Teradata SQL Assistant for Microsoft Windows User Guide

Teradata SQL Assistant for MicrosoftWindows

User Guide

Release 16.10B035-2430-057K

May 2017

The product or products described in this book are licensed products of Teradata Corporation or its affiliates.

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Teradata SQL Assistant for Microsoft Windows User Guide, Release 16.10 3

Preface

Purpose

This book provides information about Teradata® SQL Assistant for Microsoft® Windows® which is a Teradata® Tools and Utilities product. Teradata Tools and Utilities is a group of products designed to work with the Teradata Database or other database.

Teradata SQL Assistant is a Windows-based information discovery tool designed to retrieve, manipulate, and store data from ODBC-compliant database servers.

Audience

This book is intended for use by:

• SQL proficient users who know how to formulate queries for processing on the Teradata Database or other ODBC-compliant systems

• Relational Database developers

Supported Releases

This book supports the following releases:

• Teradata Database 16.10

• Teradata Tools and Utilities 16.10

• Teradata SQL Assistant 16.10

Note: See “To display information about SQL Assistant” on page 40 to verify the Teradata SQL Assistant version number.

To locate detailed supported release information:

1 Go to http://www.info.teradata.com/.

2 Under Online Publications, click General Search.

3 Type 3119 in the Publication Product ID box.

4 Under Sort By, select Date.

5 Click Search.

6 Open the version of the Teradata Tools and Utilities ##.# Supported Platforms and Product Versions spreadsheet associated with this release.

http://www.info.teradata.com/

PrefacePrerequisites

4 Teradata SQL Assistant for Microsoft Windows User Guide, Release 16.10

The spreadsheet includes supported Teradata Database versions, platforms, and product release numbers.

Prerequisites

The following prerequisite knowledge is required for this product:

• Teradata SQL, or the SQL of another ODBC compliant database

• Relational Database Management Systems

• Microsoft Windows operating system

• ODBC connectivity software

In addition, the following might be helpful to review prior to using Teradata SQL Assistant:

Changes to this Book

The following changes were made to this book in support of the current release. Changes are marked with change bars. For a complete list of changes to the product, see the Teradata Tools and Utilities Release Definition associated with this release.

This document... contains this information...

Windows Help file Online help, accessible from the Teradata SQL Assistant main window by clicking on the toolbar.

Table i: Changes to this Book

Date Description

May 2017

16.10

Chapter 1: Update “16.00” to “16.10” in “Starting Teradata SQL Assistant.”

Chapter 2: Add a third section for “To submit the current statement” in “Submitting Part of a Query.”

Update “16.00” to “16.10” in filepath in “Language Definition Files.”

Add second sentence to “Formatting a Query.”

Change description for “Convert keywords to upper case” in “Code Editor Tab in the Options Dialog Box” table.

Chapter 3: Add second paragraph for “Viewing Your Results.”

Add task for scrolling through large cells.

Chapter 4: Add second note to “Cleaning up the History Table.”

Appendix B: Add note before “Query Specific Shortcut Keys” table.

PrefaceAdditional Information


Additional Information

Additional information that supports this product and Teradata Tools and Utilities is available at the web sites listed in the table that follows.

Table ii: Additional Product Information

Type of Information Description Source

Release Overview

Late Information

Use the Release Definition for the following information:

• Overview of all of the products in the release

• Information received too late to be included in the manuals

• Operating systems and Teradata Database versions that are certified to work with each product

• Version numbers of each product and the documentation for each product

• Information about available training and the support center


2 Under Downloadable Publications, click General Search

3 Type 2430 in the Publication Product ID box.

4 Click Search.

5 Select the appropriate Release Definition from the search results.

Additional product information

Use the Teradata Information Products web site to view or download specific manuals that supply related or additional information to this manual.


2 Under the Downloadable Publications subcategory, Browse by Category, click Data Warehousing.

3 Do one of the following:

• For a list of Teradata Tools and Utilities documents, click Teradata Tools and Utilities, then select an item under Releases or Products.

• Select a link to any of the data warehousing publications categories listed.

Specific books related to Teradata SQL Assistant for Microsoft Windows User Guide are as follows:

• ODBC Driver for Teradata User GuideB035-2509

• Teradata Query Scheduler User GuideB035-2512

• Teradata Visual Explain User GuideB035-2504

CD-ROM images Access a link to a downloadable CD-ROM image of all customer documentation for this release. Customers are authorized to create CD-ROMs for their use from this image.


2 Under the Online Publications subcategory, Browse by Category, click Data Warehousing.

3 Click CD-ROM Images.

4 Follow the ordering instructions.




PrefaceProduct Safety Information


Product Safety Information

This document may contain information addressing product safety practices related to data or property damage, identified by the word Notice. A notice indicates a situation which, if not avoided, could result in damage to property, such as equipment or data, but not related to personal injury.

Example:

Notice: Improper use of the Reconfiguration utility can result in data loss.

Ordering information for manuals

Use the Teradata Information Products web site to order printed versions of manuals.


2 Under the Downloadable Publications subcategory, Browse by Category, click Data Warehousing.

3 Click Documentation CD Images – Teradata Database and Teradata Tools & Utilities.

General information about Teradata

The Teradata home page provides links to numerous sources of information about Teradata. Links include:

• Executive reports, case studies of customer experiences with Teradata, and thought leadership

• Technical information, solutions, and expert advice

• Press releases, mentions and media resources

1 Go to Teradata.com.

2 Select a link.

Customer support Use Teradata At Your Service to access Orange Books, technical alerts, and knowledge repositories, view and join forums, and download software packages.

https://tays.teradata.com

Table ii: Additional Product Information (continued)

Type of Information Description Source


http://www.teradata.com

https://tays.teradata.com


Table of Contents

Preface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Purpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Audience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Supported Releases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Prerequisites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Changes to this Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Additional Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Product Safety Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Chapter 1: Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

What is Teradata SQL Assistant? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

How Teradata SQL Assistant Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Teradata SQL Assistant Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Defining a Data Source. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Defining an ODBC Data Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Defining a .NET Data Provider for Teradata Data Source. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Defining a .NET Data Provider for Oracle Data Source. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Starting Teradata SQL Assistant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Connecting to and Disconnecting from a Data Source. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Connecting to an ODBC Data Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Connecting to .NET for Teradata. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Connecting to .NET for Oracle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Connecting to Multiple Data Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Re-Connecting to a Data Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Displaying a Color Bar in the Query Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Changing the Database Password. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Main Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Menu Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Hiding Toolbars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Using the Status Bar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Tabbing Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Table of Contents


Cascading Windows. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

Tiling Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

Arranging Windows. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

Changing the Text Size in a Child Window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

Using Online Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

Using Shortcut Menus and Commands. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

Database Explorer Tree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

Viewing Object Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

Opening and Closing the Database Explorer Tree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

Navigating to the Database Explorer Tree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

Changing the Width of the Tree Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

Moving the Explorer Tree Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

Dragging Object Names to the Query Pane. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43

Dragging Multiple Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43

Using Quick Paste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Adding Double Quotes around Object Name. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Adding Object Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Displaying Object Definitions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Displaying Data Source Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45

Generating SQL for use with an Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45

Editing Table Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46

Working with the Edit Table Dialog Box. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47

Adding Databases. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49

Removing Databases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49

Refreshing the Database Explorer Tree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50

Displaying the Shortcut Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50

Setting Database Tree Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

Favorites and Examples Pane. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53

Opening and Closing the Favorites Pane. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53

Navigating to the Favorites Pane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54

Changing the Width of the Favorites Pane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54

Moving the Favorites Pane Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54

Listing All Tables or Views In a Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55

Listing All Columns In a Table or View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55

Setting General Program Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56

Setting Default File Paths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57

Using Page Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59

Using Print Preview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59

Support for Unicode® and UTF-8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60

Displaying Unicode® Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60

Exporting Unicode® Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60

Importing Unicode® Data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60

Table of Contents


Support for the Visually Impaired. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Text Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Color scheme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Audible support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Limitations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

General Teradata Limitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Teradata.NET Specific Limitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Oracle.NET Specific Limitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

ODBC Specific Limitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Chapter 2: The Query Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Introduction to the Query Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Using the Query Window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Using SQL, DDL, and DML Statements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Displaying the Query Window Toolbar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Allowing Multiple Queries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Splitting the Query Window into Two Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Selecting Text and Inserting Bookmarks Using the Query Window Margin . . . . . . . . . . 67

Creating Statements (Single and Multi). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Parameterized Queries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Magnifying the Query Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Setting Query Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Setting Code Editor Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Entering and Executing Queries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Entering a Query . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Using Conditional Logic in a Query. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Outlining. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Using Code Completion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Displaying Function Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Inserting Function Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Customizing Code Completion Lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Executing a Query . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

Using Transactions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

Running Multiple Queries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

Executing Multiple Statements in Parallel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

Submitting Part of a Query . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

Aborting a Query in Progress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Executing a Query Saved To a File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Automatically Minimizing the Teradata SQL Assistant Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Table of Contents


Renaming a Query Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82

Deleting a Query Tab. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82

Working With SQL Text in the Query Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82

Copying SQL from Previous History Record to the Query Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83

Copying SQL from Next History Record to the Query Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83

Preventing Queries from Being Saved in the History Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83

Undoing or Redoing Query Window Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84

Setting Repeat Count . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84

Recording and Executing Query Window Macros . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84

Saving a Query . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85

Performing a Quick Save. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86

Adding a Query to Favorites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86

Opening a Query from a File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86

Copying a Query to Notepad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87

Printing a Query. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87

Adding Comments to Queries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88

Highlighting a block of Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88

Showing Whitespace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88

Converting Tabs to Spaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88

Indenting Lines in a Query . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89

Using the Right-to-Left Editor for Queries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89

Deleting Blank Lines from a Query . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89

Finding a Text String in the Query Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89

Replacing a Text String in the Query Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90

Displaying an Explain Plan of a Query . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91

Displaying a Visual EXPLAIN Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91

Displaying a Textual EXPLAIN Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92

Query Builder Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93

SQL Statements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93

Procedure Builder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93

<User Defined> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93

Using Query Builder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94

Supported Databases for Query Builder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95

Creating Custom SQL Sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96

Scheduling Queries for Later Execution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97

Before Scheduling Queries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97

Scheduling Queries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97

Formatting a Query . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97

Indentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98

Language Definition Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98

Importing Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99

Before You Begin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100

Table of Contents


Importing Data from a File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

Exiting from Import Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

Types of Import Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

Import Rules. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

Defining the Null Value for an Import Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

Generating Multiple Reports From a Single Query . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

Using the Query Window Shortcut Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

Displaying the Shortcut Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

Functions in the Query Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

Chapter 3: The Answerset Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

Introduction to the Answerset Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

Using the Answerset Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

Viewing Your Results. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

Adjusting Row Height . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

Adjusting Column Width . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

Re-arranging Column Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

Keeping Selected Columns From Scrolling Out of View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

Viewing Long Strings of Text Within Cells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

Closing Answerset Windows Before Submitting a New Query . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

Selecting All Answerset Rows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

Merging Cells in the Answerset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

Displaying the SQL That Generated an Answerset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

Hiding Columns/Showing All Columns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

Closing All Answersets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

Hiding Column Headers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

Hiding Row Headers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

Displaying Totals for Numeric Columns. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

Displaying Aggregate Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114

Finding a Text String in the Results Grid. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114

Naming an Answerset Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

Naming an Answerset Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

Deleting an Answerset Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

Opening a Saved Answerset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116

Saving an Answerset to a File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116

Saving as XML . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118

Copying an Answerset to Notepad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118

Printing an Answerset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118

Using Print Preview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

Table of Contents


Cancelling Print Jobs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119

Sorting an Answerset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119

Filtering the Answerset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120

Grouping the Answerset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121

Setting Answerset Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122

Setting Data Format Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .124

Changing the Font for the Entire Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .127

Zooming the Answerset Window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .127

Charting Answerset data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .127

Working with Charts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129

Formatting an Answerset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129

Formatting a Block of Cells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .130

Formatting a Single Cell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .130

Formatting a Single Row or Column . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .130

Formatting Multiple Rows or Columns. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .130

Formatting the Entire Spreadsheet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131

Displaying Commas to Mark Thousand Separators. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131

Displaying Numbers in Scientific Notation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131

Displaying Decimal Places. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131

Exporting a Resultset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131

Exporting Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .132

Single-Clicking to Display the Export File. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .133

Saving Multiple Answersets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .133

Exporting to Access – Formats and Data Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .133

Setting Export/Import Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .134

Setting Export Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .135

Setting Import Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .136

Understanding Large Object Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .136

Using Answerset Shortcut Menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .137

Displaying the Shortcut Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .138

Chapter 4: The History Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .141

Introduction to the History Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .141

The Columns of the History Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .142

Using the History Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .143

Opening the History Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .143

Closing the History Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .143

Viewing the Result Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .143

Viewing DBS Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .144

Table of Contents


Viewing the History Rows. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144

Rearranging History Columns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144

Filtering the History Rows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144

Copying SQL from Previous History Record to the Query Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146

Copying SQL from Next History Record to the Query Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146

Selecting All History Rows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147

Sorting the History Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147

Finding a Text String in the History Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148

Cleaning up the History Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148

Magnifying the History Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150

Setting History Window Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150

Editing History Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152

Displaying and Navigating the Edit History Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152

Editing a History Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153

Compacting History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153

Adding or Change a Note in a History Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153

Saving, Copying, and Printing History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153

Saving History Rows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154

Copying Rows to the Clipboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155

Copying Rows to Notepad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155

Printing the Contents of the History Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156

Cancelling Print Jobs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156

Storing History Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156

Changing the Location of History Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157

The History Window Shortcut Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157

Displaying the Shortcut Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157

Appendix A: Startup Parameters and Default Preferences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159

Startup Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159

Default Preferences (Options) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160

Miscellaneous and General Default Preference Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161

Query Default Preference Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163

Code Editor Tab Default Preference Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163

Data Format Tab Default Preference Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165

Answerset Tab Default Preference Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165

Export/Import Tab Default Preference Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166

History Tab Default Preferences and Descriptions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167

Database Tree Default Preferences and Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167

File Paths Tab Default Preference Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168

Table of Contents


Page Setup Default Preferences and Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .168

Appendix B: Menus, Toolbars and Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .169

Using Toolbars and Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .169

The Main Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .169

The Answerset Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .169

The Query Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .170

Toolbar Button Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .170

Customizing Menus and Toolbars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .175

Adding a Command to a Menu or Toolbar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .176

Menu Commands Only. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .177

Removing a Command from a Menu or Toolbar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .177

Moving a Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .178

Adding or Removing a Break Between Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .178

Changing the Name for a Command. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .178

Assigning or Changing a Keyboard Shortcut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .178

Changing Menu Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .179

Showing Recently Used Commands First . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .179

Resetting the Default Menu Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .180

Hiding the Toolbars. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .180

Showing or Hiding Toolbar Screen Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .180

Adding, Removing, Renaming, or Resetting a Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .180

General Command Shortcut Keys. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .181

Query Specific Shortcut Keys. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .182

Window Control Shortcut Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .185

Answer/History Specific Shortcut Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .186

Appendix C: Configuration Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .187

UserOptions.config. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .187

Toolbars.config . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .188

DataSources.config . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .188

DockMgr.config . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .188

Vendors.config . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .188

Table of Contents


Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197

Table of Contents



List of Figures

Figure 1: The Default Main Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169

Figure 2: The Default Answerset Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170

Figure 3: The Default Query Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170

List of Figures



List of Tables

Table 1: ODBC Data Source Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Table 2: ODBC Driver Setup for Teradata Database Dialog Box: Field Descriptions . . . . . . 26

Table 3: Description of the Teradata.NET Connection Dialog Box. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Table 4: Description of the Oracle.NET Connection Dialog Box. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Table 5: Sub Folders Created When Objects Are Added. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Table 6: Generate SQL Sub Menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Table 7: Explorer Tree Shortcut Menu Commands. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Table 8: Options Dialog Box, DB Tree Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Table 9: Options Dialog Box, General Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Table 10: Description of the File Paths Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Table 11: Description of the Page Setup Dialog Box and Print Preview Window . . . . . . . . . 59

Table 12: The Query Tab in the Options Dialog Box. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Table 13: Code Editor Tab in the Options Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Table 14: Query Builder Statements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

Table 15: Query Builder Icon Descriptions and Right-Click Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

Table 16: The Query Window Shortcut Menu Commands and Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . 105

Table 17: Clipboard Support – Edit Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

Table 18: Find Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114

Table 19: Answerset File Format Types. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116

Table 20: Answerset Tab in the Options Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123

Table 21: Data Format Tab in the Options Dialog Box. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

Table 22: Chart Definition Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128

Table 23: Chart Menus and Shortcut Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129

Table 24: How SQL Assistant Maps Teradata Data Types to Access Data Types . . . . . . . . . 133

Table 25: Import/Export Tab in the Options Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134

Table 26: Export Tab in the Options Dialog Box. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

Table 27: Import Tab in the Options Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136

Table 28: The Answerset Window Shortcut Menu Commands and Descriptions . . . . . . . . 138

Table 29: The History Window Column Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142

Table 30: Description of History Window Filter Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145

Table 31: Find Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148

Table 32: Description of Cleanup History Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150

List of Tables


Table 33: History Tab in the Options Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .151

Table 34: History File Format Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .154

Table 35: The History Window Shortcut Menu Commands and Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . .158

Table 36: Startup Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .159

Table 37: Miscellaneous and General Default Preferences and Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . .161

Table 38: Query Default Preferences and Descriptions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .163

Table 39: Code Editor Tab Default Preferences and Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .163

Table 40: Data Format Tab Default Preferences and Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .165

Table 41: Answerset Tab Default Preferences and Descriptions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .165

Table 42: Export/Import Tab Default Preferences and Descriptions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .166

Table 43: History Tab Default Preferences and Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .167

Table 44: Database Tree Default Preferences and Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .167

Table 45: File Paths Tab Default Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .168

Table 46: Page Setup Defaults and Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .168

Table 47: Toolbar Button Descriptions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .170

Table 48: Adding, Deleting, Renaming and Resetting a Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .181

Table 49: Shortcut Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .181

Table 50: Query Specific Shortcut Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .183

Table 51: Window Control Shortcut Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .185

Table 52: Answer / History specific Shortcut Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .186

Table 53: Properties Described by the Vendors.config File. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .188


CHAPTER 1

Getting Started

The topics in this chapter provide the basic information required to get started using Teradata SQL Assistant:

• Introduction

• Defining a Data Source

• Starting Teradata SQL Assistant

• Connecting to and Disconnecting from a Data Source

• Main Window

• Database Explorer Tree

• Favorites and Examples Pane

• Listing All Tables or Views In a Database

• Listing All Columns In a Table or View

• Setting General Program Preferences

• Support for Unicode® and UTF-8

• Support for the Visually Impaired

• Limitations

Note: This document uses the term “database” as the term for “table qualifier” (the object that contains data tables). This term varies depending on the database vendor, and might be referred to as “owner”, “schema” or “catalog” in the vendor’s own documentation.

Introduction

This topic provides basic information about Teradata SQL Assistant and a brief overview of its features.

• What is Teradata SQL Assistant?

• How Teradata SQL Assistant Works

• Teradata SQL Assistant Features

What is Teradata SQL Assistant?

Teradata SQL Assistant is an information discovery tool designed for Windows operating systems. Teradata SQL Assistant retrieves data from any ODBC-compliant database server. The data can then be manipulated and stored on a desktop PC.

Chapter 1: Getting StartedDefining a Data Source


How Teradata SQL Assistant Works

Teradata SQL Assistant uses either a .Net Data Provider or an ODBC connection to combine the data retrieved from a database with desktop applications such as Excel to create consolidated reports or to analyze the merged data. Teradata SQL Assistant records all SQL activity, complete with source identification, timings, row counts and notes. This is especially useful in data mining because the historical record can be used to build scripts from the SQL that produced positive results.

Teradata SQL Assistant Features

Teradata SQL Assistant provides several key functions:

• Creates reports from Teradata, Oracle or any Relational Database that provides an ODBC interface

• Exports data from the database to a file on a PC

• Imports data from a PC file directly to the database

• Uses an import file to create many similar reports (query results or Answersets)For example, display the DDL (SQL) that was used to create a list of tables. For more information, see “Generating Multiple Reports From a Single Query” on page 104.

• Sends queries to any supported database or send the same query to many different databases

• Creates a historical record of the submitted SQL with timings and status information such as success or failure

• Uses SQL syntax examples to tailor statements

• Uses the Database Explorer Tree to easily view database objects

• Uses a procedure builder that provides a list of valid statements for building the logic of a stored procedure

• Limits data returned to prevent runaway queries

• Creates charts from the returned data

Defining a Data Source

When connecting to a database, select either ODBC, the .NET Data Provider for Teradata, or the .NET Data Provider for Oracle. Connection to any other database must be made through an ODBC connection. In order to use the ODBC connection, a vendor specific 32-bit ODBC driver must be installed. In order to use a .NET Data Provider, that provider must be downloaded and installed.

See the following sections:

• Defining an ODBC Data Source

• Defining a .NET Data Provider for Teradata Data Source

• Defining a .NET Data Provider for Oracle Data Source



Note: The .NET providers only appear in the dropdown list if they have been installed on the client system.

Defining an ODBC Data Source

An ODBC-based application like Teradata SQL Assistant accesses the data in a database through an ODBC data source.

After installing Teradata SQL Assistant on a workstation, start Teradata SQL Assistant. Then define a data source for each database.

The Microsoft ODBC Data Source Administrator maintains ODBC data sources and drivers and can be used to add, modify, or remove ODBC drivers and configure data sources. An About Box for each installed ODBC driver provides author, version number, module size, and release date.

Use the Microsoft ODBC Data Source Administrator program installed on the workstation to define a data source in one of two ways.

To define an ODBC data source


• From the Windows desktop, select Start > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Data Sources (ODBC).

• From within SQL Assistant select ODBC in the dropdown list to the left of the toolbar and then select Tools > Define Data Source.

2 In the ODBC Data Source Administrator dialog box, decide what type of data source to create.

Table 1 describes the data source types.

3 After selecting the DSN type, click Add.

For example, in the ODBC Data Source Administrator dialog box, click the System DSN tab to bring to the front. Click Add, then click OK.

Table 1: ODBC Data Source Types

Data Source Description Explanation

User DSN An ODBC user data source stores information about how to connect to the indicated data provider.

System DSN An ODBC system data source stores information about how to connect to the indicated data provider. A system data source is visible to all users on this machine, including NT services.

File DSN An ODBC file data source connects to a data provider. File DSNs can be shared by users who have the same drivers installed.

Note: File DSN is not recommended.



4 In the Create New Data Source dialog box, select the appropriate driver and click Finish.

For example, locate the Teradata driver under the column Name, click to select the driver, and click Finish.

A dialog box appears for the selected database. This dialog box requests information that defines the location of the database and the connection parameters to be used when establishing a connection. The parameters vary from one vendor database to another. Table 2 describes the basic parameters used to connect to a database.

Table 2: ODBC Driver Setup for Teradata Database Dialog Box: Field Descriptions

Select This Field... To...

Name Enter a name that identifies this data source.

For example, in some cases there is more than one Teradata server to connect to or a user might have more than one logon depending on the function the user performs.

Description Enter a description. This is solely a comment field to describe the data source name used.

Name(s) or IP address(es) Enter the name(s) or IP address(es) of each LAN-connected node in the system, one per line. Entering only the first node name or IP address causes the client to communicate only with that node or IP address and can decrease system performance significantly.

Define any names entered here in either Domain Name Services (DNS) or the local hosts file. The hosts file is located in the system32\drivers\etc subdirectory of the directory in which Windows is installed.

Enter the name(s) or IP address(es) of the Teradata system.

Note: Never enter both a name and an IP address.

Do not resolve alias name to IP address

When this option is selected, setup routine does not attempt to resolve alias names entered into the “Name(s) and IP address(es)” box at setup time.

Instead it is resolved at connect time. When cleared, the setup routine automatically appends COPn (where n = 1, 2, 3, ..., 128) for each alias name entered.

This causes other IP addresses associated with this server to be located, until a break in the sequence is detected.

Use Integrated Security Select this option if logging on using integrated security measures.

Mechanism Leave this field blank to use the default mechanism.

Parameter The authentication parameter is a password required for the selected mechanism.

Username Enter a user name.

Password Enter a password to be used for the connection if using Teradata SQL Assistant in an unattended (batch) mode.

Entering a password here is not secure.

Default Database (optional) Enter the default database name.

If the Default Database is not entered, the Username is used as the default. All tables, views, and macros are assumed to be in this default database unless explicitly prefixed by a database name in the query.

Account String (optional) Enter one of the accounts that the DBA assigned to the Username when it was created.



Teradata SQL Assistant is ready to use.

For more information about using Microsoft ODBC Data Source Administrator, refer to the ODBC Data Source Administrator Help system.

Note: The SQL Assistant option Allow use of ODBC SQL Extensions in queries no longer exists. Clear the ODBC DSN option Disable Parsing to allow the use of ODBC SQL Extensions

in queries.

ODBC Driver

Before using Teradata SQL Assistant to access the data in the database, first install an ODBC driver on the PC. Each database requires a driver that is designed specifically for that database system. Obtain the appropriate driver from an database vendor or from a third-party supplier.

Compatibility

Teradata SQL Assistant is certified to run with any Level 2 compliant 32-bit ODBC driver. The product also works with Level 1 compliant drivers, but might not provide full functionality. Consult the ODBC driver documentation to determine the driver’s conformance level. Most commercially available ODBC drivers conform to Level 2.

Defining a .NET Data Provider for Teradata Data Source

Use the Connection Information dialog box to create, edit, and delete data sources for .Net Data Provider for Teradata. The dialog box is also used to connect to existing Teradata.Net data sources.

Data source definitions are saved to a file named DataSources.config.This file is located in \Users\<username>\AppData\Teradata\SQL Assistant.

Additionally, ‘system level’ data sources can be defined. These are stored in a file of the same name, located in \ProgramData\Teradata\SQL Assistant.

When a System level data source is selected, a padlock icon appears to the right of the data source name. For a Windows user with Standard rights, many of the properties within such a data source can not be changed. A user with Administrative rights can change any property. However, if he or she changes certain properties, a new user level data source is created. This user level data source appears instead of the system level data source going forward. If he or she later deletes that data source, the original System level data source is restored.

To define a Teradata .NET data source

1 Open Teradata SQL Assistant.

2 Select Teradata .NET from the provider drop down list, next to the Connect tool button.

Session Character Set Use the drop down menu to select the character set. The default is ASCII.

Table 2: ODBC Driver Setup for Teradata Database Dialog Box: Field Descriptions (continued)

Select This Field... To...



3 Click the Connect icon or go to Tools > Connect.

4 Use the Connection Information dialog box to select a .NET data source.

• Create a new data source by entering the name and server and other applicable information

• Delete an existing data source by clicking Delete.

• Use this dialog box to modify existing sources.

5 Use the Advanced tab to make additional changes to a data source.

The figure below shows the .NET dialog box.

Table 3 describes the options in the .NET dialog box.

Table 3: Description of the Teradata.NET Connection Dialog Box

Dialog Box Item Description

Basic tab



Data Source Name Enter the name of the data source or use the drop down menu to select an existing name.

Server Enter the name of the data source or the IP address.

Use Integrated Security Use your Windows credentials for this connection.

Mechanism Select a security mechanism and parameter. The default Mechanism is used if this is left blank.

Parameter Enter your security parameters if required by the selected Mechanism.

User Name Enter the appropriate user name information.

Password Enter the appropriate password information.

Save my password If the user checks this box then the [encrypted] password will be saved along with the rest of the connection information for that data source.

The next time the user selects that data source the password will automatically be populated in the Password field.

Note: the password can ONLY be decrypted on the same system, by the same user.

If significant changes are made to the system [hardware changes or new OS] all saved passwords will become unusable and will need to be re-entered.

Default Database Enter the default database if applicable.

If the Default Database is not entered, the Username is used as the default. All tables, views, and macros are assumed to be in this default database unless explicitly prefixed by a database name in the query.

Account String Enter the default account string if applicable.

Advanced tab

Session Character Set Use the drop down menu to select a character set to be associated with the data source.

Session Mode Use Session Mode to select the type of session. Options include ANSI, DEFAULT, and TERADATA.

Response Buffer Size Enter a buffer size between 4096 and 1040000. The default is 65535.

Port Number Enter a port number. The default is 1025.

Recovery Mode This field allows you to set the Recoverable Network Protocol (RNP) and Redrive property to be used after a network error or database failure. The values are:

• Default – Setting is defined by the system's TASM 'Redrive' setting.

• Off – RNP/Redrive will not be used.

• RNP – Enables reconnection after a network issue. Commands may be re-issued after a network failure.

• Redrive – Enables Redrive after a network or database failure. Spool files will survive across a database restart.

Connection Timeout Enter the length of time in seconds that SQL Assistant should wait for a connection to be established before determining that the system is unavailable. The default setting is 20 seconds.

Table 3: Description of the Teradata.NET Connection Dialog Box (continued)




Defining a .NET Data Provider for Oracle Data Source

Use the Connection Information dialog box to create, edit, and delete data sources for .NET for Oracle. The dialog box is also used to connect to existing Oracle .NET data sources.

To define an Oracle .NET data source

1 Open Teradata SQL Assistant.

2 Select Oracle.NET from the provider drop down list next to the Connect tool button.

3 Click the Connect icon or select Tools > Connect.

4 Use the Connection Information dialog box to select a .NET data source.

Data Source DNS Entries

[Optional] Enter the number of IP Addresses defined for the Teradata system (1 to 999). The default setting is blank.

Use X views Select this box to force the driver to read the X (restricted) views instead of the regular views when fetching catalog data for the Database Tree.

Note: This option makes retrieving Database Tree information less efficient but might be required due to security restrictions for some users.

Use Data Encryption Select this box to use data encryption.

Verify Message Integrity Select this box to set the .NET Data Provider to perform integrity checks on all messages sent to and received from Teradata. The box is not selected by default.

Optimized Edit Table When this option is checked the application creates more efficient SQL for Updating and Deleting rows through the Edit Table grid.

However this option requires that the table have a Primary Key or Unique constraint of some kind.

If you wish update/delete rows for a table that does not have a Primary Key or Unique constraint you must uncheck this option.

The default is Checked.

Show Color Bar Select this box to display a narrow bar of color across the top of any Query window that is connected to this data source.

Use the Color selection control to the right to select a color.

This same color is used to underline the Data Source name in the Database Explorer Tree when you are connected to this data source.

Table 3: Description of the Teradata.NET Connection Dialog Box (continued)




• Create a new data source by entering the name, server, and other applicable information.

• Delete an existing data source by clicking Delete.

• Use this dialog box to modify existing sources.

5 Use the Advanced tab to make additional changes to a data source.

The following figure shows the .NET dialog box.

Table 4 describes the options in the .NET dialog box.

Table 4: Description of the Oracle.NET Connection Dialog Box


Basic tab

Data Source Name Enter the name of the data source or use the drop down menu to select an existing name.

Server Enter the name of the data source or the IP address.

Use Integrated Security Use your Windows credentials for this connection.

User Name Enter the appropriate user name information.

Password Enter the appropriate password information.

Advanced tab

Proxy User Enter the Proxy user to connect through.

Proxy Password Enter the password for the Proxy user.

Connection Timeout Enter a time limit in seconds for SQL Assistant to establish a connection to an available system before timing out. The default setting is 20 seconds.

Chapter 1: Getting StartedStarting Teradata SQL Assistant


Starting Teradata SQL Assistant

After installing the .Net Data Provider for Teradata, Teradata SQL Assistant, and any required ODBC drivers, or the .Net Data Provider for Oracle, start Teradata SQL Assistant.

To start Teradata SQL Assistant

• From the Windows desktop, select Start > Programs > Teradata Client 16.10 > Teradata SQL Assistant > Teradata SQL Assistant.

The Teradata SQL Assistant main window appears with a blank Query Window above and a History window below.

Connecting to and Disconnecting from a Data Source

Before connecting to an ODBC data source, a .NET data source, or both, the data sources should be defined. See “Defining an ODBC Data Source” on page 25 or “Defining a .NET Data Provider for Teradata Data Source” on page 27. More than one data source can be connected at a time if the option is selected on the Options dialog box under the General tab.

The following topics provide information about data source connections:

• Setting General Program Preferences

• Connecting to an ODBC Data Source

• Connecting to .NET for Teradata

• Connecting to .NET for Oracle

• Connecting to Multiple Data Sources

• Re-Connecting to a Data Source

• Displaying a Color Bar in the Query Window

• Changing the Database Password

Show Color Bar Select this box to display a narrow bar of color across the top of any Query window that is connected to this data source.

Use the Color selection control, to the right, to select a color.

This same color is used to underline the Data Source name in the Database Explorer Tree when you are connected to this data source.

