In
Part 1 of the blog, we introduced you to some key qualities which characterize what this 10.0 release and subsequent releases will offer:
- Usability – discover more of Toad’s features and ensure that the tasks you perform offer maximum productivity and follow a logical workflow.
- Automation – provide even more capabilities to maximize your productivity by creating and using automated workflow from regular tasks you perform in Toad.
- Education – discover a huge range of services related to Toad which will both extend your current knowledge of Toad and provide expert help when it’s needed thus helping to get maximum value from your investment in Toad.
- Flexibility – extend the use of Toad into regions where different character sets are used. Provide a much simpler, coherent licensing mechanism.
So, without further ado, here are some more on what’s coming in Toad 10.0!
New Data Grids (All Toad Editions)
We have replaced all the data grids in Toad with new ones. These new grids offer far more productivity than their predecessors and are now applied throughout Toad so that you’ll have a lot more consistency when it comes to a data grid’s behavior.
The new data grid showing customizable column headers, column grouping and sub-grouping as well as sub-totalling of records
You’ll notice a new grouping region above the grid into which you can drag and drop column headers on which you want to group and sub-group.
The data grid navigator is also moved to the bottom of the grid making the toolbar simpler.
Column selection is made easier by providing a button top left on the grid to determine which columns you want to be visible.
The right-click menu is much simplified and the ‘Save As’ feature is now called a more meaningful ‘Export Dataset’ with the range of file formats to save to unchanged.
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Simplified column selection
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New right-click menu
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Enhanced Database Health Check (DB Admin Module add-on or Toad DBA Suite)
The Database Health Check is an effective way for DBAs to assess the health of multiple databases and look at different aspects such as configuration, schema efficiency and user account security vulnerabilities without simply relying on scripts. Health Check can also be scheduled or included as part of Automation Designer.
In Toad 10, we have drawn on our very own Oracle database expert, Bert Scalzo, yet again and added a further 31 checks but also re-categorized these checks so they fall into more logical groups such as Storage, Performance, Alert Log, Configuration, Schema and Vulnerability Assessment.
Enhanced Database Health Check
Enhanced Data Generator (Professional, Xpert Editions and Toad Suites)
We introduced data generation into Toad for Oracle 9.7 as a way of ensuring you had access to data in situations where production data is “off-limits” for code testing and other purposes. This feature allows developers and DBAs to generate randomized data for one or more tables, respecting referential integrity if it exists.
Randomized data, however, has its limitations so we felt it was time to beef it up and add the ability for you to specify exactly the type of generator you want for specific table columns.
Realistic data such as names, addresses, zip codes, social security numbers, etc can be selected. You can even request the generator be based on a SELECT statement on an existing table. There is a new data preview button which lets you check what the data will look like in the table(s) before generation.
In addition, as well as still being able to select random or “real” data, you can also decide, based on the quantity of data you wish to generate whether the operation happens on your desktop or on the database server for increased performance.
Enhanced Data Generator
Toad Database Monitor/Spotlight on Oracle Standard integration (Toad DBA Suite)
The Toad Database Monitor is a way for DBAs to assess performance of their databases in (near) real-time with a limited number of metrics. It was not designed as a real-time diagnostics tool like Spotlight on Oracle.
Now in Toad 10, you can leverage both components in a way which makes intelligent use of both. The Database Monitor now has over 50 alert categories which can be selected and min/max threshold settings applied. A raised alert can initiate an email response or launch an Action via Automation Designer.
However, the really cool part is that you, as a DBA, can launch Spotlight based on an alert being raised by Database Monitor (the Database Monitor need not actually be open!). The alert effectively serves as a trigger to tell you something is happening which is affecting performance right now on one of your databases. You simply right-click the Toad icon in the System Tray and select Spotlight to launch and it will open with that connection.
Database Monitor raising an Alert
Right-click Toad in System Tray to launch Spotlight with the correct database connection
Spotlight on Oracle showing diagnosis of alerted issue
Spotlight will confirm the issue through a color-change in its console UI and you can immediately click it to begin the diagnosis.
Unicode Support
For those users wanting to use Toad on Unicode-enabled Oracle databases or where non-English character sets are use, Toad 10 now supports Unicode.
Unicode support for object names and data
Unicode support extends to most things in Toad except where certain Oracle utilities do not themselves support it such as SQL*Plus and SQL*Loader, etc
Other Toad for Oracle “family” releases
In the same timeframe as the launch of Toad 10, we will be launching new versions of other products in the Toad for Oracle “family”. These products appear in our Xpert Edition and our DBA and Development Suites.
Here is a brief summary of what you can expect to see:
- SQL Optimizer for Oracle 7.5 (Xpert Edition, Toad Dev and DBA Suite) - offers a redesigned SQL optimization user interface, including the ability to rewrite SQL and execute alternatives simultaneously with one step for increased productivity.
- Toad Data Modeler 3.4.15 (Toad DBA Suite) – offers even better flexibility throughenhanced reporting, alter script generation and reverse engineering from DDL, supports naming conventions and macros.
- Toad for Data Analysts 2.5 (All Toad Editions) – offers Query Builder enhancements, export to Access, automation enhancements, additional database support in Data compare and synch.
- Benchmark Factory for Databases 6.0 (Toad Dev and DBA Suites) – offers TPC-E testing and UI enhancements.
- Spotlight on Oracle Standard 7.0 (Toad DBA Suite) – offers improved memory management
- Quest Code Tester for Oracle 1.8.5 (Toad Dev Suite) - offers improvements to the Test Builder and in-place validation of custom code.
For a comprehensive list of new features and enhancements in Toad 10.0, please refer to the Release Notes.
Toad for Oracle Beta Program
The Toad for Oracle beta program enables Toad users who are on the full commercial version to perform a side-by-side install of the beta for testing, and providing the Toad development team with direct feedback. New beta programs follow shortly after a new release.
The Toad Beta community is hosted by the Toad development team themselves so can provide instant dialogue with beta testers which means any tweaks can literally performed in minutes.