[SA 6.4.199 preview] Column picker filter

[SA 6.4.199 preview] Column picker filter

The column picker popup filter is not sticky. Whenever you select a column from it (regardless of using the mouse or the keyboard) the filter is cleared and you have to type it again.

I second this. One possible solution is force it to be sticky if CTRL key is held down. Techies tend to understand that you hold down control and you can multi-select.

[EDIT: should be sticky if you use keyboard or mouse]

I'll third this. It seems to do it in the 6.3 branch too.

I'll pick a column, the whole list will populate again but the letters I had typed are still colored orange (as if part of the filter is still working).. Is that what you guys are talking about?

	gemisigo wrote:
	Yes.

So how do you propose resetting the picker filter when you need another column that's not a part of the filter.

I mean, I guess that's why they don't let the filter persist after selecting a column, because the next column is not likely to be contained within the same filter?

I believe there is a bug, but a different one. After selecting a column, all columns become visible, but the filter characters are still shown in red. This is inconsistent. If the filter is cleared, nothing should be in red. On the other hand, if the filter is still active, then only filtered content should be visible.

The issue with keeping the filter sticky, if you pick a column, how do you go back to the full list or different filter to select another column which doesn't fit the current filter and so is not visible?

From my point of view,, the bug is in the character highlighting retained after the filter is cleared. I'm going to file this as a bug in our system. If anyone has any usability suggestions, please let me know and I will file them too.

Why not a hotkey? F5 with the picker up still updates the cache right? (dangerous key selection there given F5 runs code in SSMS.) Why not ctrl-c to clear filter?

And along the same vein ctrl-z to show columns in table order (default) and ctrl-a for alpha order. (I still want this to be an on the fly option!)

But those are all standard windows hotkeys... Not sure if they can be overridden while in the picker box like F5 is.

Unfortunately this cannot be easily done on the fly, because sorting is internally tiled to data caching and how the data is stored in the cache. Changing column order dynamically could break a number of Intellisense related functions.

Mindflux wrote:

	gemisigo wrote:
	Yes.

So how do you propose resetting the picker filter when you need another column that's not a part of the filter.
I mean, I guess that's why they don't let the filter persist after selecting a column, because the next column is not likely to be contained within the same filter?

	SysOp wrote:
	The issue with keeping the filter sticky, if you pick a column, how do you go back to the full list or different filter to select another column which doesn't fit the current filter and so is not visible? If anyone has any usability suggestions, please let me know and I will file them too.

Sure. Here it is:
In the easiest way possible. When you want to select more than one columns using a filter, you do that by typing the filter and using the up, down and right arrow keys (with sticky filter that doesn't refresh after every selection) and when you want to reset the filter you just hit enter and if there are any more columns needed, you tap comma. That way you select the column, close the popup and open a new one without a filter. I know it's an excessive keypress but it's still less in cases when you have to repeatedly type the filter and it's only involved at the end of filtered selection (that is, once for every filtered group of columns, if there are any all). Optionally, the comma could select the column, close the popup and reopen it at the same time (sparing the excessive key). It doesn't make any sense to cut the column in half with a comma anyway.

	Mindflux wrote:
	Why not a hotkey? F5 with the picker up still updates the cache right? (dangerous key selection there given F5 runs code in SSMS.) Why not ctrl-c to clear filter? And along the same vein ctrl-z to show columns in table order (default) and ctrl-a for alpha order. (I still want this to be an on the fly option!)

Well, yes, F5 was not the best option, though it's the default hotkey for refresh view in many application, because eg. it also invokes the Run... dialog in Notepad++ and while pressing F5 in a popup in SSMS it will refresh the popup and not trigger the execution, in Notepad++ the Run... dialog takes the precedence.
But neither are good choices CTRL-C or CTRL-A, which are global hotkeys for copy and select all and imho should never used as redefined hotkeys in any application as it would modify their expected behavior (I guess that's already hardwired into most of the advanced users nowadays :) . Perhaps CTRL-R would make a good candidate, which is also refresh in many apps. Or simply make it overridable so anyone can have it in his own taste/funeral.

	Mindflux wrote:
	show columns in table order (default) and ctrl-a for alpha order. (I still want this to be an on the fly option!)

