Save Desktop feature needed

[ashish_mistry]

Hi,
Though there are several new features that I would like in PLSQL developer. This one is really the most needed

I would like to see a "Save Desktop" or "Save Desktop As" feature

I have been using PLSQL developer for about 7 years now, recovery after a crash has never been a problem, but of late this is happening more often

Reason which I think being -
1- Having a Roaming profile on the network
2- Remote connections from home opening new terminal on my machine etc

I work on multiple applications, and multiple environments having multiple schemas,
So
- I have to keep switching from schemas
- I might have to put a Task aside for a week to work on some thing else
- Often at the end of day, or if the machine is performing is bad I might have to save everything and re-boot, but if several windows and several instances of PLSQL developer are running it becomes a difficult task

We know that PLSQL developer already saves the restore information this information in temporary folders...
Why not give it to the user, at least we had name the files with the context of the task we were working on

Apart from that - if there was a feature to drag a window from the window list to another open instance of PLSQL developer it would be great
So we could run the scripts on multiple schemas or organize easily rather than logging and disconnecting often

Thanks,
Ashish

 

[Marco van der Linden]

you can use the 'desktop' command line option in your short-cut(s). I have been using this feature with great success, creating seperate PLD shortcuts with, e.g. 'desktop=dev', 'desktop=tst' for development en test instances. This allows you to work on seperate instances and the next day have those windows open that pertain to that instance. (Unfortunately they don't work at my current location with PLD being distributed over the network)

 

[ashish_mistry]

Marco my mate

 

[Busk]

I can fully support your idea of saving and restoring a named desktop from within PLSQL/developer.

I am working with several different projects in different databases, and it would save me a lot of work in switching between databases/projects.

 

[Marco van der Linden]

If you would you the same shortcut, i.e. having the same 'desktop=' command the last program instance closed would be saved. E.g. if in the Instance 1 I have windows A and B open, then start a new Instance 2 with windows C and D, if I first close Instance 1 and then Instance 2, the next time windows C and D will be available. If you first close Instance 2 and then Instance 1 then the next time you would have windows A and B.

But I must say I am astounded by the number of db instances/schema's you're working with. The most I've worked with is about 5. But then again I work with Oracle Financial Applications where all schema's can be accessed through the APPS schema.

@Marco: Maybe it is an option to save desktop configuration in the same manner as the 'Named-SQL' plug-in, where the desktops can be stored at a (configurable) location?

 

[ashish_mistry]

Yep Marco, a lot of schemas each being restricted to what it can do and access, external interfaces, governing schemas, data loading transformations, etc one of the apps has about 7

Meanwhile I had a re-attempted starting the instance with 'desktop=dev' parameter just to check if I could close Plsql developer without to save my editor windows and locate where the temp file is saved... but I could not and it still prompts me to save the windows so it does not serve my purpose at all as I still would have to save all my work window by window to exit

 

[Busk]

.. for about a year now in case I have to restart my machine...what I do is use Ctrl-Alt-del and kill the plsql developer instances and restarting again and use restore...

I have been using the same technique for a long time, but it will only restore one desktop.

Part of my work is a kind of quick response to user problems on different databases.

Today I open a new instance of PLSQL/Dev and open some queries, packages and maybe testwindows to analyse the problem.
Sometimes the problem will be dormant for a while - hours to days, and I work on something completely different.
It is somewhat frustrating to reestablish the same setup again.

I would like to have some kind af "quick-switch" between these different environments.