Dialogs for File Open and File Save
By default, PCC uses its own dialogs for File Open and File Save (and File Save As). The two dialogs are titled Open SQL Document and Save SQL Document, respectively, because the files that PCC deals with are SQL documents. (For example, File > New creates a SQL document.)
The dialogs allow you to work with files containing character encodings different from the system encoding more easily than with the standard dialogs for open and save. For example, if you create a SQL script that contains wide character data, saving the file without the proper encoding could result in lost data (the system code page in use may not support wide character data, for example).
Note that you can access the standard operating system dialog for file selection by choosing Browse on Open SQL Document or Save SQL Document.
This section covers the following topics:
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Encoding Choices
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Default Encoding
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Invalid File Name Characters
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File Open Dialog (Open SQL Document)
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File Save Dialog (Save SQL Document)
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Using the Standard Operating System Dialogs
Encoding Choices
The dialogs allow you to change the file encoding during the open or save action. In addition, the File Open dialog shows a preview of the data based on the selected file encoding. The following table explains the encoding choices.
 
Table 12
Encoding Choices for File Open and File Save Dialogs
Encoding
Discussion
(system code page)
The default is the system code page currently in use. For example, on Windows platforms in English you commonly see “windows-1252.”
Big5
Big5 is a Chinese character encoding method used for traditional Chinese characters.
EUC_JP
Extended Unix Code (EUC)_JP is a variable-width encoding used to represent the elements of three Japanese character set standards: JIS X 0208, JIS X 0212, and JIS X 0201.
Shift_JIS
Shift_JIS (Japanese Industrial Standards) is a character encoding for the Japanese language.
UTF-8
UTF (Universal Character Set Transformation Format)-8 is an 8-bit variable-width encoding that can represent every character in the Unicode character set. It was designed for backward compatibility with ASCII and to avoid the complications of endianness and byte order marks (BOM).
UTF-8 with BOM
Same as UTF-8 except with a byte order mark (BOM)—which is a Unicode character used to signal the endianness (byte order)—written to the file during the save action.
UTF-16BE (big endian)
A UTF encoding in 16-bit with byte order of big endian.
UTF-16BE with BOM
Same as UTF-16BE except with a BOM written to the file during the save action.
UTF-16LE (little endian)
A UTF encoding in 16-bit with byte order of little endian.
UTF-16LE with BOM
Same as UTF-16LE except with a BOM written to the file during the save action.
Notes:
By default, PCC remembers the encoding of a file that has been opened. If you modify the file and save your changes, the changes are saved in the original encoding. However, if you use the alternate File Save dialog to save your changes, the changes are saved to the encoding specified on the dialog.
PCC automatically detects the encoding of a file if the file contains a BOM and displays that encoding in the alternate File Open dialog. If the file does not contain a BOM and byte order is important, you need to select the proper encoding for the save action.
Default Encoding
In addition to changing the file encoding during the open or save action, you can set the default encoding to use for opens and saves. (This is also the default for importing data, exporting data, and exporting a schema. See Importing Data with Import Data Wizard, Exporting Data with Export Data Wizard, and Exporting a Schema). The same default applies for all of these. You cannot set different defaults for the open and save actions, for example.
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To set a default encoding for File Open and File Save
1
In PCC, select Window > Preferences > PSQL > File Encoding.
2
Select an encoding from the default encoding list.
The choices are explained in Encoding Choices for File Open and File Save Dialogs.
3
Click OK.
*Note: You can also access the File Encoding preferences from the dialogs for File Open, Save File, Import Data, Export Data, and Export Schema. Click Change default encoding in the dialog.
Invalid File Name Characters
The alternate dialogs check for valid characters in a file name before allowing the open or save action. The following set of characters are invalid and cannot be used: / : * ? \ " < > |
To allow a file to be moved between Windows and Linux or OS X, this set of invalid characters is the same for those operating systems.
File Open Dialog (Open SQL Document)
The following image shows the File Open dialog ready to open the demodata.sql sample file provided with PSQL. Note the Preview. The Document field defaults to the location used for the previous File Open or File Save.
You can access the standard operating system file dialog by clicking Browse.
File Save Dialog (Save SQL Document)
The following image shows the File Save dialog. Preview does not apply. The Document field defaults to the location used for the previous File Save or File Open.
A full path and file name is required to save a SQL document. You can access the standard operating system file dialog by clicking Browse.
Using the Standard Operating System Dialogs
If you prefer, you can use the standard operating system dialogs for File Open and File Save. For example, you may have no need to work with encodings outside the system code page, in which case you may want to use the standard dialogs.
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To use the standard operating system dialogs for File Open and File Save
1
In PCC, select Window > Preferences > PSQL > File Encoding.
2
Select the option Do not prompt for encoding during File Open and File Save.
3
Click OK.
*Note: You can also access the File Encoding preferences from the dialogs for File Open, Save File, Import Data, Export Data, and Export Schema. Click Change default encoding on the dialog.