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Oracle® SQL Developer
User's Guide
Release 1.5
E12152-08

July 2014
Provides conceptual and usage information about Oracle
SQL Developer, a graphical tool that enables you to browse,
create, edit, and delete (drop) database objects; run SQL
statements and scripts; edit and debug PL/SQL code;
manipulate and export data; migrate third-party databases to
Oracle; view metadata and data in third-party databases; and
view and create reports.
Note: This book is for an old release of SQL Developer. You
are encouraged to use the latest available release. See
http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/developer-tools/sq
l-developer/ for information about downloads and
documentation.

Oracle SQL Developer User's Guide, Release 1.5
E12152-08
Copyright © 2006, 2014, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
Primary Author:

Chuck Murray

This software and related documentation are provided under a license agreement containing restrictions on
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The information contained herein is subject to change without notice and is not warranted to be error-free. If
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Contents
Preface ............................................................................................................................................................... xiii
Audience.....................................................................................................................................................
Documentation Accessibility ...................................................................................................................
Related Documents ...................................................................................................................................
Conventions ...............................................................................................................................................
Third-Party License Information.............................................................................................................

1

xiii
xiii
xiii
xiii
xiv

SQL Developer Concepts and Usage
1.1
Installing and Getting Started with SQL Developer.............................................................. 1-2
1.2
SQL Developer User Interface................................................................................................... 1-2
1.2.1
Menus for SQL Developer.................................................................................................. 1-6
1.2.2
Restoring the Original "Look and Feel"............................................................................ 1-9
1.3
Database Objects ......................................................................................................................... 1-9
1.3.1
Applications (Application Express 3.0.1 and Later) .................................................... 1-10
1.3.2
Cache Groups (Oracle TimesTen In-Memory Database) ............................................ 1-10
1.3.3
Database Links (Public and Private) .............................................................................. 1-11
1.3.4
Directories .......................................................................................................................... 1-11
1.3.5
Functions............................................................................................................................ 1-11
1.3.6
Indexes................................................................................................................................ 1-12
1.3.7
Java Sources ....................................................................................................................... 1-12
1.3.8
Materialized Views........................................................................................................... 1-12
1.3.9
Materialized View Logs ................................................................................................... 1-12
1.3.10
Packages ............................................................................................................................. 1-13
1.3.11
Procedures ......................................................................................................................... 1-13
1.3.12
Queues................................................................................................................................ 1-14
1.3.13
Queue Tables ..................................................................................................................... 1-14
1.3.14
Recycle Bin......................................................................................................................... 1-14
1.3.15
Replication Schemes (Oracle TimesTen In-Memory Database)................................. 1-14
1.3.16
Sequences ........................................................................................................................... 1-15
1.3.17
Synonyms (Public and Private) ...................................................................................... 1-15
1.3.18
Tables.................................................................................................................................. 1-15
1.3.18.1
Flashback Table Support .......................................................................................... 1-16
1.3.19
Triggers .............................................................................................................................. 1-17
1.3.20
Types................................................................................................................................... 1-17
1.3.21
Users (Other Users) .......................................................................................................... 1-17