Table 4: Description of the Oracle.NET Connection Dialog Box (continued)


Chapter 1: Getting StartedConnecting to and Disconnecting from a Data Source


Connecting to an ODBC Data Source

After defining the ODBC data source, connect to it.

To connect to an ODBC data source

1 Use the provider drop down menu to select ODBC data source.


• Select Tools > Connect.

• On the toolbar click .

The prompt asks for the name of the data source.

3 Select a data source and click OK.

4 In the Teradata Database Connect dialog box:

a Do one of the following:

• Select Use Integrated Security

• Enter the Mechanism and Parameter

• Enter the Userid and Password

b [Optional] Enter a Default Database or an Account String.

When the connection is complete, the Connect icon can be disabled and the Disconnect icon to its right enabled. The connect icon is disabled only if connection to multiple data sources is not allowed.

For more information on the fields in this dialog box, refer to the ODBC Driver for Teradata User Guide.

When Connected to ODBC

The following lists describes what occurs when connection is established with an ODBC source:

• All columns are returned as character strings when Interval columns are selected, so you cannot select LOBs or Byte columns if the Select includes Interval columns.

• You can only select CLOBs if connecting using the UTF-16 Session Character Set.

• Only type F User Defined Functions are listed under the Functions node of the Database tree.

• Time columns do not display fractional seconds or Time Zone information.

• Decimal columns with more than 28 digits might display incorrectly.



• If a macro (or execute parallel) returns zero rows from a Select statement, no rows are returned from any later Select statements in that macro or parallel query.

• Batch Import functionality is not available.

• The Edit Table function is not available.

• The location of Syntax errors will not be highlighted.

Connecting to .NET for Teradata

Use the following procedure to connect to a .NET for Teradata data source. For more information on defining .NET data sources, see “Defining a .NET Data Provider for Teradata Data Source” on page 27.

To connect to a .NET for Teradata data source

1 Use the Provider drop down menu to select Teradata.NET.




The Teradata .NET Connection Information dialog box opens.

3 Select the data source and enter the applicable information.

When Connected to a Teradata .NET Data Source

The following list details what occurs when a connection is established with a Teradata .NET data source:

• Teradata.NET always uses ANSI date mode.All date literals must be entered in 'YYYY-MM-DD' format.

• Timestamp With Time Zone columns only sort correctly if you specify a date format of 'YYYY-MM-DD'.

• A WITH (summary) clause in a Select statement causes the data return to fail.

Connecting to .NET for Oracle

For more information on defining .NET data sources, see “Defining a .NET Data Provider for Oracle Data Source” on page 30.



To connect to a .NET for Oracle data source

1 Use the Provider drop down menu to select Oracle.NET.




The Oracle .NET Connection Information dialog box opens.

3 Select the data source and enter the applicable information.

When Connected to an Oracle .NET Data Source

The following list details what occurs when a connection is established with a Oracle .NET data source:

• Decimal columns with more than 28 digits might be displayed as <Error>.

• The correct case for Database/User names (generally Uppercase) must be used.This applies to the Connection dialog box, when adding Databases to the Explorer tree, or when enclosing object names within double quotes.

• Create Procedure statements must end with a semicolon.These statements create, but not compile, the procedure. The procedure must be compiled before it can be executed.

Connecting to Multiple Data Sources

Use the following procedure to connect to multiple data sources.

To connect to multiple data sources

1 Select the Tools > Options > General tab.

2 Click Allow connections to multiple data sources (Query windows),

3 Follow the procedure for connecting to a data source.

Each new data source appears in the Database Tree and opens a new query window with the data source name in its caption. To disconnect from a data source, click the Query window that is connected to that data source and click the disconnect icon.



Re-Connecting to a Data Source

Use the following procedure to reconnect to a data source to which the Query window was previously connected if the connection was dropped due to a network problem or the PC entering Hibernation.

To reconnect to a data source

• Do one of the following:

• Select Tools > Reconnect.

• On the toolbar, click .

Displaying a Color Bar in the Query Window

Use the following procedure to display a colored stripe across the top of a Query window. This provides visual feedback related to the data source to which the Query is connected.

To display a color bar in the Query window

1 When connecting to a Teradata.NET or Oracle.NET data source, click the Advanced tab.

2 Select the Show Color Bar check box.

3 Use the color selection dropdown control to select a color.

Changing the Database Password

Use the following procedure to change the password in the database for Teradata, Oracle, MySQL and SQL Server databases. It might not be possible to change the password on all database systems, like Microsoft Access. Changing the password in the Database does not change a password that is stored in the ODBC data source definition. Storing a password in the ODBC data source is not secure and is not recommended.

To change the database password

1 Select Tools > Change Password.

2 In the Change Database Password dialog box, enter the current password.

3 Enter the new password.

Note: Do not use the semicolon (;) or the equal sign (=) when changing database passwords if any ODBC or .NET-based applications are being used.

4 Re-enter the new password to confirm it.

Chapter 1: Getting StartedMain Window


Main Window

The Query Window is used to enter and execute a query. The results from queries are placed into one or more Answerset windows. See “Introduction to the Query Window” on page 65.

The Answerset window is a table that Teradata SQL Assistant uses to display the output of a query. See “Introduction to the Answerset Window” on page 107.

The History window is a table that displays past queries and related processing attributes. The past queries and processing attributes are stored locally in a Microsoft Access database. This provides flexibility to work with previous SQL statements in the future. See “Introduction to the History Window” on page 141.

In addition to the three main windows, the optional Database Explorer Tree and Favorites panes can be displayed at the left or right side of the main window. For more information on these features, see “Database Explorer Tree” on page 40 or “Favorites and Examples Pane” on page 53.

Menu Bar

The Teradata SQL Assistant main window features a menu bar that contains menus that display a list of commands. The available commands apply to the active window.

To find information on main menu items, refer to the Index under the main menu name.

For information on customizing menus, see “Customizing Menus and Toolbars” on page 175.

Hiding Toolbars

The toolbars contain tool buttons used to perform the functions of the more commonly used menu commands.

For information on customizing toolbars, see “Customizing Menus and Toolbars” on page 175.

To hide the toolbars

• Select View > Toolbars and then select the toolbar to be hidden.

Using the Status Bar

The status bar appears across the bottom of the main window and displays the following status information:

• The status of an action or descriptive information about the menu or tool button that the mouse currently hovers over

For example, after executing a query, the status bar displays a success or failure message for that query.



Note: If a message is too long to fit on the status bar, click on it to display the full message in a message box.

• The sum, count, average and standard deviation for the highlighted block of cells in the Answerset window

To display this information, see “Displaying Aggregate Values” on page 114.

• The name of the Data Source from which the data was retrieved when an Answer set window is active, or the name of the Data Source to which the Query window is connected if a Query window is active

• The line number of the cursor position in the Query window

The line number is useful for locating syntax errors in stored procedures.

• The length of the selected text if any text is selected in the Query window

• The current zoom factor

• The current time

By default this displays only the hour and minutes. Click on it to display seconds also. Click on it again to return to the default display.

To hide the Status Bar

• Select View > Status Bar.

Tabbing Windows

Query, History, and Answerset windows can be displayed as tabbed windows instead of the usual Tiled, Cascaded, or Maximized options. When tabbed, the windows can be split into two tab groups to allow the easy comparison of the contents of each window.

To tab windows

• Under Window on the toolbar, select Tabbed.

The open windows arrange in tabs.

After the window is tabbed, a second tab group can be opened either by right-clicking on a tab and using the menu, or by dragging the tab to any edge of the window. (Dragging to a side opens side by side tab groups, while dragging to the top/bottom opens one tab group above the other.)

A tabbed window can also be dragged to a new location within its own tab group, or to another tab group.



Cascading Windows

Use the following procedure to display all the open windows, using the cascade function.

To cascade windows



• Select Window > Cascade.

• Press Shift+F5

Tiling Windows

Use the tiling function to display all of the open windows.

To tile windows



• Select Window > Tile Horizontal or Tile Vertical.

• Press Shift+F4 or Shift+F6

Arranging Windows

Use the following procedure to arrange all minimized windows in a row across the bottom of the Teradata SQL Assistant window.

To arrange icons

• Select Window > Arrange Icons.

Changing the Text Size in a Child Window

Use the following procedure to change the text size used in a child window.

To increase/decrease the text size in a child window

1 Ensure the window is active.

2 Hold the Ctrl key and spin the mouse wheel, or press the + or - keys.

The display zooms in or out.

3 To restore the zoom level to its original size (100%) press Ctrl+0

Chapter 1: Getting StartedDatabase Explorer Tree


Using Online Help

The following procedure explains how to use the help menu items.

To display help menu items


• Select Help > Help Topics.


To display context-sensitive help

• Press F1 anywhere in the program.

To display information about SQL Assistant

The About screen provides useful information about SQL Assistant and the current session, including the software version of SQL Assistant, the type and version of the connected server, and information about the ODBC driver or .Net Data Provider.

• Select Help > About SQL Assistant.

Using Shortcut Menus and Commands

To find information on menu items, refer to the Index under the menu name. Information on the shortcut menus for each window can be found as follows:

• Using the Query Window Shortcut Menu

• Using Answerset Shortcut Menus

• The History Window Shortcut Menu

• Displaying the Shortcut Menu

Customizing Shortcut Menus

Shortcut menus can be customized. For more information, see “Customizing Menus and Toolbars” on page 175.

Database Explorer Tree

The Database Explorer Tree can be displayed at the left or right side of the main Teradata SQL Assistant window. This pane displays each of the Data Sources to which you are connected. It also displays data sources to which you were previously connected if you use the option to save Data Source information. Opening a data source displays an alphabetical list of databases on that Data Source. Double-click a database name to expand the tree display for that database.



Use the Database Explorer Tree to reduce the time required to build a query, help reduce errors in object names, or generate statements for a table.

Initially, the following databases load into the Database Explorer Tree:

• The user's default database

• The User ID that was used to connect to the database (if applicable)

• The catalog database defined in the Vendors.config file for the database vendor (for example, “DBC” when connecting to a Teradata data source)

• Any databases that were previously requested to be loaded for this data source

Below each database name the following folders display:

• Tables

• Views

• System Tables (not for Teradata)

• Join Indexes or Materialized Views (optional)

• Macros (for Teradata data sources only)

• Functions

• Procedures

Viewing Object Types

The Database Explorer Tree shows the objects in the various databases shown. The following procedures explain how the Explorer Tree works.

To expand the Explorer Tree to show all the objects


• Double-click the database name or folder.

• Click the plus sign (+) next to the database name or folder.

• Highlight the database name or folder, and press Enter or the right arrow key.

• Right-click on the database name or folder, then select Expand/Collapse on the shortcut menu.

The following notes apply to the Database Tree:

• Expanding the Tables, Views or System Tables folder loads all these object types.

• Expanding the Macros, Functions or Procedures folder loads all these object types. If no objects exist for a given object type, that folder is automatically removed.

• When an index node is expanded for a Table, the approximate index cardinality (number of unique values) appears after the column name(s).

• When expanding the Tables node of a database any Global Temp Tables in that database are listed in blue.

• Join Indexes (called Materialized Views or Materialized Query Tables by some vendors) are only displayed if requested on the DB Tree tab of Options.



To collapse the Explorer Tree to hide all of the objects


• Double-click the database name or folder.

• Click the minus sign (-) next to the database name or folder.

• Highlight the database name or folder, and press Enter or the left arrow key.

• Right-click on the database name or folder, then select Expand/Collapse on the shortcut menu.

Opening and Closing the Database Explorer Tree

To open or close the Database Explorer Tree



• Select View > Explorer Tree.

The check mark displays the status by toggling on or off.

Navigating to the Database Explorer Tree

Use the following procedure to move focus to the Database Explorer Tree.

To navigate to the Database Explorer Tree


• Select View > Go To Explorer.

• Press Ctrl+G.

Changing the Width of the Tree Area

To change the width of the Explorer Tree area

• Click on the right edge of the display and drag it to a new position.

Moving the Explorer Tree Window

The Database Explorer Tree window operates as a separate window that can be moved around and docked to the left or right side of the parent window or can float independently.

The Database Explorer Tree also has an auto-hide feature that causes it to collapse to a bar when the mouse moves away from the window.



To move the Database Explorer Tree

To move the Database Explorer Tree, do the following:

• Click the caption bar of the Database Explorer window and drag it to a desired location.

When the cursor is close to the left or right edge of the main window, it displays a bold outline indicating that it is ready to dock to that side. Otherwise it floats when the mouse button is released.

If the Database Tree and Favorites pane appear as tabs and you only want to move one of them, click on the tab itself and drag that to the desired location.

To auto-hide the Database Explorer window, do one of the following:

1 Click the push pin on the caption bar to activate auto-hide or “unpin” the Explorer Tree.

When you move the mouse away from the Explorer Tree, the window collapses to a bar at the side of the main window. When you move the mouse over the Explorer Tree tab on the bar, the Database Explorer Tree window reopens.

2 Click again to turn off auto-hide.

Dragging Object Names to the Query Pane

• Click and drag the object from the Explorer Tree to the Query pane.

The name of the object appears in the Query Window.

To add a comma after the object name when it is dragged to the Query pane, press the Ctrl key before clicking on the object name.

To qualify object names with their parent name when dragging an object to the Query Window, first select the option Qualify names when dragged or pasted from the Database Tree, on the DB Tree tab of the Options dialog box.

Dragging Multiple Objects

Use the Shift and Ctrl keys to select more than one object from the Database Explorer Tree that can be dragged to the Query window.

Use the Ctrl key to select additional objects.

Use the Shift key to select a range of objects.



Using Quick Paste

Quick paste allows you to easily move objects from the Explorer Tree to the query window.

To use quick paste

• Perform a quick paste in one of the following ways:

• Double-click a column name in the Database Explorer Tree to quickly move it to the Query window.

• Select the object, then right-click and select Quick Paste from the menu.

The object is immediately pasted into the Query window.

Adding Double Quotes around Object Name

Request that double quotes be automatically added around any object name that is dragged or quick pasted from the Database Tree by checking the option Enclose names in quotes when dragged or pasted from the Database Tree on the DB Tree tab of the Options dialog box.

Adding Object Types

A newly created object does not appear in the Database Explorer Tree until the parent folder opens. If the parent folder is already open or has been opened during the current session, the new object does not appear until after the Refresh Database command is used, or disconnect and reconnect to the database. The same holds true when deleting an object. Table 5 shows the subfolders that are created when objects are added. For more information, see “Refreshing the Database Explorer Tree” on page 50.

Displaying Object Definitions

Use the following procedures to display the text (the DDL or data definition language) used to create a table, view, macro or stored procedure in the Database Explorer Tree. The resulting text appears in the Answerset or Query window depending on which procedure you use.

Table 5: Sub Folders Created When Objects Are Added

When adding a... the following subfolder(s) are added...

Table Columns and Indexes

Triggers (only displayed if requested on the DB Tree tab of Options)

View Columns

Macro

Function

Procedure

Parameters



To display the text used to create an object in the Answerset window

• Right-click on the object, then select Show Definition.

Abort the data retrieval process at any time by clicking the Abort icon on the toolbar. The results appear in the Answerset window.

Definitions are available as follows:

• Tables – Full definition for TeradataColumn information only for most other vendors

• All other object types – availability varies by vendor

Note: The definition for a Function or Procedure might not always be available.

To display the text used to create an object in the Query window

• Right-click on the object, then select Generate SQL > Create.

Abort the data retrieval process at any time by clicking the Abort icon on the toolbar. The results appear in the Query window.

Definitions are available as follows:

• Tables – Full definition for TeradataColumn information only for most other vendors

• Other objects – Availability varies by vendor

Note: The definition for a Function or Procedure might not always be available.

Displaying Data Source Information

• Hover the mouse over the data source node.

The User Name and Default Database for that data source are displayed.

Generating SQL for use with an Object

Use the following procedure to insert a statement template for the selected Table or View into the Query Window rather than dragging individual column names to build a statement that references many columns of a table.

If the Ctrl key is pressed when the menu is clicked, the SQL is inserted into the current Query tab at the cursor position. If the Ctrl key is not pressed, the SQL displays in a new Query tab if



the current query has been changed since it was last saved or executed, or the SQL replaces the current query if it has not been changed since it was last saved or executed.

To insert SQL for the selected table or view into the Query Window

1 Right-click on the object and select Generate SQL.

2 Click on one of the sub menus to insert the SQL.

Table 6 provides examples of the submenus.

Editing Table Data

The following steps explain how to directly edit the data in a table or simple view.

Note: This functionality is not available when connected by ODBC.

Table 6: Generate SQL Sub Menus

Menu Item Inserted SQL Example

Select Select col1, col2, col3 From MyTable

Insert (Values) Insert Into MyTable (col1, col2, col3)

Values (col1 [Integer], col2 [Char(5)], col3 [BLOB])

Insert (Import) Insert Into MyTable (col1, col2, col3)

Values (?, ?, ?B)

Create Inserts the DDL of the object



To edit table data

1 Right-click on a Table or View name in the Database Explorer Tree, and then select Edit Table.

The Edit Table Filter dialog box appears.

2 In the Edit Table Filter dialog box, deselect any columns that you do not want in the output.

Note: The selected columns must include a unique column or key if you plan to update the data. LOB columns do not appear in the list. Columns defined as Not Null are disabled because they are always selected.

3 [Optional] Enter a Where clause to limit the rows returned and an Order by clause to specify the initial sort order of the displayed rows.

4 Press OK to display the matching data in the Edit Table dialog box.

Working with the Edit Table Dialog Box

When the Edit Table dialog box first appears it is in read-only mode. To enter edit mode, do one of the following:

• Double-click the cell to edit.

• Navigate to the row to edit and press Enter to enter edit mode for the first column in the row. Press Tab to move to other cells in the row.

After editing a cell you can do the following:



Note: In many cases you cannot exit edit mode if you enter a value that is invalid for the underlying data type. If this occurs, either correct the value or press Esc to revert to the original value.

After a value has been changed, the Update and Revert buttons are enabled and the background color of the row changes. The default color is gold, but it can be changed using the Code Editor tab of the Options dialog box.

After making all changes, press Update to apply them to the underlying table. If all changes are successful the background color of the updated rows revert to normal. If any row(s) fail to update due to table constraints and so forth, an error message appears and those rows retain their changed background. Click on each row to display a message indicating the error that occurred.

To edit large text values

If you try to edit a character value whose column is defined as larger than 80 characters or whose value contains a carriage return, the Edit Text Cell dialog box appears.

1 Double-click or press Enter to enter Edit mode.

The Edit Text Cell dialog box appears with the text shown in a multi-line text box.

2 Make your changes to the text, then press Save to accept the change or press Cancel to discard the change.

To insert new rows into the table

1 Double-click the ‘Insert’ row to enter Edit mode.

The Insert row is immediately below the column titles, indicated by an asterisk in the left margin and a pale cream (default) background.

2 Enter a value for each non-Null column.

As soon as you exit edit mode, the new row moves down to the main grid area and the top row becomes available for adding another row. Newly added rows also display the changed background color until the Update button has been pressed.

Click or press To

Enter To accept the new value and exit Edit mode

Tab To accept the new value and edit the next cell

Esc Revert to the old value and exit Edit mode

Mouse button To accept the new value and exit Edit mode



To delete rows from the table

1 Select the rows to be deleted.

2 Right click and press Delete Rows.

3 Click Yes when asked for delete confirmation.

The deleted rows immediately disappear from the grid but are not removed from the underlying table until Update is pressed.

To discard changes without applying them to the table

• Press the Revert button.

The data is reloaded from the underlying table and all rows revert to the default background color.

Adding Databases

The following steps explain how to add additional databases to the Database Explorer Tree.

To add additional databases


• With the Database Explorer Tree active, press Insert.

• Right-click anywhere in the Database Explorer Tree, then select Add Database.

2 Type the database name to be added.

3 Clear the check box to load the database only for the current session.

By default, the check box is selected so the database appears in the Database Explorer Tree in future sessions.

Removing Databases

To remove databases from the Database Explorer Tree, use the following procedure. If a database is removed by mistake, it can be added again. See “Adding Databases” on page 49.

To remove a database


• Click on the database name and press Delete.

• From the Database Explorer Tree, right-click on the database name and click Remove Database.

Note: The default database can not be removed from the Database Explorer Tree.



Refreshing the Database Explorer Tree

The following steps explain how to refresh the objects shown below a database in the Database Explorer Tree.

To refresh the objects shown below a database

1 From the Database Explorer Tree, right-click the database.

2 Select Refresh Database.

Note: Only object types previously expanded are refreshed.

Displaying the Shortcut Menu

There are several ways to display additional menu options. Table 7 describes all of the commands.

To display commands for the Database Explorer Tree Window


• Right-click an object and select a menu item.

• Press Shift+F10.

• Press Context Menu on the keyboard.

Table 7: Explorer Tree Shortcut Menu Commands

Command Description

Quick Paste Pastes the current object name into the Query Window. The name is inserted at the current insertion point. To insert the name at a different point, drag and drop it within the query text.

Show Definition Displays the text used to create an object in the Database Explorer Tree. The DDL (data definition language) of a table, view, macro or stored procedure appears in the Answerset Window. Right-click the object to show the definition, then select this command.

Expand/Collapse Expands or collapses the display for the selected object. If the selected object has not been previously opened, the child data (for example, the list of tables) is fetched from the database. If the selected object has no children, it is removed from the tree.

Add Database Adds additional databases to the Database Explorer Tree.

Refresh Database Refreshes the objects shown below a database in the tree. Right-click the database to refresh, then select this command.

Note: Only object types previously expanded are refreshed.

Remove Database Removes a database from the Database Explorer Tree.

Generate SQL – The commands on this menu generate and insert SQL into the Query window.

An example of the inserted SQL is shown for each command below. In these examples

• <name> is the Table or View name

• <a, b, c, ...> is the list of columns in that table or view



Setting Database Tree Preferences

To set database tree preferences

1 Select Tools > Options.

2 Click the DB Tree tab.

Select Select <a, b, c, ...> from <name>.

Insert (Values) Insert into <name> ( <a, b, c, ...>)

Values (<a [datatype], b [datatype], c [datatype], ...>)

Insert (Import) Insert into <name> ( <a, b, c, ...>)

Values (?, ?, ?, ...)

Create Create Table <name>

(

<a [datatype],

b [datatype],

c [datatype]>

)

Primary Index (x)

Table 7: Explorer Tree Shortcut Menu Commands (continued)

Command Description



3 Select from the options shown in Table 8.

Table 8: Options Dialog Box, DB Tree Tab

Options Description

Load my user defined list of databases

This is the default option. The user DBC, current logon user, default database, and any databases or users previously defined for this data source are loaded.

Load the databases and users from a Table or View

This option is only available when connecting to a Teradata data source. This option reads the database names from the table or view specified in the next field.

Load from this source Enter the name of the table or view to load database names from. By default, this view name is DBC.DatabasesVX. If an unqualified name is entered, the assumption is that the name is in database DBC. This table/view must contain the columns ‘DatabaseName’ and ‘DBKind.’ DBKind should be set to ‘D’ to indicate a database. Any other value is assumed to be a User.

Exclude all users except for DBC and myself

The default is selected. When selected, all databases are loaded, and users are excluded. The only users that are loaded are DBC and the current logon user.

Save Database Tree information to disk and reload it at startup

The default is cleared. When selected, all the information currently in the database tree is saved to disk before Teradata SQL Assistant is shut down. The database tree information is reloaded when opened again.

The column information automatically loads for all tables and views in the database when you expand the Tables or Views folders in the database tree.

Chapter 1: Getting StartedFavorites and Examples Pane


Favorites and Examples Pane

The Favorites and Examples pane can be displayed at the left or right side of the main Teradata SQL Assistant window. This pane displays any SQL Sets that you have created, in addition to the syntax examples for any database to which you are connected. Expanding an SQL Set node displays an alphabetical list of the statements in that set. Double-click a statement to Quick-Paste it into your Query at the current insertion point. Alternatively, you can drag the statement and drop it at any point within your Query.

Opening and Closing the Favorites Pane

To open or close the Favorites pane


• Select View > Show Favorites.


The check mark displays the status by toggling on or off.

Load only column names for Views — Much faster (Teradata only)

The default is cleared. This option is only available when Save Database Tree information to disk and reload it at startup is selected.

Select this option to load only the column names for Views. Using this option speeds up the amount of time it takes to load database information for a database that contains many views.

Qualify Names when dragged or pasted from the Database Tree

The default is cleared. When selected, Table, Column, and other names are qualified with their parent name when dragged from the Explorer Tree, or when the Quick Paste menu is used.

Enclose names in quotes when dragged or pasted from the Database Tree

The default is cleared. When selected, names are enclosed in double quotes when dragged from the Explorer Tree, or when the Generate SQL or Quick Paste menus are used.

Display Triggers, Join Indexes and Materialized Views

The default is cleared. When selected an Indexes node is added below each database. This node can be expanded to display the Join and Hash Indexes defined in the database. In addition, a Triggers node is added below each Table.

Note: The term Indexes are only used for Teradata data sources. Other terms such as Materialized Views are used for other vendors, as appropriate.

Use alternate schema when loading the Explorer Tree for Unknown vendors

Select this item if you are connected to an unknown (unsupported) database and no objects appear in the Explorer Tree.

Table 8: Options Dialog Box, DB Tree Tab (continued)

Options Description

Chapter 1: Getting StartedFavorites and Examples Pane


Navigating to the Favorites Pane

Use the following procedure to move focus to the Favorites and Examples pane.

To navigate to the Favorites pane


• Select View > Go To Favorites.


• Press Ctrl+Shift+G.

Changing the Width of the Favorites Pane

To change the width of the Favorites pane

• Click on the right edge of the display and drag it to a new position.

Moving the Favorites Pane Window

The Favorites pane operates as a separate window that can be moved around and docked to the left or right side of the parent window or float independently.

The Favorites pane also has an auto-hide feature that causes it to collapse to a bar when the mouse moves away from the window.

To move the Favorites pane

To move the Favorites pane, do the following:

• Click the caption bar of the Favorites pane and drag it to a desired location. When the cursor is close to the left or right edge of the main window, it displays a bold outline indicating that it is ready to dock to that side. Otherwise it floats when the mouse button is released.

• If the Database Tree and Favorites pane appear as tabs and you only want to move one of them, click on the tab itself and drag it to the desired location.

To auto-hide the Favorites pane, do one of the following:

• Click on the caption bar to activate auto-hide or “unpin” the Favorites pane.

• When you move the cursor away from the Favorites pane, the window collapses to a bar at the side of the main window. When you move the cursor over the Favorites tab on the bar, the Favorites pane window reopens.

• Click again to turn off auto-hide.

Chapter 1: Getting StartedListing All Tables or Views In a Database


Listing All Tables or Views In a Database

To list the tables or views of any database


• Select Tools > List Tables.


2 In the Database Name field, type the name of the database (or owner, if using Oracle) containing the tables.

Enter the following wildcard characters in this field:

Note: Wildcard characters only function when using an ODBC connection.

• "_" Matches any single character

• "%" Matches zero or more characters

If the name is specified as a single percent sign ("%") this has special meaning to some ODBC drivers. It requests a list of all databases on the system, rather than all Tables within all Databases. To display all tables in all databases it is safer to specify either "%%" or "_%".

Note: This field does not apply to Microsoft Access databases.

3 At least one of the following must be selected:

• Show Tables – lists the tables in the selected database.

• Show Views – lists the views in the selected database.

The resulting list of tables, views and/or system tables appears in an Answerset window. This window does not automatically close when new queries are submitted.

Listing All Columns In a Table or View

To list the columns in a table or view


• Select Tools > List Columns.


2 In Database Name field, type the name of the database (or owner, if using Oracle) containing the table or view.

This field does not apply to Microsoft Access databases.

3 In Table or View Name, type the name of the table or view.

The resulting list of columns appear in an Answerset window. This window does not automatically close when new queries are submitted.

Chapter 1: Getting StartedSetting General Program Preferences


Setting General Program Preferences

This section includes information about the following:

• Setting Default File Paths

• Using Page Setup

• Using Print Preview

The following steps explain the available options under the General tab and how to control basic program behavior by setting options.

To set general program preferences


2 Click the General tab.

3 Select from the options shown in Table 9.



Setting Default File Paths

To set default file paths


2 Click the File Paths tab.

Table 9: Options Dialog Box, General Tab

Options Description

Allow connections to multiple data sources (Query windows)

Select this box to allow SQL Assistant to connect more than one data source. The Connect icon remains active. The default for this setting is cleared.

Allow multiple queries per connection (Tabs in a query window)

Allows multiple query tabs to be opened within a Query window.

With this option selected, the New Query command opens a new tab in the current Query Window.

The default for this setting is selected.

Print the related SQL when printing an Answerset

Select this option to print the SQL statement that is associated with the Answerset to be printed.

Note: The SQL statement does not display in the Print Preview window but is printed.

Provide extended support for screen readers

Select this option if you are visually impaired and you use a screen reader. This causes your screen reader to announce the contents of the Answerset and History cells as you move from one cell to another.

The default for this setting is cleared.

Use a separate Answer window for

• Each Resultset – opens a new Answer window for each new result set

• Each Query – opens a new Answer window for each new query, but uses tabs within this window if the query returns multiple result setsThis is the default setting.

• Never – directs all query results to display in a single tabbed Answer window

Application Style This option changes the look and feel of SQL Assistant. Select from Office2000, Office2003, OfficeBlue, OfficeBlack, OfficeSilver, Windows Vista, Windows 7 or Windows 8. The Office<color> items will imitate Office2010. The default is OfficeBlue.

Base Font Size Changes the size of the fonts used in the main window and all dialog boxes. Select between Standard, Larger, and Largest.



3 Enter file paths for the options shown.

See Table 10 for option descriptions.

Table 10: Description of the File Paths Options

Option Description

Query files The Open/Save Query functions point to this directory the first time they are used. Subsequent open/save operations point to the most recent directory used.

The default path is C:\Users\<user name>\My Documents.

Answer files The Open/Save Query functions point to this directory the first time they are used. Subsequent open/save/export operations point to the most recent directory used.


Import and LOB files Import operations initially point to this directory for import files. This is also the default location for storage of any large objects that are retrieved.


History file History information is loaded from the SQLHistory.mdb file stored in this directory.

If you change this path to a directory that does not contain an SQLHistory.mdb file, Teradata SQL Assistant opens and converts any history file created by an earlier version of Teradata SQL Assistant. If a previous version is not found, a new, empty history database is created.

The default path is C:\Users\<user name>\AppData\Roaming\Teradata\SQL Assistant.



Using Page Setup

Use the following procedure to change the way Querydata in the Answerset and History window appears and is printed using the Page Setup dialog box.

To use the Page Setup dialog box

1 Under File, select Page Setup.

2 Use the Page Setup dialog box to set how the page looks.

3 To see how the page looks, click Print Preview.

See also “Using Print Preview” on page 59.

Using Print Preview

The Print Preview dialog box allows you to preview Answerset or History window spreadsheet data before printing. Print preview is only available from the Answerset window and the History window. These two windows print data in the form of a spreadsheet. You can print the Query window, but print preview is not available.

To use the Print Preview window


• Select Print Preview under File on the toolbar.

• To view one or more pages at a time, select .

• Use to change the view size.

• To print, click .

• View a different page by using .

Table 11: Description of the Page Setup Dialog Box and Print Preview Window

Option Description

Margins Select the margin size for the pages.

Orientation Select the orientation for the pages.

Page Size Select the paper size.

Scale Factor Scroll or enter a value between 50 and 200 percent for the scale size of the Query.The default scale size is 100 percent.

Print in Color Select to print in color. The default is to print in black and white.

Print a border around the data

Select this option to print a border around the spreadsheet data. This option adds a point border around the speadsheet information.

Note: This option is notavailable when printing a Query or output from Explain and Show statements.

Page Title Enter a title for the page.

Chapter 1: Getting StartedSupport for Unicode® and UTF-8


Support for Unicode® and UTF-8

The Teradata data source must be defined to use either a UTF-8 or UTF-16 session character set in order to successfully submit or retrieve Unicode® data.

CLOBs can not be retrieved over a UTF-8 ODBC connection. CLOBs can be retrieved over a UTF-16 ODBC session if the ODBC option Use native LOB support is selected.

If this option is not selected, or if you are working with Teradata Database V2R5.0 or lower, all fixed length character data can be returned with additional blank padding up to a length of double the actual column size. This limitation is caused by insufficient descriptive information returned to the driver from older Teradata Database releases.

The following sections contain related information.

• Displaying Unicode® Data

• Exporting Unicode® Data

• Importing Unicode® Data

Displaying Unicode® Data

To display languages such as Arabic or Hebrew, which are normally displayed from right to left, use the Regional Settings option of Windows Control Panel to install the required language support files.

