Bug 140298 - Improve UX for SQL dialog
Summary: Improve UX for SQL dialog
Status: RESOLVED FIXED
Alias: None
Product: LibreOffice
Classification: Unclassified
Component: Base (show other bugs)
Version:
(earliest affected)
7.0.0.3 release
Hardware: All All
: medium enhancement
Assignee: Heiko Tietze
URL:
Whiteboard: target:25.2.0
Keywords: difficultyBeginner, easyHack, skillCpp
Depends on:
Blocks: Base-UX Dialog-Remember-Settings
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Reported: 2021-02-09 16:52 UTC by michael
Modified: 2024-09-05 05:42 UTC (History)
4 users (show)

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Crash report or crash signature:


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Description michael 2021-02-09 16:52:51 UTC
Description:
Tools > SQL opens a dialog from which ad-hoc SQL statements can be submitted. As someone who uses Base as a tool for quick ad-hoc data massaging, this is among my most frequently used tools; however, I feel UX could be improved in a few ways:

* Don’t make it a modal dialog. There’s really no need why I should not be able to do anything in the main window while this dialog is open. In fact, I would recommend making this not only a non-model dialog but a side pane, similar to the Document Navigator or Styles and Formatting in other LO apps.
* Save the list of previous commands at least for the entire session (i.e. do not clear it when the dialog is closed and reopened), maybe even across sessions.
* For select statements, display the number of rows returned (maybe even if “show output of SELECT statements” is unchecked)

Steps to Reproduce:
This field does not apply to enhancements.

Actual Results:
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Expected Results:
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Reproducible: Always


User Profile Reset: No



Additional Info:
This field does not apply to enhancements.
Comment 1 Robert Großkopf 2021-08-03 07:31:36 UTC
This bug (enhancement) isn't reported only for one part, which should be changed. So it is difficult to give a comment to all. Might be it is better to write 3 bugs to get a good answer.
1. Dialog Tools → SQL shouldn't suppress any other action
2. Commands should be be saved
3. Numbers of affected rows should be shown

I will answer only to 2:
Previous commands will be saved while the dialog is opened. But they will be deleted when dialog will be closed.
I would prefer to save the commands in the Base file. You should also be able to delete a command you don't need any more in the list of commands.

This possibility isn't offered at this moment. So it is bug-description for a new enhancement. I will switch this one to "NEW".
Comment 2 Heiko Tietze 2024-08-29 08:29:13 UTC
We discussed the topic in the design meeting (sorry for the delay).

The requested improvements make sense and we suggest to start with the easy-hackable part

+ remember the dialog per session
+ make the dialog amodal 
+ show the number of rows

Code pointer: 
dbaccess/source/ui/dlg/directsql.cxx
Prototype for implementation: https://gerrit.libreoffice.org/c/core/+/129894

Side note: the colors are not usable on dark themes => bug 162678

Storing the SQL statements in the document is more difficult and better handled in another ticket. It needs also a bit discussion regarding privacy (a function to clear has been mentioned).
Comment 3 Heiko Tietze 2024-09-03 13:20:00 UTC
The first batch of improvements at https://gerrit.libreoffice.org/c/core/+/172803
Comment 4 Commit Notification 2024-09-05 05:39:15 UTC
Heiko Tietze committed a patch related to this issue.
It has been pushed to "master":

https://git.libreoffice.org/core/commit/0266763e05d1ca9413321533dcea73c4643db476

Resolves tdf#140298 - Improve UX for SQL dialog

It will be available in 25.2.0.

The patch should be included in the daily builds available at
https://dev-builds.libreoffice.org/daily/ in the next 24-48 hours. More
information about daily builds can be found at:
https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Testing_Daily_Builds

Affected users are encouraged to test the fix and report feedback.
Comment 5 Heiko Tietze 2024-09-05 05:42:00 UTC
This patch brought
* dialog made resizable
* user input remembered across session
* number of results shown (including plural form)

Missing:
* colors (different ticket)
* amodal (just changing the flag wasn't successful)
* store command in ODF

I suggest to resolve this ticket as fixed and handle the ODF storage in an extra ticket. The modality question is something different- probably not needed anymore and quite error-prone so we maybe not do it. Feel free to reopen.