CS2 to TDM3 - Ton of questions :)

Toad Data Modeler
1

Hello,
I’d consider myself a power user of CS2. I’ve used, scripted and customized it for 4-5 years and it’s one of my favorite tools.

Now as I need more licenses, I finally tried to go with TDM3. All the new concepts and features feel great, but I can’t get my work done as fast as I could with CS2. So I have a couple of questions and comments on things, which I could not figure out in the few hours I used TDM3 yet:

1.) Is there a way to get the old keyboard shortcuts back? Can keyboard bindings be customized at all?

2.) Where is the function behind the old “m” shortcut gone, to create an assignment table between 2 other tables?

3.) Creating a new entity with a single PK column and naming that PK constraint to a given pattern now requires a lot of clicks and switching between tabs. There is always a “Key1” key. How can I make that named pk_? And how can I assign a column to it more quickly? (Clicking a PK icon in the attributes list or something similar). Why is there a “Key1” by default at all?

4.) Though I think I understood the new concept of the Property dialogs, that I don’t have to close them at all and I can have multiple instances of it… but still… can I have it _not _ remember the last active tab and always go to the “Attributes” tab on open?

5.) How can I adjust zoom with keyboard or mouse wheel? I can’t stand clicking icons for that…

6.) What is the keyboard shortcut for View->Move? Clicking an icon for that is pain full and takes to much time.

7.) Using “Default Values for Class” in “Attributes Properties” I defined Not NULL as default. It works, but when adding an attribute via the Enitity Properties dialog, the NOT NULL checkbox does not show that until a reopen of the dialog. I think that might be a bug.

8.) Using “Default Values for Class” in “Attributes Properties” again, how can I define a default data type? I put “Varchar” as value, but that seems not what it expects.

9.) When deleting a relationship, the attributes the relationship added to the child entity remain in the child. How can I get rid of that behaviour?

10.) Sometimes property boxes do not redraw properly, might be a Vista thing.

11.) I’m using the current beta, it throws Access Violation here and there. I’ve never seen such things in CS2. Is the beta supposed to be kinda unstable?

12.) I edited some functions in PERCodeGeneratorPG. Do I really have to copy the whole script, or can I just overload / replace a single function? I feel I missed something here.

Thanks in advance.

Message was edited by: hannesd

Message was edited by: hannesd

2

Hello,
Thanks for your feedback. :slight_smile:

Let me reply.

All the new concepts and features feel great, but I can't get my work done as fast as I could with CS2.

Yes, as you can see, TDM3 offers much more features than CS2 and therefore is not so fast as CS2. In any case, we work on the speed and optimization very hard. Some improvements should be visible in next Beta 3.2.1.
Note: TDM v3 is a new modeling tool written from scratch. It is NOT an upgrade of TDM v2 or CS2.

  1. I'm afraid, we don't plan to change the keyboard shortcuts. Some of those in CS2 have been preserved, some of them have changed. CTRL+F9 Model Verification, F9 Script generation - the same. Instead of E for entity, there is CTRL+E for entity, CTRL+R for relationship etc.

Can keyboard bindings be customized at all?

No, it's not possible. I'm sorry.

  1. At the moment M:N relationships are supported in TDM3 only in LER model.
    Requirement to support of M:N relationships in PER model has already been raised. - CR # 47 485.

  2. Unfortunately, internal macros are not supported in TDM3 now. Nevertheless, we will deal with this task in the future. CR # 38 986.
    Thank you for your patience.

Solution in current TDM3: Please find attached a script that will rename names of PK to PK_EntityName. Run the script in the Scripting Window (Tools menu).
Note: Expert Mode has to be enabled. - Select Settings | Options | General | Expert Mode checkbox.

And how can I assign a column to it more quickly?

There's no quicker way. You have to open the Key Properties dialog. The way as it is in CS2 is planned. CR # 33 525.

Why is there a "Key1" by default at all?

Yes, there is one primary key created by default in every entity (empty). It's not possible to delete it, however, it can remain empty.
Assumption - every entity should have a PK. You don't have to create it, it is there, just select an attribute for the PK.

  1. The behaviour to remember the last active tab was required by many users, therefore it behaves this way.
    I'm sorry, you will have to click the Attributes tab before you leave the dialog.

  2. Improvements on the zoom function are planned. E.g. CTRL+scroll mouse to zoom in/zoom out. - This request has CR # 37 111. We will deal with it.

  3. There's no keyboard shortcut for this. However, let me suggest you to use the Overview function (see the icon next to Loupe in the toolbar).
    Hope it will help a little.
    You can also watch this movie:
    http://modeling.inside.quest.com/entry.jspa?externalID=1674&categoryID=158

  4. What database do you use? I've just checked it out in Oracle 10 and 9 and it works fine for me.

  5. It's not possible to set default data type this way, and, unfortunately, there's no other way either. Nevertheless, this option is planned. CR # 39 515.
    Thanks for your patience.

  6. Do you use SHIFT + Delete?
    Anyway, if you just press Delete, a dialog on the deletion options should occur. I wonder if the dialog displays and what you select. Please let me know.

Generally, Delete = remove shortcut of object from particular Workspace, SHIFT+Del = delete object from model.
Please feel free to watch flash movie on shortcuts of objects:
http://modeling.inside.quest.com/entry.jspa?externalID=1669&categoryID=158

  1. What version of Vista do you use? Do you have a service pack? Thanks.

  2. Access Violation shouldn't occur here and there. Beta should be stable. Recently, there have been several 'out of memory' problems. However, as I've already written, optimization is our main priority for next v. 3.2. Some improvements will be available in next Beta. We are working on this.

Anyway, if you encounter any AV error, please describe us step by step what you did, send us a screenshot, Log.txt file... etc. - In other words, please send us more information so as we can verify it, determine where the problem is and fix it then. Thanks in advance.

  1. Please visit the Scripting and Customization discussion:
    http://modeling.inside.quest.com/forum.jspa?forumID=141&start=0
    I've talked to Fero, our expert. Feel free to join the discussions there, write him what changes you like to make. He will be pleased to help you.

Concerning the documentation, we will work on this. Still the customization and scripting features are in progress. Thanks.

Regards,

Vladka + TDM Team
RenamePrimaryKeyNames.zip (509 Bytes)