Exporting Unicode® Data

To export to a text file:

• Select an Export file type of Delimited Text [UTF-8] or Delimited Text [Unicode].

If Delimited Text (ASCII) is selected, any data that is not a part of the code page is corrupted.

Note: Teradata CLOBs over 2K in size can only be returned through an ODBC connection if the UTF-16 character set was specified in the Connection dialog box.

Importing Unicode® Data

Imported files can be in ASCII, Unicode (UTF-16), or UTF-8 format. (If Unicode or UTF-8 the file MUST contain the appropriate Byte Order Mark prefix.)

When Importing CLOB data, the data files referenced in the Import file can be in ASCII, Unicode (UTF-16), or UTF-8 format. All files destined for a specific column should be of the same type.

Support for the Visually Impaired

SQL Assistant provides a number of features for the visually impaired:

• Text Size

Chapter 1: Getting StartedLimitations


• Color scheme

• Audible support

• General Command Shortcut Keys

Text Size

The General tab of the Options dialog box allows the selection of a Larger or Largest font size. These increase the size of the default font and the dialog boxes themselves by 25% or 50% respectively.

In addition, both the font and the font size can be changed in the Query, Answerset and History windows. You can also temporarily increase or decrease the size within these windows by pressing the Ctrl key while spinning the mouse wheel or pressing the +/- keys.

Color scheme

The General tab of the Options dialog box allows the selection of the Application style. This controls the colors used throughout the application. If using one of the Windows High Contrast options, select System Default as the application style.

The colors used in the Query window are independent of the Application style settings. Change these colors using the Display Item list with the Color control, on the Code Editor tab of the Options dialog.

Audible support

If using a screen reader, select the Provide extended support for screen readers check box on the General tab of the options dialog box. This causes the screen reader to announce the contents of each cell as you move through the cells of an Answerset or History window.

For a sound to be played whenever a query ends, select the Provide audible notification when a query ends check box on the Query tab of the options dialog.

Limitations

The following sections list limitations with Teradata SQL Assistant:

• General Teradata Limitations

• Teradata.NET Specific Limitations

• Oracle.NET Specific Limitations

• ODBC Specific Limitations

Please refer to the release notes for the latest information.

General Teradata Limitations

• If your query contains Create or Replace Trigger statements that contain more than one action statement in their body, you must enclose the statements within parentheses, or Begin Atomic ... End.



Teradata.NET Specific Limitations

• A WITH (summary) clause in a Select statement causes the data return to fail.

• TD.NET always uses ANSI date mode. All date literals must be entered as YYYY-MM-DD.

• Timestamp With Time Zone columns only sort correctly if you use a date format of YYYY-MM-DD.

• You cannot Import a string > 10666 characters when using a UTF8 session.

Oracle.NET Specific Limitations

• Decimal columns with more than 28 digits might be displayed as <Error>.

• You must use the correct case for Database/User names (generally Uppercase).This applies to the Connection dialog box, when adding Databases to the Explorer tree, or when enclosing object names within double quotes.

• Create Procedure statements must end with a semicolon. These statements create, but not compile, the procedure. You must compile the procedure before it can be executed.

ODBC Specific Limitations

General

• Batch Import functionality is not available.

• The Edit Table function is not available.

• Temporary, and Queue, tables are not identified as such in the database tree.

• Time Zone information will not be displayed.

• Time fields do not display fractional seconds or Time Zone information.

• Decimal values with more than 28 digits might display incorrectly.

• Retrieving Interval data or vendor specific types might limit the functionality of the resultset as follows:

• Decimal data might display 'n' decimal places ('n' is the value for Float data in Options).

• Date columns might be displayed as Timestamps and might not use your selected format.

• Timestamp columns may not display fractional seconds.

• BLOB/CLOB columns might be displayed as regular BYTE/CHAR data.

Teradata

• CLOBs can only be returned using the UTF-16 Session Character Set (unless < 2K).

• Only type 'F' User Defined Functions are listed in the Database Explorer Tree.

• FLOAT columns might be reported as 'TIME' in the Database Explorer Tree if they have a Format clause that looks like a time, for example, '99:99:99'.

• If a macro (or execute parallel) returns zero rows from a Select statement, no rows are returned from any later Select statements in that macro or parallel query.

• The location of Syntax errors are not highlighted.



DB2

In order to return BLOBs and CLOBs correctly you must either set LongDataCompat=1 in the db2cli.ini file or use Define ODBC Data Source dialog box to set this option in the Data Source itself.

1 Open the Define ODBC Data Source dialog box and select the data source and click Configure.

2 Click Add on the Advanced tab and select LongDataCompat from the list.

3 Select the As LongVarchar data option.

Oracle

• Procedure and Function parameters are not displayed in the Database Explorer Tree.

• Retrieval of INTERVAL or other 'unknown' types causes the ODBC driver to crash.

• .NET cuts off the first byte when selecting columns defined as RAW(n). This renders the binary object useless. Define the columns as BLOB instead.

PostgreSQL

Import only works if all columns can be converted to CHAR type. PostgreSQL has no ability to convert a string to a numeric, for example.

MySQL

You must use MySQL Connect/ODBC 3.51.27, not 5.1.5. (Future versions might remove this limitation.) The older 5.1.x ODBC drivers do not return catalog information (tables and columns, for example).


CHAPTER 2

The Query Window

This section explains how to use the Query Window and its features and functions, as well as how to import data. This section contains the following information:

• Introduction to the Query Window

• Using the Query Window

• Entering and Executing Queries

• Working With SQL Text in the Query Window

• Displaying an Explain Plan of a Query

• Query Builder Overview

• Scheduling Queries for Later Execution

• Formatting a Query

• Importing Data

• Using the Query Window Shortcut Menu

Introduction to the Query Window

The Query Window is a fully functional editing environment that can be used to edit and execute queries. The following list describes some of the features the editor:

• Drag-and-drop editing

• Automatic syntax coloring and brace matchingSee “Setting Code Editor Options” on page 71.

• Suggestion lists and ‘quick’ function descriptionsSee “Using Code Completion” on page 75.

• Converting of selected text to either upper or lower caseSee “The Query Toolbar” on page 170.

• Inserting or deleting bookmarksSee “Selecting Text and Inserting Bookmarks Using the Query Window Margin” on page 67.

• Making white space characters visibleSee “The Query Toolbar” on page 170

• Recording and playing back of keystroke macrosSee “Recording and Executing Query Window Macros” on page 84.

Chapter 2: The Query WindowUsing the Query Window


• A full compliment of command and cursor control shortcut keysSee “General Command Shortcut Keys” on page 181 and “Window Control Shortcut Keys” on page 185.

The results from the query are placed into one or more Answerset windows. Alternatively, the results can be written directly to a file.

Queries can consist of one or more statements, and can return zero or more Answersets. Enter SQL, DDL, or DML into the Query Window.

Comments can be added to queries. These comments are stored in the history database as part of the query.

When the Query Window is active, the menus, commands, and tools available pertain only to that window.

Using the Query Window

This section explains how to use the Query Window. Topics covered include the following:

• Using SQL, DDL, and DML Statements

• Displaying the Query Window Toolbar

• Allowing Multiple Queries

• Splitting the Query Window into Two Windows

• Selecting Text and Inserting Bookmarks Using the Query Window Margin

• Creating Statements (Single and Multi)

• Parameterized Queries

• Magnifying the Query Window

• Setting Query Options

• Setting Code Editor Options

Using SQL, DDL, and DML Statements

The SQL, DDL, and DML statements should conform to the syntax defined with the ODBC or Teradata .NET data sources.

Displaying the Query Window Toolbar

Use the following procedure to display or hide the Query Window toolbar.

To display the Query Window toolbar


• Select View > Toolbars > Query.

• Right-click anywhere in the menubar or toolbar, then select Query on the popup menu.



Allowing Multiple Queries

Teradata SQL Assistant allows you to connect to multiple data sources. Each connection opens a separate Query window. You can also have multiple queries within a Query window. Each query opens a new tab in the Query window.

Use the following procedure to open both multiple Query windows and multiple tabs.

To allow multiple queries

1 Select Tools > Options and select the General tab.

2 Select one or both of the following options:

• Allow connections to multiple data sources (Query window)

• Allow multiple queries per connection (Tabs in the Query window)

3 Click the New Query icon .

A new tab opens in the current Query window.

4 Click the Connect... icon to open an additional data source.

This opens a new Query window. See “Connecting to and Disconnecting from a Data Source” on page 32 for more information on data sources.

Splitting the Query Window into Two Windows

Split the query window into two independent scrolling windows to view two different parts of the query at once.

To split the Query Window into two scrolling windows

• On the right side of the Query Window, drag the bar at the top of the vertical scroll bar downwards.

Selecting Text and Inserting Bookmarks Using the Query Window Margin

Use the margin at the left of the Query Window to select text and insert or delete bookmarks.

To select text and insert or delete bookmarks using the margin of the Query Window

• To select text and insert and delete bookmarks, do one of the following:

• Click in the margin to highlight the corresponding line.

• Click and drag in the margin to highlight multiple lines.

• Double-click in the margin, press Ctrl+B, or click to toggle a bookmark on or off for that line.



Creating Statements (Single and Multi)

Queries that consist of one or more statements can be created.

A semicolon is not required when one statement at a time is entered. However, a semicolon between the statements is required for two or more statements.

Each statement in the query is submitted separately to the database. Therefore, the query can return more than one Answerset.

Parameterized Queries

Queries can contain Named Parameters, making it easy to reuse a query because the only changes are the data values (for example, in a Where clause).

Named Parameters function like variables. Enter the value for a named parameter once. If it is used in multiple places within the query that same value is used in all places.

Note: The values entered for named parameters are saved to the Notes column of History for future reference.

Named Parameters are indicated by a “?” immediately followed by a name. The name can consist of alphanumeric characters plus the “_” symbol.

When an parameterized query is executed, a prompt appears for each parameter before the query is submitted.

For example, if the following query is submitted,

Select * From PhoneBook Where LastName Like '?NameStart'

a prompt appears to enter a value for NameStart.

Parameter values are directly inserted into the query, which means they might need to be enclosed in quotes. Although quotes can be used when prompted for the data value, it is generally recommended that quotes be included in the query itself, as in the above example. See “Setting Query Options” on page 69 for more information.

To switch off parameter substitution


2 Select the Query tab.

3 Clear the option Allow use of Named Parameters in queries.

Note: If an empty string is entered, or the Cancel button is used, the query is left unchanged. This allows for those rare cases where SQL Assistant incorrectly identifies a regular part of the query as being a parameter name.

Magnifying the Query Window

Use the following procedure to change the magnification of a window.



To magnify the active window


2 Hold the Ctrl button and rotate the mouse wheel or press the + or - keys.

The display zooms in and out.

3 To restore the zoom level to its original size (100%) press Ctrl+0.

Setting Query Options

Use the following procedure to control queries by setting options on the Query tab.

Note: The SQL Assistant option Allow use of ODBC SQL Extensions in queries no longer exists. Clear the ODBC Data Source option Disable Parsing to allow the use of ODBC SQL Extensions.

To set query options



Table 12 explains each option in the Query tab.



Table 12: The Query Tab in the Options Dialog Box.

Option Description

Close the Answerset window before submitting a new query

The default value is selected. When selected, all Answerset windows that are not marked as Do not Close are closed before running a new query.

Disable parsing for Queries larger than

The default is 900 KB. If a query is larger than this size when loaded from a file, or from History, then all parsing will be switched off. The query will display plain text without any highlighting, uppercasing, outlining, or code completion functionality.

Disconnect from database when a query ends

The default value is cleared. When selected, this option starts and stops the connection to the data source with each query.

Note: When using this mode, all transactions must be committed or rolled back within the query that started them.

Limit parsing for Queries larger than

The default is 200 KB. If a query is larger than this size when loaded from a file, or from History, a simpler language definition will be used in order to improve performance. In this case only the more common keywords and functions will be highlighted, and automatic uppercasing will not occur.

Minimize SQL Assistant while a query is running

The default is cleared. When selected, Teradata SQL Assistant minimizes when a query runs.

Prompt for a note before running a query

The default is cleared. When selected, Teradata SQL Assistant displays a dialog box to enter notes whenever a query is submitted. Also, on the toolbar click (you can toggle this option on or off).

To add a note after the query has completed, double-click the note cell, or click the cell and press Enter. The Query Note dialog box opens.

Provide audible notification when a query ends

The default is cleared. When selected, Teradata SQL Assistant makes a sound when a query is complete. The sound also occurs if the query times out, the number of rows exceeds the output limit, or the query is canceled.

This option is also available from the toolbar by clicking .

Stop query execution if an SQL error occurs

The default is selected. When selected, queries are stopped if an error occurs even if the query contains additional statements that have not yet been executed.

If a query with conditional logic based on the ERRORCODE command is used, clear this option. If this option remains selected, Teradata SQLA stops processing the query before it attempts to evaluate the conditional logic.

Queries with conditional logic based on ERRORCODE and ending with an EXIT command are reported as successful if the return code is zero.

Submit only the selected query text when highlighted

The default is cleared. This means even if part of the query is highlighted, the entire query is executed when submitted.

Allow use of Named Parameters in queries.

The default is selected. This setting allows the use of Named Parameter substitution in queries.

Prompt to save the Query Log when a Query ends

The default is cleared. When selected, Teradata SQL Assistant displays a dialog box that allows the Query Log to be saved after a multi-statement query is executed.



Setting Code Editor Options

Queries can be automatically colorized as you type, using the Code Editor tab in the Options dialog box. The query text is colorized based on specific SQL keywords and functions, strings and numbers, comments, and so on. Query syntax and parser errors are highlighted in yellow by default in the Query window. This color can be changed in the Code Editor tab.

To set formatting options for a query


2 Select the Code Editor tab.

3 Select an option.

The following table explains each option.

Prompt to save queries that have been changed, but not run, before closing

The default is selected. When selected, Teradata SQL Assistant displays a dialog box to save the Query to either a file or to the History database before closing the Query window or closing Teradata SQL Assistant.

A prompt to save the query only displays if changes were made to the query since opening a file, saving to a file, executing the query, copying a query from the History window by clicking on the SQL, or using the Clear Query button.

Table 12: The Query Tab in the Options Dialog Box. (continued)

Option Description



Note: For more information on how syntax highlighting works, see “Language Definition Files” on page 98.

Note: Japanese object names are only highlighted as object names if they are enclosed in double quotes.

Table 13: Code Editor Tab in the Options Dialog Box

Option Description

Automatic syntax highlighting Enables syntax highlighting. If this option is not selected, all text is set to the default color. The default is selected.

Note: Disabling this feature also turns off automatic brace matching.

Automatic Outlining Enables collapse and expansion of parts of the Query text. The default is selected.

Convert keywords to upper case Displays all keywords, object types and data types in uppercase, and all built-in functions using ProperCase. The default is cleared.

Display line numbers Displays line numbers to the left of each line in the query. The default is cleared.

Display left margin Displays the left margin in the Query window. The default is selected.

Display brace matches If this option is selected, keywords (such as BEGIN and END), symbols, parenthesis, and quotation marks are highlighted as a pair when the cursor is placed within or after a keyword. The default is selected.

Insert spaces for tabs Inserts ‘n’ space characters each time the tab key is pressed. Use the Tab Size box to indicate the number of spaces for each tab entered, from 2-9. The default is cleared.

Indent new lines like previous The default is selected. If this option is not selected, all new lines start at the left margin.

Wrap lists after When using Format Query, any comma that is found after this column causes the remaining text on that line to be moved to a new line. To format the query so that each column in the select list is on a separate line, set to a low value such as three. The default is 60.

Display Quick-Info Tips When selected, a description of the function will be displayed in a tool tip when you hover the mouse over a function name. The default is cleared.

Display suggestions If this option is selected SQL Assistant displays drop down lists containing object and built-in function names. The default is cleared. See “Using Code Completion” on page 75.

Include table names This option applies only if Display suggestions is also selected. When selected, both Table and View names are included in the object name lists. When cleared, only Views are included. The default is cleared.

Include built-in functions This option applies only if Display suggestions is also selected. When selected, built-in function names are included in the suggestion lists. The default is checked.

Chapter 2: The Query WindowEntering and Executing Queries


Entering and Executing Queries

This section provides information about the following:

• Entering a Query

• Using Conditional Logic in a Query

• Outlining

• Using Code Completion

• Displaying Function Descriptions

• Inserting Function Templates

• Customizing Code Completion Lists

• Executing a Query

• Using Transactions

• Running Multiple Queries

• Executing Multiple Statements in Parallel

• Submitting Part of a Query

• Aborting a Query in Progress

• Executing a Query Saved To a File

• Automatically Minimizing the Teradata SQL Assistant Window

• Renaming a Query Tab

• Deleting a Query Tab

Display Item Shows a list of syntax elements and other application settings. Select an item to see its current color displayed in the Color field to the right. Its font style is indicated by the bold and italicized check boxes below.

Change the color by clicking the dropdown button of the Color list and selecting a new color from one of the three tabs:

• Custom tab – Select one of the displayed colors, or right-click in the bottom 2 rows to display the Windows custom color dialog box, which allows you to define your own color.

• Web tab – These are colors commonly found in web pages.

• System tab – Standard System colors.

Change the font style by selecting or clearing the two check boxes.

Note: The font style options are only available for the query syntax highlighting colors.

Table 13: Code Editor Tab in the Options Dialog Box (continued)

Option Description



Entering a Query

After establishing a connection to a data source (refer to “Connecting to and Disconnecting from a Data Source” on page 32), Teradata SQL Assistant is ready to execute queries. (Queries can be entered before a connection is established.)

To enter a query


• Click within the Query Window and enter a statement.

• On the toolbar click , and enter a statement in the new Query tab.

• Select File > New Query and enter a statement in the new Query tab.

• Press Ctrl+N and enter a statement in the new Query tab.

• From the History window, select any statement from the SQL statement column.

The Execute command submits the query currently in the Query Window to the database. Each statement in the query is submitted separately to the database. By default, queries are submitted asynchronously and can be aborted while they are executing.

Using Conditional Logic in a Query

The following conditional logic commands can be used within queries.

Table Legend

• { }–Items in curly brackets are requirements.

• [ ]–Items in square brackets are optional.

• label–A string that does not contain any blank spaces or tabs.

• oper–One of the following operators:

• n–An integer.

• value–Any string.

• filename–A fully qualified file name.

= > < >= <=

<> != ^= ~=

Command Description

.IF {ACTIVITYCOUNT} oper n [THEN] {.GOTO label}

{ERRORCODE } {.EXIT [n] }

If the condition is true, the action is performed. Otherwise the flow continues to the following statement.

This command cannot be used before the first SQL statement.

.GOTO label The next statement executed is the statement following the .LABEL command.



Usage Notes

• The period (.) before the RUN command is optional for backward compatibility.

• The period (.) before other commands (except .SET) is optional when connected to a Teradata Database, but required when connected to other databases.

• The period for the .SET command is mandatory even when connected to a Teradata Database.

• [Optional] All commands can be followed by a semi-colon. This is not required unless you need compatibility with BTEQ.

• To use conditional logic commands based on the ERRORCODE, you must first disable the Stop query execution if an SQL error occurs option on the Query tab of the Options dialog box. Otherwise Teradata SQL Assistant might stop processing the query before it attempts to evaluate your conditional logic. See “Setting Query Options” on page 69.

Outlining

This feature allows you to collapse a derived table or Case clause in order to more easily understand the surrounding code. Entire statements, Begin/End blocks and procedural blocks (IF, LOOP, etc.) can also be collapsed.

To Expand or Collapse a block


• Click the + or - symbol in the left margin.

• Select View > Toggle Outlining.

• Press CTRL-K.

Using Code Completion

SQL Assistant can provide suggestions for the object and built-in function names that can be used.

.LABEL label Defines the destination of a .GOTO command.

[ n ]

.EXIT [ ERRORCODE ]

[ ACTIVITYCO[UNT]]

Execution terminates at this command. The optional parameter is used as the result code for the query. Zero indicates a successful query, any other value indicates failure.

.QUIT Performs the same function as the .EXIT command.

.SET value This command is for BTEQ compatibility only. This command is ignore. Unlike BTEQ, The .SET prefix is required for Teradata SQL Assistant to recognize and ignore a command.

.RUN filename Execute the query contained in the specified filename. The RUN command must be the first and only statement executed.

Command Description



A drop down list might appear after you type any of the following delimiter characters: space, comma, tab, ||, arithmetic symbols, or comparison symbols.

As you continue to enter the object name, the first item to match is selected in this list. When the item you want is selected, type one of the delimiter characters or press Enter to select and insert that name into your query.

You can type an open parenthesis to accept and insert any function name that requires parenthesis. Only an open parenthesis or the Enter key will accept and insert such a function.

You can close the list by pressing ESC.

Code completion only appears after the keywords and delimeters used within the common Select, Insert, Update and Delete statements are typed, and after the space following Create, Alter, Drop, Modify, Replace, Show, Help and Database keywords. To display a selection list when you have not typed one of the delimiter characters, press Ctrl+Space.

Code completion works differently in SQL Assistant than it does in other editors. SQL Assistant uses the concept of a current database. Initially the current database is set to the default database for the data source. Change this setting by right clicking on a database in the Database Explorer tree and clicking the Use for View Names menu.

When the FROM clause is entered, the suggestion list contains all the views, and (optionally) the tables, in the current database in addition to all the databases currently in the Database Explorer tree under this data source.

SQL Assistant also builds an active list. Each time table or view name in the FROM clause is entered, that object along with any alias name is added to the active list. When entering the Select and Where clauses, these alias names and the columns contained in the objects within the active list appear.

Because objects and their columns are not added to the active list until they have been entered in the FROM clause, type theFROM clause before the remainder of the statement.

The active list continues to grow as additional Select statements or sub-selects are entered. This means that you do not need to enter the FROM clause of your second statement before other parts of the statement if your previous statements referenced the same tables. However, if you switch to a completely different set of tables and views, reduce the size of the dropdown lists by clearing out the active list by right clicking on the data source in the Database Explorer tree and selecting the Clear Column List menu.

Note: If you use the Teradata form of the FROM clause (a simple comma separated list), the last name in the list is not be added to the active list unless you press Ctrl+Shift+Space after the last View/alias name or type the start of the Where clause.

To Display suggestion lists



3 Select Display Suggestions.



4 [Optional] Select Include Table names.

Only Views are listed if this option is cleared.

5 [Optional] Select Include built-in functions

Note: Selecting the Display suggestions option automatically switches on the DB Tree option Save Database Tree information to disk and reload it at startup. To avoid serious performance impact when the Tables or Views node of a database is expanded, select the DB Tree option Load only column names for Views.

Displaying Function Descriptions

Position the mouse so that the cursor is over a function name to display a description of that function in a tool tip.

The description displays the parameters required by that function and a brief description of its purpose. Square brackets [] are used to indicate optional parameters, while braces {} are used to indicate alternative values for a required parameter. A vertical bar is used between alternative options.

To Display function descriptions



3 Select Display Quick-Info tips.

Inserting Function Templates

When the parameters required by a function are complex, you can insert the parameter template by double-clicking on the function name. Scalar and Aggregate functions are too simple for this feature to be useful, but the feature is available for the more complex Table Functions, and Table Operators, such as NPATH.

Customizing Code Completion Lists

The list of built-in functions that appear in the code completion drop down lists is vendor specific. Currently only four sets of lists are provided:

• Teradata

• Base

• ANSI

• ANSI2008

The ANSI file is used when View > ANSI SQL is selected and you are connected to Teradata. The Base and ANSI2008 files are used when you are connected to a non-Teradata Database.

These lists are defined in files named TeradataXX.mbr, BaseXX.mbr and so on. Where XX is AF for aggregate functions, NF for regular functions, TF for table functions, or TO for table



operators. The .mbr files are located in \Users\<user>\AppData\Roaming\Teradata\SQL Assistant.

If you regularly work with another database such as Oracle, you can create your own lists specifically for use with that database type (for example, OracleNF.mbr and OracleAF.mbr).

You can also edit the existing .mbr files to remove unused functions or add your own User Defined Functions (UDFs). These are simple XML text files containing a single element type with 4 attributes:

• name is the text that appears in the dropdown list.

• help is an optional string that appears in a tooltip when the list item is selected.

• hasParen is an optional attribute that should be set to “false” if no parens are required.

• db is an optional attribute that can be specified to add a database prefix to the name.

Note: Certain characters must use their html equivalent: > [>] < [<] and “ ["]

The following special characters are used within the help text:

• ~ Must immediately precede the function name

• ! Must immediately follow the function name

• @ Is used to insert a line break for the Quick-Info tool tip text

• @@ Can be used after the final close paren at the end of the parameter list. This is intended for complex functions with many parameters. It will activate the functionality to insert the parameter template into the Query when you double click the function name.

Executing a Query

To execute a query



• Select Tools > Execute.

• From the Query Window, right-click and select Execute.

• Press F5.

Results from the query appear in one or more Answerset windows.

When you submit a query the background color of the tab and the part of the query that you executed change to the Query is Running color (default pale orange), and the part that you executed is protected. You will not be able to change this protected text but will be able to edit other parts of the query. The current status is shown on a Query Status Bar that appears at the bottom of the Query window.

If the query contains more than one statement, it is replaced by a log that shows the progress of the query. In this case, a button appears at the far right of the query status bar, below the Query window, that allows you to toggle the display between the log and the query itself.



When a query completes, if the executing tab is the active tab, the background color reverts to its default color. If another tab is active, the background color changes to green to indicate that the query in that tab has ended. In this case the color reverts to its default color when you click on the tab.

Using Transactions

In most cases, use the vendor provided statements for Beginning, Committing, or Rolling back transactions.

If you are using ANSI Transaction mode with Teradata, the data connectivity tools auto-commit each statement. In order to create transactions in this mode, use the following SQL Assistant specific commands:

If you attempt to disconnect or close the Query window while a transaction is in progress, it asks whether the transaction should be committed or rolled back.

Note: Do not execute multiple queries at the same time within a single Query window while using transactions, unless the entire transaction is contained within a single query, because multiple queries execute within different sessions and there is no way to control which session executes which query.

Running Multiple Queries

Multiple queries can run at the same time, either from multiple tabs within one Query window or from multiple Query windows. Each Query is executed in its own thread and has limited impact on other concurrently running queries or on the user interface.

Note: If you run multiple queries from different tabs within the same Query window, SQL Assistant temporarily connects additional sessions using the same connection information you entered for the initial connection. No special context is available to these additional sessions, however, so do not assume that the default database (if you have changed it) or temporary tables are available. If your queries rely on the default database, or on the existence of temporary tables, you should execute/run only one query at a time from within a specific Query window. This ensures that each query uses the same session that was used by the previous query.

Command Usage

.BeginTx Starts a transaction

.CommitTx Commits the transaction

.RollbackTx Rolls back all changes made within the transaction



Executing Multiple Statements in Parallel

Executing multiple statements from the Query Window to the database Using the Execute Parallel command. This executes the entire query as a single request, allowing the database to execute all the statements in parallel. Multiple Answersets can be returned in the Answerset window.

Note: To submit a Transact-SQL script containing semicolons to a Microsoft SQL Server or Sybase database, use the Execute Parallel command.

To execute statements in parallel

1 Enter multiple statements in the Query Window.


• Select Tools > Execute Parallel.


• Press F9

Submitting Part of a Query

To submit any part of a query



3 Select the option Submit only the selected Query text, when highlighted.

4 From the Query Window, select part of the query by highlighting it.



• Press F5.

Note: While the query is executing, only the part of the query that you executed has a red background and is read only.

To submit the first part of a multistatement query

• Insert an EXIT statement within the query by inserting the word EXIT following the semicolon that ends the last statement to process.

Note: The word EXIT must be the next non-whitespace/non-comment text after the semicolon that ends the last part of the query being submitted. It must also be on a new line, and can be preceded by whitespace.



To submit the current statement

• Place the cursor within the statement you want to execute and press Alt + F5.

Note: This feature will work even when the 'Submit only the selected Query text, when

highlighted' option is not checked.

Aborting a Query in Progress

When the query is submitted, the Abort menu and tool button are enabled so that the query can be aborted if necessary.

If performing a task that loads objects into the Database Explorer Tree, this task can also be aborted.

To abort a query in progress


• Select Tools > Abort.


If a SELECT statement is aborted before all rows are returned, the number of rows reported is the total number of rows matching the query rather than the actual number returned before the abort. This applies only to databases, such as Teradata, that provide this information.

Executing a Query Saved To a File

To simplify the use of large queries and for those who store their queries in a file, enter the following query where <filename> is the fully qualified name of a file containing the query to execute.

RUN <filename>

For example, RUN c:\temp\myquery.sql

The run statement must be the only statement in the Query Window. A filename can be followed by a semicolon. All text between the word RUN and the optional semicolon are assumed to be a part of the file name.

The query is processed exactly as though it had been entered in the Query Window, but the SQL stored in the history file is the run statement itself, not the actual query that was executed.

Automatically Minimizing the Teradata SQL Assistant Window

Use the following procedure to automatically minimize the Teradata SQL Assistant window when a query is being processed.

Chapter 2: The Query WindowWorking With SQL Text in the Query Window


To automatically minimize the Teradata SQL Assistant window

1 Right-click in the Query Window.

2 Click Minimize on Execution.

The Teradata SQL Assistant window minimizes when the query is being processed.

This command remains in effect until Minimize on Execution is clicked again to cancel it.

Renaming a Query Tab

Use the following procedure to change the name of each tab when Query windows appear in tabs.

To rename a Query tab

1 Right-click on the query tab and select Rename from the displayed popup menu.

2 Enter a new name.

Deleting a Query Tab

Use the following procedure to delete individual tabs and their contents when queries appear in tabs.

To delete a Query tab

• Right-click on the tab and select Delete from the displayed popup menu.

Working With SQL Text in the Query Window

This section provides the following information about working with SQL text in the Query Window:

• Copying SQL from Previous History Record to the Query Window

• Copying SQL from Next History Record to the Query Window

• Preventing Queries from Being Saved in the History Window

• Undoing or Redoing Query Window Changes

• Setting Repeat Count

• Recording and Executing Query Window Macros

• Saving a Query

• Performing a Quick Save

• Adding a Query to Favorites

• Opening a Query from a File



• Copying a Query to Notepad

• Printing a Query

• Adding Comments to Queries

• Highlighting a block of Text

• Showing Whitespace

• Converting Tabs to Spaces

• Indenting Lines in a Query

• Using the Right-to-Left Editor for Queries

• Deleting Blank Lines from a Query

• Finding a Text String in the Query Window

• Replacing a Text String in the Query Window

Copying SQL from Previous History Record to the Query Window

Use the following procedure to copy SQL from the previous History record to the Query Window.

To copy the SQL from the previous row


• Select View > Previous SQL.

• Press F7.

The history SQL either replaces what was previously in the current Query tab or appears in a new Query tab if the query had been changed.

Copying SQL from Next History Record to the Query Window

Use the following procedure to copy SQL from the next History record to the Query Window.

To copy the SQL from the next history row


• From the View menu, select Next SQL.

• Press F8.

The history SQL either replaces what was previously in the current Query tab or appears in a new Query tab if the query had been changed.

Preventing Queries from Being Saved in the History Window

Queries are normally inserted into the History window and the supporting Microsoft Access table for later recall and use. If you do not want the History window updated with each query, you can change the option.



To prevent queries from being saved in the history window

1 Select Tool > Options.

2 Select the History tab.

3 Clear the option record queries and metadata in the History Database.

Undoing or Redoing Query Window Changes

You can undo or redo the changes made in the Query Window.

To undo or redo a change in the Query Window

• Select Edit > Undo (Ctrl-Z) or Edit > Redo (Ctrl-Y).

Setting Repeat Count

Keystrokes, macros, and shortcut keys can be set to repeat ‘n’ times in a query.

To set repeat count

1 Press Ctrl+R, or click on the Query Window toolbar.

For more information, see “Displaying the Query Window Toolbar” on page 66.

The Set Repeat Count dialog box displays.

2 Enter the number of times to repeat the selected keystrokes, shortcut keys or macros.

Recording and Executing Query Window Macros

To simplify repetitive tasks you can record macros containing multiple keystrokes, then play back these macros at any time in the Query Window.

To record a Query Window macro

1 Press Ctrl+M or click on the Query Window toolbar.

For more information, see “Displaying the Query Window Toolbar” on page 66.

The toolbar button changes to the Stop Recording icon and a ‘Recording...’ message is displayed on the Status bar.

