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From: Gerd W. <bir...@t-...> - 2006-02-20 21:13:43
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Hi, I've been thinking about a designer since I finished the Graph plugin but I didn't have the time to start it. All the things Glenn mentions are true. That's why I thought of starting with something that for a first step allows you to - create new tables - create / delete foreign key constraints - create / delete indexes - add nullable columns to existing tables My idea is that the designer should not be part of the Graph plugin or a new plugin but part of the SQL-Script plugin. My hope was the design could be done in a dialog window that could be opened either from the Object Tree or a Graph. Since the designer dialog is placed in the SQL-Script plugin it will simply creates DDL-Scripts in the SQL-Editor. The designer dialog only works with one table at a time. Within the Graph plugin the user should be able to design more than one table before creating a DDL-Script. To do so the designer dialog needs to allow exports and imports of its state. The Graph plugin must be able to interpret this state and display it. Within a Graph the user should be able to: - Open the designer dialog for a table (tell the SQL-Script plugin to open the dialog and display the import data provided by the Graph) - Script all changes done in the designer (tell the SQL-Script plugin to script all import data the Graph provides). Perhaps those ideas can give you, Fabrice, or someone else the feeling that it shouldn't be too hard to begin. Of course your own ideas are needed and wanted too. As Glenn mentioned some changes to the core will be needed. Especially some extensions to the way SQuirreL allows plugins to communicate would be necessary. Best would be if the one who does the work does the needed changes on the core too. I would surely be available for questions and advice. Gerd Glenn Griffin wrote: > Hi Fabrice, > > That sounds like a very nice feature. Would you like to build it? :-) > > The following random thoughts come to mind: > > - This should be do-able as a plug-in. As with any plug-in, we may need > to add some hooks to the core code for it to work, but that should not > be a problem. > > - A graphical user interface for input is usually an order of magnitude > more difficult to build than a display-only interface because the user > needs to be able to not only grab and move objects, but also create > objects, insert things into them, resize them, etc. Sounds like a lot > of work, though the result could be worth it. > > - Automatically generating CREATE and ALTER statements is much more > complicated than generating SELECTs because databases are much less > standardized in defining the names of their data types and how they are > defined. I'm guessing that the kind of tool you are describing would > need to have a strictly-maintained division between two sections: > - DB-agnostic code that handles the user interface and makes calls to > the..... > - DB-specific code (in plugins?) that understands the data types in > the particular DB. > For example, when the user wants to add a field to a table: > - DB-agnostic code shows the "add field" button and gets the action > command when the user clicks, and then calls the... > - DB-specific code which returns a list of the names of all the data > types within this DB... > - so the DB-agnostic code can present that list to the user for > selection > There will also be issues such as what options are allowed/required for > each data type (null/not-null, field size, etc) and, in some cases, the > exact syntax needed by the CREATE statement. > > - I recall from a long time ago that some DBs did not allow ALTER on > tables after they were created. May not be a problem any more, but > something to look into. > > - A decision will be needed on what to do with the result of the > design. Is it output to text files for use by another tool, or is it > executed by SQuirreL directly on the DB? What happens to data already > in the DB? What kinds of warnings should be generated about changing > the DB and possible loss of data? > > - It would be good to include comments on the fields and the ability to > view and print the schema details, eg: > integer uid // unique user id > VARCHAR(6) userId // login and screen name > VARCHAR(30) userName // full name of the user > etc. Those comments can be critical to remind people of the format, > range, limits or expected use of the fields. > > While it would probably be a lot of work, this could be a cool feature > for the product! > > Glenn > > Fabrice GONNON wrote: > >> Hi, >> >> Squirrel is a fabulous product and last version with choice to >> integrate oracle plugin is very nice. Great work guy's ;o) >> >> I have a question: >> There is in Squirrel the graph vizualisation (very good). >> Is it planned or does exist a Designer plugin ? Because it is able to >> do a reverse representation, wuld it be easy to create a graph, and then >> to applicate it to a database ?? >> Or does somebody know a product that could do so ? >> There is a market for it because it seems that DBdesigner4 is no more >> supported :-( and Druid does work only to create and doesn't have >> reverse design... >> >> If so, Squirrel would be the best product for databases client queries >> AND design. >> >> Thank's again for your so good contribution. >> >> Fabrice. >> >> ********************************************************************** >> This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and >> intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they >> are addressed. 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