iii

1.3.22
Views ..................................................................................................................................
1.3.23
XML Schemas ....................................................................................................................
1.3.24
Captured and Converted Database Objects (for Migration) ......................................
1.4
Database Connections .............................................................................................................
1.4.1
Using Folders to Group Connections ............................................................................
1.4.2
Sharing of Connections ....................................................................................................
1.4.3
Advanced Security for JDBC Connection to the Database .........................................
1.4.4
Connections with Operating System (OS) Authentication.........................................
1.4.5
Connections with Proxy Authentication .......................................................................
1.5
Entering and Modifying Data ................................................................................................
1.6
Running and Debugging Functions and Procedures .........................................................
1.6.1
Using Bookmarks When Editing Functions and Procedures .....................................
1.6.2
Remote Debugging ...........................................................................................................
1.6.3
Displaying SQL Trace (.trc) Files ....................................................................................
1.6.4
Using the PL/SQL Hierarchical Profiler .......................................................................
1.6.5
Setting Expression Watches ............................................................................................
1.7
Using the SQL Worksheet.......................................................................................................
1.7.1
SQL*Plus Statements Supported and Not Supported in SQL Worksheet................
1.7.2
Script Runner.....................................................................................................................
1.7.3
Execution Plan...................................................................................................................
1.7.4
Autotrace Pane ..................................................................................................................
1.7.5
DBMS Output Pane ..........................................................................................................
1.7.6
OWA Output Pane ...........................................................................................................
1.7.7
SQL History .......................................................................................................................
1.7.8
Gauges: In the SQL Worksheet and User-Defined Reports........................................
1.8
Using Snippets to Insert Code Fragments............................................................................
1.8.1
User-Defined Snippets .....................................................................................................
1.9
Using Find DB Object to Find Database Objects .................................................................
1.10
Using Extended Search ...........................................................................................................
1.11
Using Versioning .....................................................................................................................
1.11.1
About CVS and SQL Developer .....................................................................................
1.11.1.1
Pending Changes (CVS) ...........................................................................................
1.11.2
About Subversion and SQL Developer .........................................................................
1.12
SQL Developer Reports...........................................................................................................
1.12.1
About Your Database reports .........................................................................................
1.12.2
All Objects reports ............................................................................................................
1.12.3
Application Express reports............................................................................................
1.12.4
ASH and AWR reports.....................................................................................................
1.12.5
Charts reports....................................................................................................................
1.12.6
Database Administration reports ...................................................................................
1.12.7
Data Dictionary reports ...................................................................................................
1.12.8
Jobs reports ........................................................................................................................
1.12.9
PL/SQL reports.................................................................................................................
1.12.10
Security reports .................................................................................................................
1.12.11
Streams reports .................................................................................................................
1.12.12
Table reports......................................................................................................................
1.12.13
XML reports.......................................................................................................................

iv

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1.12.14
Migration reports..............................................................................................................
1.12.15
User Defined reports ........................................................................................................
1.12.15.1
User-Defined Report Example: Chart.....................................................................
1.12.15.2
User-Defined Report Example: Dynamic HTML..................................................
1.13
SQL Developer Preferences ....................................................................................................
1.13.1
Environment ......................................................................................................................
1.13.2
Accelerators (Keyboard Shortcuts) ................................................................................
1.13.3
Code Editor........................................................................................................................
1.13.4
Compare and Merge.........................................................................................................
1.13.5
Database .............................................................................................................................
1.13.6
Debugger............................................................................................................................
1.13.7
Extensions ..........................................................................................................................
1.13.8
File Types ...........................................................................................................................
1.13.9
Global Ignore List .............................................................................................................
1.13.10
Migration............................................................................................................................
1.13.11
Versioning..........................................................................................................................
1.13.12
Web Browser and Proxy ..................................................................................................
1.14
Location of User-Related Information ..................................................................................
1.15
Oracle TimesTen In-Memory Database Support.................................................................
1.16
Using the Help..........................................................................................................................
1.17
For More Information..............................................................................................................

2

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Migrating Third-Party Databases
2.1
2.1.1
2.1.2
2.2
2.2.1
2.2.2
2.3
2.3.1
2.3.2
2.3.3
2.3.4
2.3.5
2.4
2.4.1
2.4.2
2.5
2.5.1
2.5.2
2.5.2.1
2.5.3
2.6
2.6.1
2.6.2
2.7

Migration Quick Start................................................................................................................. 2-2
Standard Migration ............................................................................................................. 2-2
Quick Migration................................................................................................................... 2-3
Overview of Migration............................................................................................................... 2-5
How Migration Works ........................................................................................................ 2-5
Migration Implemented as SQL Developer Extensions................................................. 2-6
Preparing a Migration Plan ....................................................................................................... 2-6
Task 1: Determining the Requirements of the Migration Project ................................. 2-6
Task 2: Estimating Workload ............................................................................................. 2-8
Task 3: Analyzing Operational Requirements ................................................................ 2-9
Task 4: Analyzing the Application.................................................................................... 2-9
Task 5: Planning the Migration Project.......................................................................... 2-10
Before You Start Migrating: General Information............................................................... 2-10
Creating a Database User for the Migration Repository............................................. 2-11
Requirements for Creating the Destination Oracle Objects........................................ 2-11
Before You Start Migrating: Source-Specific Information.................................................. 2-12
Before Migrating From Microsoft SQL Server or Sybase Adaptive Server.............. 2-12
Before Migrating From Microsoft Access...................................................................... 2-13
Creating Microsoft Access XML Files..................................................................... 2-15
Before Migrating From MySQL...................................................................................... 2-15
Capturing the Source Database ............................................................................................. 2-15
Online Capture.................................................................................................................. 2-16
Offline Capture ................................................................................................................. 2-16
Creating and Customizing the Converted Model............................................................... 2-17

