Unable to open hidden database files

[emersonthis]

Details for the issue

Database file that start with "." (hidden by default on OSX) are not selectable by the file picker when you click "Open Database". The following screenshot shows the open dialogue side-by-side with the same window in the finder. You see there are several hidden files that don't appear in the sqlitebrowser window.

Version 3.8.0
Qt Version 4.8.7
SQLite Version 3.9.2

Useful extra information

The workaround is to rename the file, but this is a hassle and gets even more inconvenient when dealing with frameworks that expect the file to have a specific name.

I'm opening this issue because:

• DB4S is crashing
• DB4S has a bug
• DB4S needs a feature
• DB4S has another problem: ___

I'm using DB4S on:

• Windows
• Linux: ( distro: ___ )
• Mac OS
• Other: ___

I'm using DB4S version:

• 3.7.0
• 3.8.0
• Other: ___

I have also:

• Tried out the nightly version: https://github.com/sqlitebrowser/sqlitebrowser#windows
• Searched for an existing similar issue: https://github.com/sqlitebrowser/sqlitebrowser/issues?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=is%3Aissue%20

[justinclift]

Ahh yeah, this frustrated me ages ago too, until I learned that OSX provides a key combo exactly for this situation. 😄

When you've opened any applications's "Open File" (or similar file dialogs) press this key combination:

    Cmd+Shift+.

The hidden files will then be shown in the dialog, allowing their selection/opening/etc.

Side note - This key combination doesn't work in Finder itself. 😦 It's only for dialogs.

Finder can be configured to show all hidden files though, by using the defaults program from the command line:

$ defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles TRUE
$ killall Finder

The defaults command above turns on the display of hidden files, the killall Finder command reloads Finder without needing to logout/login nor restart the computer. Use FALSE instead of TRUE in the command aboves to turn off display of hidden files.

Hopefully the above stuff helps. 😄

[revolter]

@justinclift, Can't we use QDir::Hidden?

[justinclift]

@revolter Reading over it, that sounds like it would work too. 😄

[emersonthis]

Thanks for the shortcut tip. I'll use that in the mean time. Fwiw I already have hidden files visible by default. That's why you can see them in the finder in my screenshot. But that doesn't seem to apply to dialogues so the second of the two solutions does not actually apply to this issue. It's counterintuitive that turning on hidden files all the time DOESNT make them visible in dialogues as well.

Thanks for this great tool!

[revolter]

@justinclift, We're using QFileDialog, so I tried out QFileDialog::setFilter to no avail :(.

[justinclift]

Is the code you tried in a branch somewhere? I can try and beat it into shape too if you want. 😄

[gabrie30]

Seems this is still an issue.

Here is another workaround. Navigate to the hidden file in Finder, left click then "Open With" -> "DB Browser for SQLite" this will open the database in the browser.

However it would be great if I open the DB Browser for SQLite first, then open the database from within the app.

[chrisjlocke]

then open the database from within the app.

Can you view the files by pressing Cmd+Shift+. ?

[mgrojo]

What are other applications doing in OSX? If this is the standard behaviour, then I'd close this issue as answered question.

[justinclift]

@revolter ^^^ Thoughts? 😄

[revolter]

Is the code you tried in a branch somewhere? I can try and beat it into shape too if you want. 😄

Sorry, I missed this. No, I just tried it in my working tree.

[revolter]

I made it work by not using the native dialog.

So instead of this (which refuses to show hidden files):

it would look like this:

Which I don't quite like. Because, for example, it doesn't show my sidebar favorite directories, and, it's not native 😆

[justinclift]

Interesting. Yeah, the native dialog would be preferable.

I guess we could just have some info on the wiki (?) about how to toggle visibility of hidden files on macOS, and call it a day. 😄