2 Enter the desired keystrokes, including text and shortcuts.

3 When finished, press Ctrl+M again, or click on the toolbar to halt recording.

The Get Macro Name window appears.

4 Enter the name you want to use for this macro and press OK.



To select and play back a Query Window macro

1 Click to display the Keyboard Macros dialog.

2 Select the macro to play from the list of available macros.

3 (Optional) Enter the number of times you wish the macro to be played.

Note: The default is 1.

4 Click Play or press Enter.

To replay the most recently played Query Window macro

• Click or press Ctrl+E.

To delete Query Window macros

1 Click or press Ctrl+E to display the Keyboard Macros dialog.

2 Select the macro(s) you wish to delete from the list of available macros.

3 Click Delete

Saving a Query

There are three ways to save queries in Teradata SQL Assistant, the basic Save, Save As, and a Quick Save. The following procedure explains Save and Save As. See also Performing a Quick Save.

To save a query

1 From an active Query Window, do one of the following:

• Select File > Save As

• Select File > Save

• Click or .

• Press Ctrl+S

2 In the Save Query dialog box, enter a file name.

3 From the Save As Type menu, select the file type:

• SQL (.sql)

• definitions (.ddl)

• text (.txt)

• rich text format (.rtf)

• Unicode Text (.txt)



Note: The file types listed in the Save Query dialog box are only suggestions. If you want Teradata SQL Assistant to automatically launch when you double-click the file, select either the .sql or .ddl file type. To store the colors as well as the text so it can be viewed by most word processing applications, select the .rtf file type.

4 Select a location, and click Save.

Performing a Quick Save

A Quick Save is enabled once a query has been previously saved. The Ctrl+S and Save tool button both activate a Quick Save.

During a Quick Save, you are not prompted to select a file name if that query tab has already been saved before.

However, using the Save As menu always prompts you for a file name. If you have not saved the query tab before (or have clicked the Clear Query button since the last Save), you are prompted for a file name even if you click Save or press Ctrl+S.

Adding a Query to Favorites

You can add the current query or selected text to a Favorites collection. Once the query is added as a favorite, it can be selected for reuse from the Query Builder window.

To add a query to favorites

1 From the Query Window, do one of the following:

• Right-click over the query to display the shortcut menu, then select Add to Favorites.

• Click .

2 The Add to Favorites dialog box displays.

3 Select or enter the name of the SQL Set to which you want to add this query.

The default SQL Set is Favorites.

4 Enter an item name in the Item Name field.

Opening a Query from a File

You can open a query that was previously saved to a file. The file can be in ASCII, UTF-8, RTF or Unicode format.

To open a query from a file


• Select File > Open Query.


• Press Ctrl+O.



2 Browse your drive and select the file.


• Click Open.

The contents of the file are inserted into the Query Window.

• Select File > Open Recent Query, then click on the file that contains your query.

Note: As a one-step alternative, drag and drop the file from File Manager or Windows

Explorer into the Query window.

Copying a Query to Notepad

You can copy a specific part of a query or the entire query to Notepad by using the Copy to Notepad command. This command starts the Notepad application and copies the query.

To copy a specific part of a query

1 From the Query Window, highlight the specific part of the query you want to copy.


• Select File > Copy to Notepad.


If you do not highlight any part of the query, the entire query is copied to Notepad.

Printing a Query

You can print a query in the Query Window using the Windows Print dialog box.

To print a query

1 From the active Query Window, do one of the following:


• Select File > Print Query.

• Press Ctrl+P.

The standard Windows Print dialog box appears. Printers are configured through this Print dialog box.

2 Select from the following:

• To print the entire query, under Print Range, select All.

• To print a partial query, go to the Query Window and highlight the part you want to print, then, under Print Range, select Selection.

Cancel print jobs through the Print Manager. For more information, see “Cancelling Print Jobs” on page 119.



Adding Comments to Queries

Comments can span multiple lines but cannot be nested inside one another. Comments are stored in the history database as part of the query.

To add comments to your queries

• For single-line comments, precede the comment with 2 dashes (--).

• For multiple-line comments, precede the comment with a forward slash and asterisk (/*), and follow the comment with an asterisk and forward slash (*/).

To temporarily comment out some of your SQL query

1 Highlight the code you want to comment out.

2 On the Query Window toolbar, click or press Ctrl+/ to comment out the highlighted

text.

Note: If you select a comment, clicking on the icon removes the comment delimiter

from around the selected comment, restoring the contents as part of the query.

Highlighting a block of Text

This function can only be used when the cursor is positioned within a logical block of text, like between parentheses or within a CASE statement.

To highlight a block of Text

• Click to select a logical block of text.

Showing Whitespace

Use to following procedure to show the whitespace in the query using the Show Whitespace button on the query toolbar.

When whitespace appears, space characters are shown as a single dot and tab characters appear as two chevrons.

To show whitespace in a query

• Click to show the whitespace in a query. Click again to turn off whitespace.

Converting Tabs to Spaces

The Tabs-to-Spaces button converts tabs already in a query to spaces.



To convert tabs into spaces

• Click button on the Query toolbar.

Indenting Lines in a Query

Use the Indent buttons on the Query Toolbar to indent lines in a query.

To indent lines in a query

1 Place the cursor in the line to be indented or highlight multiple lines.

2 Click or press Ctrl-I to indent the line(s) to the right.

3 Click or press Shift-Ctrl-I to indent the line(s) to the left.

Note: If multiple lines are selected, you can use the Tab key to perform step 2. You can also use the Shift-Tab key to perform step 3.

Using the Right-to-Left Editor for Queries

The Right-to-Left edit box allows you to create queries using right-to-left languages such as Hebrew or Arabic.

To use the right-to-left editor

1 On the toolbar, click Edit> Right-to-Left . The Right-to-Left Editor window opens.

2 Enter the query and click OK. The query appears in the Query window.

Deleting Blank Lines from a Query

To delete blank lines from a query, use the Delete blank Lines button on the query toolbar.

To delete black space in a query

1 Highlight the range of lines from which you want to remove blank lines.

2 Click the button.

Note: To remove all blank lines in the query, use Ctrl+A to select the entire query before clicking the button.

Finding a Text String in the Query Window

You can find specific text strings in the Query Window using the Find dialog. You may search for strings using regular expressions or wildcard characters in addition to specific text.



To find text in the Query Window

1 With the Query Window active, do one of the following:


• Select Edit > Find from the menu bar.

• Press Ctrl+F.

2 Enter the desired text string in the Find what field. If you want to build a regular expression, you can access predefined strings by clicking the solid arrow to the right of this field and selecting the expression you want inserted.

3 Select from the following options:

• Search Whole word only – finds text only where a whole word matches the search string

• Match case – finds text that only matches the case of the search string

• Search selected text only – restricts the search to the currently selected block

• Search hidden text – searches within hidden [collapsed] text also

• Use Regular Expression – searches for strings that match a regular expression

Note: Most modern regex flavors support a variant of the regular expression syntax called free-spacing mode. This mode allows for regular expressions that are much easier for people to read. In free-spacing mode, whitespace [spaces and tabs] between regular expression tokens is ignored. White space will not be ignored ‘within’ tokens however, so ‘\ d’ is not the same as ‘\d’, and white space within square brackets is not ignored. If you need to search for a space and/or tab use one of \s, [ ], \x20, \x09.

• Use Wildcards – allows the use of wildcard characters:? – any single character* – any number of characters# – any single digit[xyz] – any one character in the set[!xyz] – any one character not in the set

4 Specify the search direction by selecting Direction up or down.

5 Click Find Next to locate the string.

To locate consecutive strings, click Find Next or press F3.

6 Click Mark All if you want to place a bookmark on each line containing the search string.

7 Click Close to close the dialog.

Replacing a Text String in the Query Window

Replace any text string in the Query Window with another.

To replace text in the Query Window

1 With the Query Window active, do one of the following:

• From the Query Window toolbar, click .

Chapter 2: The Query WindowDisplaying an Explain Plan of a Query


• Select Edit > Replace from the menu bar.

• Press Ctrl+H.

2 Enter the desired text string in the Find what field. If you want to build a regular expression, you can access predefined strings by clicking the solid arrow to the right of this field and selecting the expression you want inserted.

3 Enter the desired replacement text string in the Replace with field.


• Whole word only – finds text only where the whole word matches the search string

• Match case – finds text that only matches the case of the search string

• Search selected text only – restricts the search to the currently selected block

• Search hidden text – searches within hidden [collapsed] text also

• Regular Expression – searches for strings that match a regular expression

• Use Wildcards – Allows the use of wildcard characters:? – any single character* – any number of characters# – any single digit[xyz] – any one character in the set[!xyz] – any one character not in the set


• Click Find Next to find and select the string.

• Click Replace to replace the found string, or to find the next matching string if the string has not yet been found.

• Click Replace All to replace all strings matching the find criteria.

6 Click Close to close the dialog.

Displaying an Explain Plan of a Query

This section provides information about displaying EXPLAIN plans of queries:

• Displaying a Visual EXPLAIN Plan

• Displaying a Textual EXPLAIN Plan

Displaying a Visual EXPLAIN Plan

You can display a visual EXPLAIN of a single-statement query currently in the Query Window.

This menu command appears if:

• You have the Teradata Visual Explain application (version 3.0 or later) installed on your PC, and

• If you are connected to a Teradata Database

Chapter 2: The Query WindowDisplaying an Explain Plan of a Query


To display a Visual EXPLAIN plan

1 Select Tools > Visual Explain.

2 In the Visual Explain dialog box, enter the name of the Query Capture Database (QCD) and click OK.

Note: It takes a few moments for the Insert Explain statement to execute, and you cannot continue using SQL Assistant until Visual Explain is launched.

To set up a QCD, refer to the Teradata Visual Explain User Guide.

Displaying a Textual EXPLAIN Plan

You can run an Explain function on the SQL statements in the Query window and display the results in the Answerset window. Teradata SQL Assistant displays the steps that would be executed if you were to actually run the query.

To issue a Textual EXPLAIN for a whole query


• Select Tools > Explain.

• Press F6.

The explanation appears in the Answerset window.

Example

The explanation below is returned for the following statement:

sel * from dbc.sessioninfo

To issue a Textual EXPLAIN for part of a query


2 Select the Query tab

3 Select the option Submit only the selected Query text, when highlighted.

Chapter 2: The Query WindowQuery Builder Overview


4 Highlight part of a query that you want explained (the highlighted portion must be a valid SQL statement).

5 Select Tools > Explain.

The query explanation appears in the Answerset window.

Query Builder Overview

Query Builder is a tool that helps you create statements to add to the Query window.

This section contains information on the following:

• SQL Statements

• Procedure Builder

• <User Defined>

• Using Query Builder

• Supported Databases for Query Builder

• Creating Custom SQL Sets

SQL Statements

When you select the SQL Statements option, the statement list in the left pane shows each of the statement types available on the current data source. The syntax file name matches the database type with a file type of .syn. For example, the Teradata syntax file is Teradata.syn.

SQL examples are quick and easy to use. In many cases, using these statements eliminates the need for the database manual. Syntax is provided in working form, not syntax notation, for ease of use. Select a statement that best fits your requirements and insert it into the Query Window. You can then tailor it to your needs.

These syntax examples reflect the SQL syntax of the data source you are currently connected to. If you are not connected to any server, syntax is based on the server you were most recently connected to. If you have not connected to any server during the current Teradata SQL Assistant session, you get Teradata syntax by default.

Procedure Builder

Procedure Builder provides a list of valid statements used to build the logic of a stored procedure. Vendor specific syntax is available for many databases. If specific syntax is not available for or does not apply to the database, a message indicates the problem.

<User Defined>

Query Builder allows you to create your own SQL Sets through the <User Defined> option. Each SQL Set must be given a name that appears in the dropdown list. When selected, the SQL Examples, snippits, or queries contained in that SQL Set appear in the List below. Each SQL



Set is saved as a *.qbs file. This allows a DBA, or user, to create SQL Sets and easily distribute them to other users.

For information on creating a custom file, see “Creating Custom SQL Sets” on page 96.

Using Query Builder

Using Query Builder is an easy and convenient to build SQL statements in the Query window.

To use Query Builder

1 Open Query Builder by doing one of the following:

• Press F2.

• Select Help > Query Builder.

• Right-click in the Query Window and select Query Builder from the shortcut menu.

2 From the drop-down list, select a statement type.

See “Table 14: Query Builder Statements” on page 95 for a description of the statement types.

3 Do one of the following to move the statement to the Query window:

• Double-click the statement in the left pane.

• Right-click the statement for the following options:

• Insert into query – inserts the statement the Query window

• Replace query – replaces the statement in the Query window

• Copy to clipboard – copies the statement to the Clipboard

• Drag and drop the statement into the Query window (insert it where you like).

4 Build statements as desired.

To learn more about building custom SQL Sets, see also “Creating Custom SQL Sets” on page 96.



Note: The state of the Query Builder window (its size, and which list you are viewing) is saved so that future uses of the Query Builder window start in the same state that it was last used in.

Supported Databases for Query Builder

Syntax examples are currently provided for the following types of databases:

• Teradata

• DB2

• Informix

• Microsoft Access

• Microsoft SQL Server

• MySQL

• Oracle

• Sybase

• Rainstor

• Hadoop/Hive

• Ingress

• PostgresSQL

Table 14: Query Builder Statements

Option Description

SQL Statements When you select the SQL Statements option, the statement list in the left pane shows each of the statement types available on the current data source. When you select a statement in the list, an example of that statement appears in the area to the right.

If you are not connected to any server, syntax is based on the server you were most recently connected to. If you are not connected to any server during the current Teradata SQL Assistant session, you receive the default Teradata syntax.

You can customize the statement list or the examples using the tool buttons to the right of this dropdown list.

When connected to a database, you can display the full syntax for the selected statement by doing one of the following:

• Pressing F5

• Right-clicking the Statement list item and selecting Show Syntax from the popup menu

Procedure Builder Select a stored procedure statement from the list in the left pane to display an example of its syntax in the right pane.

When you select the Procedure Builder option, the left pane shows a list of statements that are valid only when used in a CREATE or REPLACE procedure statement.

<User Defined> Additional user (or DBA) defined entries can appear after the above items. Each SQL Set must be given a name that appears in the dropdown list. When selected, the SQL Examples, snippits, or queries contained in that SQL Set appear in the List below. Each SQL Set is saved as a *.qbs file. This allows a DBA, or user, to create SQL Sets and easily distribute them to other users.

For additional information, see also “Creating Custom SQL Sets” on page 96.



• Netezza

• IBM SolidDB

Creating Custom SQL Sets

Query Builder lets you create custom SQL Sets.

To create a custom SQL Sets

1 Open Query Builder, Help > Query Guilder.

2 Click the New SQL Set button .

3 In the dialog box that appears, enter a name for this new SQL Set and click OK.

The new name appears in the drop down box.

4 Click the Add SQL button .

5 In the dialog box that appears, enter a name for the new Example, Query, or Snippit, and click OK.

6 In the right pane, enter the SQL for the Example, Query, or Snippit.

7 Click the Save button to save the SQL set.

All SQL sets created and saved appear on the drop down menu. The following table explains each icon in Query Builder.

Table 15: Query Builder Icon Descriptions and Right-Click Options

Icon or menu Description

Click the New SQL Set (Ctrl+N) icon to create a new list of statements. Enter the set name in the dialog box that appears. This name then appears in the drop down list.

Click the Save SQL Set (Ctrl+S) icon to save changes to the current SQL set.

Delete SQL Set (Ctrl+D)

Deletes the current SQL set. Confirm your deletion request when prompted.

Click the Add SQL (Insert) icon to add a new item to the list in the current SQL Set.

This option is also available by right-clicking a statement.

Click the Delete SQL icon to delete the current list item from the current SQL Set.

This option is also available by right-clicking a statement.

Insert into query (Ctrl+I)

Inserts the statement into the active Query window.

Replace query (Ctrl+R)

Inserts the selected statement in the active Query window by replacing the existing statement.

Copy to clipboard (Ctrl+C)

Copies the selected statement to the clipboard.

Chapter 2: The Query WindowScheduling Queries for Later Execution


Scheduling Queries for Later Execution

You can schedule a query that appears in the Query Window to run at a later time using Teradata Query Scheduler.

Requests issued by Teradata SQL Assistant that are restricted by Teradata Workload Management at the current time can be scheduled for later execution, subject to any other scheduled request limitations.

Before Scheduling Queries

For this feature to be available, you must install the Teradata Query Scheduler client software on your PC.

For more information, see the Teradata Tools and Utilities Installation Guide for Microsoft Windows.

Scheduling Queries

To schedule queries for later execution

1 Select Tools > Schedule.

Teradata Query Scheduler launches and the Submit Scheduled Request dialog box opens.

2 Schedule and submit your query.

For more information, see the Teradata Query Scheduler User Guide (B035-2512).

Formatting a Query

The query formatting feature adds line breaks and indentation before certain keywords, making SQL that comes from automatic code generators or other sources more readable. Formatting will also indent derived tables. If nested derived tables are used the indentation level will be increased for each nested level.

Show Syntax Displays the full syntax of the selected statement. This menu only appears when you are connected to a Teradata Database and have selected the SQL Statements item from the dropdown list.

Rename SQL (Ctrl+H)

Changes the name of the selected statement.

Table 15: Query Builder Icon Descriptions and Right-Click Options (continued)

Icon or menu Description

Chapter 2: The Query WindowFormatting a Query


To format a query

1 Ensure a statement exists in the Query Window.

2 Optionally, select part of the Query. If no text is selected the Entire Query will be formatted.



• Right-click in the Query Window, then click Format Query

• Press Ctrl+Q

• Select Edit > Format Query

Note: Some keywords cause a line break and possibly cause the new line to be indented. If a keyword is found to already be the first word on a line and it is already prefixed by a tab character, its indentation level does not change.

Related Topics

• Indentation

• Language Definition Files

Indentation

When you press the Enter key, the new line might automatically indent to the same level as the line above. This is controlled by the Indent new lines like previous option on the Code Editor tab of the Options screen.

If you highlight one or more lines in the query and press the Tab key, those lines are indented one level. If you press Shift+Tab, the highlighted lines are unindented by one level.

This indentation of lines only applies if the selected text includes a line feed character. For example, you must either select at least part of two lines or if selecting only one line, the cursor must be at the beginning of the next line.

Note: This is always the case when you use the margin to select a line.

If no line end is included in the selected text, or no text is selected, a tab character is simply inserted.

If you wish to indent or un-indent a line without selecting it press Ctrl+I or Shift+Ctrl+I respectively.

Language Definition Files

Syntax highlighting is based on language definition files (*.lng). These files are automatically installed when you install or upgrade Teradata SQL Assistant and are located in:c:\Program Files (x86)\Teradata\Client\16.10\bin\Data

There is a corresponding language file for each database type. The file name is the SQLType attribute defined in theVendors.config file for that database vendor, with ‘.lng’ appended. (For ‘unknown’ database types it uses the SQL Type reported by ODBC.) The appropriate language

Chapter 2: The Query WindowImporting Data


file is loaded when you connect to a database. If you are not connected to a database, Teradata SQL Assistant loads the previously used language file.

Note: The first time Teradata SQL Assistant is started, it uses the Teradata language file.

The BASE language file contains the most commonly used definitions found in most SQL languages. This file is the default that is used if you connect to a database type that Teradata SQL Assistant does not recognize. If you plan to work with an unknown database frequently, you can make a copy of the BASE file and save it with an appropriate name to match this unknown database. You can then modify it to match the syntax and keywords used by that language.

In addition to the vendor specific files, there are ANSI language files that defines the ANSI 2008 SQL language. Select View > ANSI SQL if you want to switch the syntax highlighting to ANSI mode. If you are connected to Teradata this will use the ANSI language file which supports ANSI compatible Teradata syntax. Otherwise it will use the ANSI2008 file which is a full implementation of the ANSI 2008 specification without regard to whether the vendor supports those statements or keywords.

The language files generally define the complete language. A DBA can, however, modify the files to suit the site requirements.

The most useful changes to language files would be:

• Adding a keyword that is not defined in the file

• Matching an optional database setting. (For example, some databases have a switch to define the use of double quotes. If the language file says that these double quotes define “Quoted Names”, but you have the option set to allow them to act as string delimeters, you could modify the file accordingly.)

• Preventing users from submitting certain types of statements. Teradata SQL Assistant declares a statement invalid if the primary keyword (generally the first keyword in the statement) is not found in the “MainKeywords”, “BeginTrans” or “EndTrans” lists. (For example, you can prevent users from executing a DROP statement by moving the DROP keyword from the “MainKeywords” list to the “NewLineKeywords” list.)

Note: Any user with administrative rights can however reverse the changes made to these files, so this can not be used as a security feature.

Importing Data

This section provides information about importing data in queries:

• Before You Begin

• Importing Data from a File

• Exiting from Import Mode

• Types of Import Operations

• Import Rules

• Defining the Null Value for an Import Operation



• Generating Multiple Reports From a Single Query

Before You Begin

The data values required in a query are normally entered as part of the query. The import mode allows you to enter a query containing one or more parameter markers. The data to be used in place of these parameter markers is read from a delimited text file. The query is submitted one time for every record in this input file. The entire query or selected portion is submitted as a single request.

What types of statements you can issue

You can issue any SQL, Data Manipulation Language (DML) or Data Definition Language (DDL) statement containing one or more placeholders. The statement is executed one time for each record in the supplied import file. The placeholders are replaced with data values in the corresponding record of the file.

Note: DML usually refers to INSERT, UPDATE, or DELETE statements. DDL statement usually refers to CREATE, DROP, ALTER, SHOW, HELP, and other statements.

What type of files you can import

The import file can be any delimited text file containing the correct number of data values in each record. You can create such a file from a query, using a text editor, or by saving spreadsheet data in a delimited text format.

Skipping the First Line (Header) of Imported files

If the file you are importing contains headers, you can skip the header record by doing the following.

To skip the header record of an imported file


2 Select the Import tab.

3 Select the option Ignore the first record in the file (Skip Header).

Importing Data from a File

To import data from a file

1 Before running a query, set the import mode by selecting File > Import Data.

2 Enter a statement in the Query window.

3 Execute the statement by clicking on the toolbar.

4 When the Teradata SQL Assistant Import File dialog box appears, select a file to import and click Open.



Exiting from Import Mode

The import mode remains in effect until you turn it off. You can exit from import mode and submit regular queries.

To exit import mode

• Select File > Import Data, making sure that the option is cleared.

Types of Import Operations

There are three types of import operations:

Type 1: Parameterized Import

This form applies to CALL, EXECUTE, SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE statements only (with Microsoft Access, this form is used for INSERT only.) The parameter markers can only be used in place of data values and must not be enclosed in quotes.

There are four types of parameter markers in this case:

• ? – The data for this parameter is read from the Import file. It is always a character string, and converts to a numeric value if necessary.

• ?? – The data for this parameter is read from the Import file. It should contain a Hexadecimal string which can contain dashes between each byte value. For example: 414B43 or 41-4B-43.

• ?B – The data for this parameter resides in a file that is in the same directory as the Import file. The import file contains only the name of the file to be imported. The contents of the file are loaded as a binary image.

• ?C – The data for this parameter resides in a file that is in the same directory as the import file. The import file contains only the name of the file to be imported. Use this marker to load a text file into a CHAR or CLOB column.

For example:

Insert Into TestTbl Values (?, ?, , 'Const', ??, ?B, ?C)

In the example above:

• The table must have a total of seven columns

• A NULL character is inserted in column 3 for all rows

• The word 'Const' is inserted in column 4 for all rows

• The ?, ??, ?B, ?C characters are the parameter markers

• The import file must have five data values per record

• The 3rd parameter must be a hexadecimal string

• The 4th parameter must be the name of a binary data file in the same directory

• The 5th parameter must be the name of a text file in the same directory



Type 2: Direct Substitution

This form applies to all other statements. Parameter markers can be used anywhere in the query. The data values are directly edited into the SQL at the parameter positions. Therefore, some parameter markers might need to be enclosed in quotes.

Create User ? As Perm=0 Password=? Account=’?’

Note: In Direct Substitution, only the “?” parameter is valid.

If an IMPORT statement returns data, the results are written to a file whose name is formed by adding ‘.Log’ to the end of the import file name. If this file already exists, its contents are replaced with new results. A header record containing the first data value from the corresponding import record is written before each set of returned data.

Type 3: Batch

This form applies when the following conditions are met:

• Teradata SQL Assistant is connected through Teradata.NET or Oracle.net, not ODBC

• The query consists of a single INSERT, UPDATE, or DELETE statement

• The statement must not contain any LOB parameters [?B or ?C].

• The Batch size in the Import tab of the Options dialog box is not specified as one

If the Batch size is set to one, the Batch import mode is not used. For larger values, the data provider packs the data for the specified number of rows into a batch (as long as it fits into a 64k parcel), and executes one batch at a time.

In general, the larger the batch size, the better the performance. With larger batch sizes:

• Data for a single batch must fit into a 64k parcel

• The entire Import file is loaded into memory

• If a batch import results in an error, the entire batch is rolled back and Teradata SQL Assistant reports which record caused the error

• If multiple records result in errors in a single batch, the indicated record might not be the first problem record in the file

The Silently discard rows that cause constraint violations option on the Import tab of the Options dialog box can be selected if the data is just a sample, or if loss of duplicates or other rows that cause constraint violations are not a problem. If this option is selected, all errors are ignored and Teradata SQL Assistant reports the number of rows that were imported and the number of rows discarded.

Import Rules

The following import rules are important:

• If the option Submit only the selected Query text, when highlighted is selected in the Options dialog box, only the highlighted portion of the query is submitted. For more information, see also “Submitting Part of a Query” on page 80.



• The query might contain multiple statements only if it contains Teradata INSERT, UPDATE, or DELETE statements. For other databases, or statements, it is limited to a single SQL statement.

• The import file must be a delimited text file containing data values that are separated from each other with a delimiter character. To set the delimiter character, see “Setting Export/Import Options” on page 134.

• The number of data values on each record must be the same as the number of parameter markers in the SQL query.

• The maximum number of parameters in a query is database dependent. For Teradata V2R5, it is 2,048.

• The data values must be enclosed within quotes unless the Export option, Enclose Exported/Imported Column Data in, is set to None. To set this option, see “Setting Export/Import Options” on page 134.

• Data values must not contain the delimiter character unless they are enclosed in quotes. Data values that are enclosed in quotes must not contain the delimiter character as their first character.

• Data values must not contain carriage return (end of line) characters.

• Date, time and timestamp values must be in the following format:

• YYYY-MM-DD

• HH:MM:SS

• YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS

When using an ODBC connection with a Teradata data source, they must be in the format specified for the corresponding column on the CREATE TABLE statement. Either ‘-‘ or ‘/’ can, however, be used as the date separator.

You can create the import file using the export feature of Teradata SQL Assistant. Be sure when importing the file to select the option to skip the first row (header) of the file.

Alternatively, you can create the file using a text editor or by saving a spreadsheet in the appropriate delimited format.

Defining the Null Value for an Import Operation

The default value for this option is ?. This means a question mark character is used to represent a null value resulting from a SELECT statement. This string is also used in an import file to indicate that the corresponding column should be assigned a null value.

Many spreadsheet and database applications can save data in tab delimited format. In most cases, they do not allow you to specify a null character, but simply write nothing to the file. If you want to import data from a file like this, set this field to a zero length string by deleting the contents of the field.

Chapter 2: The Query WindowUsing the Query Window Shortcut Menu


To indicate a null data value in the import file


2 Select the Data Format tab.

3 In the field Display this string for Null data fields, fill in the string desired.

Use the string you have defined for the display of NULL values. The default is a question mark (?). This string, possibly quoted, should be the only thing between the surrounding delimiter characters.

Generating Multiple Reports From a Single Query

You can generate multiple reports from a single query using SQL Assistant’s import feature. This is often useful for DBAs.

Example to show the DDL for a list of tables

1 Create an import file (typically a .txt file) that contains a list of tables, one table name per line.

2 Select File > Import Data.

3 Enter the following into the Query Window:

SHOW TABLE ?

4 Click .

This displays a file selection dialog box.

5 Select the file you saved.

The status bar at the bottom of the Query window shows row numbers as they are loaded.

6 To obtain the results of the query, go to the directory in which you saved the import file and open the .log file.

Using the Query Window Shortcut Menu

The purpose of the shortcut menu is to access routine query functions or to control its execution. The shortcut menu is specific to the active window. In this case, it provides a quick way for performing tasks specific to the Query Window.

• Displaying the Shortcut Menu

• Functions in the Query Window


The following table describes the commands on the default shortcut menu.



To display the shortcut menu


• Right click in the Query Window.

• Press Shift-F10.

• Press the Context Menu key on your keyboard.

Table 16: The Query Window Shortcut Menu Commands and Descriptions

Command Description

Execute Submits the query currently in the Query Window. Each statement in the query is submitted separately to the database.

Query Builder Helps you create statements in the Query Window.

Add to Favorites Saves the current query to a list of favorites which can be reused from Query Builder.

Cut Cuts the selected text from the Query Window and places it to the Clipboard.

Copy Copies the selected text from the currently active window to the Clipboard.

Paste Pastes the contents of the Clipboard into the query at the current insertion point.

Find Displays the Find String in Query dialog box, allowing you to search for a particular string in the currently active window. Find highlights the first occurrence of the string.

Repeated use of the Find Next button highlights successive occurrences of the search string.

Find Next Finds the next occurrence of the string that was specified in the previous Find command. If you have not yet issued a Find command, it acts as a Find command

Replace Finds and replaces any, or all, occurrences of a particular string in the Query Window. This command is useful for quickly replacing a string that occurs multiple times in your query. For example, use this command to change the name of a database referenced multiple times within a macro or script.

Format Query Formats a query based on a search for specific keywords.

Set Font Displays a Font dialog box allowing you to change the font used in the current window.

The Font Name and Font Size attribute are saved for future use. Separate values are stored for each type of window.

Select All Selects all the text in the current window. All text is highlighted and future actions apply to the entire window as a whole.

The primary use of this function allows you to copy the query to the Clipboard.

Insert date Inserts today’s date into the query at the current insertion point. If part of the query is selected, this function replaces the selected text with today’s date.

The format of the date is always 'yyyy-mm-dd' enclosed in quotes, or in '#' signs for Microsoft Access.

Audible Notification Causes the system to beep when the query is complete and all data has been returned to your PC. The beep also occurs if the query times out, the number of rows exceeds the output limit, or the query is canceled.

Minimize on Execution

When selected, automatically minimizes the Teradata SQL Assistant window when a query is being processed.



Functions in the Query Window

The Query Window is similar to any Windows-based text editor, allowing for functions such as drag-and-drop editing, cutting, copying, and pasting.

Clipboard Support

Clipboard support is provided in the Query Window.

Prompt for Notes An input dialog box displays whenever you submit a query to enter a note that is stored in the history table along with the query.

Table 16: The Query Window Shortcut Menu Commands and Descriptions (continued)

Command Description

Table 17: Clipboard Support – Edit Commands

Action On the Toolbar From the Menu Shortcut Keys

Cut Click Edit > Cut Ctrl+X

Copy Click Edit > Copy Ctrl+C

Paste Click Edit > Paste Ctrl+V

Undo Click Edit > Undo Ctrl+Z

Redo Click Edit > Redo Ctrl+Y


CHAPTER 3

The Answerset Window

The purpose of this section is to help you become familiar with the Answerset window and its features and functions. This section contains the following information:

• Introduction to the Answerset Window

• Using the Answerset Window

• Charting Answerset data

• Formatting an Answerset

• Exporting a Resultset

• Understanding Large Object Support

• Using Answerset Shortcut Menus

Introduction to the Answerset Window

The Answerset window contains one or more tabs. Each tab displays either a spreadsheet or textual output that represents the results from an executed statement. You can sort the output in a number of ways and print as bitmaps in spreadsheet format. Individual cells, rows, columns, or blocks of columns can be formatted to change the background and foreground color as well as the font style, name, and size. You can make other modifications such as displaying or hiding gridlines and column headers.

The table can be resized by stretching the Answerset window using standard Windows sizing techniques. Individual columns, groups of columns, rows, or groups of rows can also be sized.

Output rows can be viewed as they are being retrieved from the database.

Following is an example of an Answerset window:

Chapter 3: The Answerset WindowUsing the Answerset Window


You can set an option to prevent existing Answerset windows from being automatically closed when you submit a new query. For more information, see “Setting Answerset Options” on page 122.

You can save Answerset output to a file. For more information, see “Saving an Answerset to a File” on page 116.

