difficult to find column names in wide datasets

[kiki-ki]

from: Reddit.

It is difficult to find column names in very wide datasets.
Consider adding a feature to list or search column names (like fzf) while keeping the UI simple.

[sponkurtus2]

Saw this and think it's a cool project, so I'll be working on this issue ^^.

[kiki-ki]

@sponkurtus2

Thanks for the contribution! I really appreciate your help.
This issue is a bit vague on the details, like which TUI mode or layout would be best. So if you get stuck or have trouble deciding on the approach, just let me know anytime!

[sponkurtus2]

Hey! @kiki-ki, So I was thinking about adding a new 'Column' mode, while you are in this mode, you can move trough the available columns in the query, and you could select which ones to show, and which ones to hide, do you think something like this would fit?, or we should look for another solution.

[kiki-ki]

@sponkurtus2

Thanks for the suggestion. Based on your proposal, I've considered a few possible approaches:

1. Column Mode (Your proposal)
   • While it seems useful for browsing, syncing the view with the actual SQL query seems technically costly and complex.
   • If a table has many columns, manually hiding them one by one could be tedious for the user.

2. Inline Autocomplete
   • Suggests and completes available columns while typing the SELECT clause.
   • Ideally, this offers the best UX, but the implementation difficulty is quite high.

3. Fzf-style Column Picker (My preferred option)
   • A modal appears when the user presses a trigger key during query input.
   • The user selects columns from a list (multi-select supported).
   • The selected column names are inserted at the current cursor position.
   • We can leverage bubbles/list for this, so it fits well with our existing tech stack.

Considering the points above, what do you think about approach 3?

[sponkurtus2]

@kiki-ki

I've been thinking about, and by far, I think your option 3 seems great.

This option sounds useful, native (Since some Linux users are already used to fzf), and could look pretty, thanks to the bubbles/list, so I'll try to implement it, I will let you know once I have some progress. :)

[sponkurtus2]

@kiki-ki

Hey, sorry it's been so late, I've been really busy, but now I have time:P.

I sent a pull request with the changes (#33), by now, you can do a simple search trough the available columns, I still need to implement the search, so once you are in the column picker menu, you can type and search columns, but first I wanted to make sure that you like what I've made, so, give me your honest opinion.

[kiki-ki]

Hi @sponkurtus2 ,
Thank you so much for working on this during the busy holiday season! I'm happy to see this feature proposal.

Could you resolve the (#33) conflicts with the base branch? I'll take a look once they are fixed!
(I might be a bit slow to respond due to the holidays though🎍)

[sponkurtus2]

Hey @kiki-ki,
Happy holidays! 🎄🎄🎄, hope you had some great Christmas, and soon, new year too ^^.

I solved the conflict and also added the fzf-like search bar, so now, when you're inside the column picker, you can pres Ctrl+P to enable the search bar, and select columns.

So try it and give me your feedback, take your time 😸.