v

2.7.1
Correcting Errors in the Converted Model ...................................................................
2.8
Generating the DDL for the Oracle Schema Objects...........................................................
2.9
Migrating the Data...................................................................................................................
2.9.1
Transferring the Data Offline..........................................................................................
2.9.1.1
Creating Data Files From Microsoft SQL Server or Sybase Adaptive Server...
2.9.1.2
Creating Data Files From Microsoft Access...........................................................
2.9.1.3
Creating Data Files From MySQL ...........................................................................
2.9.1.4
Populating the Destination Database Using the Data Files.................................
2.10
Making Queries Case Insensitive ..........................................................................................
2.11
Testing the Oracle Database ...................................................................................................
2.11.1
Testing Methodology .......................................................................................................
2.11.2
Testing the Oracle Database............................................................................................
2.11.2.1
Guidelines for Creating Tests ..................................................................................
2.11.2.2
Example of a Unit Test Case ....................................................................................
2.12
Deploying the Oracle Database .............................................................................................
2.12.1
Choosing a Rollout Strategy............................................................................................
2.12.1.1
Phased Approach ......................................................................................................
2.12.1.2
Big Bang Approach ...................................................................................................
2.12.1.3
Parallel Approach......................................................................................................
2.12.2
Deploying the Destination Database .............................................................................
2.13
Using Migration Reports ........................................................................................................
2.14
SQL Developer User Interface for Migration.......................................................................
2.14.1
Migration Menu ................................................................................................................
2.14.2
Other Menus: Migration Items .......................................................................................
2.14.3
Migration Preferences ......................................................................................................
2.14.4
Migration Log Panes ........................................................................................................
2.14.5
Using the Translation Scratch Editor .............................................................................

3

Tutorial: Creating Objects for a Small Database
3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
3.5
3.6
3.7
3.8
3.9
3.10

4

Create a Table (BOOKS)............................................................................................................. 3-2
Create a Table (PATRONS) ....................................................................................................... 3-3
Create a Table (TRANSACTIONS)........................................................................................... 3-4
Create a Sequence ....................................................................................................................... 3-6
Insert Data into the Tables ......................................................................................................... 3-7
Create a View............................................................................................................................... 3-8
Create a PL/SQL Procedure...................................................................................................... 3-8
Debug a PL/SQL Procedure ..................................................................................................... 3-9
Use the SQL Worksheet for Queries ..................................................................................... 3-11
Script for Creating and Using the Library Tutorial Objects .............................................. 3-12

Dialog Boxes for Creating/Editing Objects
4.1
4.2
4.3
4.4
4.5
4.6

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Add Extension .............................................................................................................................
Branch/Tag ..................................................................................................................................
Check for Updates ......................................................................................................................
Check Out from CVS ..................................................................................................................
Check Out from Subversion ......................................................................................................
Choose Directory.........................................................................................................................

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4.7
4.8
4.9
4.10
4.11
4.12
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4.20
4.21
4.22
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4.24
4.25
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4.27
4.28
4.29
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4.44
4.45
4.46
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4.50
4.51
4.52
4.53

