Contextual object definitions from plan nodes and query editor

[erikdarlingdata]

Feature Request

Add the ability to view table structure, indexes, and object definitions directly from the plan viewer and query editor — without leaving the app.

Concept

When you're analyzing a plan and see a clustered index scan on dbo.Posts, you should be able to right-click and see what indexes exist on that table without switching to SSMS. The goal is contextual access to schema information, not an object explorer.

Plan viewer context menu (on operator nodes)

Right-click an operator that references a table or object:

• Show Indexes — all indexes on the table with key columns, include columns, filter, and size. This is the most valuable one — the whole point of plan analysis is deciding whether to add an index, and you can't answer that without knowing what already exists.
• Show Table Definition — columns, data types, nullability, computed columns
• Show Object Definition — for UDFs, views, TVFs, stored procedures referenced in the plan. Uses OBJECT_DEFINITION().

Query editor context menu

Right-click a table or object name in the SQL text:

• Same options as above, using the active connection

Display

A lightweight read-only panel — either a flyout/popup anchored to the click location, or a new sub-tab in the current session. Not a separate window. Should be dismissible and non-intrusive.

Data sources

Simple DMV queries against the connected server:

• sys.indexes + sys.index_columns + sys.columns for index info
• sys.columns + sys.types for table definition
• OBJECT_DEFINITION() for proc/view/function text
• sys.dm_db_index_usage_stats for read/write counts (bonus: shows if an index is actually used)

Scope constraint

Strictly contextual — only accessible from objects visible in the plan or query text. This is not an object explorer and should never become one. If someone wants to browse the full schema, they have SSMS for that.

Requires

• Active server connection (same as Actual Plan / Query Store features)
• Database context from the plan XML or the editor connection

Migrated from plan-b#4