Using the Answerset Window

This section provides the following information about using the Answerset Window:

• Viewing Your Results

• Adjusting Row Height

• Adjusting Column Width

• Re-arranging Column Order

• Keeping Selected Columns From Scrolling Out of View

• Viewing Long Strings of Text Within Cells

• Closing Answerset Windows Before Submitting a New Query

• Selecting All Answerset Rows

• Merging Cells in the Answerset

• Displaying the SQL That Generated an Answerset

• Hiding Columns/Showing All Columns

• Closing All Answersets

• Hiding Column Headers

• Hiding Row Headers

• Displaying Totals for Numeric Columns

• Displaying Aggregate Values

• Finding a Text String in the Results Grid

• Naming an Answerset Window

• Naming an Answerset Tab

• Deleting an Answerset Tab

• Opening a Saved Answerset

• Saving an Answerset to a File

• Saving as XML

• Copying an Answerset to Notepad

• Printing an Answerset

• Using Print Preview

• Cancelling Print Jobs

• Sorting an Answerset

• Filtering the Answerset



• Grouping the Answerset

• Setting Answerset Options

• Setting Data Format Options

• Changing the Font for the Entire Window

• Zooming the Answerset Window

Viewing Your Results

Use the Page Up, Page Down, Home and End keys as well as scroll bars to scroll through the results. Output rows can be viewed as they are being retrieved from the database.

Horizontal scrolling of the Answerset provides two separate modes, Column level and Pixel-by-pixel.

• Column level mode

By default, scrolling works at the column level. That is, when you scroll right or left it will always move so that the left edge is at a column boundary.

• Pixel-by-pixel mode

The alternative mode is pixel-by-pixel scrolling. If the result set includes a column in which data is too wide to fit within the window, you may click in a cell within that wide column to switch to Pixel-by-pixel scrolling. When you scroll right it will then scroll through the content of that column.

To switch back to column level scrolling, simply click within a column that is narrower than the window.

Adjusting Row Height

To adjust the row height

1 Move the mouse pointer to the line directly under the row header.

When correctly positioned, the mouse pointer changes to a two-headed vertical arrow.

2 Drag the two-headed arrow up or down to size the row and then release the mouse button.

To change multiple rows, highlight all the rows by placing the mouse pointer on the row number and dragging. Then follow steps 1 and 2, above.

Adjusting Column Width

To adjust the column width

1 Move the pointer onto the column separator directly to the right of the column heading.

The pointer changes to a two-headed horizontal arrow.

2 Drag the column left or right to size the column and then release the mouse button.



To change multiple columns, highlight all the columns by placing the mouse pointer on the column header and dragging. Then follow steps 1 and 2, above.

Note: If you want to reset the width to fit the widest data value in that column, double click the right hand edge of the column header.

Re-arranging Column Order

In “Move Columns” mode, you can re-arrange the columns by clicking on a column header and dragging it to the desired position.

Note: While in this mode, columns can no longer be selected by clicking on their column headers.

To turn on Move Columns mode


• Right-click in the Answerset window, select Move Columns.

• Click on the Answerset toolbar.

To switch off Move Columns mode, repeat this procedure.

Keeping Selected Columns From Scrolling Out of View

Freezing columns prevents them from being scrolled off the screen when you scroll a wide Answerset to the right.

To freeze columns in the Answerset

1 In the Answerset window, select the column you want to freeze.

Note: The selected column and all columns to the left of the selected column freeze.


• Right-click in the Answerset window and select Freeze Columns.


The columns remain frozen until you repeat Step 2 a second time to unfreeze them.

Viewing Long Strings of Text Within Cells

You can wrap text onto multiple lines and view long strings of text in cells not displayed on screen. Wrapping text permits you wrap text onto multiple lines if it does not fit entirely within the cell or column on one line. To view text in a cell that is wider than the display, you can scroll through the large cell without advancing to the next column.



To wrap text onto multiple lines an Answerset

1 In the Answerset window, select the cells or columns you want to wrap.


• Right-click in the Answerset window and select Wrap Text.


The cells remain wrapped until you repeat Step 2 a second time to unwrap them.

Note: Wrap Text is hierarchical. If you wrap individual cells they remain wrapped even if you wrap/unwrap the column that contains those cells.

To scroll through text in a cell wider than the display

1 Click in a wide cell.

The scroll bar scrolls through the contents of the cell instead of advancing to the next column.

2 Click in any cell that is narrower than the display to return to the standard scrolling mode.

Closing Answerset Windows Before Submitting a New Query

You can prevent an Answerset from being automatically closed, still allowing you to close the window manually.

To prevent an Answerset from being automatically closed


• Right-click in the Answerset window and select Do Not Close

• Click on the Answerset toolbar

Selecting All Answerset Rows

You can select all rows in the Answerset window.

To select all Answerset rows

• Do one of the following in the Answerset window:

• Press Ctrl+A.

• Click the top/left header cell (at the intersection of the Column and Row headers.).

All rows in the Answerset window are selected.

Merging Cells in the Answerset

Use this option to merge the cells in a column.



You can select one or more columns. (If you select only one or more cells, the merge applies to the entire column(s) of the cells selected)

If consecutive rows contain the same data (within any of the selected columns), those cells appear as a single 'merged' cell.

If you have previously applied 'Merge Cells' to a column, applying it again restores the column(s) to an un-merged state.

This option merges only cells that contain the same data. Cells with other data in the same column do not merge. If there are no consecutive cells with the same data, nothing happens. This is not an error.

To merge cells in the Answerset

1 Select the column that contains cells you want to merge.


• Right-click the selected column and select Merge Cells.


Displaying the SQL That Generated an Answerset

You can display the SQL statement that generated an Answerset.

To display the SQL that generated an Answerset


• Right-click in the Answerset window and select Display SQL / Answer

• Ensure the Answerset window is active, then click on the Answerset toolbar to toggle between the Answerset and the SQL.

The SQL statement that generated the data replaces the results in this Answerset.

Hiding Columns/Showing All Columns

You can hide columns or show all columns in the Anwserset using the following steps.

To hide column(s) or show all columns

• Do one of the following.:

• In the Answerset, right-click the columns to hide and select Hide Columns.

• To show all columns, right-click in the Answerset and select Show All Columns.



Closing All Answersets

To close all Answersets

• Select File > Close all Answersets.

Hiding Column Headers

To hide column headers

1 In the Answerset window, place your cursor into any cell in any column.



• Right-click in the Answerset window and select Column Headers.

The columns remain hidden until you click again to display them. This preference applies only to the current tab of the current Answerset window.

Hiding Row Headers

To hide row headers



• Click on the Answerset toolbar

• Right-click in the Answerset window and click Row Headers.

The rows remain hidden until you click again to display them. This preference applies only to the current tab of the current Answerset window.

Displaying Totals for Numeric Columns

To display totals at the bottom for numeric columns



• Right-click to display the Shortcut menu and click Add Totals.


The totals display for all numeric columns.

The totals remain after the Answerset has been sorted. Totals do not appear in future Answerset windows unless Add Totals is activated again.



Note: The SUM function uses Floating Point values, so totals are only accurate to 15 total digits.

To format columns to display commas, see “Displaying Commas to Mark Thousand Separators” on page 131. To format columns to display decimal places, see “Displaying Decimal Places” on page 131.

Displaying Aggregate Values

Teradata SQL Assistant allows you to quickly calculate aggregate values for selected portions of the Answerset window.

To display aggregate values

1 Highlight the cells you want to aggregate.

2 Release the mouse button. The Sum, Count, Average and Standard Deviation appear on the status bar.

Note: The Aggregate function uses Floating Point values, so totals are only accurate to 15 total digits.

You can select a row, multiple rows, a column, multiple columns, or any block of cells. Nonnumeric cells included within your selection are ignored.

Finding a Text String in the Results Grid

You can find a specific text string in the results grid.

To find text in the results grid

1 With the grid window active, select Edit > Find. The Find dialog box displays.

2 Complete the following options:

Table 18: Find Dialog Box

Option Description

Find What Enter the desired text string, or select an existing text string .



Naming an Answerset Window

Instead of having Teradata SQL Assistant title the saved Answersets for you, you can name the returned Answersets.

To name an Answerset window


• Select Window > Set Title.

• Press F12.

2 In the Set Title dialog box, enter a new title for this Answerset.

Naming an Answerset Tab

When Answersets appear in tabs, you can set the name for each individual tab.

To name an Answerset tab

1 Right-click on the Answerset tab and select Rename.

2 Enter a new name for this Answerset tab.

Deleting an Answerset Tab

When Answersets appear in tabs, you can delete individual tabs and their contents.

Match Case Select this checkbox to find text that matches the case of the search string.

Search current column only

Clear this checkbox to search the entire spreadsheet. If multiple cells are selected, the current cell is marked with a bold outline.

The default is selected, but the new setting is retained if it is changed.

Note: Searches are faster when they are limited to a single column.

Use wildcard characters (* and ?)

Select this checkbox to treat any question mark symbol (?) and asterisk symbol (*) in the search string as a “wildcard” character.

The question mark represents any single character. The asterisk represents any string of zero or more characters.

Find Next Click to search for the next occurrence of the search string within the current grid. The search starts at the current cell position in the grid.

Find All Click to find all occurrences of the search string and display them in a listbox. Clicking an item in the list moves the selection in Answerset to the corresponding cell. The cell scrolls into view if necessary.

Table 18: Find Dialog Box (continued)

Option Description



To delete an Answerset tab

• Right-click on the tab and select Delete.

Opening a Saved Answerset

To open a saved Answerset

1 Select File > Open Answerset.

2 Select the file you want to load into a new Answerset window.

You can only load tab-delimited, delimited text, or Microsoft Excel files.

3 Click Yes or No when asked whether the first line of the file contains column headers.

Note: To set the delimiter between columns for a Delimited Text file, see “Setting Export/Import Options” on page 134.

Saving an Answerset to a File

To save an Answerset to a file

1 Click the Answerset window to make it the active window.



• Select File > Save Answerset As.

• Press Ctrl+S.

3 In the Save Answerset dialog box, enter a file name and select a format type.

See “File Format Types”.

4 Select a location and click Save.

File Format Types

You can save an Answerset in the following formats:

Table 19: Answerset File Format Types

File Type Description

Tab delimited [ANSI] The data is saved in a tab-delimited file using the current code page.

Any special formatting applied to the Answerset is not saved, but can be read into a spreadsheet or a text editor for formatting. If a block of cells is selected, only that block is saved. If no part of the spreadsheet is selected, the entire Answerset is saved. The column headings are saved only if they are visible on the screen.



Note: Hidden columns are not saved if you save as HTML.

Tab Delimited [Unicode] The data is saved in a tab-delimited file using Unicode.


Tab delimited [UTF-8] The data is saved in a tab-delimited file using UTF-8.


Delimited Text [ANSI] The data is saved is a delimited text file using ANSI. To set the use of quotes or to set the delimiter between columns, see “Setting Export/Import Options” on page 134.

If a block of cells is selected, only that block is saved. If no part of the spreadsheet is selected, the entire Answerset is saved. The column headings are saved only if they are visible on the screen.

Delimited Text [Unicode] The data is saved is a delimited text file using Unicode.


Delimited Text [UTF-8] The data is saved is a delimited text file using UTF-8.


Microsoft Excel 2003 The data is saved to an Excel 2003 workbook. If there are multiple tabs in the Answerset window, you are asked whether you want to save all tabs to a single ExcelWorkbook.

Any special formatting you have applied to the Answerset is retained. The entire Answerset is saved. Column and row headers are saved if they are currently visible.

Microsoft Excel 2007 The data is saved to an Excel 2007 workbook. If there are multiple tabs in the Answerset window you are asked whether you want to save all tabs to a single ExcelWorkbook

Any special formatting you have applied to the Answerset is retained. The entire Answerset is saved. Column and row headers are saved if they are currently visible.

PDF Document [*.pdf] The data is saved as a PDF file.

Any special formatting you have applied to the Answerset is retained. If a block of cells is selected, only that block is saved. If no part of the spreadsheet is selected, the entire Answerset is saved.

Web Page [*htm] The data is saved as a table in HTML.

Any special formatting you have applied to the Answerset is retained. If a block of cells is selected, only that block is saved. If no part of the spreadsheet is selected, the entire Answerset is saved.

XML Document The data is saved as an XML document.

No special formatting is retained. If a block of cells is selected, only that block is saved. If no part of the spreadsheet is selected, the entire Answerset is saved. See “Saving as XML” on page 118.

Table 19: Answerset File Format Types (continued)




Note: When saving an answerset tab, spreadsheet data is saved using one of the file types from the table above, while Text data is saved using one of the file types described under “To save a query” on page 85.

Saving as XML

When saving as XML, the domain name hierarchy is Answerset<n>, DataRow, <ColumnNames>. For example:

<?xml version="1.0" ?><Answerset1>

<DataRow><FirstName>John </FirstName><LastName>Smith </LastName><Number>201-555-2182</Number>

</DataRow>

Copying an Answerset to Notepad

To copy a whole Answerset to Notepad

1 Make the Answerset active.

2 Select File > Copy to Notepad.

The contents of the whole Answerset is copied to Notepad.

Note: If you select a subset of cells within the Answerset, only the selected cells are copied to notepad.

Printing an Answerset

To print an Answerset

1 Click the Answerset window to make it the active window.



• Select File > Print Answerset.

• Press Ctrl+P.

The standard Windows Print dialog box appears. Printers are configured through this Print dialog box.


To print the entire Answerset:

• Under Print Range, select All.

To print a partial section of the Answerset:



a Go to the Answerset window and highlight the cells, columns, or rows you want to print.

b Under Print Range, select Selection.

Using Print Preview

The Print Preview dialog box allows you to preview Answerset or History window spreadsheet data before printing. Print preview is only available from the Answerset window and the History window. These two windows print data in the form of a spreadsheet. When printing the Query window or a Text style Answerset window, Print Preview is not available.

To use the Print Preview window


• Select Print Preview under File on the toolbar.

• To view one or more pages at a time, use the page icon .

• Use the Zoom icon to change the view size.

• To print, click the Print icon .

• View a different page by using the select page field .

Cancelling Print Jobs

Print jobs can be canceled through the Windows Print Manager.

To cancel a print job

1 Go to Start, select Settings, then click Printers.

2 Double-click your printer.

3 From the Document menu, select Cancel.

Sorting an Answerset

There are two ways to sort an Answerset: quick sort or full sort.

To sort an Answerset using quick sort

• Click the sort icon at the top of any column, to sort the data by that column only.

After sorting, the icon indicates the direction of the sort.

The output from certain statements, such as EXPLAIN, cannot be sorted this way.

To sort an Answerset using full sort

Full sort allows sorting by data in multiple columns:





• Right-click in the Answerset window, then select Sort.

• Select Edit > Sort.

In the Sort Answerset dialog box, all columns in the active window are presented in the Available Columns list box.

2 Select the column name in the Available Columns list box, or use the up or down arrow keys to highlight the column name and press Enter or click the Add button.

This moves the column name to the Sort keys list box.

By default, the sort direction for this new sort column is ascending.

If you click a column in the Sort Keys list box, or select the item using the arrow keys or mouse and press Enter, it reverses to descending sort order.

3 To remove a sort column from the list, double-click the column name, or select it and press the Delete key or click the Remove button.

You can also remove all columns from the Sort Keys list by pressing the Clear button.

4 After you select the columns by which you want to sort and the direction in which you want to sort, click Sort.

Filtering the Answerset

You can filter by multiple columns, where each filter is applied to the currently displayed rows only.

To filter the Answerset

1 Click on the Answerset column header.

A drop down window appears.


• Click on the check boxes next to the list of column values to include or exclude rows that contain that column value. For dates and timestamps, the list is replaced by a Tree that allows you to select at the year, month, day level.

• Click Number filters, then select a condition from the displayed sub menu. In most cases, a dialog into which you can enter a value for the condition appears.

• Click Text filters, then select a condition from the displayed sub menu. In most cases, a dialog into which you can enter a value for the condition appears.

• Click Date filtersthen select a condition from the displayed sub menu. In some cases, a dialog into which you can enter a value for the condition appears.

• Click Filter by Color then click one of the listed colors to display only those rows that use that background color in this column.

• Click Clear filter from ‘xxx’ to remove any existing filter from this column. The type of filter displayed (Number, Date or Text) will depend on the data type of the column.



Note: Use Find instead of filtering a large spreadsheet by a unique column.

Grouping the Answerset

Teradata SQL Assistant can display data rows in the Answerset window in a grouped, sorted order. To use grouping, click on the Allow Grouping tool button.

To group data columns in the Answerset window

1 Ensure the Answerset window is active and click the Allow Grouping button .

This displays a Group Bar above the spreadsheet.

2 Drag the column header you want to group by to the Group Bar.

If you group by a single column, each row in that column displays the column name followed by the column value and the number of rows that have this value in parentheses. To open a group, click on the + symbol at the left of the row.

3 To group by multiple columns, drag the additional column headers to the right of the previous ones on the group bar.

They are connected in descending order.

The top level group continues to display the column name and data value, but does not display the number of rows that contain that value. The lower level Group rows display the column number (starting at column zero) followed by the data value for that group. Each header you drag to the Group Bar display a Sort icon to indicate the current sort direction. You can reverse the direction by clicking on this icon.



4 To ungroup the rows, drag the headers back to the spreadsheet header bar, or simply click the Allow Grouping button a second time.

Setting Answerset Options

Use the following procedure to control the Answerset and the appearance of data in the Answerset by setting options on the Answerset tab of the Options dialog box.

Additional data options that apply to both the Answerset window and to Exported data can be set on the Data Format tab. See “Setting Data Format Options” on page 124.

To set Answerset options


2 Click the Answerset tab.

Table 20 explains each option.



Table 20: Answerset Tab in the Options Dialog Box

Option Description

Display alternate Answerset rows in color

Select this item to display colors for alternate rows in the Answerset. Use the color picker to select a color. The color choices include a Custom tab, a Web tab and a System tab.

The default is cleared.

Open new Answersets in Move Columns Mode

Selecting this option activates “Move Columns mode” when a new Answerset opens, which allows you to re-arrange the columns by dragging columns to the desired position. The default for Move Columns mode is off.

Display grid lines in future Answerset columns

The default value of this option is selected. Gridlines appear when a new Answerset window is created.

• Right-click in the Answerset window and select Grid Lines.

• On the Answerset toolbar click .

Display 1000 separators in numeric columns

The default value of this option is selected. This means 1000 separators (commas) appear in numeric columns.

Display negative numbers in Red

This option displays negative values in red in the Answer pane. The default value of this option is cleared.



Setting Data Format Options

Control the format of data values that are both displayed the Answerset window and Written to an Export file by setting options on the Data Format tab of the Options dialog box.

To set Data Format options


2 Click the Data Format tab.

Table 21 explains each option.

Display Column Titles rather than Column Names

This option allows the Answerset columns to display titles rather than names. The default value of this option is selected. This means the column title is used as the column header when returning data to the Answerset window.

If cleared, column names appear.

Column titles can be defined at the time a table is created, or as part of a SELECT statement. Generally, a column title is more descriptive than the column name itself.

Wrap wide headers across 2 lines if the data is narrow

The default value of this item is selected. This option allows column titles that are wider than the maximum data width in that column to be wrapped across two lines to display narrower columns. If this option is not selected, column titles display on a single line.

Display Float values using scientific notation

The default value of this option is cleared. If selected, Float column data displays in scientific notation. For example, 1.234567e04.

Use default file names for LOB columns

The default value of this option is cleared.

If selected, the file names used for LOB columns are constructed from the column title and a default file type. You are not prompted to enter this information.

Default file type for BLOB columns

This file type is used for BLOB columns when the above option is selected.

Maximum number of answer rows to display

The default value of this option is 2000. This number is the maximum number of answer rows that are retrieved from the database before you are prompted whether you want to continue retrieving further rows.

If you want all remaining rows to be retrieved without further prompts, answer No to the following question:

Cancel at <number> rows in accordance with settings?

When prompted to continue, all remaining rows are retrieved without any further prompts.

Table 20: Answerset Tab in the Options Dialog Box (continued)

Option Description



Table 21: Data Format Tab in the Options Dialog Box

Option Description

Display dashes between bytes for binary data values

When selected, a dash appears between each byte of the value for ease of reading, for example ‘63-B1-A3-62’.

The default is selected.

Write Byte Order Mark [BOM] to CLOB output files

Select this option to add a Byte Order Mark at the start of each CLOB file.


Display BigInt and Decimal(16)+ values as strings

When checked, large numeric values are stored as strings for Excel compatibility.When cleared, values with more than 15 digits are rounded when saved to Excel.


Display this string for Null data values

Enter the string to be displayed in place of Null data fields in the reports and imported/exported files. The default for this setting is “?”.



Display dates in this format The drop-down list contains pre-defined options to select. The characters d, m, and y to signify the day, month and year components can be added to the list. It also accepts /, -, ',' and space characters can be added as delimiters.

Day formats are specified by repeating characters as follows:

• d – Day number without leading zero

• dd – Day number with leading zero

• ddd – Day name abbreviated

• dddd – Day name in full

Month formats are specified by repeating characters as follows:

• m – Month number without leading zero

• mm – Month number with leading zero

• mmm – Month name abbreviated

• mmmm – Month name in full

Year formats are specified by repeating characters as follows:

• yy – Year, represented with 2 digits

• yyyy – Year, represented with 4 digits

Insertion Characters:

The dash, slash, comma, period and space characters are insertion characters.

For example: dddd, dd mmm yyyy displays Monday, 07 Mar 2008

Wheras d-mm displays 7-03

Note: Lowercase 'm' is automatically changed to uppercase 'M.'

Number of decimal places to display for Float columns

Entering a value between 0 and 9 allows you to specify the number of decimal places initially displayed for all data that originated from a FLOAT column. The default value for this option is 2.

You can change the setting for selected columns. From the shortcut menu, select Decimal Places.

Handle Binary/Byte columns as BLOBs if size >

Enter a number between 0 and 64000. The default value for this option is 30.

• 0 – All Binary/Byte columns are treated as BLOBs

• 64000 – Binary/Byte columns are never treated as BLOBs

• Other – Binary/Byte columns larger than this value are treated as BLOBs

Each BLOB is returned to a separate file on your PC. Regular Binary/Byte data appears in the grid as a hex string.

Handle Varchar columns as CLOBs if size >

This options allows you to set a size limit after which a Varchar column is handled as a CLOB. The default is 16384.

Table 21: Data Format Tab in the Options Dialog Box (continued)

Option Description

Chapter 3: The Answerset WindowCharting Answerset data


Changing the Font for the Entire Window

To change the font for the entire window


• From the View menu, select Set Font to display the Font dialog box.

• Right-click to display the Shortcut menu, and then select Set Font.

2 Change the font name, style, and size.

Note: The font change applies to the current window and all future Answerset windows.

Zooming the Answerset Window

You can zoom the contents of a window in and out by using the Ctrl key and mouse wheel.

To zoom the active window


2 Hold the Ctrl key and spin the mouse wheel.

The display zooms in and out.

Charting Answerset data

Charts can be created based on the data within an Answerset grid. By default, the chart appears in a new tab within the same Answer window. An option exists on the Chart Definition dialog box to display the new chart in a separate window. This would provide the option to view the chart and data at the same time.

To create a chart

1 Right-click in the Answer window and click Chart ... , or

Click the button on the Answerset toolbar.

2 On the Chart Definition dialog box select the Chart Type you wish to display

3 Enter or verify the From / To Row number for the rows to be plotted

4 Select or verify the Column(s) whose data you wish to chart

5 Select or enter any additional options for the chart, and press OK

Chapter 3: The Answerset WindowCharting Answerset data


Table 22: Chart Definition Dialog Box

Control Description

Chart Type This drop down list allows you to select the type of chart you wish to create. The picture below shows a simple example. The default is a line chart.

Horizontal Draw Horizontal bars rather than vertical Columns. Used for Bar types only.The default is cleared.

Rectangular Draw rectangular bars rather than cylindrical bars. Used for Bar types only.The default is cleared.

3D Draw a 3D chart. The default is selected.

Note: A chart can also be changed to 2D by changing its rotation and elevation

From Row This specifies the first row to be included in the data range to be plotted.This value is pre-populated if a block of cells is currently selected.

To Row This specifies the last row to be included in the data range to be plotted.This value is pre-populated if a block of cells is currently selected.

X Axis Labels This column provides the data labels for the X Axis.Select <RowNumber> to use the row number instead of a data column.

Data Columns Select one or more numeric columns whose data you wish to chart.Only one column can be selected if the Chart Type is Pie.The highlighted columns are pre-selected if a block of cells is currently selected.

X Axis Title If entered, this text appears below the X axis labels

Y Axis Title If entered, this text appears to the left of the Y axis labels.

Chart Title If entered, this text appears above the chart.

Display Chart in a new window

Select this box to display the chart in a new window.The default is checked if the Answerset Mode is Each Resultset. Otherwise, it is cleared.

Chapter 3: The Answerset WindowFormatting an Answerset


Working with Charts

A legend appears at the right for pie charts and for other chart types where more than one data series (column) is plotted.

If you hover the cursor over a Pie segment or a Bar, the description of that data point and its value appears in a tool tip. For “non discreet” chart types, such as Line or Area, only the description appears.

Charts have a context menu and shortcut keys as described below:

Formatting an Answerset

You can format the colors, font name, font style, and font size of a block of cells, individual cells, rows, columns, or the entire spreadsheet. You can also specify the number of decimal places displayed and if commas appear to mark thousand separators in numeric columns. The following sections explain how to format an Answerset:

• Formatting a Block of Cells

• Formatting a Single Cell

• Formatting a Single Row or Column

• Formatting Multiple Rows or Columns

• Formatting the Entire Spreadsheet

• Displaying Commas to Mark Thousand Separators

• Displaying Numbers in Scientific Notation

• Displaying Decimal Places

Table 23: Chart Menus and Shortcut Keys

Menu Shortcut Description

Copy Ctrl+C Copy the chart to the clipboard as a picture.

Modify Display the Chart Definition dialog box which allows the chart attributes to be changed.

Set Font Change the font used on this chart.

Rotate Left Ctrl+ left arrow Rotate the chart to the left (counter-clockwise).

Rotate Right Ctrl+ right arrow Rotate the chart to the right (clockwise).

Decrease Elevation Ctrl+ down arrow Decrease the angle of elevation.

Increase Elevation Ctrl+ up arrow Increase the angle of elevation.

Ctrl+ + Zoom in.

Ctrl+ - Zoom out.

Ctrl+0 Reset to 100% zoom factor.

Chapter 3: The Answerset WindowFormatting an Answerset


• Changing the Font for the Entire Window

• Zooming the Answerset Window

Formatting a Block of Cells

To format a block of cells

1 Select the area to be formatted.

2 Right-click and select Format Cells.

3 Set the formatting options you want to change.

Formatting a Single Cell

To format a single cell

1 Double-click the Answerset cell to display the Format Cells dialog box.


Formatting a Single Row or Column

To format a single row or column

1 Double-click the row or column header to display the Format Cells dialog box.


Formatting Multiple Rows or Columns

To format multiple rows or columns

1 Select the row or column to be formatted by clicking on the row or column heading and dragging to highlight.

2 Right-click to display the Shortcut menu.

3 Select Format Cells to display the Format Cells dialog box.


Chapter 3: The Answerset WindowExporting a Resultset


Formatting the Entire Spreadsheet

To format the entire spreadsheet

1 Press Ctrl+A to highlight all cells, then right click and select Format Cells.

The Format Cells dialog box opens.


Note: The formatting change applies to the current Answerset window only.

Displaying Commas to Mark Thousand Separators

To display commas

1 Right-click in the Answerset cell you want to change and select Format Cells.

2 Select Display 1000 separators.

Displaying Numbers in Scientific Notation

To display numbers in scientific notation

1 Right-click in the Answerset cell you want to change and select Format Cells.

2 Select Use Scientific notation.

Displaying Decimal Places

To display decimal places

1 Right-click in the Answerset cell you want to change and select Decimal Places.

2 Select a number between 0 and 4.

To designate up to 14 decimal places:

a Right-click to display the Shortcut menu.

b Click Format Cells to display the Format Cells dialog box.

c Select the desired number of decimal places.

Exporting a Resultset

Output is normally displayed in an Answerset window in table format. However, you can redirect output from future queries (ASCII or Unicode) to a delimited text file (.txt), a web page (.htm), or Microsoft Access database file (*.mdb).



This section provides the following information about exporting a Resultset:

• Exporting Results

• Single-Clicking to Display the Export File

• Saving Multiple Answersets

• Exporting to Access – Formats and Data Types

• Setting Export/Import Options

• Setting Export Options

• Setting Import Options

Exporting Results

Before running a query, you can redirect the Answerset.

To export results

1 Select File > Export Results.

2 Enter a statement in the Query Window.

3 Execute the query by clicking on the toolbar.

4 In the Export File dialog box, enter a file name.

5 From the Save As Type menu, select a file type.

• If you select a Microsoft Access database table (.mdb) the query must consist of a single statement that returns only one Answerset. If the database or table does not exist, one is created for you.

• If you select a delimited text file (.txt), the query can return multiple Answersets. If the specified file already exists, Teradata SQL Assistant asks you if you want to replace or append to the file.

• If you select an HTML file (.htm). the query exports the results into an .htm format that can be viewed as a web page.

6 When the export operation is complete, a confirmation message appears in the Export Bar immediately below the toolbars.

Note: The delimiter and quotes used for exporting to a delimited text file can be set in the Options dialog box, Export tab. To set the quotes or the delimiter, see “Setting Export/Import Options” on page 134.

Notice: The export option remains in effect until you click the Export option again to cancel it.



Single-Clicking to Display the Export File

After an Answerset is exported, its name and location appear in the Export Bar. Click the Export bar to automatically open and display the Answerset that was just exported.

Note: If SQLA doesn’t recognize the exported file, it uses Windows File Association to select the appropriate application. Generally, .txt files are opened with Notepad, .htm opens a browser and .mdb opens Microsoft Access.

The figure below shows the Export bar of an exported Answerset.

Saving Multiple Answersets

Multiple Answersets can be saved in multiple files. The file names for two Answersets or more are created by appending a number to the original file name. For example, if you specify Result.txt, and three Answersets are returned, the file names are:

Result.txtResult2.txtResult3.txt

Notice: If the specified file already exists, Teradata SQL Assistant asks if you want to replace or append to the first file in the set (in the above example, Result.txt). If the first file does not exist but other files do exist, they are overwritten with no warning.

Exporting to Access – Formats and Data Types

The following applies to exporting data to Access tables:

• If the Access database does not exist it is automatically created in Access 2003 format.

• SQL Assistant can add an AutoNumber column (row number for the result set) as the first column in the export table. Specify whether this column is required using the Export tab of Options.

• When the Access Table is created, SQL Assistant maps Teradata data types to Access data types as follows:

Table 24: How SQL Assistant Maps Teradata Data Types to Access Data Types

Teradata Data Type Access Data Type

Byte, SmallInt or Integer Integer (maximum 32 bits)

BigInt, Float, Decimal or Numeric Float



• If the Access table already exists, the exported data either replaces or appends to it depending on whether or not you selected the Replace Table check box when specifying the table name.

Note: If the data is being appended, ensure that the table definition matches the data being exported. The data types of the columns should match those of the select statement used in the export, with the optional addition of the AutoNumber column as the first column in

the Access table.

Setting Export/Import Options

This section explains the Export/Import tab in the Options dialog box. See “Setting Export Options” on page 135 for more information on setting the Export tab and “Setting Import Options” on page 136 for setting the Import tab.

After selecting any of these options, follow the instructions on “Exporting Results” on page 132 to learn how to export results.

After exporting an Answerset, the status bar across the bottom of the main window provides the status of the action.

To set export/import options


2 Click the Export/Import tab.

3 Select the options you want.


Date Date

BLOB or CLOB Text (the LOB file name)

Other (up to 255 bytes) Text

Other (over 255 bytes) Memo

Table 24: How SQL Assistant Maps Teradata Data Types to Access Data Types (continued)

Teradata Data Type Access Data Type

Table 25: Import/Export Tab in the Options Dialog Box

Option Description

Use this delimiter between columns

Defines the column delimiter. The default value is Tab. This same character is expected to delimit the data fields in an Import file. For Import operations, ensure this character does not occur within any of the data fields unless all data values are enclosed in quotes

Enclose column data in • Double Quotes – encloses column data values in double-quotes

• Single Quotes – encloses column data values in single-quotes

• Nothing – the data values are not enclosed in quotes. This is the default value.



For more information, see “Default Preferences (Options)” on page 160.

