Interactive SQL New Features

Additions to Interactive SQL were introduced in this release.

• Connect window changes – the Connect window has been enhanced to simplify starting and connecting to local or remote database, connecting to an already-running local or remote database, connecting using an ODBC data source, and connecting with a connection string. See Utility Guide > dbisql Interactive SQL Utility > Interactive SQL Connection Parameters > Supplying Connection Parameters Manually.
• ASCII format is renamed TEXT for the OUTPUT statement – the OUTPUT statement now uses TEXT, instead of ASCII. See Utility Guide > dbisql > SQL Statements for Interactive SQL > OUTPUT Statement [Interactive SQL].
• Supported formats for the OUTPUT statement have changed – the OUTPUT statement no longer supports the dBase, Lotus, Excel, and FoxPro file formats. TEXT, FIXED, HTML, SQL, and XML are supported. See Utility Guide > dbisql > SQL Statements for Interactive SQL > OUTPUT Statement [Interactive SQL].
• Text Completion – the following list describes changes related to the text completion feature in Sybase Central:
  • By default, the text completion window now opens automatically when you type in the SQL Statements pane. You can also open the text completion window by choosing Edit > Open Text Completer or pressing Ctrl+Space.
  • By default, SQL keywords and completed database object names are enclosed in double quotes.
  • SQL statements and keywords are now included in the list of suggestions.
  • The text completion window now handles databases where strings are treated as case-sensitive, but identifiers are not.
  • These text completion keyboard shortcuts have changed:

    Old shortcut	New shortcut	Description
    Tab	Ctrl+A	Shows a content-free list of matches.
    +	Ctrl+Plus Sign (+)	Adds the item with its parameter list to the SQL Statements pane.
    *	Ctrl+Asterisk	Adds the item with its parameter and type list to the SQL Statements pane.
    '	Ctrl+Double quote (")	Adds the item enclosed in quotation marks to the SQL Statements pane.
    N/A	Tab	Accepts the selection and closes the text completion window.

• New Import/Export option – when you choose Options > Import/Export, you can specify how nulls should be exported in the Export NULLs As field.

• View spatial data using the Spatial Preview and Spatial Viewer – the Spatial Viewer is available from the Tools menu in Interactive SQL. It combines all geometries reflected in the results of a query into one image.
• New ways to execute COMMIT and ROLLBACK statements – you can choose SQL > Commit to execute a COMMIT statement and you can choose SQL > Rollback to execute a ROLLBACK statement. You can also use the keyboard shortcuts: Ctrl+Shift+C to execute a COMMIT statement and Ctrl+Shift+R to execute a ROLLBACK statement.

  Executing a COMMIT or ROLLBACK via the SQL menu or a keyboard shortcut does not modify the contents of the SQL Statements pane; however, the Results tab in the Results pane is cleared

• Changes to how you can select and copy columns, rows, and cells from result sets – in the Results pane you can select multiple columns, rows, and cells in a result set, and then copy them. For example, to select multiple columns, hold the Ctrl key while clicking cells from the columns you want to copy, and then right-click and choose Copy Data > Columns.
• Prevent OEM users from saving passwords in their favorites – OEM deployments can now prevent users from saving passwords in their connection favorites in Interactive SQL.
• Editing, importing, and exporting Favorites – now you can edit, export, and import your Interactive SQL favorites.
• Execution times – the status bar in Interactive SQL shows the length of time that the current SQL statement has been executing.
• Changes to the Results pane –
  • Display results as text or in a scrolling table – previously, you could only configure the display of a result set in the Results pane by changing settings in the Options window. Now, you can choose Data > Show Results As Scrollable Table to display the result set in a scrollable table. You can also choose Data > Show Results As Text to display the result set as text. You must execute a statement to see the change take effect.
  • Sizing columns in Interactive SQL – you can right-click a result set and choose whether the columns should be sized to fit the window or to fit the data.
• Suppress warning messages in Interactive SQL – you can disable some of the warning messages that appear in Interactive SQL. For example you can suppress the warning that appears when you have unsaved text in the SQL Statements pane.
• Recovering files in Interactive SQL – Interactive SQL attempts to recover unsaved changes to .sql files when Interactive SQL closes unexpectedly. When you edit a file, Interactive SQL makes a backup copy of the file 30 seconds after the last change and before you execute a statement.