Confirm Drop Application ........................................................................................................ 4-3
Confirm Running SQL ............................................................................................................... 4-3
Connection Has Uncommitted Changes ................................................................................. 4-3
Create/Edit New Object (New Gallery) .................................................................................. 4-4
Create/Edit CVS Connection .................................................................................................... 4-4
Create/Edit/Select Database Connection ............................................................................... 4-5
Rename Model (Migration) ....................................................................................................... 4-8
Rename Database Item (Migration) ......................................................................................... 4-9
Select Connection ........................................................................................................................ 4-9
Connection Information............................................................................................................. 4-9
No Connection Found ................................................................................................................ 4-9
Connection Rename Error ......................................................................................................... 4-9
New Folder (Connections)......................................................................................................... 4-9
Continue After Pause .............................................................................................................. 4-10
Select Library ............................................................................................................................ 4-10
Create Library........................................................................................................................... 4-10
Import Data............................................................................................................................... 4-10
Export/Import Connection Descriptors ............................................................................... 4-11
Create/Edit Database Link..................................................................................................... 4-11
Create/Edit Index .................................................................................................................... 4-12
Create Filter............................................................................................................................... 4-13
Create/Edit Materialized View Log...................................................................................... 4-13
Create PL/SQL Package ......................................................................................................... 4-14
Create PL/SQL Subprogram (Function or Procedure) ...................................................... 4-14
Create Remote Directory......................................................................................................... 4-15
Create/Edit Sequence.............................................................................................................. 4-15
Create SQL File......................................................................................................................... 4-16
Create/Edit Subversion Connection ..................................................................................... 4-16
Create Subversion Repository................................................................................................ 4-16
Create/Edit Synonym ............................................................................................................. 4-17
Create Table (quick creation) ................................................................................................. 4-17
Create/Edit Table (with advanced options) ........................................................................ 4-18
Storage Options ........................................................................................................................ 4-27
Create Trigger........................................................................................................................... 4-28
Create Type (User-Defined) ................................................................................................... 4-29
Create/Edit User...................................................................................................................... 4-29
Create/Edit User Defined Report.......................................................................................... 4-30
Create/Edit User Defined Report Folder ............................................................................. 4-32
Create/Edit View..................................................................................................................... 4-32
Create XML Schema ................................................................................................................ 4-37
Configure Extension ................................................................................................................ 4-38
Configure File Type Associations.......................................................................................... 4-38
Custom Filters .......................................................................................................................... 4-38
Database Copy (Schema Objects) .......................................................................................... 4-38
Database Schema Differences................................................................................................. 4-39
DDL Panel for Creating or Editing an Object ...................................................................... 4-40
Debugger - Attach to JPDA .................................................................................................... 4-40

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4.92
4.93
4.94
4.95
4.96
4.97
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4.100

viii

Deploy or Import Application ...............................................................................................
Describe Object Window ........................................................................................................
Edit Value (Table Column Data) ...........................................................................................
Enter Bind Values ....................................................................................................................
Error Writing to Export File ...................................................................................................
Export (Database Objects and Data) .....................................................................................
Export: Advanced Data Filter ................................................................................................
Export Error ..............................................................................................................................
Export Table Data ....................................................................................................................
External Locator Configuration .............................................................................................
External Tools ...........................................................................................................................
Create/Edit External Tool ......................................................................................................
Choose Offline Options...........................................................................................................
Feature Required......................................................................................................................
Filter ...........................................................................................................................................
Insert Macro ..............................................................................................................................
Externally Modified Files........................................................................................................
Filter Object Types ...................................................................................................................
Filter Schemas...........................................................................................................................
Filter Error.................................................................................................................................
Find/Replace Text ...................................................................................................................
Find Result ................................................................................................................................
Generate Oracle DDL ..............................................................................................................
Generate Offline Data Move Files .........................................................................................
Go to Bookmark .......................................................................................................................
Go to Line Number ..................................................................................................................
Go to Line Number: Error.......................................................................................................
Import to CVS...........................................................................................................................
Load Preset Key Mappings.....................................................................................................
Log In to CVS............................................................................................................................
Modify Value ............................................................................................................................
Data Move Details....................................................................................................................
New Procedure (Refactoring).................................................................................................
No Object Found ......................................................................................................................
No Object Selected ...................................................................................................................
Open File ...................................................................................................................................
Oracle-Only Report..................................................................................................................
Oracle Proxy Authentication..................................................................................................
Paste ...........................................................................................................................................
Privilege Warning for Migration ...........................................................................................
Query Builder ...........................................................................................................................
Recent Files ...............................................................................................................................
Create Repository.....................................................................................................................
Delete or Truncate Repository ...............................................................................................
Capture Microsoft Access Exporter XML.............................................................................
Rename Local Variable............................................................................................................
Rename Procedure...................................................................................................................

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4.121
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4.123
4.124

Select Current Repository .......................................................................................................
Cannot Capture Table .............................................................................................................
Reset Expired Password..........................................................................................................
Revision Lister ..........................................................................................................................
Run/Debug/Profile PL/SQL.................................................................................................
Create/Edit Breakpoint...........................................................................................................
Save/Save As............................................................................................................................
Save Files ...................................................................................................................................
Unable to Save Files.................................................................................................................
Save Style Settings ...................................................................................................................
Schema Differences Source or Destination Error ................................................................
Script Execution Failed............................................................................................................
Script Generation Complete ...................................................................................................
Set Data Mapping ....................................................................................................................
Add/Edit Rule..........................................................................................................................
Set Encoding .............................................................................................................................
Set Pause Continue ..................................................................................................................
Sign In (checking for updates) ...............................................................................................
Single Record View..................................................................................................................
Save Snippet (User-Defined) ..................................................................................................
Edit Snippets (User-Defined) .................................................................................................
Unable to Open File .................................................................................................................
Unsupported Database Version.............................................................................................
Windows ...................................................................................................................................

