SQL Dev 2.1:Ability to save and load visual query models?

Question

At SQL Dev 2.1, do we now have the ability to save and load visual query models as with TOAD? Or has that functionality been rolled into the for-pay Data Modeler extension? Seemed strange to hide the functionality deep within SQL Worksheet, then not allow query models to be saved or loaded. From what I recall, load/save was scheduled to be in 2.0.
I've not yet downloaded and installed 2.1, but also as I recall, it was promised to be a significant (e.g. new-feature rich) release. Has it lived up to that promise? Hoping also that it's not so buggy as to not merit an upgrade. At my workplace, folks have different versions of SQL Dev 1.X installed, each for the purpose of retaining functionality that got broken in future releases, etc. Would love to be able to advise them to retire their 1.X installs in favor of 2.1.
Edited by: Dana N on Jan 21, 2010 6:45 AM

Answer 1

Dana, We are working on the query builder. We have not done anything with it in recent releases as we knew that it needed completely overhauled and a
couple of bug fixes were not going to give us the query builder we needed. Sue will be able to tell you more as the we get closer to releasing it as a feature.Thanks Barry. I know it's probably impossible to give firm dates, but my colleagues would love to know, ballpark, when query builder might be ready. Any particular year/quarter that's targeted for?
A lot of the bugs in the 2.1 are probably my fault as we decided to build a framework which allowed tasks to be scheduled like eclipse and push them to the
background. Coupled with this, we tore apart the worksheet to allow us to fit tasks in, but to also give us the ability to do some of the enhancement requests
that you guys, our users, have been asking for. While its not perfect, I believe its getting much better from both a functionality and performance standpoint. The
worksheet will not change again and there are no enhancements logged or scheduled which will do that. The issues that have come as part of 2.1 are being
addressed and we are fixing the highest priority ones as we speak. One of my priorities is to make these components as rock solid as possible.Thanks again. It really is a nice tool to work with, and I'm grateful to have it. I would choose stability for existing features over new ones, but I suppose there always has to be a balance in development. What was really scary in the past was getting bizarre / wrong answers in query results--that's a complete show stopper; e.g. clicking on a row/col intersection in a result set row would show strange and false values. New features can wait, but core functionality must be solid. If one can't presume integrity of query results, it's game over--using a version of SQL Developer that returns inconsistent result sets between runs could be Considered Harmful, or so it is to me.
Anyway, thanks for responding and I hope Oracle Corp gets you whatever assistance you need to improve the quality of existing functionality while adding new features; with one not being at the expense of the other. :-) Glad also to see Sue has authored a book on the tool. Hopefully that will drive customer demand and force increased allocation of development resources toward the product. I'd like to think having out-of-the-box tools that are a joy to use might even increase market share.
Data Modeler I would love to use, but am completely priced out of it. Enterprise Architect from Sparx Systems is the best value there so far as I can tell.
Dana