Setting Export Options

Use the following procedure to set export options in the Options dialog box. See “Setting Export/Import Options” on page 134 for more information on setting the Export/Import tab and “Setting Import Options” on page 136 for Import tab settings.

After selecting any of these options, follow the instructions on “Exporting Results” on page 132 to learn about exporting results.

To set export options


2 Click the Export tab.




Table 26: Export Tab in the Options Dialog Box

Option Description

Write all exported answer sets to a single file

Writes the output from a query that contains multiple select statements to a single file. The default value of this option is cleared, meaning output from a query that contains multiple select statements is written to multiple files.

Write the SQL and result status to the export file

Writes the SQL and result status to the export file. The result status is the rows processed, elapsed time, and error messages (if any occurred). The default value of this option is cleared, meaning the SQL and result status is not written to the export file.

Write column headers to the export file

Writes column headers to the export file before the data is written. Clearing this option might be useful if you plan to Import the data back into the database at a later time. If this option is not selected, no column headers are written.The default value is selected.

Replace Carriage Returns in column data with blanks

Replaces carriage returns in column data with blanks when exporting to text files. If this option is not selected, carriage returns are left as is.The default value is cleared.

Write Byte Order Mark [BOM] to unicode export files

When selected, all unicode or UTF8 export files include a BOM at their beginning.The default value is selected.

Include a Row Number column in Microsoft Access export tables

When selected, an AutoNumber column is defined as the first column of a new export table. This column contains the row number of that row.The default value is selected.

Honor the Answerset row return limit during exports

When selected, exported result sets are terminated when they reach the Maximum Row Limit set on the Answer tab. If there are multiple result sets, the limit applies to each individual set. The default value is cleared.

Chapter 3: The Answerset WindowUnderstanding Large Object Support


Setting Import Options

See “Setting Export/Import Options” on page 134 for more information on setting the Export/Import tab and “Setting Export Options” on page 135 for settings on the Import tab.

After selecting any of these options, follow the instructions on “Exporting Results” on page 132.

To set import options


2 Click the Import tab.



4 Click OK to close the Options dialog box and save your settings.


Understanding Large Object Support

Teradata SQL Assistant supports Large Objects. Large objects come in two types:

• Binary – These columns can contain Pictures, Music, Word documents, and so on. The column type used by different vendors can be any of BLOB, IMAGE or LONG RAW.

• Text – These columns contain text data such as Text, HTML, XML or Rich Text (RTF). The column type used by different vendors can be any of CLOB, TEXT, LONG or XML.

Note: When using ODBC, the ODBC Data Source option “Use Native Large Object Support” must be selected to retrieve large objects. Go to Tools > Define ODBC Data Source > Configure > Options and select Use Native Large Object Support.

Table 27: Import Tab in the Options Dialog Box

Option Description

Ignore the first record in the file (Skip Header)

Skips the header when importing the file.The default value is cleared.

Convert localized decimal to a period on Import

Replaces the local decimal point character with a period, allowing data in the local format to be imported to a database that always expects the decimal point to be a period. Clear this check box if the database expects the decimal point to be a localized character. The default value is cleared.

Maximum batch size for simple imports

The number of data rows that are sent to the database at one time for Batch Import. The default batch size is 20 rows.

Silently discard rows that cause constraint violations

SQL Assistant ignores any errors that occur during the import operation and reports the number of rows that were imported and the number of rows discarded. The default value is cleared.

Chapter 3: The Answerset WindowUsing Answerset Shortcut Menus


When an Answerset contains a Large Object (LOB) column the action taken depends on the setting for the option “Use default file names for LOB columns.”

If this option is selected, Teradata SQL Assistant uses the column title as the file name stub and a default value for the file type: ‘txt’ or ‘xml’ for CLOB data, or the value specified for “Default file type for BLOB columns” for BLOB data.

If the option is not selected, SQL assistant asks you to provide a file name, a file type, and (optionally) a directory for each Large Object column. Each LOB data value is written to a separate file.

The file name for each data value is created by joining the name, a sequential number, and the file type.

For example, if you provide 'Photo' as the name and 'jpg' as the type, the files are named Photo001.jpg, Photo002.jpg, and so on.

Although you can change the directory each time SQL Assistant requests a file name, only the last directory specified for a given Answerset is used. This directory is used for all LOB files related to this Answerset.

The file names appear as links within the Answerset grid. If you click on a link, the corresponding file opens. This feature relies on Windows File Associations so you must specify the file type that is appropriate for the type of data stored in the LOB column.

If the data is a graphic (file type BMP, JPG, JPEG, GIF, PNG, TGA, TIF, ICO or WMF) SQL Assistant offers you the option of displaying the picture within the Answerset grid itself. You can request that the picture be displayed instead of being saved to a file or in addition to being saved to a file.

If the LOB is a Text type then there will be two additional, optional fields:

• The file encoding to useThe encoding tells the system what character set encoding to use when writing the file. The default is UTF8. This writes a single byte for each of the standard ASCII characters, but writes two or three [encoded] bytes for each character that is not part of the standard ASCII character set. (The file will be identical to an 'ANSI' encoded file if it contains only standard ASCII characters.) The other option is Unicode which writes 2 bytes for each character.

• A checkbox that specifies whether a Byte Order Mark (BOM) should be writtenThe BOM is a two or three byte prefix that tells Windows what type of encoding was used. Some applications expect this prefix in order to determine how to read the file. Others do not expect a prefix and would therefore be confused by its presence.

Using Answerset Shortcut Menus

The purpose of the Shortcut menu is to provide fast access to commonly used functions. The Shortcut menu is specific to the active window. In this case, it provides a quick way for performing tasks specific to the Answerset window.



You can also customize the shortcut menu to provide better functionality.


The following table describes all of the commands on the default menu.

To display the Shortcut menu


• From any table inside the Answerset window, click the right mouse button.

• Press Shift+F10.

Table 28: The Answerset Window Shortcut Menu Commands and Descriptions

Command Description

Toggle SQL / Answer

Toggles between the data in the Answerset and the SQL used to get the answer.


Copy as HTML Copies the selected text from the currently active window to the Clipboard in HTML format.

Find Displays the Find String in Answerset dialog box, allowing you to search for a particular string in the currently active window. See “Finding a Text String in the Results Grid” on page 114.

Find Next Finds the next instance of search item.

Add Totals Displays totals at the bottom for numeric columns. The totals remain after the Answerset has been sorted.

Totals do not appear in future Answerset windows unless Add Totals is activated again.

Chart Displays the Chart Definition dialog. For more information see “Working with Charts” on page 129.

Sort Displays the Sort Answerset dialog box. For more information, see “Sorting an Answerset” on page 119.

Wrap Text Selecting Wrap Text causes text that is too long to fit within the selected cells to be wrapped into multiple lines.

Selecting this item when the selected cells are already wrapped returns the text in those cells to a single line.

Merge Cells Merges selected cells in a column in the Answerset. See “Merging Cells in the Answerset” on page 111 for more information.

Decimal Places Allows you to specify decimal places (0 to 4) in cells with numbers. Applies only to the column or columns selected. Applies to all rows even if all rows are not highlighted. For more information, see “Formatting an Answerset” on page 129.

Format Cells Allows you to format the color, font name, font style, and font size of a block of cells, individual cells, rows, columns, or the entire spreadsheet. It also allows you to add or remove decimal places and thousand separators. For more information, see “Formatting an Answerset” on page 129.



Set Font Displays a Font dialog box allowing you to change the font in the cells in the Answerset window. This new font is also used in all future Answersets.


Allow Grouping Displays a Group Bar above the spreadsheet.

Freeze Column(s) Selecting this item “freezes” the left most columns, preventing them from being scrolled off the screen when you scroll a wide Answerset to the right. All columns up to the current column or cell are frozen.

Select Freeze Columns a second time to unfreeze the columns. The default for Freeze Columns is off.

Move Column(s) Places you into “Move Columns” mode, allowing you to re-arrange the columns by clicking on a column header and dragging it to the desired position. To switch off Move Columns mode, select this item a second time. The default for Move Columns mode is off.


Hide Column(s) Hides a single or a multiple of columns. Select the column(s) you want hidden and click Hide Column(s).

Show all Columns Redisplays any hidden columns.

Gridlines Displays or hides the gridlines in the Answerset window. You can toggle the gridlines On or Off.

Column Headers Displays or hides column headers. You can toggle the column headers On or Off.

Row Headers Displays or hides row headers. You can toggle the row headers On or Off.

Do Not Close Prevent an Answerset window from automatically closing when a new query is executed.

If On, the current Answerset window does not close when a new query is run, even if the automatic closing of Answerset windows option is in effect. For more information on this option, see “Closing Answerset Windows Before Submitting a New Query” on page 111.

If Off, this Answerset window is closed when a new query is executed.

Table 28: The Answerset Window Shortcut Menu Commands and Descriptions (continued)

Command Description


CHAPTER 4

The History Window

The purpose of this section is to help you become familiar with the History window and its features and functions. This section contains the following information:

• Introduction to the History Window

• Using the History Window

• Editing History Records

• Saving, Copying, and Printing History

• Storing History Files

• The History Window Shortcut Menu

Introduction to the History Window

The History window is a table that displays your past queries and related processing attributes. The past queries and processing attributes are stored locally in a Microsoft Access 2000 database. This allows the flexibility to work with previous SQL statements in the future.

Following is an example of a History window:

Clicking any cell in the SQL Statement column in the History window copies the SQL to the Query Window.

You can display or hide the History window at any time.

For more information on additional options, see “Setting History Window Options” on page 150.

The most recently executed statement appears as the first row in the History window. The data can be sorted locally after it has been loaded into the History window. New entries are added as the first row of history no matter what sort order has been applied. For more information on sorting, see “Sorting the History Records” on page 147.

You can review all the information connected to a query in the Edit History dialog box. This dialog box also allows you to edit the query text, the attached notes, and the result message.

Chapter 4: The History WindowIntroduction to the History Window


For additional information on this dialog box, see “Displaying and Navigating the Edit History Dialog Box” on page 152.

The Columns of the History Window

Table 29 lists the columns that appear in the History window.

If the Query text is longer than 1000 characters, it is truncated to 1000, and followed by ellipses (…). To view the entire text either click on it (to copy it to the Query window) or use the Edit History screen.

Note: The History grid displays a Result column instead of the full SqlMessage information. This column is blank unless an error occurred. To see the full Result message, position the mouse so that the cursor is over the Result cell.

Note: For Teradata systems only, if you abort a query in progress or decline to continue when the output limit is reached, the Rows column tells you how many rows matched the query you submitted rather than the number of rows that were actually returned to the PC. Other databases still report only the number of rows returned.

Table 29: The History Window Column Descriptions

Column Name Description

Date/Time The date and time at which the query ended.

Source The data source name used.

Elapsed The total elapsed time for the query.

Rows • Teradata only: The number of rows matching the query submitted.

• Other databases: The number of rows returned or changed.

See the second note below.

Result The result message. See the first note below.

Notes The note the user attached to the query.

SQL Statement The query text.

SQL Type The type of database accessed.

Length The length of the query, in characters.

Stmts The number of statements in the query.

Stmt Type A list of statement types used in the query. For example, CREATE TABLE, INSERT, SELECT.

User ID The user ID logged on.

DBMS Time The time spent within the database.

Fetch Time The time taken to return the data.

Seq (sequence) The order the query was submitted to the database.

Chapter 4: The History WindowUsing the History Window


Using the History Window

This section provides the following information on using the History Window:

• Opening the History Window

• Closing the History Window

• Viewing the Result Message

• Viewing DBS Error Messages

• Viewing the History Rows

• Rearranging History Columns

• Filtering the History Rows

• Copying SQL from Previous History Record to the Query Window

• Copying SQL from Next History Record to the Query Window

• Selecting All History Rows

• Sorting the History Records

• Finding a Text String in the History Table

• Cleaning up the History Table

• Magnifying the History Window

• Setting History Window Options

Opening the History Window

To open the History window

• Select View > Show History.

Closing the History Window

To close the History window


• With the History window active, select File > Close.

• Select View > Show History to clear the check box.

Viewing the Result Message

The History window displays a results message after a query is run. This message refers to information about the query including errors messages.



To view the Results message

• Hover the mouse over the Result column cell in the History pane.

The entire message appears in a tool tip.

For additional information on error codes and how to resolve problems, refer to Messages.

Viewing DBS Error Messages

You can view the DBS error messages by pressing F11. This shows the most recent DBS error message no matter when it occurred.

Viewing the History Rows

Use the PageUp, PageDn, Ctrl+Home and Ctrl+End keys as well as scrollbars to scroll through the history rows.

Rearranging History Columns

History columns can be rearranged by dragging the column header to a new position. The new column order is used each time you open the History window.

Filtering the History Rows

You can sort and filter the History rows is various ways to help organize the information.

History Filter Operators

All history rows are now stored in a single History database. The History Filter dialog box allows you to specify a set of filters to be applied to the history rows. The operators include >, <, =, and LIKE. The filter applies to the entire history table. When you click in the fields or boxes in the Filter dialog box, the possible operators and proper format appear at the bottom of the dialog box.

Note: The operator box accepts only applicable operators for the filter function.

To filter the History table

1 Select the History window.

2 Right-click in the History window and select Filter.

3 Set the history filter as needed.

Table 30 explains the History filter options.



Table 30: Description of History Window Filter Options

History Filter Option Description

Date Filters by date range. Clicking the combo box brings up a calendar.

Place a filter operator (>, <, =,) in the operator box.

To display the history for the most recent n days instead of basing it on a fixed date, select Previous ‘n’ days and enter the number of days in the date box.

Data Source Filter by data source name. Enter a data source name, which can contain wildcard characters.

Select Use current Data Source to filter by the current data source only.

Note: The Use current Data Source filter option is used only when the Allow connection to multiple data sources option is not selected.

See “Setting General Program Preferences” on page 56 for information about setting this option.

User Name Shows only those rows for a specific User Name.

SQL Text Shows only those rows matching the specified string in the SQL text column.

Note: See “Using Wildcard Characters with the History Filter” on page 146 for more information on using valid wildcard characters with this option.

Notes Shows only those rows matching the specified string in the Notes column.

Note: See “Using Wildcard Characters with the History Filter” on page 146 to learn more about valid wildcard characters to use in this option.

Statement Type Shows only those rows in which the query contains the specified statement type. For example, Select or Create Table.

Statement Count Show only those rows in which the query contains this many statements (Use operator <, > or =).



Using Wildcard Characters with the History Filter

The following wildcard characters are acceptable to use with the history filter:

• ‘%’ matches zero or more characters

• ‘_’ matches exactly one character

• ‘#’ matches a single numeric digit

• ‘[xyz]’ matches a single occurrence of one of the enclosed letters: x, y, or z

• ‘[0-5]’ matches a single occurrence of this range of characters: 0 to 5

Wildcard matches are not case specific. To match the percentage character (%) by itself, enclose the character in brackets. For example, enter ‘%[%]%’ in the SQL Text field to return all rows containing a % sign in the SQL text.

Copying SQL from Previous History Record to the Query Window

You can copy the SQL from the previous History record to the Query Window.

To copy the SQL from the previous row


• Select View > Previous SQL.

• Press F7.

The new SQL replaces what was previously in the Query Window.

Copying SQL from Next History Record to the Query Window

You can copy the SQL from the next History record to the Query Window.

To copy the SQL from the next row


• Select View > Next SQL.

• Press F8.

The new SQL replaces what was previously in the Query Window.

Row Count Shows only those rows in which the query effected this many rows (Use operator <, > or =).

Elapse Time Shows only those rows in which the elapsed time matches the time entered (Use operator <, > or =, and specify the time as hh:mm:ss).

Show successful queries only

Select this box to filter for successful queries only. Queries with errors are ignored.

Table 30: Description of History Window Filter Options (continued)

History Filter Option Description



Selecting All History Rows

You can select all rows in the History window.

To select all history rows


• With the History window active, press Ctrl+A

• Click the top left header cell in the History table.

Sorting the History Records

There are two ways to sort the history locally: quick sort or full sort. Full Sort allows sorting of data in multiple columns.

To sort history using quick sort

• Click the sort icon in any column header to sort the data by that column only.

The data is initially sorted in ascending order. Clicking the sort icon again reverses the sort order.

To sort history using full sort



• Right-click in the History window, then select Sort.

• Select Edit > Sort.

In the Sort dialog box, all columns in the active History window are presented in the Available Columns list.

2 Select the column name in the Available Columns list, and click the Add button.

By default, the sort direction for this new sort column is ascending.

Use the up or down icons to change the sort order.

3 To remove a sort column from the list, double-click the column name, or select it and press the Delete key or click the Remove button.

You can also remove all columns from the Sort Keys list by pressing the Clear button.

If you want to reset all the columns in the Sort Keys list back to the Available Columns list box, click Clear.

4 After you have selected the columns by which you want to sort and the direction in which you want to sort, click Sort.

Note: Sorting history the Seq (sequence number) column has exactly the same effect as sorting by date and time. However, it is considerably faster.



Finding a Text String in the History Table

You can find a specific text string in the History Table.

To find text in the history grid

1 With the history table window active, select Edit > Find.

2 Complete the following options:

Cleaning up the History Table

Delete specific History rows by highlighting them in the History window and pressing the Delete button.

Use the Cleanup History dialog box to delete a large number of rows. This dialog box allows you to specify which rows to delete based on criteria such as the Date on which the query was executed and the Data Source against which the query was executed.

If multiple criteria are entered, only the rows matching all the criteria are deleted.

Table 31: Find Dialog Box

Option Description

Find What Enter the desired text string, or select an existing text string .

Match Case Select this checkbox to find text that matches the case of the search string.

Search current column only

Clear this check box to search the entire spreadsheet. If multiple cells are selected, the ‘current’ cell is marked with a bold outline.

The default is selected, but the new setting is retained if it is changed.

Note: Searches are faster when they are limited to a single column.

Use wildcard characters ( * and ?)

Select this checkbox to treat any question mark symbol (?) and asterisk symbol (*) in the search string as a “wildcard” character.

The question mark represents any single character. The asterisk represents any string of zero or more characters.

Find Next Click to search for the next occurrence of the search string within the current grid. The search starts at the current cell position in the grid.

Find All Click to find all occurrences of the search string and display them in a listbox. Clicking an item in the list moves the selection in Answerset to the corresponding cell. The cell appears if necessary.



This dialog box can also be used to delete all duplicate rows from the History table. Rows are considered to be duplicate if both the Data Source and the SQL Text are an exact match.This option is independent from the criteria specified above.

Note: This function might take a long time if there are many rows in the History table.

Note: The current history database will be saved as OldHistory.mdb before any rows are deleted. If rows were unintentionally deleted, the deleted rows can be restored by:

• Closing SQL Assistant

• Deleting the file SQLHistory.mdb

• Renaming the file OldHistory.mdb to SQLHistory.mdb

Refer to the File Paths tab of options to locate the History files.

To Clean the History table

1 Select the History window.

2 Right-click in the History window and select Cleanup History.

3 Set the cleanup criteria as needed.

Table 32 explains the available options.



Magnifying the History Window

Use the following procedure to change the magnification of the contents of a window.

To zoom the active window


2 Hold the Ctrl button and rotate the mouse wheel or press the + or - keys.

Setting History Window Options

You can control the History window by setting options.

To set options


2 Click the History tab.


Table 32: Description of Cleanup History Options

Cleanup History Option Description

Date Enter a date or click the down arrow to display a calendar to select.

Place a filter operator (>, <, =,) in the operator box.

Data Source Enter a data source name.

User Name Enter a user name.

SQL Text Enter text that appears within the SQL Text of the rows to be deleted.

Note: See also “Using Wildcard Characters with the History Filter” on page 146.

Notes Enter text that appears within the Notes of the rows to be deleted.

Note: See also “Using Wildcard Characters with the History Filter” on page 146.

Queries that failed Select this check box to delete all rows that display an error code.

Rows with an empty Notes column

Select this check box to delete all rows that do not have a Note assigned.



Table 33: History Tab in the Options Dialog Box

Option Description

Record queries and metadata in the History Datebase

The default is selected. This option allows SQL statements to be inserted into the History table. They are also displayed in the History window whenever a query is submitted.

When cleared, SQL queries are not logged.

Record file name in history when using “Save As”

The default is cleared. Set this option to request that a record be added to the history file whenever you Save As query to a file.

This record contains the date/time of the save operation together with the fully qualified name of the file that you saved.

Do not save duplicate queries in History

The default is cleared. When the option is selected, duplicate queries do not appear in the History window.

Note: If the duplicate history row to be deleted contains a note, the note is copied to the new history row unless you have provided a new note when the query is executed.

Display milliseconds in elapse time fields

The default is not selected. If the option is selected, the elapse time field appears in milliseconds.

Display SQL text on a single line The default is cleared. When this option is selected, SQL text displays on one line without carriage returns.

Show Tooltip when mouse over SQL column

The default is selected. This option allows the display of up to 500 characters of the SQL text when the mouse hovers over the SQL column in the History window.

Chapter 4: The History WindowEditing History Records


Editing History Records

Through the Edit History dialog box, history records can be viewed, edited, and deleted. You can also review all the information connected to a query. Many of the fields are read only, but you can edit the SQL text, notes, and results message.

When the Edit History dialog box is first displayed, the current record is whichever cell and row is active (where you have placed your cursor) in the History window. If the History window is not open or no history record has been referenced, the current record is the last one added to the history database.

This section provides the following information on editing history records:

• Displaying and Navigating the Edit History Dialog Box

• Editing a History Record

• Compacting History

• Adding or Change a Note in a History Record

Displaying and Navigating the Edit History Dialog Box

To display the Edit History dialog box


• Select Tools > Edit History.

• Right-click in the History window and select Edit.

• Double-click the row to be edited anywhere except in the Notes cell.

2 To navigate through the history records, use the arrow buttons the bottom center of the dialog box.

The outer buttons take you to the first or last record in the history database. The inner buttons take you to the next or previous record.

Require use of the Show History menu to close the history window

When this option is selected, the application ignores attempts to close the window by clicking the close button at the top right of the window. This prevents accidentally closing History by clicking on the wrong window.

Table 33: History Tab in the Options Dialog Box (continued)

Option Description

Chapter 4: The History WindowSaving, Copying, and Printing History


Editing a History Record

To edit a history record

1 Double-click the row to be edited.

2 Within the Edit History dialog box, edit the contents of the following fields:

• SQL text

• Notes

• Result message


• To commit the change, click the icon.

• To cancel the change, click the icon.

You can also double-click in the Notes cell of a row in the History window. The Query Note dialog box opens so you can add or change a note.

Compacting History

Periodically, you can clean up the current history file to reclaim space that might have been lost when history rows were deleted.

To compact history

• Select Tools > Compact History.

Adding or Change a Note in a History Record

You can add or change the note associated with a history record.

To add or change a note in a history record

1 Double-click in the Notes cell of a row in the History window.

2 In the Query Note dialog box, enter the new note information.

Saving, Copying, and Printing History

From the History window, you can save a specific part of the data by highlighting the part you want to save. If no part of the History window is highlighted, the entire contents is saved.

You cannot reload a saved history file into a new History window. There is only one History window and that is loaded from the history database.

This section provides the following information:



• Saving History Rows

• Copying Rows to the Clipboard

• Copying Rows to Notepad

• Printing the Contents of the History Window

• Cancelling Print Jobs

Saving History Rows

To save history rows

1 Ensure the History window is active.



• From the File menu, click Save History As.

• Press Ctrl+S.

3 In the Save History dialog box, enter a file name and select a format type.

See “File Format Types” below.

4 Select a location and click Save.

File Format Types

You can save the history in the following formats:

Table 34: History File Format Types


Tab delimited [ANSI}

The data is saved in a tab-delimited file using ANSI.


Tab Delimited [Unicode]

The data is saved in a tab-delimited file using Unicode.


Tab delimited [UTF-8]

The data is saved in a tab-delimited file using UTF-8.


Delimited Text [ANSI]

The data is saved is a delimited text file using ANSI. To set the use of quotes or to set the delimiter between columns, see “Setting Export/Import Options” on page 134.


Delimited Text [Unicode]

The data is saved is a delimited text file using Unicode.




Copying Rows to the Clipboard

You can copy rows from the History window to the Clipboard.

To copy rows to Clipboard

1 Highlight the rows you would like to copy from the History window by clicking and dragging your mouse anywhere within a row or column.



• From the Edit menu, select Copy.

• Right-click and select Copy.

Copying Rows to Notepad

You can copy rows from the History window to Notepad.

To copy rows to Notepad

1 Highlight the rows you would like to copy from the History window by clicking and dragging your mouse anywhere within a row or column.

2 Select File > Copy to Notepad.

Delimited Text [UTF-8]

The data is saved is a delimited text file using UTF-8.


Microsoft Excel 2003

The data is saved as an Excel 2003 workbook containing one data sheet.

The entire Answerset is saved. Column and row headers are saved if they are currently visible.

Microsoft Excel 2007

The data is saved as an Excel 2007 workbook containing one data sheet.

The entire Answerset is saved. Column and row headers are saved if they are currently visible.

PDF Document [*.pdf]

The data is saved as a PDF file.

If a block of cells is selected, only that block is saved. If no part of the spreadsheet is selected, the entire Answerset is saved.

Web Page [*htm] The data is saved as a table in HTML.

If a block of cells is selected, only that block is saved. If no part of the spreadsheet is selected, the entire Answerset is saved.

XML Document The data is saved as an XML document.

No special formatting is retained. If a block of cells is selected, only that block is saved. If no part of the spreadsheet is selected, the entire Answerset is saved.

Table 34: History File Format Types (continued)


Chapter 4: The History WindowStoring History Files


Printing the Contents of the History Window

To print the contents of the History window

1 Click the History window to make it active.



• From the File menu, click Print.

• Press Ctrl+P.

Note: Use Print Preview to preview the job before printing.

3 The standard Windows Print dialog box appears


To print the entire History table:

• Under Print Range, select All.

To print a partial section of the History table:

a Highlight the History cells, columns, or rows you want to print.

b Under Print Range, select Selection.

Cancelling Print Jobs

You can cancel print jobs through the Print Manager.

To cancel a print job

1 On your desktop, click Start and select Printers and Faxes.

2 Double-click your printer.

3 In the printer window, select Document > Cancel.

Storing History Files

By default, history files are stored at: <username>\AppData\Roaming\Teradata\SQL Assistant.

However, you can store them in the same location as your other Microsoft Access databases or other data files.

Chapter 4: The History WindowThe History Window Shortcut Menu


Changing the Location of History Files

To change the location used to store history files


2 Click the File Path tab.

Note: History files can be stored locally or on the network.

3 In the History File box, click the browse button to select a file location.

If you currently have the History window open, the data in this window is replaced by that contained in the history file in this new location. If the new location does not contain a history file, one is created for you.

The History Window Shortcut Menu

The purpose of the Shortcut menu is to provide fast access to commonly used functions. The Shortcut menu is specific to the active window. In this case, it provides a quick way for performing tasks specific to the History window.


The following table describes the commands on the default shortcuts menu.

Chapter 4: The History WindowThe History Window Shortcut Menu


To display the Shortcut menu


• Click the right mouse button anywhere within the History window,

• Press Shift+F10 or the Context Menu Key

Table 35: The History Window Shortcut Menu Commands and Descriptions

Command Description


Copy as HTML Copies the selected text from the currently active window to the Clipboard in HTML format.

Find Displays a Find String in History dialog box, allowing you to search for a particular string in the currently active window. See “Finding a Text String in the Results Grid” on page 114 for more information.

Find Next Finds the next item. See “Finding a Text String in the Results Grid” on page 114 for more information.

Filter Displays the History Filter dialog box which allows you to specify a set of criteria to limit the History rows that appear. For more information on the History Filter, see “Filtering the History Rows” on page 144.

Clear Filter Clears the filter that currently applies to the History window. This displays all History rows.

Sort Displays the Sort History dialog box. For more information, see “Sorting the History Records” on page 147.

Cleanup History Displays the Cleanup History dialog box which allows you to specify the criteria for rows that you want to delete from the History table, see “Cleaning up the History Table” on page 148.

Wrap Text Selecting Wrap Text causes text to be wrapped into multiple lines.

Selecting this item when the selected cells are already wrapped returns the text in those cells to a single line.

Note: This feature is only useful for the SQL column on the History table.

Set Font Displays a Font dialog box allowing you to change the font in the cells in the History window.


Edit History Displays the Edit History dialog box. For more information, see “Editing History Records” on page 152.


APPENDIX A

Startup Parameters and DefaultPreferences

This section contains information pertaining to:

• Startup Parameters

• Default Preferences (Options)

Startup Parameters

The following startup parameters can be passed to Teradata SQL Assistant on the command line.

When using startup parameters, any parameter value that contains spaces must be enclosed in double quotes.

For example:

sqla.exe -c Production1 -s “Select * From MyTbl”

Not:

sqla.exe -c Production1 -s Select * From MyTbl

Note: Normally the casual user does not use these startup parameters. This is normally used by DBAs or programmers.

To enter the parameter, from the Start button, select Run.

Table 36: Startup Parameters

Enter this parameter... to do the following...

-a <name> Automatically load the data contained in the tab delimited file named <name> into an Answerset window.

-c <dsn>[ [ \<user> ] \<pwd> ] Automatically connect to the data source named <dsn>, with optional <user> and <password> parameters.

-p <type> The provider type:

• Td – Connect using Teradata.NET

• Odbc – Connect using ODBC

• Ora – Connect using Oracle.NET

Appendix A: Startup Parameters and Default PreferencesDefault Preferences (Options)


For example: sqla.exe -c Production1 -s “Select * From MyTbl”

• The parameters shown in brackets (for example, [ <mech>\ ]), are optional.

• If -a is entered, it must be the only parameter.

• If both -f and -s are entered, only the last one is used.

• For automatic execution, use -c with either -s or -f.

If the data source requires additional information, you are prompted for that information.

If you provide -c, -e and either -s or -f parameters, Teradata SQL Assistant effectively runs as a batch job. It executes the query, writes any output to the export file, then terminates.

You can also use the Windows Explorer to drag and drop a file onto the Teradata SQL Assistant executable instead of using the -f <name> startup parameter. Alternatively, you can associate a specific file type (such as .sql) with Teradata SQL Assistant. You can then start Teradata SQL Assistant and automatically load the contents of any .sql file by simply double-clicking on the file.

Default Preferences (Options)

Teradata SQL Assistant records many of your preferences. These preferences are used each time you execute Teradata SQL Assistant. Most of these settings are located on the Options tabs, and can be found by clicking Tools > Options. The following topics contain related information.

• Miscellaneous and General Default Preference Settings

• Query Default Preference Settings

• Code Editor Tab Default Preference Settings

• Data Format Tab Default Preference Settings

-m [ <mech>\ ] <mechparm> Connect to the data source using a mechanism. Use this parameter in conjunction with the -c parameter above if a mechanism is required.

-s <SQL> Load this SQL. Automatically execute it if the -c parameter is also specified.

-f <name> Automatically load the SQL contained in the file named <name>. Automatically execute it if the -c parameter is also specified.

-e <name> Export the results of your query to a file named <name>. The format of this file is determined with Export options currently in effect. If the export file is a Microsoft Access database, the file name must be followed by a backslash '\' and the tablename.

For example: -e c:\temp\MyDatabase.mdb\MyTable

-db <name> Set <name> as the default database

-cs <name> Set the session character set to <name>

Table 36: Startup Parameters (continued)

Enter this parameter... to do the following...



• Answerset Tab Default Preference Settings

• Export/Import Tab Default Preference Settings

• History Tab Default Preferences and Descriptions

• Database Tree Default Preferences and Descriptions

• File Paths Tab Default Preference Settings

• Page Setup Default Preferences and Settings

Miscellaneous and General Default Preference Settings

Table 37: Miscellaneous and General Default Preferences and Descriptions

Preferences Default Description

ShowTdNetWarning True Display a warning message if correct version of the .NET Data Provider for Teradata is not installed. It changes to False after the message appears.

