[Squirrel-sql-users] First impressions

Hi,

I've been playing around with Squirrel SQL a bit. I'm hoping to use it 
in place of Oracle's stuff.

First, I think current CVS is ready, as it's a definite improvement over 
the last released version for me. When I tried 0.9.6, it took a very 
long time to connect (I think it was trying to load all of the metadata 
right away, correct? I'm connecting over the Internet to a large Oracle 
database, so that's not a good idea.) It's better now. Also, I think the 
old one leaked cursors - I got maximum cursors exceeded messages when 
browsing metadata.

That doesn't mean I think it's perfect, though. I've got some 
problems/interface comments/feature requests:

- Typing "./squirrel-sql.sh" doesn't work for me right in the dist 
directory unless I set INSTALL_PATH=`pwd`. Was this supposed to be 
substituted in the ant file? If so, it didn't work.

- Ideally, just a "java -jar squirrel-sql.jar" would work, so I wouldn't 
need the shell script/batch file at all. I think you can have classpaths 
in the meta-inf. If not, the other jars would have to be included in 
that one. This would be better because batch files/java pop up 
unnecessary terminal windows on Windows. Clicking on the jar file 
directly launches javaw, which doesn't have that problem.

- It's slow when browsing metadata. It would be nice if it cached more 
(column-level information particularly) so looking at it a second time 
would be quick.

- IMHO auto commit should be off by default. Or at least there should be 
a preference for it per-database alias, not per-session, so I don't need 
to toggle it every time I connect.

- I'm glad to see it doesn't block waiting for a database response. This 
was what started me looking for an alternative to the Oracle 8i SQL 
Worksheet to begin with. Killing the program when I forgot a join 
condition was not pleasant.

- The metadata views show a lot of useless columns. Ones that are 
consistently <null>: schema on PostgreSQL (even 7.3b1 - I guess they 
haven't updated their JDBC drivers), table_cat on Oracle. And some 
things not really intended for humans (data_type; the numbers mean 
nothing to me; I just want type_name). If these all went away, it would 
be easier to find what I'm looking for.

- I loved the way it keeps around multiple resultsets in tabs, but I 
think it could be even better:

   * I tend to work with a couple queries at once and refine them. It'd 
be nice if a new tab replaced the current one unless I hit ctrl-T (as in 
Mozilla). This way, older versions of the current query would go away.

   * And also, if the SQL was per-tab as well, so I could refine a 
couple queries in parallel without doing as much copying and pasting.

   * I'd like to see each SQL tab go into the top-level tab bar instead 
of the one "SQL" one and subtabs of that. Maybe not conceptually quite 
as clean - "Objects" would be different from all the others then - but 
less clutter.

- I hate the MDI interface/subwindows. I usually only work with one 
database at once - I only want that window up. Even when I do work with 
two databases, I'd prefer they be entirely separate windows. The connect 
stuff could be a dialog box that pops up when you first start the 
program and when you hit ctrl-N or something (new connection).

- It would be nice if the statement division stuff was smarter. I'd like 
to be able to type in PL/SQL blocks without changing the statement 
seperator. If it could do everything as the Oracle SQL Worksheet 8i does 
(not the 9i; blank lines in "create table" commands confuse it; grr), 
I'd be really, really happy.

- Feature request: Oracle query execution plans, like their "SQL 
Scratchpad" in the "Enterprise Manager Console" has. SQL Scratchpad 
really annoys me, but as is I've gotta use it occasionally. "explain 
plan for" dumps all this info into a table, but the SQL Scratchpad is 
the only thing I've seen that does a decent job of formatting it. (The 
only second is this utlxplp.sql thing that does text-based formatting.)

Hope those are useful.

If I'm feeling ambitious later and have time, I might try to implement 
some of my suggestions. No promises.

Scott