Some enhancement requests:
Hi,
In 6.2, the ‘Do not show DB Navigator Window after connection’ preference would be replaced with ‘Show Code Editor after connection’. Unselect this option will show DB Nav tree after connection. Is it good enough for you?
We tried to move the ‘x’ to individual tabs when we were developing 6.0 but it wasn’t welcomed by our beta community. Anyone agrees with mgriffore?
I will log a request for the ‘…’ more tabs button to be removed when there’s only 1 tab.
Gwen
Gwen,
The first point is really about what window(s) should be opened after connecting to a DB. Right now you have the choice between the DB Navigator or a Code Editor. Except for the possibly confusing wording in the preferences, this works for me…
For the second point raised (close button/icon for individual tabs), I’d go with the way modern web browsers like Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Apple’s Safari behave (they all have a close “thingy” on each tab). It might make the UI of Sqlnav feel more familiar…
As for the third point, I have no opinion (as I rarely use it, anyway).
Gwen
I agree with Dominique for the first two items.
The last one is the “common way” to deal with tabs.
As Dominique said “It might make the UI of Sqlnav feel more familiar…”
I think that The 6.* version is much more intuitive for the first time user.
It’s amazing that most of the last posts are more UI related than BD related.
Besides the lack of some BD features, that I already mention is others posts, I think that SQLNav is a very complete PL/SQL developer environment.
That said, I think that from this forums (that have a quite small participation) I would advice that the 6.2 version, besides fixing the errors in the Advices and formatter, should focus in the UI.
Can we already know what is planned for that release?
Thanks
Filipe
FROM cmnt_dim a
ORDER BY a. <- this will not initiate the dot lookup window
Gwen,
A couple of issues/questions/bugs…
I’m a little confused about the DB Navigator vs. Code Editor issue. I have deselected the ‘Do not show DB Navigator Window after connection’ checkbox expecting the DB Navigator to show up first, not the empty code editor, but it doesn’t (assuming checking the box works as desired). In fact it’s very irritating that the code editor comes up at all because that assumes that you’re starting a “new” piece of code or sql every time you run sqlnav. I on the other hand rarely write a sql query from scratch. I typically hit F3 on a table from the navigator and let sqlnav write the sql for me then add the where clause etc.
When extracting DDL, what happened to the “Extract DDL Editors” section of the “Extract DDL” window that contained the two properties: Extract DDL to the same Editor and New Editor for each object? I am VERY disappointed that those are gone - I’m a data warehouse guy and I use those ALL the time. Please bring them back or tell me where they went. - thx
There appears to be a bug related to the “Dot Lookup” when doing an “ORDER BY” on a table. The “WHERE” clause will bring it up but not “ORDER BY”
SELECT a.cmnt_id, a.cmnt_txt, a.cmnt_md5, a.create_dtm, a.create_usr, a.last_upd_dtm, a.last_upd_usr
4. How can I remove the “Toolbox” button on the right margin?
Otherwise I like this version so far 
Thanks for letting me rant,
John
Hi John,
I don’t think it’s a good idea not only to (auto-)hide, but to remove the Toolbox completely. Toolbox is probably a lot more valuable than you think. It’s not just DB Explorer, but also Code Explorer, Outline, History… If we provided an option to remove it, then we must provide an option to bring it back easily, like a button.
Speaking of moving the tabs to the bottom - well, we already have a tab bar at the bottom (for sub-tabs). Putting another row of tabs there would look ugly. We could swap those tab bars, but having ‘sub-tabs’ above would be even more confusing. BTW what do you mean by ‘move the code editor tabs BACK to the bottom’ ? Did we ever have tabs in the code editor in any previous versions?
Regards,
Roman
Hi John,
In 6.0, the Toolbox was added to the code editor so that everything is centralized in one window. The DB Explorer should be a sufficient replacement of the DB Navigator. Hence, it made sense at that point in time to show Code Editor first. When this version was released, we got a few complaints from old Nav users that they prefer the DB Nav tree so we did make plan to change this preference a bit. For 6.2, this preference would be “Show Code Editor after connection (Unselect to show DB Navigator instead)”. I believe this will satisfy your request.
