Typically I want to find text somewhere in a table or a stored procedure. There are plugins that exist to help you search — but in a pinch you can search the database manually too.
Find text referenced in any table.
SELECT DISTINCT object_name (id) AS object, text
FROM sys.syscomments ssc
INNER JOIN INFORMATION_SCHEMA.TABLES isr ON isr.TABLE_NAME = object_name(ssc.id)
WHERE text LIKE '%changeme%';Find text referenced in any stored procedure
SELECT DISTINCT object_name (id) AS object, text
FROM sys.syscomments ssc
INNER JOIN INFORMATION_SCHEMA.ROUTINES isr ON isr.ROUTINE_NAME = object_name(ssc.id)
WHERE text LIKE '%changeme%'
AND isr.ROUTINE_TYPE = 'PROCEDURE';Find text (e.g. stored proc or table name) referenced anywhere in the database. This query tends to not be specific enough, so I find myself using it rarely.
SELECT DISTINCT object_name (id) AS object, text
FROM sys.syscomments
WHERE text LIKE '%changeme%';