMS, Why?

Missing Toolbar item? NO

The SQL Server Management Studio(SSMS) is highly context sensitive.

For example, unless a Query Window is open (by creating a new query or by clicking first in the query window) the menu item Query will not be displayed.

SQLQueryeditor00

When you open a query window (by using New Query  from database or SQL Server
instance node) then you will see the Query menu item.

SQLQueryeditor01

In a similar manner depending on how whether View | Toolbars | Sql Editor
is chosen or not you will not see the 'Available databases' item as shown in the
next image.

SQLQueryeditor01

How do you install Windows PowerShell 4.0 on Windows 7?

Windows PowerShell 3.0 is installed on Windows 7 by default but not Windows PowerShell 4.0.
You can check for version and verify if you have Windows PowerShell 4.0 as detailed in the following post:
http://hodentekhelp.blogspot.com/2014/08/if-you-have-multiple-versions-of-power.html

Review this image:

So, how do you install Windows PowerShell 4.0 on Windows 7?

First of all lets take a look at what are the new features that we can use in Windows PowerShell 4.0
Here are the Windows PowerShell 4.0 new features:

 •Support for workflow and remote script debugging
•Improved workflow authoring experience to make it more consistent with script authoring
•Added PipelineVariable as a common parameter
•Better support for downloading updatable help by using Save-Help and Update-Help in offline scenarios
•Updated version from 3.0 to 4.0
•Several bug fixes and performance improvements

Read more here:
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=40855

In order to get Windows PowerShell 4.0 you need to install Windows Management Framework 4.0. This can be installed on Windows 7 SP1.
 I am not focussing on Windows Servers for this post.
It is not available for Windows 8.0 but installs by default when you upgrade to Windows 8.1

 

You can download WMF 4.0 from the previous link.
The download  has multiple files as shown here:

WMF40files.png

Installing WMF 40 confers the following functionality:
•Windows PowerShell 4.0
•Windows PowerShell ISE
•Windows PowerShell Web Services (Management OData IIS Extension)
•Windows Remote Management (WinRM)
•Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI)
•The Server Manager WMI provider
•A new feature for 4.0, Windows PowerShell Desired State Configuration (DSC)

You have a much more power full interface now.
 

How do you create a database in SQL Server using Power Shell?

Review this previous post    http://hodentekmsss.blogspot.com/2014/11/accessing-sql-server-via-smo-using.html

In the above post you will get an introduction to Power Shell and SQL Server management Objects. You also learn how to access the SQL Server and carry out a few tasks like listing out all the databases.

In this post you will learn how to create a new database in SQL Server using SMO and Power Shell. Using Transact-SQL or the SSMS you can easily create a database. Using PowerShell is another option to create a database using a script.

Launch Power Shell by right clicking the instance node as shown.

PS_SMO_DB01

This ensures that you have access to the SQLServer's SMO library.

You will be launching the shell with the following line:
PS SQLSERVER:\SQL\HODENTEK8\REGENCYPARK>

Enter the following code one line at a time. After you enter the line and click enter you may not get any message. Continue with the other lines.

$server= new-object Microsoft.Sqlserver.management.smo.server 'Hodentek8\RegencyPark'
$dbname= "Feb6"
$db=new-object  Microsoft.Sqlserver.management.smo.Database ($server,$dbname)
$db.Create()

When the final command line is processed you will have created a new database Feb6 in your SQL Server Instance as shown. It will have default settings.

PS_SMO_DB02

How can I connect to an Microsoft EXCEL file on my Windows 8.1 laptop?

If you have Office running on your laptop it should be immediately possible and you would not be asking this question. Although you do not have Office sometimes you may want to connect to it.
For example you may use a Export/Import wizard to create a Excel file from the data on your SQL server. In such cases you come up with the following error:

Excel11

You will find that there are no ODBC (x64) drivers on your machine which will enable to correct this error and you need to download and register them on your computer. Open ODBC Manager on your computer and verify.

 

Internet search reveals that you can download the Access driver (Microsoft Access Database Engine 2010 Redistributable) from here:
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=13255


AccessDriver

The details of this driver are shown here from the Microsoft site. This installation will provide drivers for office applicaitions including MS ACCESS and MS EXCEL.

Download and install the AccessDatabaseEngine_x64.exe file and double click the file to run the program.

Excel 22

This will install the Microsoft EXCEL and Microsoft ACCESS drivers needed for connectivity.



 

How popular is JavaScript?

It has gained lot of popularity because of the many libraries developed such as jQuery, Bootstrap, Node.JS, Win.JS, dojo etc. Together with HTML5 it has become all the more popular for web development.

The popularity of a programming language is described by an index called the TIOBE Index.
TIOBE index provides a measure for the popularity of programming languages as mined from search engines. It includes many browser results as well as many programming languages. The index is published every month and for the month of January you can find it here:
http://www.tiobe.com/index.php/content/paperinfo/tpci/index.html

Programming languages C and Java are the top dogs and Javascript jumped from 9 to 7 in January 2015 and C# steady from 2014 to 2015 at 5.

TIOBE Index is calculated by the query +"Language> programming" to the search engines.

Get more info on TIOBE herre:
http://www.tiobe.com/index.php/content/products/tics/TICS_framework.html

Where do I find the C# Compiler on my computer?

The C# compiler CSC.exe is found here:
  C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319\Csc.exe

This is on a Windows 8.1 Professional machine.

In any case search in this folder by changing the directory as shown below
C:/ cd %Windir%/Microsoft.NET/Framework

You may find more than one Framework on your computer
The one shown in the beginning of this post is for version 4.0.30319

Can I work on Stored Procedures using LinqPad?

Of course you can. In LinqPad version 4.51.03 you can easily run stored procedures you have created using both SQL and C# Expression.

For example, after connecting to AdvventureWorks2012 database I can see all the stored procedures. Right clicking a stored procedure and choosing StoredProceedureName(...) drop-down, you display the stored procedure in the query window. You need to insert the parameters inside the parenthesis containing the ellipsis and run the query.

Examples are shown in the following two posts:

http://hodentekmsss.blogspot.com/2015/01/learn-querying-sql-server-2012-using.html

http://hodentekmsss.blogspot.com/2015/01/learn-querying-sql-server-2012-using_25.html