When I started developing applications with PHP, one of the first things I really wanted of an editor was the ability to list all functions I used in a package for easier navigation. Obviously this meant using a program like Geany, because I was not smart enough to figure out how to enable this in Vim. I have found out how to show a function list in the meantime using Exuberant + TagBar; there are other solutions but that is not the point of this post.

When starting with Oracle I immediately got used to SQL Developer, a no-cost program from Oracle that does a lot of things Toad does. Except... a function list.

Yesterday a colleague of mine made SQL Developer a better program by pointing out a feature which I had not noticed before: a navigation list for packages, named 'outline'.

Here's how to show outline:

Right mouse button - select Quick Outline

[caption id="attachment_499" align="alignleft" width="682"] SQL Developer: select outline for package navigation[/caption]

The result is:

[caption id="attachment_500" align="alignleft" width="179"] Show me the functions / procedures![/caption]

 

 

 

 

 

I really like this feature.
As you can see, the last procedure is cut off, so it isn't bugfree, but it's there if you want it.

-- update 04-12-2014
Yesterday I wrote this post to show a feature which I really like in a program which I use all day while enjoying using it. One of the reasons of the success of this program is the attention SQL developer-developers pay to users and what they post on Twitter.
The product manager read my tweet and this post and engaged me in a Twitter-conversation, being triggered by the word 'bug'. The conversation ends with this tweet:



 

 

 

With previous experiences and contact moments with Jeff Smith in mind, I have stricken out a piece of my post above about the (very minor) bug. It's probably (in the process of being) fixed as I write this.

Have fun!