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File Open and Save with Tabs

[This topic is migrated from our old forums. The original author name has been removed]

I would appreciate a lot to have tab's in the File Open and File Save As dialog boxes. Why: I work on many projects and use files to save my sql commands for each of these. Each project typically have their own catalog on disk where the sql statements should be saved. Sometimes I also share sql statements with support, or maintain their sql files. Some of these sql files are under version control and very deep in a file hierarchy. I would therefore set up a tab in the file open dialog box that showed the content of each of the pertinent catalogs. These must of course all be remembered between invocations. A small but interesting issue is File Save As of a new untitled sql editor file: What should be the default tab to show? The answer I think is the last used for For File Open or File Save As, but NOT counting the last used for File Save. This default must of course also be remembered between invocations of DbVisualizer. This would be extremely helpfull to manage a large set of sql files.

[This reply is migrated from our old forums.]

Re: File Open and Save with Tabs
Nils, Based on your suggestion it seems as if you are looking for a history type of feature in all file chooser windows to make it easier navigating previously used folders? Regards Roger
[This reply is migrated from our old forums. The original author name has been removed]

Re: File Open and Save with Tabs
I see the history as an additional benefit. The main thing is to actually have a number of tabs that are remember from invocation to invocation where my sql files are stored. Rather than having an automatic history of where the files are I would normally set up each tab I want when I want it and remove it again if it's no longer needed - all manually. I manage files on Windows using FreeCommander in this way. I would appreciate a lot to be able to do it inside DbVisualizer as well.
[This reply is migrated from our old forums.]

Re: File Open and Save with Tabs
Nils, Thanks for the clarification. The Scripts feature in DbVisualizer currently show directories and files under control by DbVisualizer. We do have a request to allow the Scripts feature to map any directory in the file system including virtual drives managed by for example versioning systems. It sounds based on your suggestion that this should be a rather good fit than having it incorporated in the save as/open features? Regards Roger
[This reply is migrated from our old forums. The original author name has been removed]

Re: File Open and Save with Tabs
May be. The Scripts system you have now I hardly see as useful for me at all. It's limited to private files in my private bookmark folder. I definitely don't want that as a limitation. If you expand it to be able to access any directory anywhere in the file systems I have access to may be it could work. You would then however create two quite different ways of managing script files, 1 via file save as/file open and another via the scripts system. As I see it you would have to implement access to the standard file system as a tree view in the scripts window. However to support my request you would then also have to be able to create tabs in this window! The point is I need to see a set of predefined catalogs and get to those with a single click - a click on the appropriate tab. To be able to navigate anywhere isn't helpful. I can already do that in the file save as/file open dialogs. The problem is that navigation requires 10 or 20 clicks or more to get from one location deep down in the catalog hierarchy to another. And is there even space for tabs in the Scripts window? An advantage of the script system seems to be that you also remember the (last used) connection on the script file. Does seem like you have forgotten to mark the file as changed if I change the connection though. It seems like I have to change something in the file and save again for the save connection to be changed. It still isn't quite clear to me exactly when a new connection is changed. Also when I change the open SQL commande tab (click on a tab) the marked selection in the scripts tab doesn't change although I do go to a tab that contains one of the script files. This is confusing! I still think you should simply create tab's in the file save as/file open dialog boxes in any case. They have always needed such a feature in all programs. It's only Microsoft that has once defined those to not have tabs. To a large extent because they believe users don't understand the hierarchical file system. Most users of DbVisualizer probably do however, so please... Edited by: Nils Myklebust on Dec 11, 2012 4:51 PM
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Re: File Open and Save with Tabs
Nils, > May be. > The Scripts system you have now I hardly see as useful for me at all. That is probably right. However, based on the enhancement requests for it, it may fit you better as well once the it is extended. > It's limited to private files in my private bookmark folder. I definitely don't want that as a limitation. Again, I was referring to adding support for accessing any directory. > If you expand it to be able to access any directory anywhere in the file systems I have access to may be it could work. > You would then however create two quite different ways of managing script files, 1 via file save as/file open and another via the scripts system. The generic file chooser is limited as you cannot move files, rename, etc. It is also modal meaning it locks the rest of the UI while being displayed. > As I see it you would have to implement access to the standard file system as a tree view in the scripts window. > However to support my request you would then also have to be able to create tabs in this window! > The point is I need to see a set of predefined catalogs and get to those with a single click - a click on the appropriate tab. > To be able to navigate anywhere isn't helpful. I can already do that in the file save as/file open dialogs. The problem is that navigation requires 10 or 20 clicks or more to get from one location deep down in the catalog hierarchy to another. You are referring to tabs, do you really mean visual tabs or something else? It sounds as if a list of pre-defined directories would do? Please post a screenshot of your current tool to better highlight what you are looking for. > An advantage of the script system seems to be that you also remember the (last used) connection on the script file. > Does seem like you have forgotten to mark the file as changed if I change the connection though. The connection details are separate from the file content and there is by intention no update of the modification indicator if changing that kind of meta data. > It seems like I have to change something in the file and save again for the save connection to be changed. Correct. > It still isn't quite clear to me exactly when a new connection is changed. > > Also when I change the open SQL commande tab (click on a tab) the marked selection in the scripts tab doesn't change although I do go to a tab that contains one of the script files. This is confusing! There is no tight relation between what is selected in the Scripts list and the currently active editor. > I still think you should simply create tab's in the file save as/file open dialog boxes in any case. I have registered your suggestion and based on the demand we will take action. We also need to consider the general use of DbVisualizer and that the majority of users find features useful. > They have always needed such a feature in all programs. It's only Microsoft that has once defined those to not have tabs. To a large extent because they believe users don't understand the hierarchical file system. Most users of DbVisualizer probably do however, so please... This is honestly the first time we get this kind of request and I cannot remember in what tools I've seen something similar except for a history type of feature. Again, I may be way off so a screenshot would help a lot. Regards Roger