Oracle Server Manager User's Guide

Common Interface Elements

In addition to the drawers, folders, and folder tabs, there are other interface elements common to the windows of the Administration Manager. The following sections describe these elements and their behavior.

Object Lists

When you open a folder, an object list appears. For example, when you open the Tablespaces folder in the Storage drawer, a list of the tablespaces in your database appears.

The following figure illustrates the object list for the Tablespaces folder.

Figure 2 - 4. Tablespace Object List

Sorting an Object List

An object list can have one or more columns. By default, the objects are sorted on the first column. However, you can sort an object list on any column by clicking the desired column heading. The column heading appears in bold to indicate that the object list is sorted on that column.

In Figure 2 - 4, the Tablespaces object list is sorted on the first column and the column heading Tablespace is bold. In the following figure the Tablespace object list is sorted on the Size column and the column heading Size (K) is bold.

Figure 2 - 5. Tablespace Object List Sorted on the Size Column

Selecting an Object

Most administrative tasks involve managing a specific object. To perform these tasks, you must first select the object by clicking its row in the object list.

The following figure shows a selected tablespace in the Tablespace object list.

Figure 2 - 6. Selecting an Object

Suggestion: In most cases, double-clicking an object selects it and issues an Alter command on that object.

Folder Pull-Down Menu

Most folders in the Administration Manager include a pull-down menu that contains the commands available in that folder. Many of these commands, such as Alter, require that you select an object first. These commands are unavailable until you select an appropriate object. Unavailable commands are represented by dimmed menu items. Other menu items, such as Create, do not require an object selection and are never dimmed.

A menu item can be dimmed even when an object is selected because the command does not apply to that particular object. For example, in the following figure, the Place Online menu item is dimmed because the selected tablespace is already online.

Figure 2 - 7. Tablespace Pull-Down Menu

Some menu items are followed by an ellipsis (...). This indicates that to complete the command, Server Manager will prompt you for more information with a dialog box or property sheet.

All folder menus have a Refresh command, which refreshes the object list for the current folder. This command is useful when other database administrators are making changes to the objects you are viewing, or when you are making such changes in a different window, such as a SQL Worksheet.

Property Sheets

A property sheet is a dialog box used for commands, such as Create or Alter, that have many options. A property sheet consists of one or more pages. The pages are labeled with page tabs.

The following figure illustrates the Alter Tablespace property sheet, which consists of two pages:

General

Default Storage

Figure 2 - 8. Property Sheet with Two Pages

The elements of a property sheet are described below:

Page Tabs Organize the pages within the property sheet. To go to a particular page, click its page tab.
When you have entered information or made changes on a page, the page tab is marked to remind you that a change has been made.
Action Button Performs the current operation, such as Alter or Create.
Cancel Button Exits the property sheet without performing the operation.
Show SQL/Hide SQL Button Displays or hides the SQL statement(s) generated by the property sheet. For information about the Show SQL/Hide SQL button, see "Showing SQL Statements" .
Help Button Displays help information for the page.

Showing SQL Statements

The following figure illustrates the Alter Tablespace property sheet after the Show SQL button has been clicked. When you click Show SQL, Server Manager displays the SQL statement(s) that will be executed when you click the Action button. In Figure 2 - 9, the Action button is the Alter button.

Click Hide SQL to hide the SQL statements.

Figure 2 - 9. Property Sheet with the Show SQL Option Selected

Page Tabs	Organize the pages within the property sheet. To go to a particular page, click its page tab.
	When you have entered information or made changes on a page, the page tab is marked to remind you that a change has been made.
Action Button	Performs the current operation, such as Alter or Create.
Cancel Button	Exits the property sheet without performing the operation.
Show SQL/Hide SQL Button	Displays or hides the SQL statement(s) generated by the property sheet. For information about the Show SQL/Hide SQL button, see "Showing SQL Statements" .
Help Button	Displays help information for the page.