SQL History Search no longer works

alphonseg

I just updated to v 10.13.4.32349. SQL Search opens noticeably quicker, however it no longer works. No matter what I type (even simple words like 'select', 'from') in the search box, there are no results. Using advanced search, date ranges work as long as all else is set at the defaults and search box is empty. Otherwise no results are returned. How about a fix?

Jon_Kirkwood

Hi @alphonseg

 Thanks for reaching out on the Redgate forums.

Can you please confirm if you have this installed in SSMS18 or SSMS19. 

We are aware of compatibility issues with SSMS19 and our tools are not yet confirmed as working anything past SSMS19 preview 2

 

With your issue; is this the search bar within SQL History?

SQL History is the updated Tab History functionality within SQL Prompt, from your usage of advanced searches that's what I presume you are referring to.

 

With your issue - when you type in the search bar there are no results returned; but if you leave it blank you do get results?

 

Can you try going into the settings and checking that Open Queries are enabled

 SQL Prompt > Options > Queries > History

Check that:

* Enable SQL History - enabled

* Restore open queries when SQL Server Management Studio starts - enabled

* Automatically reconnect restored queries - enabled

 

alphonseg

I'm using SSMS 17.9.1.

Yes, the search bar is correct. Doesn't matter if advanced is displayed or not.

The search animation does display, then the 'no items to display' is shown.

Yes, if the search is empty, history is displayed.

It seems to be intermittent. The last couple of days it was working.

Today, it initially did not. I emptied the search box clicked on a displayed query, then entered a search term and it worked. Closed and reopened SSMS and it worked.

Rebooted, and it worked. Very strange.

There is one consistent issues though, when results are returned.

They are NOT sorted by date. Seems to be random. This really needs to be fixed. I search for a simple term and get 1000 results.

Jon_Kirkwood

Hi @alphonseg


Glad you got it up and running after a reboot, less glad about the search results.

I've conducted some testing using a simple term like you mentioned and the results are a little underwhelming. Doesn't appear to be a logic sort in the filename, date or even positioning of the text within the statement.

I've escalated this to the development to query if there is some logic that I've failed to see; and if not requesting this is submitted as a bug / feature request to get some usable sorting in the results.

Will update this post once the dev team have investigated and provided a response.

alphonseg

This really needs to be fixed. SQL History is unreliable. I'm searching for terms that I know I ran last week (I have the Excel output to prove it) and it comes up with thing from 4 years ago, but not last week. The old history was clunky, but it at least worked. Is there any way to activate it?

alphonseg

Where is the support we are paying for? These issues are costing me time by a utility that is supposed to save me time.

Gibberish

I'm using SQL Prompt 10.13.4 and I share the views of many here.  SQL History is largely unusable.  It's kludgy and results is often not what I expect.  I much prefer the old format.  It was fast and the UI was intuitive.  The only quirk with the previous version was the pop-up that could go away if you accidentally clicked away, but other than that, it was very easy to use.  Is there a way to go back to the previous version?  

Update: I misspoke.  I meant it is now missing Tab History, where I use frequently.

Jon_Kirkwood

Hi @alphonseg and @Gibberish

Thank you for the feedback about concerns with the SQL History functionality.

Wanting to advise that SQL History is a major scope is in our dev teams current workload. 

There has been feedback from our userbase about how searching functions and how the results are weighted and displayed in the window. 

If wanting to reinstate Tab History into SQL Prompt; the last release that had this functionality included is v10.13.2.

If you wish to revert to this version whilst waiting for a new revision of SQL History the download link is available here: https://download.red-gate.com/checkforupdates/SQLPrompt/SQLPrompt_10.13.2.31952.exe

 

Gibberish

Hi @Jon_Kirkwood,
Thanks for the quick response.  I installed 10.13.2.31952.  I did not see Tab History in my toolbar on both SSMS v18 and v19, just SQL History. 

On SSMS v19, I got a bunch of errors "Could not load file or assembly 'SQLEditors, Version=16.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=89845dcd8080cc91' or one of its dependencies. The system cannot find the file specified.".  Intellisense also does not work.

On SSMS v18, after I restored back to 10.12.6.30951, which by the way, I occasionally get the same error as above but at least I get back Tab History *and* intellisense working.  

Jon_Kirkwood

@Gibberish

In 10.13.2 it had both SQL History and Tab History, however Tab History is 'kind-of' hidden behind the scenes. 
When you open a SQL History tab there is a little clock & arrow icon in the bottom right, it takes you to Tab History.
The product team was in the process of replacing Tab History but still needed to gather testing feedback during some versions leading up to v10.13.3; then from that release on it was removed to only include SQL History.

---
Regarding SSMS19 installation - yes I would very much expect that to generate a number of errors.

The added support in v10.13.3 onwards was only up to the SSMS19 preview 2 and did not include any GA releases.
I don't think that SQL Prompt has had it's SSMS19 GA support release just yet but it is very close. SQL Search added support this week and I believe all of our Toolbelt products are all on the same trajectory to get SSMS19 supported as a priority.

Would suggest keeping an eye on SQL Prompt releases for confirmation of that.

Gibberish

Hi @Jon_Kirkwood,

Thanks for the tip.  I am now using 10.13.2 with SSMS v18.11.1.  Super appreciative of this info!  I shall wait (which I typically do, but the combination of SSMS and SQL Prompt bugging me to update, I caved and ended up here).  

I shall check back for updates from time to time.  While I appreciate the query versions option in SQL History, Tab History's features are too valuable to lose.  For example, it automatically sorts in reverse.  I don't believe I saw the latest 10.13 sort in the same manner.  When hovering over in Tab History, I also get to see if my query tab has been closed or still open.  I can also pick to search closed, open, or all.  These are the few features I rely heavily on. 

