Author: Embarcadero USA
Rapid SQL XE6 version 8.7.5 is now available.
Embarcadero Rapid SQL is the integrated SQL development environment for IBM DB2, Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL, Oracle, PostgreSQL, Sybase and Teradata database systems. Rapid SQL is your fast path to higher productivity whether you’re programming in SQL, PL/SQL, Transact-SQL or HTML.
- Customers with current maintenance agreements can download the new version from the Rapid SQL registered users download page
- Click here to download a free trial of Rapid SQL if you aren’t a current user
If your maintenance has expired, contact Embarcadero Sales. If you have installation questions, you can contact Embarcadero Support. Be sure to follow any policies your company may have on moving to new versions of the tools for production work.
Here’s what’s new in Rapid SQL XE6 / 8.7.5
PostgreSQL Object Management
- Object Wizards/Editors – You can now create and edit objects of the following types: check constraints, domains, exclusion constraints, foreign keys, functions, indexes, primary keys, roles, rules, schemas, tables, tablespaces, triggers, unique keys, and views.
- Object Actions – A new Refresh Materialized View action is available against views created using the CREATE MATERIALIZED VIEW statement. It lets you build and submit a REFRESH MATERIALIZED VIEW statement, to replace the contents of a materialized view. The Create Like action is now available against roles, rules, and tables.
PostgreSQL Updates to the SQL Editor
The Paste SQL Syntax and Paste SQL Statement features are now available against PostgreSQL datasources.
PostgreSQL Tools Menu Updates
The following Tools menu features are now available against PostgreSQL datasources:
- Database Search lets you search for objects whose DDL contains a specified character string, across multiple databases.
- Query Builder lets you construct, structure, and manipulate queries using a graphical interface.
- Data Editor lets you edit table data in real time.
Welcome Window
The Welcome Window helps customers to get information about product features, news and upcoming events. This window also includes direct links to useful Rapid SQL’s features like New Project, Open Project or links to Recent Datasources.
User Interface Changes
- For the Project Management feature, subproject nodes have been renamed to project subfolder nodes.
- The Favourites feature has been renamed to Script Library.
Datasource Registration Updates
For connectivity purposes, Rapid SQL is packaged with a native driver as well as a set of one or more JDBC drivers for each DBMS platform. In previous releases, the native driver for each platform was the default connection option when registering a datasource. The Options Editor’s Connection page now has a tab for each supported DBMS platform. Options on each tab introduce two enhancements:
- You can now designate one of the JDBC drivers as the default connectivity option for a DBMS platform.
- You can universally change the definition for all existing, currently disconnected datasources for a platform to use either the native driver or a JDBC driver as the connection option.
Trace File Logging
As a new diagnostic tool, you can now generate a trace file consisting of the sequence of application event messages. The Options Editor’s Logging page now lets you activate and deactivate, specify a location for, and select a severity level of messages logged. In descending order of severity (and ascending order of total messages logged), Trace Level options are Fatal Errors, Errors, Warning, Info, Debug, Trace, and Max.
Version Control Updates
Rapid SQL now supports any source control product that uses the MSSCCI plug-in interface.
NOTE: For the 64-bit version of Rapid SQL, a 32-bit version of the MSSCCI Provider can be used for version control access. The feature is controlled from the Options Editor’s Version Control tab (File > Options > General > Version Control).
DBMS Platform Updates
- Sybase IQ 16 – Functionality available for previous Sybase IQ releases is now available against Sybase IQ 16 datasources.
- Apache Hive – This release presents a technical preview of Apache Hive support. As with other technical previews, minimal functionality is provided. Features include datasource registration and connection, a minimal Navigator tree, and a minimal set of object management features.
Object Browser Updates
Improved numeric column filtering in Object Browser. Users can now filter numeric columns by using operators (>, =, <, <=, >=). When no operator is used, >= is assumed.
ISQL Windows backup
For Windows Vista and higher, the auto save feature of Rapid SQL is now connected to the Restart Manager. Also, unlike the previous version (o Windows XP) all modified ISQL windows will have a backup saved at a regular interval, even those ISQL windows that do not have a file name associated with them. In the event of a crash, those ISQL windows will automatically open up on the next restart. If the Restart Manager is able to detect the crash, it will attempt to automatically restart the application for you. On Windows XP, this feature will function as it did in past versions.
Connectivity Improvement
Connectivity has been improved to have a central location in the options page to set the driver for all datasources of a certain type to use. An individual datasource can override this setting, but by default all datasources will obey the global setting. No longer will customers have to change each individual datasource if they want to use a particular driver for their system.
Java Update
Rapid SQL has updated to Java 1.7.
Improved Multi-Monitor Support
Users can now detach any MDI tab from the main application window. They can group these detached tabs together or keep them separate.