Why is it so important to have the columns alpha ordered? When one designs/creates the table he usually groups the columns according to something. That's the reason the table order is remembered at all. Reordering it alpha only breaks that design and puts the logically grouped columns far from each other, doesn't it?

gemisigo wrote:

	Mindflux wrote:
	show columns in table order (default) and ctrl-a for alpha order. (I still want this to be an on the fly option!)

Why is it so important to have the columns alpha ordered? When one designs/creates the table he usually groups the columns according to something. That's the reason the table order is remembered at all. Reordering it alpha only breaks that design and puts the logically grouped columns far from each other, doesn't it?

I'm working on a db I didn't build from the start. Sometimes I'm trying to find a column I cannot remember the name of or the column was added to the table later and is at bottom but has a alpha letter near the top for,the first char. Sorting alphabetical lets me scan the columns quicker.

	Mindflux wrote:
	I'm working on a db I didn't build from the start. Sometimes I'm trying to find a column I cannot remember the name of or the column was added to the table later and is at bottom but has a alpha letter near the top for,the first char. Sorting alphabetical lets me scan the columns quicker.

The motive is fair enough. My experience is that if you don't know the exact name (and even if you know) the fastest general method involving the least keypresses (though a lot more brainwork) is trying to filter with Name Matching Mode set to Name Contains Characters from Key String. At least it has reduced my typing a lot. But if you really haven't got the slightest clue about the columns name and you only can guess it by (eye index :) scanning the names then I can imagine you would find it easier to scan if it was sorted in alpha. Though I believe that's placebo.

gemisigo wrote:

	Mindflux wrote:
	I'm working on a db I didn't build from the start. Sometimes I'm trying to find a column I cannot remember the name of or the column was added to the table later and is at bottom but has a alpha letter near the top for,the first char. Sorting alphabetical lets me scan the columns quicker.

The motive is fair enough. My experience is that if you don't know the exact name (and even if you know) the fastest general method involving the least keypresses (though a lot more brainwork) is trying to filter with Name Matching Mode set to Name Contains Characters from Key String. At least it has reduced my typing a lot. But if you really haven't got the slightest clue about the columns name and you only can guess it by (eye index :) scanning the names then I can imagine you would find it easier to scan if it was sorted in alpha. Though I believe that's placebo.

It works great in another addon (sql prompt). That's where the idea came from. I was trailing that but found their formatting rules lackluster and pricing expensive for the pro version.

Then I moved to SQL complete from dbForge. That option was missing from the col picker and I missed it but it had way better formatting settings and some nice snippet options for changing variables on the fly (like $object$ in SA) but not nearly as robust as SA.

So here I am loving nearly everything about SA trying to get features added that would make it the "total package" for me. Sorting the picker is one. Along with getting permissions and triggers in source control. Trigger I got, but as a separate file which isn't ideal but it works. Still need permissions though.

	Mindflux wrote:
	Trigger I got, but as a separate file which isn't ideal but it works. Still need permissions though.

I'm trying to find a working solution (or at least an acceptable workaround) for these.

EDIT: the good news : I might even succeed :) the bad news : I might break working code in the process. SysOp, where do you use DB Query DDL Code in SA?

Last edited by gemisigo on Fri May 31, 2013 9:49 am; edited 1 time in total

gemisigo wrote:

Well, yes, F5 was not the best option, though it's the default hotkey for refresh view in many application, because eg. it also invokes the Run... dialog in Notepad++ and while pressing F5 in a popup in SSMS it will refresh the popup and not trigger the execution, in Notepad++ the Run... dialog takes the precedence.
But neither are good choices CTRL-C or CTRL-A, which are global hotkeys for copy and select all and imho should never used as redefined hotkeys in any application as it would modify their expected behavior (I guess that's already hardwired into most of the advanced users nowadays :) . Perhaps CTRL-R would make a good candidate, which is also refresh in many apps. Or simply make it overridable so anyone can have it in his own taste/funeral.

Ok, finally at a real keyboard so I can elaborate.

Yeah I know Ctrl-C, Ctrl-A and Ctrl-Z are global hotkeys and not the smartest options. They were just examples. Ctrl-A made sense for "Sort Alpha", and Ctrl-Z for "don't sort alpha".. Ctrl-C(lear) for cache, obv.

It's getting too hard to assign hotkeys without running into another app using them. Then SSMS goes and adds those god awful three key hotkeys.. I can't stand those.