ODBCConnectTimeout 60 The time, in seconds, that ODBC waits for a response to a Connect request

WindowState Normal Display Teradata SQL Assistant in a normal window (not minimized or maximized)

WindowSize 900,700 The size of the Teradata SQL Assistant window on your desktop

WindowLocation 50,50 The position of the Teradata SQL Assistant window on your desktop

TabbedMDI False Use Tiled/Cascaded child windows rather than Tabbed MDI

TabGroupVertical False Use Horizontal tab groups when more than one tab group

TileWindows True Tile the windows rather than cascading them

TileVertical False Tile the windows Horizontally when tiling the child windows

ShowHistory True Show the History window at startup

ShowDBTree True Display the Database Explorer Tree after connecting to a data source

Provider ODBC Use the ODBC provider rather than the Teradata .NET provider

LastDSN The Data Source most recently connected to

LastTdDSN The Data Source most recently connected to through Teradata.NET

LastOraDSN The Data Source most recently connected to through Oracle.NET

Language Teradata The SQL language used before connecting to a data source

ANSISQL False Do not use the ANSI SQL language for syntax highlighting

OptionsTab 0 The first tab on the Options screen is the active tab

QBuilderSize 850,500 The size of the Query Builder dialog box

QBuilderSet 0 The first SQL Set appears when Query Builder is opened

FavoriteSet * Favorites The name of the SQL Set to select in the Add To Favorites dialog box

QueryFontName * Sans Serif This font is used in the Query window



Note: *These defaults are locale dependent

Query Font Size *8 This font sized is used in the Query window.

AnswerFontName * Sans Serif This font is used in the Answer window

AnswerFontSize * 8 This font size is used in the Answer window

HistoryFontName * Sans Serif This font is used in the History window

HistoryFontSize * 8 This font size is used in the History window

SaveTextType 1 Save Query files as *.sql

SaveGridType 1 Save Answer/History files as *.txt (ANSI text)

SaveChartType 1 Save chart files as *.jpg (JPEG format)

ExportFileType 1 Export data files as *.txt (ANSI text)

AnsFindList A list of strings to appear in the Most Recently Used list of the Find dialog box

HistFindList A list of strings to appear in the Most Recently Used list of the Find dialog box

AnsFindAllCols False The Current Column Only option is not selected when the Find dialog box is first opened for an Answerset grid

HistFindAllCols False The Current Column Only option is not selected when the Find dialog box is first opened for the History window

RecentQueryFiles A list of file names to be displayed for the Open Recent Query menu

AllowMultiConnect False Allow only one Query window (Only one Data Source)

SingleQuery False Allow multiple Query tabs in a Query window

UseCatalog False Use the ODBC 'schema' field (not 'catalog') for ‘unknown’ vendor databases

AnswerMode 1 Display multiple result sets from a single query in tabs within an Answer window, but use separate windows for the results of each query.

AppStyle Office2003 Use Office 2003 color scheme and display style

PrintSQL False Do not print the related SQL when printing an Answerset

ScreenReader False Do not add special support for Screen Readers for the blind

BaseFontSize 8 Dialog boxes, Status bars, and the Database Tree use this font size

Table 37: Miscellaneous and General Default Preferences and Descriptions (continued)




Query Default Preference Settings

Code Editor Tab Default Preference Settings

Table 38: Query Default Preferences and Descriptions


AutoCloseAns True Close all Answerset windows when submitting a new query

DisconnectedMode False Do not connect/disconnect for every query

Audible False Do not beep when query completes

MinOnRun False Do not minimize Teradata SQL Assistant while a query is running

PromptForNote False Do not prompt for a note when submitting a query

StopOnError True Stop at the first error in a multi-statement query

RunSelectedOnly False Submit the entire query even when part is highlighted

AllowNamedParms True Parameter substitution allowed in queries

SaveQueryLog False Do not prompt to save the query log after a multi-statement Query has completed

PromptToSave True Prompt to save a Query that has been changed before closing a Query tab

ParserLimit 200000 Switch to limited parser when size > 200 KB

ParserOff 900000 Switch off parsing when size > 900 KB

Table 39: Code Editor Tab Default Preferences and Descriptions


AutoSyntax True Perform syntax coloring as you type

Auto Outline True Display expand/collapse symbols in the left margin.

UpperCase False Do not convert keywords to upper case in the Query window

ShowLineNo False Do not display line numbers in the Query window

ShowMargin True Display a margin at the left of the Query window

ShowWhitespace False Do not show symbols for whitespace characters

ShowBraceMatch True Highlight start/end braces including parens, quotes, comment delimiters, and keywords such as CASE/END

ExpandTabs False Do not expand tabs (replace with spaces)

AutoIndent True Automatically indent new lines to match the line above

Intellisense False Do not display suggestions (dropdown lists) as you type

QuickInfoTips False Do not display a short description when the mouse hovers over a built-in function name

IncludeTables False Include Tables as well as Views in the suggestion lists



IncludeFunctions True Include built-in functions in the suggestion lists

LineSize 60 Format Query wraps text at first comma after column 60

TabSize 4 Tab key inserts 4 space characters in the Query Window

ColorBack White The background color in the Query window

ColorKeyword Blue The color used for Keywords

ColorFunction Blue The color used for built-in Functions

ColorDataType Blue The color used for Data Type names

ColorNumber Fuchsia The color used for Numeric constants

ColorOperator Gray The color used for Operators

ColorString Fuchsia The color used for String constants

ColorComment Dark Green The color used for Comments

ColorName Maroon The color used for Object Names and aliases

ColorParam Red The color used for Parameter markers and control words (RUN)

ColorOther Black The color used for any other text in the Query window

ColorMargin Smoke The color of the left margin

ColorBookmark Cyan The color of a bookmark (in the margin)

ColorBraceMatch Black The color used to highlight braces is an average of this color and the background color

ColorChanged Yellow The color used for change bars, in the left margin, when text has been changed on that line

ColorCollapsed Gray The color used for collapsed text

ColorCurrentLine Pale Blue The color used for the background of the line where the cursor is

ColorLineNum Blue/Green The color used for line numbers in the Line Number Margin

ColorOutline Gray The color used for the outline symbols and lines

ColorSyntax Red The color used to indicate the location of a syntax error

ColorRunning Light Coral The background color of a tab while the Query is executing

TabColorComplete Pale Green The color of a non-active tab after its Query completes

TempTableColor Blue The color of a Global Temporary Table in the Database Tree

ColorExpStmtType Fuchsia The color used for the Statement Type keyword of each Explain step

ColorExpName Blue The color used for object names in Explain text

ColorExpWarning Red The color used for text that might indicate a performance impact in the Explain text

Table 39: Code Editor Tab Default Preferences and Descriptions (continued)




Data Format Tab Default Preference Settings

Answerset Tab Default Preference Settings

ColorExpKeyword Green The color used for phrases that might be important when reading the explain text

ColorEditAdd Pale Cream The background color of the 'Insert New' row in the Edit Table grid

ColorEditChanged Gold The background color of changed rows in the Edit Table grid

StyleComment 2 Comments appear in Italics

StyleKeyword 1 Keywords appear as Bold text

StyleFunction 0 Built-in Functions appear as regular text

StyleParam 1 Parameter markers and Commands appear as Bold text

StyleName 0 Object names appear as regular text

StyleString 0 Strings appear as regular text

StyleDataType 0 Data Type names appear as regular text

StyleNumber 0 Numeric constants appear as regular text

StyleOperator 0 Operators appear as regular text

StyleOther 0 The remaining text appear as regular text

Table 39: Code Editor Tab Default Preferences and Descriptions (continued)


Table 40: Data Format Tab Default Preferences and Descriptions


BinAsBlobSize 30 BYTE columns larger than 30 are treated as BLOBs

CharAsClobSize 16384 CHAR columns larger than 16384 are treated as CLOBs

DashesInBinary True Include dashes between bytes in binary data

DateFormat NA Display dates using the current Windows locale settings

NullString ? Display a '?' when the column value is null

Dec16AsStr False Do not display Decimal(16), and above, values as character strings (used for Excel compatibility)

NumDecimals 2 Two decimal places appear for data that originates from Float columns

ClobWriteBOM False A Byte Order Mark is not written to CLOB files

Table 41: Answerset Tab Default Preferences and Descriptions


UseAltColor False Do not use alternating row background colors in Answerset



Export/Import Tab Default Preference Settings

AltRowColor Pale Green Use this color in alternate rows, if requested

MoveMode False Do not open new answer windows in 'Move Columns' mode

GridLines True Display gridlines in new Answerset windows

ShowThousandSep True Display thousand separators in numeric columns

NegativeRed False Do not show negative values in red

DisplayTitles True Display the column titles rather than column names in the column headers of Answerset windows

WrapHeaders True Wrap column headers across 2 lines if the widest data value is narrower than the column header

UseScientific False Display ‘Float’ data as a decimal value rather than in scientific notation

NoPromptLob False Always prompt for the file name and file type when LOB columns are returned

DefBlobType jpg Blobs are assumed to be JPEG files

MaxAnswerRows 2000 A maximum of 2000 Answerset rows is returned before asking whether more rows should be returned

ColWidthRowLimit 500 Look only at the first 500 rows when determining the default column width

Table 41: Answerset Tab Default Preferences and Descriptions (continued)


Table 42: Export/Import Tab Default Preferences and Descriptions


ColumnDelimiter {tab} Use a tab character as the delimiter between columns in export and import files

ColumnQuote Do not enclose the data fields in quotes (or expect in Import)

ExportOneFile False Export results from multiple statements to separate files

ExportWriteSQL False Do not write SQL and result status to the export file

ExportWriteHeader True Write column headers to the export file

ExportWriteBOM True A Byte Order Mark is written to the start of all Export files

ExportRowNum True An AutoNumber column is added as the first column in any table created for an Export to Access operation

RemoveCrLf False Do not remove carriage returns from exported text values

LimitExports False Do not prompt the user when the Answerset row limit is reached

ImportConvert False Do not convert the localized decimal point to a period on import. (Option is only enabled when the decimal point is not a period.)

ImportSkipHeader False Do not skip the header record (first line) of imported files



History Tab Default Preferences and Descriptions

Database Tree Default Preferences and Descriptions

ImportBatchSize 20 Submit 20 rows worth of data at a time when Importing data (not ODBC)

ImportIgnoreError False Do not ignore errors, such as duplicate inserts, when using Batch Import

Table 42: Export/Import Tab Default Preferences and Descriptions (continued)


Table 43: History Tab Default Preferences and Descriptions


HistoryUpdate True Update the history table (and window if it is visible)

HistorySaveQry False Do not write "Save Query" records to the history file.

HistoryNoDups False Save all queries in the History window, including duplicates

HistoryMilliseconds False Display elapsed times in seconds (do not show milliseconds)

HistorySQLNoCR False The SQL Text appears with line feeds intact. Only the text on the first line is shown unless Wrap Text is applied. You can also display a tooltip by hovering over the text with your mouse. See “The History Window Shortcut Menu” on page 157.

HistorySQLTips True Display the full SQL Text when hovering over the text with your mouse.

HistoryNoClose False Allows you to close the History window by clicking the close button on the top right corner of the window.

HistoryColOrder 0,1,2,3, … The history window columns appear in this order

HistoryFilter No filter is applied initially

Table 44: Database Tree Default Preferences and Descriptions


LoadDBTreeAll False Load a user defined list of databases into the database tree.

DBTreeSource DBC.DatabasesX When adding all databases, this is the table/view that is read to obtain the list

ExcludeUsers True When adding all databases, only the databases and not the users are loaded

SaveTreeData False Do not save the Database Explorer Tree data to a file and reload it next time

UseFastSchema False Use the standard catalog functions to return both the column name and the data type for each column in a view.

UseCatalog False Use the ODBC 'schema' field (not 'catalog') for ‘unknown’ vendor databases

QualifyNames False Do not qualify object names with their parent names when dragging objects from the Database Tree

QuoteNames False Do not enclose object names in double quotes when dragging objects from the Database Tree



File Paths Tab Default Preference Settings

Page Setup Default Preferences and Settings

ShowTriggers False Trigger and Join Index nodes are not shown in the Database Explorer Tree

Table 45: File Paths Tab Default Preferences

Option Default path

Query files \<username>\My Documents

Answer files \<username>\My Documents

Import and LOB files \<username>\My Documents

History File \<username>\AppData\Roaming\Teradata\SQLAssistant

Table 44: Database Tree Default Preferences and Descriptions (continued)


Table 46: Page Setup Defaults and Descriptions


Page Top 70 Provide a 0.7 inch margin at the top of the page

PageLeft 70 Provide a 0.7 inch margin at the left of the page

PageBottom 30 Provide a 0.3 inch margin at the bottom of the page

PageRight 40 Provide a 0.4 inch margin at the right of the page

PageColor False Print in black and white

PageSize Letter Print to standard (US) Letter size paper (11 x 8.5)

PageOrient 2 Print in Landscape

PageBorder False Do not print a bold border around the output

PageZoom 100 Print the spreadsheet at its original size (100%)


APPENDIX B

Menus, Toolbars and Shortcuts

The purpose of this section is to assist you with menus and toolbars. This section contains:

• Using Toolbars and Buttons

• Customizing Menus and Toolbars

• General Command Shortcut Keys

• Query Specific Shortcut Keys

• Window Control Shortcut Keys

• Answer/History Specific Shortcut Keys

Using Toolbars and Buttons

This set of topics explains the tool bars and buttons used in Teradata SQL Assistant. The following topics are included.

• The Main Toolbar

• The Answerset Toolbar

• The Query Toolbar

• Toolbar Button Descriptions

The Main Toolbar

The main toolbar appears along the top of the Teradata SQL Assistant window. The available commands apply to the active window.

A tool button is gray when the command is not available.

Figure 1: The Default Main Toolbar

See “Toolbar Button Descriptions” on page 170 for a description of all the tool buttons.

The Answerset Toolbar

The default position of the Answerset toolbar is below the Main toolbar, to the right of the Query toolbar. The available commands apply to the active window.

Appendix B: Menus, Toolbars and ShortcutsUsing Toolbars and Buttons


Figure 2: The Default Answerset Toolbar


The Query Toolbar

The default position of the Query toolbar is below the main toolbar. The available commands apply to the active window.

Figure 3: The Default Query Toolbar


Toolbar Button Descriptions

The default toolbar buttons are described in the following table.

Table 47: Toolbar Button Descriptions

Toolbar Button Name Menu Description

Connect Main toolbar Allows you to select a data source and connect. See “Connecting to and Disconnecting from a Data Source” on page 32 for more information about connecting to data sources.

Disconnect Main toolbar Click to disconnect from the current data source.

Data Provider Main toolbar Use the drop down box to select the data provider you want to use. The providers include ODBC and .NET for Teradata or Oracle. See “Defining a Data Source” on page 24 for more information.

New Query File Opens a new tab in the Query Window. This selection is only available if the option “Allow multiple queries per connection” is selected.

Open Query File Opens a previously saved query or reads a file into the Query Window.

Close All Queries tabs

File Closes all queries. This selection is only available if the option “Allow multiple per connection” is selected.

Save File Saves the contents in the active window.

Save As File Saves the contents in the active window after prompting for a new file name.

Copy to Notepad

File Runs the Microsoft Windows Notepad application and transfers the contents of the active window for additional editing.

Print Preview File Allows you to preview the Answerset and History window before printing. See “Using Print Preview” on page 59 for more information.

Print File Prints the contents of the active window.



Export Results File Exports future query results to a Microsoft Access or delimited text file.

Import Data File Switches on import mode where parameter data is read from a text file.

Undo Edit Undoes the last change made in the Query Window.re

Redo Edit Redoes the last change made in the Query Window.

Cut Edit Cuts the selected text to the Clipboard.

Copy Edit Copies the selected text to the Clipboard.

Paste Edit Pastes the contents of the Clipboard into the Query Window.

Clear Query Edit Clears the current query

Format Query Edit Formats the query by adding line breaks and indentation at appropriate points.

Right-to-left Editor

Edit Opens an Editor window for writing queries in languages that use a right-to-left format. See “Using the Right-to-Left Editor for Queries” on page 89 for more information.

Find Edit Searches the active window for the desired text string.

Find Next Edit Searches for the next occurrence of the string that was specified in the previous Find command in the active Window. If you have not yet issued a Find command, it acts as a Find command.

Find Previous Query toolbar Searches for the previous occurrence of the string that was specified in the previous Find command in the active Window. If you have not yet issued a Find command, it acts as a Find command.

Replace Edit Finds and replaces any or all occurrences of a particular string in the Query Window.

Add Totals Edit Displays totals at the bottom of numeric columns. The totals remain after the Answerset has been sorted. Totals do not appear in future Answerset windows unless Add Totals is activated again.

Sort Edit Sorts the data in the active window.

Explorer Tree View Displays or hides the Database Explorer Tree.

Go To Favorites

View Moves focus to the Favorites pane, first displaying it if it is not currently visible.

Table 47: Toolbar Button Descriptions (continued)




Set Font View Allows you to change the font type, style, and size in the active window

Show History View Displays or hides the History window.

Previous SQL View Copies the SQL from the previous history record to the Query Window.

Next SQL View Copies the SQL from the next history record to the Query Window.

Toggle Outline View Collapses a logical section of the query, or expands a collapsed section.

Execute Tools Executes the SQL statement(s) in the Query Window. Each statement is submitted separately.

Abort Tools Aborts an executing, or in-flight, query.

Execute Parallel

Tools Executes the SQL statement(s) in the Query Window. The entire query is submitted as a single request.

Reconnect Tools Reconnect the current Query window to a connection that was dropped for some reason, such as the client PC going into Hibernating mode.

Explain Tools Displays an Explain plan for the query.

Visual Explain Tools Opens Teradata Visual Explain so you can display a visual EXPLAIN of a single-statement query currently in the Query Window.

Note: You can move this command to a menu or toolbar only if:

• You have the Teradata Visual Explain application (version 3.0 or later) installed on your PC, and

• If you are connected to a database.

Teradata Query Scheduler

Tools Opens Teradata Query Scheduler so you can schedule your query for later execution.

Note: You can move this command to a menu or toolbar only if:

• You have the Teradata Query Scheduler (Teradata TQS) application (version 5.0 or later) installed on your PC, and

• If you are connected to a database.

List Tables Tools Displays the Table List dialog box where you can enter the name of the database whose tables or views you want to list. The resulting list of tables or view displays in an Answerset window.

List Columns Tools Displays the Column List dialog box where you can list the columns in a particular table or view in the selected database. The resulting list of columns displays in an Answerset window.

Edit History Tools Opens the Edit History dialog box. See “Editing History Records” on page 152 for more details.





Cascade Window Cascades all the child windows within the Teradata SQL Assistant parent window.

Tile Horizontal

Window Tiles the child windows horizontally to fit within the Teradata SQL Assistant parent window.

Tile Vertical Window Tiles the child windows vertically to fit within the Teradata SQL Assistant parent window.

New Horizontal Tab Group

Window This button moves the current window to a new tab group, created below the current tab group.

New Vertical Tab group

Window This button moves the current window to a new tab group, created next to the current tab group.

Help Topics Help Displays the contents tab for the Help file.

Audible Notification

Query shortcut

Prompts your system to beep when the query has completed and all data has been returned to your PC. The beep also occurs if the query times out, the number of rows exceeds the output limit, or the query is canceled. It is also located on the Query shortcut menu.

Minimize on Execution

Query shortcut

Automatically minimizes the Teradata SQL Assistant window when a query is being processed.

Prompt for Notes

Query shortcut

Prompts you for a note before running any query. This option causes the system to display an input dialog box whenever you submit a query.

Add to Favorites

Query shortcut

Adds the current query or selected text to a Favorites collection. Once the query is added as a favorite, it can be selected for reuse from the Query Builder window. See “Adding a Query to Favorites” on page 86.

Query Builder Query shortcut

Opens the Query Builder window.

Insert Date Query shortcut

Inserts the current date in the Query where ever the cursor is placed.

Bookmark Query toolbar Adds or removes a bookmark at the current line

Next bookmark

Query toolbar Moves to the next bookmark

Previous bookmark

Query toolbar Move to the previous bookmark

Remove All Bookmarks

Query toolbar Removes all bookmarks

Show White Space

Query toolbar Displays symbols for tabs and spaces

Indent Query toolbar Indents text to the right





Unindent Query toolbar Unindents text (to the left) stop recording

Comment Text

Query toolbar Turns the selected text (or the current line, if no text is selected) into a comment, or turns the current comment into text

Select Block Query toolbar Selects a logical block of text when the cursor is positioned at either the start or end delimiter (for comments, parens, Case/End, and so on).

Delete blank lines

Query toolbar Deletes blank lines from a currently selected part of a query

Convert tabs to spaces

Query toolbar Converts tabs to spaces in a query

Uppercase Query toolbar Converts the selected text to uppercase

Lowercase Query toolbar Converts the selected text to lowercase

Set Repeat Count

Query toolbar Sets the number of times the next keyboard command or macro is executed

Record Macro Query toolbar Records a keystroke macro for later playback

Stop Recording

Query toolbar Stop recording the current keystroke macro.

Play Macro Query toolbar Displays the Keyboard Macros dialog to allow selection of the macro to be played.

Replay Macro Query toolbar Replays the most recently played macro. If no macro has been played then it displays the Keyboard Macros dialog to allow selection of the macro to be played.

Column Headers

Answerset shortcut

Displays or hides column headers.

Toggle SQL/Answer

Answerset shortcut

Switches between displaying the SQL statement that generated the Answerset or the Answerset data

Move Columns

Answerset shortcut

Places you into “Move Columns” mode, allowing you to re-arrange the columns by clicking on a column header and dragging it to the desired position. To switch off Move Columns mode, click on this item a second time. The default for Move Columns mode is off.


Chart Answerset shortcut

Displays the Define Chart dialog box to allow you to specify the columns and rows to be charted, along with the chart type and other criteria.



Appendix B: Menus, Toolbars and ShortcutsCustomizing Menus and Toolbars


Customizing Menus and Toolbars

By customizing menus and toolbars, you can remove commands you never use or add commands you frequently use.

Some commands have images associated with them so you can quickly associate the command with the corresponding image. You can drag a command to a menu or toolbar to make the command easier to gain access to.

Freeze Columns

Answerset shortcut

Selecting this item “freezes” the left most columns, preventing them from being scrolled off the screen when you scroll a wide Answerset to the right. All columns up to the current column or cell are frozen.

Click on 'Freeze Columns' a second time to unfreeze the columns. The default for 'Freeze Columns' is 'Off '.

Decimal Places

Answerset shortcut

Displays a menu that allows you to select the number of decimal places to be displayed in the current column

Group Columns

Answerset shortcut

Allows grouping

Grid Lines Answerset shortcut

Displays or hides gridlines in the current Answerset window

Merge Cells Answer shortcut

Merges cells that contain the same data in consecutive rows of the Answerset

Row Headers Answer shortcut

Displays or hides row headers

Wrap Text Answer shortcut

Wraps the text onto multiple lines if it does not fit entirely within the column on 1 line

Allow Close Answer shortcut

Allows automatic closing of the selected Answerset window

Do Not Close Answer shortcut

Prevents automatic closing of the selected Answerset window

Copy as HTML

Answer shortcut

Copies the selected text from the currently active window to the Clipboard as HTML

Format Cells Answer shortcut

Allows you to set the formatting options for the selected cells

Filter History shortcut

Opens the History filter dialog box. See “Filtering the History Rows” on page 144 for more information.

Clear Filter History shortcut

Clears the History filter





We recommend customizing the shortcut menus and toolbars, and limit customizing main menus to only changing the order of menu commands. This enables the procedures in this user guide to correspond to the set up on your PC.

To find information on main menu items, refer to the Index under the main menu name.

Note: When you customize the menus or toolbars, your preferences are saved in a file named Toolbars.config located in \<username>\AppData\Roaming\Teradata\SQL Assistant.

This section contains the following information about the customization of menus and toolbars:

• Adding a Command to a Menu or Toolbar

• Menu Commands Only

• Removing a Command from a Menu or Toolbar

• Moving a Command

• Adding or Removing a Break Between Commands

• Changing the Name for a Command

• Assigning or Changing a Keyboard Shortcut

• Changing Menu Behavior

• Showing Recently Used Commands First

• Resetting the Default Menu Bar

• Hiding the Toolbars

• Showing or Hiding Toolbar Screen Tips

• Adding, Removing, Renaming, or Resetting a Toolbar

Adding a Command to a Menu or Toolbar

Some commands do not have images and these commands should be used to customize menus instead of toolbars. For a list of these commands, see “Menu Commands Only” on page 177.

To add a command to a menu or toolbar

1 From the Tools menu, click Customize.

2 Click the Commands tab to see the available commands.

3 In the Categories box, click on each category to see the available commands in the Commands box.

Commands are grouped into categories that match the main menu names, however, you are not restricted to adding them to a particular menu or toolbar.

4 Click on the command in the Commands box and drag it to the menu or toolbar you want to add it to.

When the mouse passes over the menus, they open to display their current contents.



When the mouse passes over the toolbar, the pointer looks like an I-beam to help guide you in placing the button.

5 Move the cursor to the position in a menu or on a toolbar where you want to insert the new command and then release the mouse button.

Menu Commands Only

Some commands do not have images and these commands should be used to customize menus instead of toolbars. These commands are:

Removing a Command from a Menu or Toolbar

You can remove commands from menus or toolbars. However, the following commands in the default menu cannot be deleted: Exit, Customize, Connect, Help Topics, and About.

To remove a command from a menu


The Customize dialog box opens.

2 Click on the menu to open it.

3 Click on the command you want to remove and drag it away from the menu.

4 Release the mouse button when the cursor shows a small x.

To remove a command from a toolbar



2 Click on the toolbar button you want to remove and drag it away from the toolbar.

3 Release the mouse button when the cursor shows a small x.

• ANSI SQL

• Arrange Icons

• Change Password

• Cleanup History

• Close

• Compact History

• Customize

• Define Data Source

• Go to Explorer

• Hide Columns

• Open Answerset

• Open Recent Queries

• Options

• Page Setup

• Select All

• Set Title

• Show All Columns

• Show Last Error

• Status Bar

• Tabbed

• Toolbar



Moving a Command

To move a command



2 Click to open the menu that contains the command you would like to move.

3 Click on the command you want to move and drag it to its new location which can be on the same menu, different menu, or a toolbar.

Adding or Removing a Break Between Commands

To add or remove a break (line or bar) between commands



2 Click on the menu that contains the command.

3 When the menu opens, right click on the command that you want to be after the break.

4 Select Begin a Group.

Changing the Name for a Command

To change the name that appears for a command



2 Click to open the menu that contains the name of the command you want to change.

3 When the menu opens, right click on the command that you want to change.

4 Enter a new name.

Assigning or Changing a Keyboard Shortcut

You can assign or change keyboard shortcuts for a command.

To assign or change keyboard shortcuts

1 Select Tools > Customize.

The Customize dialog box appears.

2 Click Keyboard.

The Customize Keyboard dialog box appears.



3 Select a category in the Categories list.

4 Select a command in the Commands list.

5 Select a shortcut in the Specify a Shortcut menu.

6 Click Assign.

To remove a previously assigned shortcut, click Remove.

7 Click Close.

Changing Menu Behavior

You can select five different styles that affect the way your menus appear.

To change the menu behavior



2 Select the Options tab.

3 Use the Menu animations list and select Random, Unfold, Slide, Explode or Fade in.

4 Click Close.

Showing Recently Used Commands First

You can choose between seeing all commands or only those commands that you have recently used.

To change this setting


2 Click the Options tab.

3 To see all commands, clear the Menus show recently used commands first.

To only see only those commands that you have recently used, select the Menus show recently used commands first. After selecting this option, you can also select the option which enables you to view the full menus after a short delay by selecting the Show full menus after a short delay check box.

To clear or reset the usage information so none of the commands are considered “recently used,” click Reset my usage data.



Resetting the Default Menu Bar

To reset the default menu bar


The Customize dialog box opens and the toolbars tab is on top.

2 In the toolbars box, click Menus once to highlight.

3 Click Reset.

4 In the Reset toolbar dialog box, select Original State or Last Loaded State.

5 Click OK and then click Close.

Hiding the Toolbars

To hide the toolbars

• Select View > Toolbars (or right click anywhere on the toolbar), and select the toolbar you want to hide.

The check mark next to toolbar name toggles Off to indicate the toolbar has been disabled and no longer displays.

Showing or Hiding Toolbar Screen Tips

ScreenTips are brief descriptions that display when you pass the mouse pointer over a toolbar button.

To change this option


2 Select the Options tab.

3 Select or clear the Show ScreenTips on Toolbars check box

Adding, Removing, Renaming, or Resetting a Toolbar

To add, remove, rename, or reset a toolbar


The Customize dialog box opens and the toolbars tab is on top.

Appendix B: Menus, Toolbars and ShortcutsGeneral Command Shortcut Keys


2 Click Close.

Note: To add commands to a toolbar, see “Adding a Command to a Menu or Toolbar” on page 176.

General Command Shortcut Keys

The following table lists the command shortcut keys available in SQL Assistant.

Table 48: Adding, Deleting, Renaming and Resetting a Toolbar

To... Do the following...

Add a new toolbar 1 Click New.

2 In the New Toolbar dialog box, type the name of the new toolbar.

Delete an existing toolbar

1 Select the toolbar you want to delete from the toolbars box.

2 Click Delete in the Delete Toolbar dialog box.

Note: You cannot delete the default toolbars named Toolbar.

Rename a toolbar 1 Click Rename.

2 In the Rename Toolbar dialog box, type a new name.

Note: You cannot rename the default toolbars named Toolbar.

Reset a toolbar 1 Click Reset.

2 In the Reset Toolbar dialog box, select Original State or Last Loaded State.

Note: You can only reset the default toolbars.

Table 49: Shortcut Keys

Shortcut Keys Menu/Command Description

F1 N/A Displays context sensitive help

Ctrl+N File > New Query Clears the Query Window for entry of new query

Ctrl+O File > Open Query Displays the Open Query dialog box

Ctrl+S File > Save Saves the contents of the current window to a file

Ctrl+P File > Print Prints the contents of the current window

Ctrl+Y Edit > Redo Redoes a previously Undone change

Ctrl+Z Edit > Undo Undoes the last change made in the active Query window

Ctrl+X Edit > Cut Cuts the last change made in the active Query window

Ctrl+C Edit > Copy Copies the last change made in the active Query window

Ctrl+V Edit > Paste Pastes the last change made in the active Query window

Appendix B: Menus, Toolbars and ShortcutsQuery Specific Shortcut Keys


Query Specific Shortcut Keys

The following table lists the shortcut keys specific to the Query window.

Note: The following shortcuts may not work on some keyboards:

• Ctrl+/ toggle comment

• Ctrl+] Move to Matching Brace

• Ctrl+Shift+] Select Block

You may, however, assign your own shortcuts through the Keyboard button using the

Tools > Customize dialog.

Ctrl+Q Edit > Format Query Formats the query in the Query Window

Ctrl+F Edit > Find Searches the active window for the desired text string

F3 Edit > Find Next Finds the next occurrence of the string that was specified in the previous Find command

Shift+F3 Edit > Find Previous Finds the previous occurrence of the string that was specified in the previous Find command

Ctrl+H Edit > Replace Finds and replaces a particular string in the active window

F4 Edit > Add Totals Displays totals at the bottom of numeric columns

Ctrl+A Edit > Select All Selects everything in the current window

Ctrl+G View > Go To Explorer Moves your cursor to the Database Explorer Tree

F7 View > Previous SQL Moves the active cell in the History window to the previous row and copies the query from this new row into the Query Window

F8 View > Next SQL Moves the active cell in the History window to the next row and copies the query from this new row into the Query Window

F11 View > Last Error Displays the most recent SQL error message allowing you to see the full text of a message that is too long to fit on the status bar

F5 Tools > Execute Submits the query that is currently in the Query Window. Each statement in the query is submitted separately to the database

F6 Tools > Explain Issues an EXPLAIN

F9 Tools > Execute Parallel Submits the entire query that is currently in the Query Window as a single request

F10 Tools > Abort Aborts the currently executing query

Shift+F10 or <Right-Click>

N/A Display the context menu for this window

F12 Window > Set Title Sets a title for an Answerset

Table 49: Shortcut Keys (continued)

Shortcut Keys Menu/Command Description



Table 50: Query Specific Shortcut Keys

Shortcut Keys Description

Ctrl+/ Turns the selected text (or the current line, if no text is selected) into a comment, or turns the current comment into text. See before this table for more information.

See note about changing this shortcut.

Ctrl+B Adds or removes the bookmark at the current line

Ctrl+D Removes all bookmarks

Ctrl+E Replays the most recently played macro. If no macro has been played then it displays the Keyboard Macros dialog to allow selection of the macro to be played.

Ctrl+I Indents the current, or selected, line(s)

Ctrl+Shift+I Un-Indents the current, or selected, line(s)

Ctrl+K Expand or Collapse the current block of text

Ctrl+L Converts selected text to lowercase

Ctrl+M Records a macro

Ctrl+R Sets the repeat count.

