VisualSQLEditorUISpecification
Visual SQL Editor UI Specification
Contents |
Introduction
This document describes the interface for accessing and using the Visual SQL Editor. Details are available in Visual SQL Editor Functional Specification.
Use Cases and Scenarios
Visually edit a SQL statement in a visual web application
Modify (customize) the SQL query that is bound to a visual component in an application.
Scenario:
- Open a visual web application that uses databinding
- Open Project Outline.
- Find the bean that contains the RowSet that is bound to the component.
- Right-Click, "Edit SQL Statement".
- Use the Visual Query Editor to make changes, in any of the input panes, or to execute the query and display results in the Result Pane.
Whenever the SQL statement is changed in the VisualSQLEditor, the command property of the RowSet is updated. This is saved as part of the application.
This has been the only means of accessing the VisualSQLEditor in previous versions of Java Studio Creator/VisualWebPack.
Visually explore the contents of a database
Invoke Visual SQL Editor, either starting with no query, or with a context-dependent default query. Use it to create and test queries.
Scenario:
- In Runtime, open DB Explorer -> <connection> -> Tables
- Use the Visual Query Editor to create and run a query
There is no way to save the resulting query.
This is analogous to SQLEditor that is currently accessible from the DB Explorer.
Visual SQL Editor Interface
The VSE consists of four panes, positioned vertically on the screen:
- Diagram -- a visual representation of a SQL query
- Grid -- a spreadsheet representation of a query
- SQL -- a text representation
- Results -- a spreadsheet representation of a query result
Diagram Pane
The Diagram pane provide an entity-relationship style graphical representation of a SQL query. Nodes of the graph represent tables in the database. Arcs in the graph represent relationships between tables.
Grid Pane
The Grid pane provides a spreadsheet representation of a SQL query. Rows in the Grid pane correspond to columns of the database. Only those columns that are selected for output, or otherwise appear in SQL query, will be displayed in the Grid pane. Columns of the Grid pane will contain information relevant to individual database columns, such as whether the column is selected for output, what criteria are applied to the column in the query, and whether the column is used for sorting or grouping.
SQL Pane
The SQL pane contains the current SQL query. This is either be generated from the contents of the visual panes, or typed by the user.
Test Execution and Results Pane
The Results pane provides a tabular represention for the results of query execution.
Menus and UI Specification
Invoking SQL Editor
Visual Web Application/Outline Window
| Location | Action | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| RowSet node | RightClick->Edit SQL Statement | Invoke VSE on command property |
Runtime Window / DB Explorer
| Location | Action | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Table or column node | RightClick->Execute Visual Query | Invoke VSE on default SQL command |
Diagram Pane
| Location | Action | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Background | RightClick->Run Query | Execute current query and display results in Result window |
| Background | RightClick->Add Table | Bring up dialog for choosing table(s) to add |
| Background | RightClick->Group By | Add "GROUP BY" clause to query, with all columns from the query output included in the Group By list. |
| Table (titlebar) | RightClick->Remove From Query | Deletes the table from the query |
| Table (column checkbox) | LeftClick | Toggle whether this column is selected for output |
| Table (column name) | LeftClick->Drag to column of another table | Add an equality predicate between the two columns to WHERE clause of query |
| Join arc | LeftClick | Edit the properties of this join in the Properties window |
Grid Pane
| Location | Action | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Any column except Column, Table | LeftClick | Make this row/column active for editing Editing may include: dropdown (Sort Type, Sort Order), Checkbox (Output), Text (Alias, Criteria) |
| Any column | RightClick->Add Query Criteria | Bring up Add Query Criteria dialog for specifying condition on this row/column |
SQL Text Pane
| Location | Action | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Background | RightClick->Parse Query | Parse current query and update other windows |
| Background | RightClick->Run Query | Execute current query and display results in Result window |
Text Execution and Results Pane
| Location | Action | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Any cell | RightClick->Copy Cell Value | Copy contents of current cell to clipboard |
| Any cell | RightClick->Copy Row Values | Copy contents of current row to clipboard |
