Multiple connections?

[dcookie]

Howdy. We just purchased PSD (defecting from TOAD). The one thing I really miss is the ability to open connections to multiple instances within a single invocation of PSD, and swap the connection for a particular window to any of the open sessions. For illustration, I would like to open a PSD window, and within that window open connections to DB1 and DB2 (or even DB1 as user XXX and another as user SYS) I'd like to then open a SQL window within PSD and change the database accessed by that window only. If there is no way to do this, consider this an enhancement request. It's cumbersome to have a PSD window open for every connection I want to make.

It would also be nice to be able to order the objects in the browser pane.

Finally, it seems that my custom browser filters are not persistent. Is there something I need to do to save them?

Overall, I like the product.

 

[Marco Kalter]

The one thing I really miss is the ability to open connections to multiple instances within a single invocation of PSD, and swap the connection for a particular window to any of the open sessions.

If you want to use multiple connections (with different users/databases), you need to start multiple PL/SQL Developer instances. The Windows task bar displays username@database as the title, so it easy to switch between connections. You can use connection indicators to visualize specific connections or connection classes (e.g. a red background for production databases, or orange for DBA users, and so on).

It would also be nice to be able to order the objects in the browser pane.

If you go to Tools > Browser Filters, you can change the order by clause of the filters. This controls the order in the browser.

Finally, it seems that my custom browser filters are not persistent. Is there something I need to do to save them?

When you modify them, they are implicitly saved. Are they immediately reset after restarting PL/SQL Developer?

 

[dcookie]

I appreciate the reply.

Finally, it seems that my custom browser filters are not persistent. Is there something I need to do to save them?

When you modify them, they are implicitly saved. Are they immediately reset after restarting PL/SQL Developer?

Okay, I think I see the problem. If I have multiple PSD windows open (and I've found the need to have as many as 6 going at a time), the last window closed appears to be the one that controls what is saved. That's one problem with requiring multiple PSD windows for multiple connections. Whatever your settings are in the last window closed are the settings that you see when you fire up PSD the next time. If I create the filter in a window and close that window last, it appears that the filter is saved permanently. If it's not the last PSD window closed, the filter disappears. If it were up to me, I'd have an explicit "Save Settings" button and eliminate the implicit save on close with the multiple PSD window paradigm. It's not as much an issue if I can do everything within a single PSD window. I would rarely have more than a single TOAD window going.

Back to the multiple session thing:

If you want to use multiple connections (with different users/databases), you need to start multiple PL/SQL Developer instances. The Windows task bar displays username@database as the title, so it easy to switch between connections. You can use connection indicators to visualize specific connections or connection classes (e.g. a red background for production databases, or orange for DBA users, and so on).

I understand that this is the way it works, I just find it cumbersome to cut and paste queries between PSD windows as opposed to swapping the connection for a specific window within a PSD window. It's just my perspective, of course.

On another note, another feature of TOAD that is lacking in PSD is how you execute a single statement in a SQL window. In PSD, you have to highlight the complete statement. In TOAD, all you need to do is click anywhere on the statement and execute. It does require an "Execute Selected" button along with an "Execute Window" button, but highlighting a specific statement is again cumbersome when you're used to the faster click on statement and execute.

I'm going to keep using PSD due to it's superior value, even if there are things I have to do differently or not quite as efficiently. Thanks for listening.

---dale

 

[mike]

Dale,

Did you notice the down arrow next to the key icon on the menu bar? It's not like TOAD, but it isn't too hard to switch connections with it. I have the Logon History "Store with password" preference checked so I just click the database I want.

Single statements work. Check the "AutoSelect statement" in the SQL Window preference. You need to have the ";" at the end of each statement.

Mike

 

[dcookie]

Thanks Mike. I did notice that feature when I was looking for what I wanted ;-) I would make more use of it except I don't like storing passwords for certain instances. If I could do like TOAD (is that a cussword in this forum? Should I say "That other DB product" ) and save passwords on a per-connection basis I'd probably be fairly happy.

Thanks for the hot tip on AutoSelect Statement. Just what I wanted!

 

[rbrooker]

one thing that might make this easier would be the ability to drag and drop windows across instances of PLSD.

EG. i have a package open and compiled on instance A of PLSD ( db1 ), and want it to be compiled on db2 ( instance B of PLSD ). at the moment i have to disconnect instance A from db1 and reconnect it to db2 and compile. if i could "drag" the window from instance A to instance B of PLSD, there would be no reconnecting required and the package would move from db1 to db2.

this way, you can leave instance A and instance B connected to their databases ( db1 and db2 respectively ) and still move packages / queries etc from one database to another with ease.

 

[Marco van der Linden]

@dcookie:

If you have for instance two database connections you regularly use, say prd and tst, just make seperate shortcuts for them and add the "desktop=prd" or "desktop=tst" command line switches. On restart this will ensure that the windows pertaining to either prd or tst are opened, regardsless of the order in which you have closed the PSD instances.

 

[Theod]

Hi,

usefull are also projects. At the projects-property you can store the db-connection, often used queries, scripts .....

 

[ed10k]

I agree too, it is bad:

Whatever your settings are in the last window closed are the settings that you see when you fire up PSD the next time.

PSD-developer have to do something here.