Never Lose Sight of What Matters in Large Schemas

Updated October 2025

In this blog article we will introduce one of various KeepTool features and you should not underestimate it. We will show you how you can flag your personal subset of Oracle database objects by assigning an appropriate icon. This can be a favorite star, a colored bullet or a warning sign to name only a few.

This powerful new feature helps you to keep organized. Let’s consider a large database that contains thousands or even tens of thousands of tables, views and PL/SQL packages. We help you to stay focused on the set of database objects you are currently working on. Don’t get lost in the jungle of database objects anymore!

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How to flag database objects

You’ll see a new “Flag” column in various overview grids, including:

• Tables & Views

• PL/SQL Packages, Procedures, and Functions

• PL/SQL Types

• Sequences

Plus, flagged objects are recognized everywhere else you see objects:
in the Data Content Browser, SQL Query Builder, object browser pane in the SQL page, and even in the ER diagrammer.

Next to each object’s name is a combo/dropdown box. From there you can assign an icon:
colored bullets, stars, warning flags, question tags, performance-critical markers, etc.

Staying Organized Across the UI

Once an object is flagged somewhere, it will appear flagged everywhere the object shows up. For instance, if you star a table in the overview grid, that star will also show in:

• The Data Content Browser

• The SQL Query Builder

• The object browser inside SQL pages

• The ER diagrammer

This means your personal focus set travels with you across features.

Furthermore, you can filter to show only flagged objects, shrinking the view to just the ones you care about.

All flags are stored locally on your machine in JSON files under:

  %APPDATA%\KeepTool15\ObjFlags\<database>#<user>\

—where <database> and <user> come from your current connection.

You can use filter technologies built in our data grids to find flagged objects. In an instant you can shrink the number of objects displayed in the data grid to a manageable number of records.

All flags are stored locally on your computer in JSON files below the folder

%APPDATA%\KeepTool15\ObjFlags\<database>#<user>\

where both <database> and <user> are replaced by the values from your current database connection.

Sample Use Case: A Schema Change Request

Imagine you receive a change request encompassing both structural (table) modifications and logic (PL/SQL) updates.

1. Flag all objects to be changed with a red bullet.

2. As you complete each change, switch its flag from red to green.

3. If an object is currently in process, mark it yellow.

4. Unflagged objects remain off the radar (i.e. out of scope).

At a glance, the flags show:

• Green = done

• Red = pending

• Yellow = in progress

• No flag = unaffected

And once all are green, you know the change is fully applied.

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Conclusion

Flagging database objects is a simple yet powerful method to maintain focus in large schemas. Even in smaller environments, it helps you stay oriented and efficient. During complex change cycles, using flags to track status can significantly boost your productivity.