It's rumoured that Andreas Pflug once said:
> Dave Page wrote:
>
> This would be the natural position to sort and filter too. Without
> buttons...
>
I still don't see how you would do it without buttons...
>
> If filtering is somehow integrated in each column, this works as kind
> of wizard (the freetext form will provoke problems with column name
> quoting, which isn't needed anywhere throughout pgAdmin but here).
>
Yes, I'm aware of that issue. The problem is that doing it in a purely GUI
kindof way is quite tricky (see the QB for an example). With a simple
value per column, ANDed together, things are easy, but more complex
expressions get very difficult, for example:
(((id >= 20 AND id < 40) AND parent IS NOT NULL) OR parent IS NULL)
I suspect I know what your response to that will be though :-)
> BTW, filter validation is fine, but this is another message box, even
> if ok, giving a beep each time! Can't we handle this silently, in the
> status line?
> We don't need a window that forces the user's attention to
> the problem, he's already aware that there might be one.
The message only tells the user if there is a problem if the user presses
the button. A positive action (pressing the button) would normally be
expected to generate an active response (the message box) rather than a
passive response such as a message being silently displayed.
Also note that the user doesn't have to validate the filter manually - it
is done when OK is clicked as well, in which case it only creates a
message box if there is a problem.
That behaviour was modelled on the function editor in Crystal Reports.
Whilst it's otherwise a UI nightmare, the validate button is pretty
useful.>
> And this is the only dialog that has a single non-standard sized button
> on the left side...
>
Yes, to match those on the previous tab. When clicking between tabs, if
those buttons were different sizes you would notice a 'jump'. As it is,
the transition is smoother and more natural.>
> seriously: View filtered Data.
> Instead of showing a collapsed dialog, with data readily queried, the
> expanded view without data is shown
>
That could work, though I still have reservations as the menu option
doesn't immediately do what it describes, nor would it guide you to that
goal in any way.
As I see it that violates the principle of least astonishment...
Regards, Dave.