Note: When you set a repeat count, the next keyboard command you execute is repeated that number of times. This is most useful for playing your macros, or for such things as “Extend to end of word” (CTRL+Shift+→).

Ctrl+T Deletes the current query in the Query window

Ctrl+U Converts the selected text to uppercase

Ctrl+W Display or Hide white space characters

Ctrl+F2 Moves the cursor to the next bookmarked line

Ctrl+] Moves the cursor to the matching brace (for example, from “(“ to “)”, or from “Begin” to “End”). Refer to the note before this table for more information.


Ctrl+Space Displays suggested name list, if appropriate

Ctrl+Shift+Space Adds the last table/view/alias name in a FROM clause to the Active List.

Note: This key combination should only be used when the cursor immediately follows that object or alias name

Alt+Down arrow Moves the current line down

Alt+Up arrow Moves the current line up

Alt+Insert Inserts a new line above the current line

Alt+Delete Deletes the current line

Alt+Ctrl+Insert Duplicate the current line



Ctrl+Shift+] Selects a logical block (when a brace match is highlighted).


Ctrl+Shift+Del Deletes all blank lines within the selected text

Tab Indent lines (only if text is selected)

Shift+Tab Unindent lines (only if text is selected)

Shift+F2 Go to the previous bookmark

Shift+Up arrow Extend the selection up one line

Shift+Down arrow Extend the selection down one line

Shift+Alt+arrow Extend column selection in direction of arrow (see ‘Alt+Drag Mouse’ below)

← Moves the cursor one character to the left

→ Moves the cursor one character to the right

Home Moves the cursor to the start of the current line

End Moves the cursor to the end of the current line

PageDown Moves down one page

PageUp Moves up one page

Ctrl+← Moves to the start of the current, or previous, word

Ctrl+→ Moves to the start of the next word

Ctrl+Home Moves to the start of the query

Ctrl+End Moves to the end of the query

Shift+← Extends the selection one character to the left

Shift+→ Extends the selection one character to the right

Shift+Home Extends the selection to the start of the current line

Shift+End Extends the selection to the end of the current line

Shift+PageDown Extends the selection down one page

Shift+PageUp Extends the selection up one page

Ctrl+Shift+← Extends the selection to the start of the current, or previous, word

Ctrl+Shift+→ Extends the selection to the start of the next word

Ctrl+Shift+Home Extends the selection to the start of the query

Ctrl+Shift+End Extends the selection to the end of the query

Ctrl+Mouse Wheel Zooms the active window in and out

Table 50: Query Specific Shortcut Keys (continued)


Appendix B: Menus, Toolbars and ShortcutsWindow Control Shortcut Keys


Window Control Shortcut Keys

The following table lists the shortcut keys that handle Window and focus control.

Alt+Drag Mouse Select columns of text

Note: Requires a fixed pitch font to be useful.

Anything you type while the block is selected replaces the selected text on ALL selected lines

You remain in this column mode until you use the mouse again, or press Esc, or the arrow keys.

Table 50: Query Specific Shortcut Keys (continued)


Table 51: Window Control Shortcut Keys


Alt+F4 Closes the application

Ctrl+F4 Closes the current child window

Ctrl+F5 Restores the current child window to its previous size

Ctrl+F6 Moves focus to the next child window

Ctrl+F7 Moves the current child window

Ctrl+F8 Resizes the current child window

Ctrl+F9 Minimizes the current child window

Ctrl+F10 Maximizes the current child window

Ctrl+Tab Moves focus to the next child window

Ctrl+PageUp Displays the next Query/Answer tab

Ctrl+PageDn Displays the previous Query/Answer tab

Shift+F4 Tiles the child windows Horizontally

Shift+F5 Cascades the child windows

Shift+F6 Tiles the child windows Vertically

Alt+Space Displays the Control menu

Appendix B: Menus, Toolbars and ShortcutsAnswer/History Specific Shortcut Keys


Answer/History Specific Shortcut Keys

The following table lists the shortcut keys that are specific to the Answer or History spreadsheets.

Alt Moves focus to the menu bar (or back from menu bar)

When the focus is on the menu bar, the following keyboard shortcuts apply:

• ← →: Moves focus to the next/previous menu or tool button

• Up arrow/down arrow: Moves focus to the next/previous menu item

• Ctrl+Tab: Moves focus to the next toolbar

• Down arrow: Drops down the list for a drop-down tool button

• Up arrow/down arrow: Moves through the list items

• Enter: Selects the current list item and leaves the toolbar

• Tab: Selects the current list item and moves to the next tool button

F4 Drops down the list (when focus is in a control with a dropdown button)

Table 51: Window Control Shortcut Keys (continued)


Table 52: Answer / History specific Shortcut Keys


Ctrl+Space Selects current column

Shift+Space Selects current row

Shift+arrow Extends selection in direction of arrow

Ctrl+→ Moves the current column to the right (if moveable)

Ctrl+← Moves the current column to the left (if moveable)

Ctrl+Up arrow Moves the current column to the Group Bar (if visible)


APPENDIX C

Configuration Files

Much of the functionality of Teradata SQL Assistant is controlled by configuration files. In most cases these files are created automatically by the application during regular use. The files are written to \<username>\AppData\Roaming\Teradata\SQL Assistant.

When the application starts up it reads the configuration files from this location. If it does not find the file in this location, it checks the \ProgramData\Teradata\SQL Assistant pathfor a file of the same name. If it still does not find the file, it uses built-in application defaults.

A customer might wish to install default configuration files as part of his or her own install process. The files can be installed in either location, but if the file already exists in the user’s own path,the application does not look at the one in the ProgramData path.

The following sections describe the different configuration files.

UserOptions.config

This file contains all the options described on the Options dialog box. It also contains some additional ‘state’ information such as the size and position of the Main and Query Builder windows. Starting with version 15.0, the file name is UserOptionsB.config.

This file is rewritten each time the application is shut down.

When modifying this file for use as a default file in your custom install process, you must ensure that the <LastVersion> value is set correctly. This value should be set to a number that describes the version of SQL Assistant from which you are upgrading. It is used to control any upgrade processing that occurs. In general it is safe to simply set it to a value that is less than the new version you are installing.

However, if the value is set to less than 13.0, the application first reads the UserOptions.config file and looks in the registry to find the user’s options from SQL Assistant 12.0 (or earlier). Any options that exist for SQL Assistant 12.0 are overwritten by these registry values.

Note: Customized files for the install process should not contain Path names for History and so forth.

Appendix C: Configuration FilesToolbars.config


Toolbars.config

This file describes the position and visibility of the toolbars as well as which menu items appear on each menu, which tool buttons appear on each toolbar, and the shortcut keys that are assigned to the menus and tool buttons.

This file is only created if the user moves or hides a toolbar, or uses the Tools > Customize menu.

DataSources.config

This file contains data source definitions for use by the Teradata.Net and Oracle.Net data providers. These definitions include connection information and (optionally) a list of Databases to be loaded into the Database Explorer Tree and the color bar to be displayed in the query window for this data source

This file is re-written each time the application is shut down.

Note: There might also be a DataSources.config file in the ProgramData path. That file contains system level data sources. The application never updates it.

DockMgr.config

This file describes the position and visibility of the Database Explorer Tree and the Favorites and Examples pane.

This file is re-written each time the application is shut down.

Vendors.config

This file describes how the application should work with different vendor databases. In general this file should only be modified if a customer wishes to support a new database that SQL Assistant does not currently support, or if the database settings cause SQL Assistant’s default settings to work incorrectly with that database.

The application never writes to this file.

Table 53: Properties Described by the Vendors.config File

Property Description

Key The first 5 characters of the DbmsName string returned by ODBC.

For an ‘unknown’ vendor database this string appears in parens after the Data Source name in the Database Explorer Tree. It must be in uppercase.

Appendix C: Configuration FilesVendors.config


Name The name to be displayed after the Data Source name in the Explorer Tree

SQLType The SQL dialect used by this vendor

This string is used to load the Language and Syntax Example files. It is normally the same as Name, however there are exceptions. For example, Greenplum uses PostgreSQL.

DBType A numeric value used for database vendors that are known to SQL Assistant

Use 0 for unknown, or a value >40 for new data sources.

Catalog The name of the catalog database. e.g. DBC for Teradata

This database is added to the Database Explorer Tree. The default is empty (No catalog).

HasRootDB Specifies whether the DBMS supports multiple Databases

The default is true.

RemoveCmt Specifies whether /* ... */ style comments must be removed from statements before they are submitted to the database

The default is false.

UpperName Specifies whether object names must be in upper case for use in catalog functions


UserIsDB Specifies whether a User can contain Tables, and so forth.


UseCatalog Uses the CatalogName parameter in ODBC catalog functions rather than the SchemaName parameter to specify the object container


Note: If the DBType is set to zero (Unknown), this value is overridden by the Use alternate schema... option on the DB Tree tab of Options.

UseDBPrefix Specifies whether object names should be prefixed by their container (Database) name when SQL Assistant generates SQL statements

The default is true.

ShowTable The SQL used to return a table definition

The default is empty.

ShowView The SQL used to return a view definition


ShowProc The SQL used to return a procedure or function definition


ChangePwd The SQL used to change the user’s password


The Change Password menu is not available unless this is provided.

Table 53: Properties Described by the Vendors.config File (continued)


Appendix C: Configuration FilesVendors.config


Some of the strings used in this file can contain variables for which object names, or types, need to be substituted. The recognized variable names are described below:

In some cases, database compatibility might require changes to the vendor specific language file. For example, SQL Server allows the administrator to define the characters used to delimit an object name. By default the system uses the characters ‘[‘ and ‘]’ but it can be changed to use double quotes. In this case the SqlServer.lng file would have to be changed to match.

AddDDLPrefix Specifies whether the SQL used for a Show Definition function includes both prefix and body values. If the value is true then the SQL for all ShowXxxx properties must return 2 columns. The displayed DDL is the concatenation of these 2 values. The default is false.

DefaultDB The ‘known’ default database name. Used for vendors that do not return a default database through ODBC.

Use3PartNames Specifies that the vendor uses BOTH catalog AND Schema fields in their catalog functions.

DefaultSchema This is the default schema to be used when the vendor uses 3 part names.

Table 53: Properties Described by the Vendors.config File (continued)


[db] The Database Name, or object container name (Catalog, Schema, and so forth)

[obj] The object name (Table, View, Procedure or Function)

[user] The current user name

[oldpwd] The current password for the user

[pwd] The new password you wish to set

[type] The object type (Procedure or Function)

[olddb] The current database name

This is required by some vendors if the object is not in the current database.


Glossary

A

ABORT In Teradata SQL, a statement that stops a transaction in progress and backs out changes to the database only if the conditional expression associated with the abort statement is true.

administrator A special user responsible for allocating resources to a community of users.

C

column In the relational model of Teradata SQL, databases consist of one or more tables. In turn, each table consists of fields, organized into one or more columns by zero or more rows. All of the fields of a given column share the same attributes.

D

DBA Database Administrator

database In Teradata SQL, a related set of tables that share a common space allocation and owner. This document uses the term “database” as the term for “table qualifier” (the object that contains data tables). This term varies depending on the database vendor, and might be referred to as “owner”, “schema” or “catalog” in the vendor's own documentation.

data definition In Teradata SQL, the statements and facilities that manipulate database structures and the Data Dictionary information kept about these structures. These statements include CREATE, DROP, ALTER, and MODIFY.

Data Definition Language (DDL) In Teradata SQL, the statements and facilities that manipulate database structures (such as CREATE, MODIFY, DROP, GRANT, REVOKE, and GIVE) and the dictionary information kept about those structures. In the typical, pre-relational data management system, data definition and data manipulation facilities are separated, and the data definition facilities are less flexible and more difficult to use than in a relational system.

Data Dictionary In the Teradata Database, the information automatically maintained about all tables, views, macros, databases, and users known to the Teradata Database system, including information about ownership, space allocation, accounting, and access right relationships between those objects. Data Dictionary information is updated automatically during the processing of Teradata SQL data definition statements, and is used parser to obtain information needed to process all Teradata SQL statements.

data manipulation In Teradata SQL, the statements and facilities that change the information content of the database. These statements include INSERT,UPDATE,and DELETE.

Glossary


DDL Data Definition Language

delimiter In Teradata SQL, a punctuation mark or other special symbol that separates one clause in a Teradata SQL statement from another, or that separates one Teradata SQL statement from another.

DOS Disk Operating System

DNS Data Source Name

F

failure Any condition that precludes complete processing of a Teradata SQL statement. Any failure aborts the current transaction.

field The basic unit of information stored in the database. A field is either null, or has a single numeric or string value. See also column, database, row, table.

H

HTML Hypertext Markup Language

J

join In Teradata SQL, a select operation that combines information from two or more tables to produce a result.

M

macro A set of Teradata SQL statements stored in the database and executed by a single EXECUTE statement. Each macro execution is implicitly treated as a transaction.

N

name In Teradata SQL, a word supplied from the user that refers to an object, such as a column, database, macro, table, user, or view.

null In Teradata SQL, the absence of a value for a field.

O

Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) Under ODBC, drivers are used to connect applications with databases. The Teradata ODBC driver processes ODBC calls from an application, but passes SQL requests to the database for processing.

owner In Teradata SQL, the user who has the ability to grant or revoke all privileges on a database to and from other users. By default, the creator of the database is the owner, but ownership can be transferred from one user to another with the GIVE statement.

Glossary


P

parameter In Teradata SQL, a variable name in a macro for which an argument value is substituted when the macro is executed.

parser A program executing in a PE that translates Teradata SQL statements entered by a user into the steps that accomplish the user’s intensions.

parsing engine (PE) An instance (virtual processor) of the database management session control, parsing, and dispatching processes and their data context (caches).

Q

Query Capture Database (QCD) A database of relational tables that store the steps of any query plan captured with the Query Capture Facility (QCF).

Query Capture Facility (QCF) Provides a method to capture and store the steps from any query plan in a set of predefined relational tables named the Query Capture Database (QCD).

query A Teradata SQL statement, particularly a SELECT statement.

R

request In host software, a message sent from an application program to the database.

result The information returned to the user to satisfy a request made of the database.

row In Teradata SQL, the fields, whether null or not, that represent one entry under each column in a table. The row is the smallest unit of information operated on by data manipulation statements.

S

separator A character or group of characters that separates words and special symbols in Teradata SQL. Blanks and comments are the most common separators.

session In client software, a logical connection between an application program on a host and the database that permits the application program to send one request to and receive one response from the database at a time.

SQL See Structured Query Language

statement A request for processing that consists of a keyword verb, optional phrases, operands and is processed as a single entity.

stored procedure Teradata Version 2 Release 4 and later supports stored procedures. A stored procedure is a combination of SQL statements and control and conditional handling statements that provides an interface to the database.

structured query language (SQL) The abbreviation, SQL, is pronounced either see-kwell or as separate letters. SQL is a standardized query language for requesting information from a

Glossary


database. The SQL language consists of a set of facilities for defining, manipulating, and controlling data in a relational database.

supervisory user In Data Dictionary, a user who has been delegated authority to further allocate database resources such as space and the ability to create, drop, and modify users within the overall user community.

T

table In Teradata SQL, a set of one or more columns with zero or more rows that consist of fields of related information. See also database.

Teradata structured query language (Teradata SQL) A multipurpose database language used for defining, manipulating, controlling, loading, and archiving data.

Teradata SQL statement A statement in the Teradata SQL language that is processed through the Teradata Database.

title In Teradata SQL, a string used as a column heading in a report. By default, it is the column name, but a title can also be explicitly declared by a TITLE phrase.

transaction A set of Teradata SQL statements that is performed as a unit. Either all of the statements are executed normally or else any changes made during the transaction are backed out and the remainder of the statements in the transaction are not executed. The Teradata Database supports both ANSI and Teradata transaction semantics.

type An attribute of a column that specifies the representation of data values for fields in that column. Teradata SQL data types include numerics and strings.

U

user In Teradata SQL, a database associated with a person who uses the Teradata Database. The database stores the person’s private information and accesses other Teradata Databases.

UTF-8 In simple terms, UTF-8 is an 8 bit encoding of 16 bit Unicode to achieve an international character representation.

In more technical terms, in UTF-8, characters are encoded using sequences of 1 to 6 octets. The only octet of a sequence of one has the higher-order bit set to 0, the remaining 7 bits are used to encode the character value. UTF-8 uses all bits of an octet, but has the quality of preserving the full US-ASCII range. The UTF-8 encoding of Unicode and UCS avoids the problems of fixed-length Unicode encodings because an ASCII file encoded in UTF is exactly same as the original ASCII file and all non-ASCII characters are guaranteed to have the most significant bit set (bit 0x80). This means that normal tools for text searching work as expected.

V

view In Teradata SQL, an alternate way of organizing and presenting information in the Teradata Database. A view, like a table, has rows and columns. However, the rows and columns

Glossary


of a view are not directly stored in the Teradata Database, but are derived from the rows and columns of tables (or other views) whenever the view is referenced.

Glossary



Index

Aabort a query

how to 81toolbar button 172while executing 74

abort, defined 191account string, field 33Add Database command

Database Explorer Tree 49shortcut menu 50

Add to Favoritesshortcut menu 105

Add Totals commandshortcut menu 138toolbar button 171using 113

administrator, defined 191aggregate values, displaying 114alias name resolution, option 26Allow Close

toolbar button 175Answerset tab

deleting 115naming 115

Answerset Window 130Add Totals command

shortcut menu 138toolbar button 171using 113

aggregate values, displaying 114cancelling print jobs 119changing

font 127, 139formatting 129

closing window(s) before submitting a query 122, 124column headers

freezing 110, 111hiding 113moving 110saving answersets 117shortcut menu 139using to display Format Cells dialog box 130

columnshiding 139moving 139show all columns 139

width, adjusting 109wrap text 138

commands and descriptions 138Copy as HTML command 138Copy command

shortcut menu 138toolbar button 171

copying to Notepad 118decimal places

displaying 131format cells 138shortcut menu 138

delimiterbetween columns 103

displayingcolumn headers 113decimal places 131maximum number of answerset rows 124moving column headers 110row headers 113totals for numeric columns 113

Do Not Close command 139entering a file name 132exporting results 132file format types 116Find command


font, changing 127, 139Format Cells command

displaying decimal places 131formatting multiple rows or columns 130shortcut menu 138

formattinganswerset 129font 139

gridlinesshortcut menu 139toolbar button 175

listing, columns and tables 55matching an answerset with a SQL statement 112maximum answerset rows displayed 124naming 82, 115opening a saved answerset 116options 122, 124printing an answerset 118redirecting query output 131

Index


row headershiding 113shortcut menu 139

row height 109rows, selecting all 111saving

answerset to a file 116multiple answersets 133

select all rows 111set font 139set title 82, 115shortcut menu 137sorting 119, 138viewing your results 109

arrange icons 39asynchronous query processing 74audible notification 105, 173

BBookmark toolbar button 173buttons See toolbar

CCascade Windows command

toolbar button 173using 39

Categories box 176CD-ROM images 6cells See Answerset Window, formattingchanging

Answerset Window font 127, 139Database Explorer Tree display 42location of history files 157menu behavior 179name displayed for a command 178Teradata database password 36

changing the text size 39Charting 127Clear Query toolbar button 171Close command 143color See Answerset Window, Format Cells commandColumn Headers command

freezing 110, 111toolbar button 174using 113

columnsdefined 191freezing 110re-ordering 110

commands 40Answerset Window 138Database Explorer Tree 50History Window 158

Query Window 105Commands box 176Comment text

toolbar button 174comments

adding to queries 88overview 66

compact history See History WindowConnect command

using 33, 34, 35connecting to a data source 32context menus See menuscontrolling

an export 134query execution 56, 69the Answerset Window 122, 124the History Window 150

convert tabs to spacestoolbar button 174

Copy as HTML commandAnswerset Window 138History Window 158

Copy commandAnswerset Window 138History Window 158Query Window 105, 106toolbar button 171

Copy to Clipboard command 94, 155Copy to Notepad command 87, 118, 155Create New Data Source dialog box 26custom syntax file

creating 96description 95

customizingmenus 175SQL statements 95, 96toolbars 175

Cut commandclipboard support 106shortcut menu 105toolbar button 171

Ddata definition, defined 191data dictionary, defined 191data manipulation, defined 191data source

connecting 33, 170defining 56, 59, 119description field 26name field 26reconnecting 36

Database Explorer Tree

Index


Add Database command 50adding

databases 49object types 44

changing the display 42closing 42, 53collapsing branches 41deleting object types 44displaying object definitions 44Expand/Collapse command 41, 42, 50expanding branches 41object definitions, displaying 44opening 42, 53Quick Paste command 50Refresh Database command 50Remove Database command 49, 50Set Font command 172shortcut menu

commands 50displaying 50

Show Definition command 50toolbar button 171viewing object types 41

DBC database 41DBMS

password, changing 36time 142

decimal placesdisplaying 126, 131, 138specifying the number of 131, 138

defaultanswerset toolbar 169database field 26, 33directory paths 168directory, history files 156file paths 168preferences, settings, options 160query window toolbar 170toolbar 169

defining.Net Oracle Data Source 30.Net Teradata Data Source 27ODBC Data Source 25

delete blank linetoolbar button 174

Delete Toolbar dialog box 181delimited text

saving answerset as 117, 154, 155delimiters

defined 192defining null values 104import rules 103

directoryfile storage 168

Display SQLcommand 112toolbar button 174

Displaying Function Descriptions 77Do Not Close

toolbar button 175DSN

file, system, user 25startup parameter 159

EEdit History dialog box See History WindowEdit menu

Add Totals command 138Copy command 105, 138, 155Cut command 105Find command 105, 138, 158Find Next command 105Format Query command 98, 105Paste command 105Replace command 105Sort command 138, 158Undo command 84

Editing Table Data 46elapsed 142errors

error column, History Window 142error messages 135syntax error in stored procedures, locating 38

Excelsaving answerset as 117, 155

Execute commandshortcut menu 105toolbar button 172using 74

Execute Parallel commandtoolbar button 172using 80

executinga query 78, 105statements in parallel 80, 172

Expand/Collapse commandDatabase Explorer Tree 41, 42, 50

EXPLAIN statement 119Explorer tree window 42export

controlling an export 134toolbar button 171

Export File dialog box 132Export Results command 132

Ffailure, defined 192

Index


Favorites and Examples pane 53fetch time 142field, defined 192file DSN 25file format types 116File menu

Close command 143Copy to Notepad command 87, 118, 155Export Results command 132Import Data command 100, 104New Query command 74Open Answerset command 116Open Query command 86Print command 156Save Query As command 85

file paths 168files, importing 100filtering

History window 144, 148Find command

Answerset Window 138History Window 158Query Window 105toolbar button 171

Find Nextcommand 105toolbar button 171

Find Previoustoolbar button 171

float columns 126font

Answerset Window 127, 139History Window 158Query Window 105

Font dialog box 105, 139, 158Format Cells

toolbar button 175Format Query

command 105toolbar button 171

formattingSee Answerset WindowSee Query Window

Freeze Columntoolbar button 175

freezing columns 110function keys 40

Ggeneral information about Teradata 6Generating SQL for use with a Table or View 45Grid Lines

command 123


Hheader

skipping in imported files 100help

online help 40, 173Help menu

About SQL Assistant command 40Help Topics command 40Query Builder command 94

history filterfilter 144, 148

history recordadding or changing a note 153

history rowsselecting 147

History Windowadding notes 153cancelling print jobs 156closing 143column

headers 147names and descriptions 142

commands and descriptions 158compacting history 153Copy as HTML command 158Copy command 158, 171copying history window

to Clipboard 155to Notepad 155

default directoryhistory files 156

displaying 143Edit History dialog box

displaying 152editing records 152, 153navigating 152shortcut menu 158view error (result) messages 152

error code 142file format types 154filter 158find command 158font, changing 158formatting font 158hiding 143history files, default directory 156navigating 144notes 153options 150overview 141

Index


preventing queries from being saved 83printing

cancelling print jobs 156the history table 156

results message 153rows, selecting all 147saving history records 154select all rows 147sorting 147, 158storing history files 156

hot keys 40HTML

saving answerset as 117, 155

IImport Data command 100, 104importing data

defining a null value 103exiting from import mode 101getting multiple answersets from one query 104how to 100import rules 102overview 99toolbar button 171types of import operations 101

Indenttoolbar button 173

Information Products Publishing Library 6insert date command 105insert into query 94Inserting Function Templates 77integrated security, option 26, 33

Jjoin, defined 192

Kkey features of Teradata SQL Assistant 24

Llength 142line number, locating syntax errors 38List Columns

dialog box 55list columns in a table or view 55toolbar button 172

List Tablesdialog box 55list tables in the database 55toolbar button 172

listing, columns and tables 55

Lowercasetoolbar button 174

MMacro command

using 84macro, defined 192main window 37matching answerset with SQL statement 112Maximum number of answer rows to display text box 124mechanism 26mechanism and parameter 33menu bar 37

resetting default menu bar 180menus

adding breaks between commands 178adding commands to 176Answerset shortcut menu 137changing command names 178changing menu behavior 179customizing 175Database Explorer Tree shortcut menu 50moving commands 178Query Window shortcut menu 104removing breaks between commands 178removing commands 177resetting default menu bar 180shortcut 40showing recently used commands 179

Menus show recently used commands first check box 179merge cells

toolbar button 175Microsoft Excel

saving answerset as 117, 155Minimize on Execution


Move Columnstoolbar button 174

multiple data sourcesconnecting 34

multiple queries, allowing 67multistatement queries 80

Nname, defined 192naming answersets 82, 115New Query

toolbar button 170New Query command 74New Toolbar dialog box 181next bookmark

toolbar button 173

Index


Next SQL commandtoolbar button 172using 83, 146

Notepadcopy history window to 155copying answerset to 118toolbar button 170

notescolumn name, History Window 142Edit History dialog box 153prompt for notes


null, defined 192

OODBC

connecting to data source 32, 70data source administrator 25, 27defined 192defining a data source 25disconnecting from data source 32, 70driver 27Driver Setup for Teradata Database dialog box 26passwords 36

Open Answerset command 116Open Query

toolbar button 170Open Query command 86Options, file paths 168ordering publications 6Outlining 75owner, defined 192

Ppage setup 59parameter 26parameter and mechanism 33parameterized Queries 68parameterized queries

named parameters 68parameters

defined 193startup 159

parser, defined 193parsing engine (PE), defined 193password

changing the Teradata Database 36ODBC Driver Setup dialog box 26

Paste command 105, 106toolbar button 171

Play macrotoolbar button 174

preferences 160Previous bookmark 173Previous SQL command

toolbar button 172using 83, 146

Print command 170print preview 59, 119


printingan answerset 118cancelling print jobs 119the history table 156toolbar button 170

product version numbers 3product-related information 6Prompt for Notes

button 173shortcut 106toolbar button 173

publications related to this release 6

QQCD 92queries

aborting See aborting a queryadding comments to 66, 88adding notes 106, 142, 173asynchronous processing 74cancelling See aborting a querycontrolling 56, 69copying

Clipboard support 106queries from History window 83, 146shortcut menu 105to Notepad 87toolbar button 171

creating 93defined 193disable saving 83displaying a visual EXPLAIN 91entering 74executing

a query 78, 105, 172statements in parallel 80

Format Query commandshortcut menu 105toolbar button 171using 98

multiple, allowing 67multistatement query 80opening from a file 86, 170replace 105

Index


saving 85scheduling for later execution 97submitting 80

Query Builderfuture use 95overview 93shortcut menu 105toolbar button 173

Query Capture Database 92Query Note dialog box 153query tab

deleting 82naming 82

Query Windowclearing for new query 170commands and descriptions 105Copy command 105, 106, 171Cut command 105, 106, 171displaying a visual EXPLAIN 91Find command, shortcut menu 105Find Next command, shortcut menu 105finding or replacing text 90font, changing 105Format Query command 105formatting

a query 98changing font 105indentation information 98setting formatting options 98SQL keywords 71

functions 106insert date command 105minimize on execution 105options 69, 134, 135, 136overview 65Paste command

Clipboard support 106shortcut menu 105

record or execute a macro 84Redo command

Clipboard support 106Replace command


Select All command 105selecting text using the margin 67shortcut menu 104splitting into two windows 67toggling bookmarks using the margin 67toolbar, displaying 66undo changes 84Undo command

Clipboard support 106Visual Explain command 91

Quick Paste commandshortcut menu 50using reconnecting to a data source 44

RReconnect command

using 36reconnecting to a data source 36Record macro

toolbar button 174redirecting query output 131Redo command 106

toolbar button 171Refresh Database command

Database Explorer Tree 50shortcut menu 50

registry, system 160release definition 5Remove all bookmarks

toolbar button 173Remove Database command

Database Explorer Tree 49, 50Rename Toolbar dialog box 181Replace command

inserting a statement or procedure 94shortcut menu 105toolbar button 171

replace query 94request, defined 193Reset my usage data button 179Reset Toolbar dialog box 180, 181result, defined 193results grid

finding a text string 148Row Headers


row, defined 193rows 142run date 142

SSave Query As command 85saving

a query 85an answerset 116multiple answersets 133

Schedule commandtoolbar button 172using 97

scheduling queries for later execution 97ScreenTips 180Select All command

Index


Answerset Window 111History Window 147Query Window 105

separator, defined 193seq (sequence) 142session, defined 193Set Font command

Answerset Window 139History Window 158Query Window 105toolbar button 172

Set repeat counttoolbar button 174

Set Title commandmenu command 177using 82, 115

setting database tree preferences 51shortcut keys 40shortcut menus 40

Answerset Window 137Database Explorer Tree 50Query Window 104

Show Definition commandDatabase Explorer Tree 50

Show full menus after a short delay check box 179Show History command 143Show ScreenTips on toolbars check box 180Show whitespace

toolbar button 173Sort command

answerset 119history 147, 158shortcut menu 138, 158toolbar button 171

source 142SQL

defined 193statement 142type 142

startup parameters 159statement

creating multi-statement queries 66, 67, 68creating statements 66, 67, 68DDL 66, 100defined 193DML 66, 100EXPLAIN 119SQL 66, 100

status bar 37stmts 142stmts type 142stored procedures

creating 95defined 193

locating syntax errors 38submitting multiple statements 80supervisory user, defined 194syntax

errors 38SQL syntax examples 93using Query Builder 94

systemDSN 25registry 160

Ttab-delimited

saving answerset as 116, 117, 154table, defined 194Teradata Database

aborting a query in progress 81columns of the History Window 142dialog box 26execute in parallel 80import rules 103ODBC

data source 25driver 27

password, changing 36SQL statement, defined 194SQL, defined 194submitting queries 74

Teradata Database Connect... dialog box 33Teradata Query Scheduler

scheduling queries for later execution 97toolbar button 172

Teradata SQL Assistantkey features 24minimizing

on execution 105starting 32

Teradata Visual Explain commandtoolbar button 172using 92

text, in the Query Windowfinding or replacing 90

Tile Windows commandtoolbar button 173using 39

title, defined 194tool tips See ScreenTipstoolbar

adding 180breaks between commands 178commands 176

answerset 169buttons and descriptions 170

Index


customizing 175default 169hiding 180moving commands 178overview 37query window 66, 170removing 180

breaks between commands 178commands 177

renaming 180resetting 180ScreenTips 180showing/hiding ScreenTips 180

Tools menuChange Password command 36Compact History command 153Customize command 176Define Data Source command 25Edit History command 152Execute command 78Execute Parallel command 80Explain command 92List Columns command 55List Tables command 55Options command 56, 57, 69, 122, 124, 134, 135, 136, 150Reconnect command 36Schedule command 97Visual Explain command 92

totals, add 138Transactions

defined 194Using 79

troubleshooting 40type, defined 194

UUndo command 106


unicode datadisplaying in the Answer window 60exporting 60importing 60support for 60

Unindenttoolbar button 174

Uppercasetoolbar button 174

userdefined 194DSN 25ID 142

username field 26

Using Code Completion 75UTF-8

defined 194support 60

Vversion numbers 3View menu

Explorer Tree 42, 53Go To Explorer 42, 54Next SQL 83, 146Previous SQL 83, 146Set Font command 105Show History 143Status Bar 37Toolbar 170

view, defined 194Visual Explain command


visually impairedchanging the color scheme 61changing the text size 61support for screen readers 61

Wwildcard characters with history filter 146Window menu

Arrange Icons command 39Cascade command 39Set Title command 115Tile command 39

windowscascade 173tile 173

Working with the EditTable dialog 47Wrap Text

toolbar button 175

XXML

saving answerset as 117, 155

Index


Teradata SQL Assistant for Microsoft Windows User Guide

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