First Published 28 Aug 2024	Last Updated 21 Feb 2026	Difficulty level :   Easy

Section Links (on this page):
        Introduction
        Main Features
        Command Palette
        Changes, Known Issues and Bug Fixes
        How to Disable Monaco
        Feedback

1.   Introduction	Return To Top

This is the first part of a series of articles about the Monaco SQL Editor. It is the second of two significant new features which were added to Access 365 in the autumn of 2024.

See my separate article on the Modern Chart Improvements feature which rolled out to current channel users in late September 2024 with version 2409 build 18025.20104.

The Monaco SQL Editor rolled out to current channel users with version 2410 build 18129.20116 released on 28 October 2024. Many improvements have been made since the initial launch.

This first article describes the main features of the new editor and shows how these are a significant improvement over the old legacy SQL editor.

By default, Monaco is enabled in all existing and new databases that are trusted. It is not currently possible to disable Monaco globally for all databases.

As with any major new feature, a number of issues have been reported. It would be reasonable to suggest Monaco has had more issues than most features though these are mostly now fixed.
The second article in this series provides an ongoing list of the main changes, known issues and bug fixes.

The third article describes three major improvements that were added to the Monaco editor several months after the initial launch. These are partial execution of query SQL, expanded (pretty) formatting and speedy loading. The fourth article explains how the new speedy loading feature works.

The official Microsoft documentation is available at: Use the Monaco SQL query editor - Microsoft Support

2.   Main Features	Return To Top

The Monaco SQL Editor is the code editor from Visual Studio Code which has been adapted for Access. It has standard IDE functionality such as syntax highlighting, IntelliSense and autocomplete. The most obvious change is the use of color for different sections of the query SQL.


When using the Colorful theme, the colors used include:
•   Keywords (SELECT, FROM, WHERE etc) in BLUE
•   Operators (INNER/LEFT/RIGHT JOIN, LIKE, NOT etc) now also in BLUE in all themes. Changed from PURPLE and before that PALE GRAY to improve legibility.
•   Functions e.g. Replace / IIf in MAGENTA
•   String values in RED
•   Number / date values in GREEN
•   Nested brackets (various colors in matching pairs)

The background colour (and some foreground colors) also change according to the Office theme in use. For example using the black theme:


The Monaco SQL editor has limited support for comments (in GREEN). Comments are only allowed at the start of a standard Access query.
NOTE: For remote (passthrough) queries, comments are allowed anywhere in the query. For example:


Both of these comment syntaxes are valid:--Example Comment and /*Example Comment*/. Multi-line (block) comments are also allowed.
However, the following HTML comment syntax causes an error:


The font size may be increased using Ctrl + or decreased using Ctrl –

Line breaks and indentations can be added where this helps improve the legibility of lengthy SQL clauses.

After indenting part of a SQL clause, a downward arrow and control tip text appears if you hover over the space to the right of the line number.
Click the arrow to collapse the indented SQL range.


The arrow changes to horizontal, the control tip is updated and the line now ends in an ellipsis...


Another benefit is that if you then save the query, this formatting is (usually) retained when the query is reopened.

The Monaco SQL Editor can be toggled on/off using the checkbox in Access Options | Current Database:


The change becomes effective after reopening any query in SQL view. This is the same query SQL as in the previous screenshot but with the Monaco editor disabled:


For security reasons, the Monaco editor is NOT available in an untrusted database. The checkbox is not visible until it is trusted:


The Monaco editor can also be enabled / disabled in code. To disable the editor, use the following code:

Application.SetOption "Option to enable Monaco SQL Editor", False

To enable Monaco in code, just set the property True.

3.   Command Palette	Return To Top

Using the right click context menu or clicking F1 gives access to the command palette with many additional options.
The most recently used options are listed at the top.



Here are a few examples of using the command palette to find/highlight all occurrences of a string and identify colors used by the editor:

a)   Highlight all occurrences of the string 'First'


b)   Find and highlight next occurrence of the string 'ObjName'


c)   Identify color used for predefined functions e.g. Mod


d)   Use Intellisense to list available table, field and control names


e)   Indent parts of the query SQL


NOTE:
1.   For security reasons, the Monaco editor is NOT available in an untrusted database and the checkbox option shown above is not visible.
      First trust the database by clicking Enable Content or moving it to a trusted location, then tick the Enable Monaco SQL Editor checkbox.

2.   The feature is only available in Access 365.
      Users running the same queries in other versions of Access (including Access 2024) will continue to see the existing monochrome SQL editor:

4.   Changes, Known Issues and Bug Fixes	Return To Top

As stated above, since it was launched the Monaco SQL editor has had a significant number of issues and bugs, many of which have since been fixed.

Full details about all known issues and bug fixes have now been moved to the second part of this article:   Monaco SQL Editor - Changes, Known Issues and Bug Fixes

5.   How to Disable Monaco	Return To Top

You may prefer to disable Monaco if any of the known issues cause significant problems. This can be done by either unticking the checkbox in Access Options or using code:

Application.SetOption "Option to enable Monaco SQL Editor", False

However, at present, the option to disable Monaco only applies to the current database.

The Access team has been asked to reconsider this decision so that users can choose to disable Monaco globally if it does not meet their needs.

6.   Feedback	Return To Top

Please use the E-Mail button in the contact form below to let me know whether you found this article useful or if you have any questions.

Also, if you discover any further bugs not listed in the second article, please use the E-Mail button below to provide me with the details. I will pass on any issues to the Access team.

Please also consider making a donation towards the costs of maintaining this website. Thank you.

Colin Riddington	Mendip Data Systems	Last Updated 21 Feb 2026

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