What I like about SQL History is something I wished for in Tab History.  See, while in Tab History hovering over an item to see what's in the query could get quirky at times, such as having to shake my mouse pointer when hovering over an item to make it show, I wished I could single-click on the item to show its content (like in SQL History), and then use my keyboard up/down arrows to move up and down respectively (just like in SQL History).  If I want to restore or go to the tab, I would hit return or double-click on my mouse (again, just like in SQL History).  

I understand the need to make things better, and I shall now await for a better SQL History infusing what I use a lot of in Tab History.  Thank you!

Kevin

Gibberish

Hi @Jon_Kirkwood,

Thanks for the tip.  I am now using 10.13.2 with SSMS v18.11.1.  Super appreciative of this info!  I shall wait (which I typically do, but the combination of SSMS and SQL Prompt bugging me to update, I caved and ended up here).  

I shall check back for updates from time to time.  While I appreciate the query versions option in SQL History, Tab History's features are too valuable to lose.  For example, it automatically sorts in reverse.  I don't believe I saw the latest 10.13 sort in the same manner.  When hovering over in Tab History, I also get to see if my query tab has been closed or still open.  I can also pick to search closed, open, or all.  These are the few features I rely heavily on. 

What I like about SQL History is something I wished for in Tab History.  See, while in Tab History hovering over an item to see what's in the query could get quirky at times, such as having to shake my mouse pointer when hovering over an item to make it show, I wished I could single-click on the item to show its content (like in SQL History), and then use my keyboard up/down arrows to move up and down respectively (just like in SQL History).  If I want to restore or go to the tab, I would hit return or double-click on my mouse (again, just like in SQL History).  

I understand the need to make things better, and I shall now await for a better SQL History infusing what I use a lot of in Tab History.  Thank you!

Kevin

Gibberish

Hi @Jon_Kirkwood,

Thanks for the tip.  I am now using 10.13.2 with SSMS v18.11.1.  Super appreciative of this info!  I shall wait (which I typically do, but the combination of SSMS and SQL Prompt bugging me to update, I caved and ended up here).  

I shall check back for updates from time to time.  While I appreciate the query versions option in SQL History, Tab History's features are too valuable to lose.  For example, it automatically sorts in reverse.  I don't believe I saw the latest 10.13 sort in the same manner.  When hovering over in Tab History, I also get to see if my query tab has been closed or still open.  I can also pick to search closed, open, or all.  These are the few features I rely heavily on. 

What I like about SQL History is something I wished for in Tab History.  See, while in Tab History hovering over an item to see what's in the query could get quirky at times, such as having to shake my mouse pointer when hovering over an item to make it show, I wished I could single-click on the item to show its content (like in SQL History), and then use my keyboard up/down arrows to move up and down respectively (just like in SQL History).  If I want to restore or go to the tab, I would hit return or double-click on my mouse (again, just like in SQL History).  

I understand the need to make things better, and I shall now await for a better SQL History infusing what I use a lot of in Tab History.  Thank you!

Kevin

Gibberish

Hi @Jon_Kirkwood,

Thanks for the tip.  I am now using 10.13.2 with SSMS v18.11.1.  Super appreciative of this info!  I shall wait (which I typically do, but the combination of SSMS and SQL Prompt bugging me to update, I caved and ended up here).  

I shall check back for updates from time to time.  While I appreciate the query versions option in SQL History, Tab History's features are too valuable to lose.  For example, it automatically sorts in reverse.  I don't believe I saw the latest 10.13 sort in the same manner.  When hovering over in Tab History, I also get to see if my query tab has been closed or still open.  I can also pick to search closed, open, or all.  These are the few features I rely heavily on. 

What I like about SQL History is something I wished for in Tab History.  See, while in Tab History hovering over an item to see what's in the query could get quirky at times, such as having to shake my mouse pointer when hovering over an item to make it show, I wished I could single-click on the item to show its content (like in SQL History), and then use my keyboard up/down arrows to move up and down respectively (just like in SQL History).  If I want to restore or go to the tab, I would hit return or double-click on my mouse (again, just like in SQL History).  

I understand the need to make things better, and I shall now await for a better SQL History infusing what I use a lot of in Tab History.  Thank you!

Kevin

Kurt_M

Hi @Gibberish

I have been advised that a fix for this has been released in the most recent release of SQL Prompt. You can download that version here:
https://download.red-gate.com/checkforupdates/SQLPrompt/SQLPrompt_10.13.7.360.exe

Please let us know if this resolves your issue.

alphonseg

Just installed the newest version. Initially, SQL History loads, but on entering any search term, it returned zero results. Closed and re-opened SSMS and it worked. According to the release notes, the only change regarding SQL History, is the addition of sorting option under Advanced search. This is a big help. It would be better if the default sort was by newest first, and there are still other significant annoyances, but I guess that is best discussed in a new thread.

Gibberish

Hi @Kurt_M, thanks, good start!  I agree with @alphonseg, default should be newest first.  My additional comments are as follow:

1. When searching, the default is to expand the Advanced Search panel.  You may be able to save some vertical space by using the same dropdown approach for Object type and Search period.  
2. If my earlier selection of Object type was "queries", then my preference is that it should default to that choice the next time I search. Same for Search period, and Sort by selections.  If you journey-map clicks to get the search results organized, you'll see what I mean.  
3. In the search result, it would be great to indicate the State, i.e., if the query is still opened in an existing tab (or closed), perhaps under the SQL Server name or next to the query name.

All in all, good improvements. Thanks again. Looking forward to the next version!