Intro
=====
This is a new Orac feature which can enable you to add your own
scripts 'interactively' to the program under the 'My Tools' menu.

How 'My Tools' Works
====================
*. Basically, you add any number of cascades to the 'My Tools' menu.
*. You then add any number of buttons to each cascade.
*. Once you have your cascades and buttons in place, you can
   attach various pieces of your own SQL to the buttons, and
   then run them like any other normal Orac reports.

This probably sounds a lot more complicated than it is.  You may
just like to play with the 'Configure My Tools' menu to see what
it can do.  I'll run through its main options below:

Add a Cascade to My Tools Menu
------------------------------
This option enables you to add a cascade.  As soon as you're 
finished, your new cascade should immediately be available
under the 'My Tools' menu, but will not have any buttons attached.

While you're adding the new cascade, you will be asked to enter
a piece of text, which will later appear on the menu.  For example,
you may want to call your cascade 'My Tuning SQL Reports'.

Edit Text for Cascade
---------------------
You may decide to change the above cascade title, to something 
more appropriate, once you've added a few buttons which don't
really relate to the original cascade name.  This is where you
do it, for example, change the above example to:

   'My Tuning and Hit Ratio Dynamic Reports'

Delete a Cascade
----------------
Be careful when using this option.  You will be given a picklist
of your current cascades, to delete one of them.  If you confirm
the deletion, all of the buttons under the cascade, and the cascade
itself will disappear from Orac.

Add a Button to a Cascade
-------------------------
Once you have given yourself a cascade, this option allows you to
attach any number of buttons to it.  Once you have added a button,
it will automatically appear in the 'My Tools' menu.  Using this
option, will also send you directly into a screen form where you can
enter your SQL script.  

NB: Please remember, DBI does not require semi-colons in its
SQL scripts as may be the case in SQL*Plus.

It is probably best if you test out your new SQL script using a
tool such as SQL*Plus (under the SYSTEM user), before pasting it
into the 'edit' session.

Once you have completed your SQL script, it will be immediately
accessible through the Orac menu, to produce a report in the main
window.  We'll discuss how best to format this report later.

Edit Text for Button
--------------------
Just like the similar option for Cascade, you may want to change
the name of the button on the menu.  One point to note though, 
the name of the button (eg: 'Dictionary Cache Ratio'), will also
be the name of the report output in the main window.

Delete a Button from a Cascade
------------------------------
Does what it says really.  You choose a cascade, then choose a
button, then delete it.  It will immediately disappear from the 
'My Tools' menu.  Please be careful with this option.  Once you
have accepted deletion, the button and the attached SQL script
both disappear.

Edit SQL Attached to Button
---------------------------
I find I never get the SQL right first time with any tool.  Orac
will report any errors in your script.  You can then edit it via 
this option, and then run it again from the menu until you're happy with
it.  Alternatively, you may just want to change the SQL script
formatting and/or content.

Orac will automatically format your SQL report for you, however
you can influence how it does this.  It will set a minimum report
field width of 5 characters.  I'll run through a demo report below
to show you what can happen:

First SQL attempt, under 'Basic Tables Script' button:

   select owner, 
   table_name
   from dba_tables
   order by 1, 2

This gives (first few lines):

   REPORT Basic Tables Script (pppweb):
   
   OWNER TABLE_NAME
   ----- ----------
     SYS    ACCESS$
     SYS AQ$_MESSAG
            E_TYPES
     SYS AQ$_QUEUE_
         STATISTICS


You may not like this, as the TABLE_NAME column is too short.  To
overcome this, change your script to:

   select owner much_longer_owner_col, 
   table_name much_longer_tablename_col
   from dba_tables
   order by 1, 2

This gives the following report:

REPORT Basic Tables Script (pppweb):

MUCH_LONGER_OWNER_COL MUCH_LONGER_TABLENAME_COL
--------------------- -------------------------
                  SYS                   ACCESS$
                  SYS         AQ$_MESSAGE_TYPES
                  SYS      AQ$_QUEUE_STATISTICS

You may much prefer this layout, or you may want to try
other options such as:

   select owner  owner____________________, 
   table_name    table_name_______________
   from dba_tables
   order by 1, 2


My best suggestion is for you to play with the 'My Tools' 
options, and just see what it can do.  I've only just 
written this menu option so this is as far as I've got 
myself, so I can't really tell you any more :-)


A Final Note
------------
I thrown this option together fairly quickly, after an initial
suggestion by Jared Still, therefore the source code is
perhaps a bit messy and probably a bit buggy.  

I will be trying to clean it up, and make it all a bit smoother
in future versions.  Please mail me with any suggestions you
have for coming up with a cleaner interface and/or a better
configuration/arrangement.  All such ideas appreciated.

If in the meantime you develop some handy scripts to sit under the
'My Tools' option, please mail them to me and I'll try and embed
them in other menus as 'real' Orac reports.


Er...have fun :-)

AndyD
andy_j_duncan@yahoo.com
