Feature Request – Optional Vertical tab list view for Open Windows

[adrian_star]

Hello,
I would like to propose an enhancement to the window management interface in PL/SQL Developer.

Current behavior​

Currently, open documents (SQL Windows, Program Windows, Command Windows, etc.) are displayed as horizontal tabs at the top of the main workspace. While this layout works well for a small number of open windows, it becomes less efficient when many tabs are open simultaneously. In such cases:

• Tab titles become truncated
• Navigation becomes slower
• It is harder to visually distinguish between similar object names
• Excessive horizontal scrolling may be required

Proposed enhancement​

Introduce an optional Vertical Tab List View mode.
Instead of displaying open windows as horizontal tabs, users could switch to a vertical list panel that:

• Displays all open windows in a vertical list
• Can be docked (left or right side)
• Has adjustable width
• Shows full object names (or at least significantly longer portions)
• Supports quick switching between windows
• Optionally supports grouping or filtering

This panel could function similarly to existing dockable windows such as:

• Object Browser
• Connections
• Project window

Benefits​

A vertical list view would:

• Allow significantly more open windows to be visible at once
• Improve readability of long object names
• Improve workflow efficiency for developers working with many objects simultaneously
• Reduce cognitive load when navigating between multiple SQL or program windows
• Better utilize widescreen monitor layouts (which are common in modern workstations)

Business and productivity justification​

In enterprise environments, developers frequently:

• Work with many packages, views, and scripts simultaneously
• Compare multiple object definitions
• Navigate between related SQL windows
• Maintain several debugging or analysis sessions in parallel

The current horizontal tab approach scales poorly beyond a moderate number of open windows.
A vertical, dockable tab list would provide:

• Improved usability
• Better scalability
• More efficient screen space usage
• A modernized user interface experience

This feature would significantly enhance productivity for power users and align PL/SQL Developer with modern IDE usability standards.
Thank you for considering this enhancement.

Best regards,
Adrian

 

[WexSoft]

This feature is already there - click on View\Window List