Feature Requests

[asgeo1]

Hi there,

We recently bought PL/SQL Developer and are very happy with it.

However, as a long-time oracle application developer, there are few features that I feel are missing which I would like to request.

The following is my list. I hope it is not too long, but I only want to help you guys improve your product as it is definitely the best on the market.

I also hope that some of the items on my list are just a misunderstanding that I have - if so, please accept my apology and direct me to what I should be doing!

Regards,
-adam

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FEATURE REQUEST:

• There doesn't seem to be anyway to see what date a table/view whatever was created or last modified
• Analyze table (browser extension has this, but it can't do multiple tables at once!)
• Ability to modify tablespaces
• Export User Objects does not export grants
• "View SQL" button on edit object, does not show grants either (except for tables/views)
• SQL Grid does not allow user to page through long results using PgDown/PgUp. User has to click green arrow buttons or press Alt-PgDown. (Perhaps that is the point, but I think PgDown/PgUp would be better)
• Order by on column for SQL Window only orders the values on that page, not order whole result set
• Window List should have a 'X' button on each window item to easily close them (right click, close, on window items is anoying)
• When I view PL/SQL package/procedure etc, it opens code in read only mode (good), but then it would be good if there was a toggle to turn window into edit mode so I didn't have to go back to the object and right click > edit
• Also if user is modifying code, there is no way to see the original code without starting new instance of the program, or export the package, etc. The software should allow two instances of the program window for any particular package; i.e. one for editing and one for viewing current source.
• SQL Text tab on session window, it would be good if there was a third window pane which showed the explain plan of that SQL text (like TOAD does)
• In the SQL Editor, it would be good if the user could create more than one custom color group
• Compare table data script fails if table contains CLOB - it would be better if the tool just ignored any clob columns and compared everything else.
• External tools cannot load pl/sql package, IF that package isn't saved to a file. It would be good if it simply transferred content from PL/SQL window to external tool (i.e. like Vim), perhaps via temporary file
• It would be good if the editor had column editing. It is possible to select columns (holding alt) and then using cut/copy/paste. But it would be much more useful to highlight a column, press "A" or something to start appending text to the end of each line of the selected column. Or "I" to start typing and insert text at the start of each line of the selection. Like Vim does!
• When coloring connection it can color the editor background, but that is a bit too much color overload. Could it instead color the background of the object browser. I like the concept so I can tell PROD/TEST/DEV regions, but don't want too much color overload.
• On the user table, it would be good if it showed which were invalid users and locked accounts
• "safe compilation" does not work if package contains references to procedures declared in package body, but not in package spec
• The free version of ExamDiff is lame because it does not highlight the differences within a particular line. I.e. the whole line is highlighted, but you can't see which part of the line was changed. Free diff tools like WinMerge are better - is it possible to integrate PL/SQL developer with WinMerge rather than ExamDiff ?
• Compare user objects appears to be backwards. I.e. If you want to apply changes from one schema to another, you need to be logged in as the source schema. I think logging in as the destination schema would be more useful. Or at least allow the user to select weather the session they are logged in as is the source/destination.

 

[Marco Kalter]

I have added this to the list of enhancement requests. Some remarks:

There doesn't seem to be anyway to see what date a table/view whatever was created or last modified

Right-click on the object and select "Properties" from the popup menu.

Window List should have a 'X' button on each window item to easily close them (right click, close, on window items is anoying)

Shift-click in the window list will also close the window.

When I view PL/SQL package/procedure etc, it opens code in read only mode (good), but then it would be good if there was a toggle to turn window into edit mode so I didn't have to go back to the object and right click > edit

There is a "Toggle Read-Only" Plug-In available from BAR Solutions.

When coloring connection it can color the editor background, but that is a bit too much color overload. Could it instead color the background of the object browser. I like the concept so I can tell PROD/TEST/DEV regions, but don't want too much color overload.

You can alternatively color the application background and/or an indicator on the toolbar.

 

[a_kassabian]

I would like to add a couple of my own:

1. Allow users to edit views the way you can edit tables (i.e., attach comments to columns, modify object privileges, etc.). Currently, the only way to do that is via direct SQL. That is pretty lame.

2. Modify the object browser to limit the number of objects retrieved. In a schema with many objects (e.g., Oracle E-Business Suite), accidentally opening the wrong folder with "All Objects" selected as the filter means you might as well kill PL/SQL Developer.

3. The "Compare User Objects" dialog (and similar) insist on listing all schema objects before they let you apply a filter. For a large schema with many objects, that means they are essentially unusable.

4. It would be great to be able to compare tables that do not have the same name. For example, I have an ETL process that moves data between two schemas. I would like to make sure the source and destination tables have the same columns with the same data types, etc. Currently, it is very hard to do.

5. Let me echo the request made by another user--Can we have the debugger display collection variables, even if the elements are record types or nested collections? That would be SO useful.

6. Oracle 11g--Please beef up the support and fix the bugs (especially with the debugger).

PL/SQL Developer is still one of the best IDEs around, especially given the price, but PLEASE PLEASE concentrate on core functionality instead of worrying about nice-to-haves like diagrams and charts.

Thanks,
Ara

 

[admin]

Ara, I agree with you about collection debugging.
It is pretty hard to debug PL/SQL code without that option.

Andrew

 

[Bruce Armstrong]

Another vote for support for showing collection values in the debugger.