Another big change in 6.0 is to go from windows layout to tab layout. As you may have known, eveytime you open a new code editor, it would be opened as a new tab instead of a new window. That’s why these preferences were taken out. Nonetheless, there’s still an option that’s equivalent to “New Editor for each object” and it is “New tab in the code editor for each object”. It’s the third one down from the top.
3.This seems to be a bug. I will raise a CR for this.
4.At the moment, Toolbox can only be unpinned.
5.We have plan to bring the window layout back. The user can choose to use windows layout like 5.5 or the new tab layout. Personally, I don’t think the tabs occupy that much space unless you have a few open and they expanded into mutiple lines. If that’s the case, untick the option to “Allow tab items to expand onto multiple lines”
Hope this helps,
Gwen
Hey Gwen,
I have to preface my previous comments by saying that I’m an old sql nav user and I’m a little set in my ways - so part of my problem is getting used to the “enhancements”!
In 6.0, the Toolbox was added to the code editor so that everything is centralized in one window. The DB Explorer should be a sufficient replacement of the DB Navigator. Hence, it made sense at that point in time to show Code Editor first. When this version was released, we got a few complaints from old Nav users that they prefer the DB Nav tree so we did make plan to change this preference a bit. For 6.2, this preference would be “Show Code Editor after connection (Unselect to show DB Navigator instead)”. I believe this will satisfy your request. Yes!!
Another big change in 6.0 is to go from windows layout to tab layout. As you may have known, eveytime you open a new code editor, it would be opened as a new tab instead of a new window. That’s why these preferences were taken out. Nonetheless, there’s still an option that’s equivalent to “New Editor for each object” and it is “New tab in the code editor for each object”. It’s the third one down from the top.
3.This seems to be a bug. I will raise a CR for this. Great - thx!
4.At the moment, Toolbox can only be unpinned. I’ll learn to live with it.
5.We have plan to bring the window layout back. The user can choose to use windows layout like 5.5 or the new tab layout. Personally, I don’t think the tabs occupy that much space unless you have a few open and they expanded into mutiple lines. If that’s the case, untick the option to “Allow tab items to expand onto multiple lines”
I’m getting used to them already…
Hope this helps,
Gwen
Gwen,
In response to #2 I’m not sure I understand. I was asking about the Extract DDL feature in which I could select several tables then right-click and hit “Extract DDL” then on the property sheet choose the option that would combine them into one script or Code editor. This way I only have one script I can in another environment or save off to version control. I’m really bummed this is gone.
John
Hi John,
There’s a preference in Extract DDL > General called “New tab in the Code Editor for each object”. Make sure this option is not selected, select a couple of tables and choose Extract DDL --> they would be combined all in one script. Tick this option and it will output each table’s script in a separate editor. In short, the feature is still there. It only works a bit different from the previous version.
Gwen
Hi Filipe,
Sorry it took me a while to compose a reply for your answer. It’s a hard question by the way.
In 6.2, we will introduce a couple of new things such as: redesign of project manager, oracle logon (including direct connection), Import/Export table. We’re also looking into changing the tab arrangement for code editors because so many customers out there prefer the window arrangement of 5.5. Of course we will not get rid of the tabs but we will make sure users have the choice to go back to the old layout if they want. In 6.2 we will continue to do bug fixed and bring back functionalities that have been lost since 5.5 such as printing data grid, syntax highlighting preferences, multiple scripts execution, etc…Currently we’re hoping to complete around 150 CRs.
Regarding the Formatter, most of the Advice and formatter issues cannot be fixed in 6.2 exept two of them(advice rule 106 issue and place header tagline back to top). This is quite unfortunate but this tool is developed by a separate team in Belgium and they told us that they can’t make it in time for 6.2.
Cheers
Gwen
Gwen
Thanks for your replay
Do you know if at least the missing Code Review Options (like 307) will be the 6.2?
Thanks again
Filipe
Hi Filipe,
We’re checking with the Formatter team regrading this issue. I will let you know when I get a reply.
Gwen
Message was edited by: Gwen