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ix

x

List of Figures
1–1
2–1
2–2
2–3

SQL Developer Main Window.................................................................................................. 1-3
SQL Developer Migration Architecture .................................................................................. 2-6
V-model with a Database Migration ..................................................................................... 2-24
Main Window for a Database Migration.............................................................................. 2-31

xi

xii

Preface
This guide provides conceptual and usage information about Oracle SQL Developer, a
graphical tool that enables you to browse, create, edit, and delete (drop) database
objects; run SQL statements and scripts; edit and debug PL/SQL code; manipulate and
export data; and view and create reports.

Audience
This guide is intended for those using the Oracle SQL Developer tool.

Documentation Accessibility
For information about Oracle's commitment to accessibility, visit the Oracle
Accessibility Program website at
http://www.oracle.com/pls/topic/lookup?ctx=acc&id=docacc.
Access to Oracle Support
Oracle customers have access to electronic support through My Oracle Support. For
information, visit
http://www.oracle.com/pls/topic/lookup?ctx=acc&id=info or visit
http://www.oracle.com/pls/topic/lookup?ctx=acc&id=trs if you are
hearing impaired.

Related Documents
For information about installing Oracle SQL Developer, see the Oracle Database SQL
Developer Installation Guide.
To download free release notes, installation documentation, white papers, or other
collateral, go to the Oracle Technology Network (OTN) at
http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/
If you already have a user name and password for OTN, then you can go directly to
the documentation section of the OTN Web site at
http://www.oracle.com/technology/documentation

Conventions
The following text conventions are used in this document:

xiii

Convention

Meaning

boldface

Boldface type indicates graphical user interface elements associated
with an action, or terms defined in text or the glossary.

italic

Italic type indicates book titles, emphasis, or placeholder variables for
which you supply particular values.

monospace

Monospace type indicates commands within a paragraph, URLs, code
in examples, text that appears on the screen, or text that you enter.

Third-Party License Information
Oracle SQL Developer contains third-party code. Oracle is required to provide the
following notices. Note, however, that the Oracle program license that accompanied
this product determines your right to use the Oracle program, including the
third-party software, and the terms contained in the following notices do not change
those rights.

Apache Regular Expression Package 2.0
Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may not use this
file except in compliance with the License. You may obtain a copy of the License at:
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Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software distributed under
the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR
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xv

xvi

1
1

SQL Developer Concepts and Usage
Note: This book is for an old release of SQL Developer. You are
encouraged to use the latest available release. See
http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/developer-tools/sq
l-developer/ for information about downloads and
documentation.

Oracle SQL Developer is a graphical version of SQL*Plus that gives database
developers a convenient way to perform basic tasks. You can browse, create, edit, and
delete (drop) database objects; run SQL statements and scripts; edit and debug
PL/SQL code; manipulate and export data; and view and create reports.
You can connect to any target Oracle database schema using standard Oracle database
authentication. Once connected, you can perform operations on objects in the
database.
You can connect to schemas for selected third-party (non-Oracle) databases, such as
MySQL, Microsoft SQL Server, Sybase Adaptive Server, and Microsoft Access, and
view metadata and data in these databases; and you can migrate third-party databases
to Oracle.
This chapter contains the following major sections:
Section 1.1, "Installing and Getting Started with SQL Developer"
Section 1.2, "SQL Developer User Interface"
Section 1.3, "Database Objects"
Section 1.4, "Database Connections"
Section 1.5, "Entering and Modifying Data"
Section 1.6, "Running and Debugging Functions and Procedures"
Section 1.7, "Using the SQL Worksheet"
Section 1.8, "Using Snippets to Insert Code Fragments"
Section 1.9, "Using Find DB Object to Find Database Objects"
Section 1.10, "Using Extended Search"
Section 1.11, "Using Versioning"
Section 1.12, "SQL Developer Reports"
Section 1.13, "SQL Developer Preferences"
Section 1.14, "Location of User-Related Information"
SQL Developer Concepts and Usage

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Installing and Getting Started with SQL Developer

Section 1.15, "Oracle TimesTen In-Memory Database Support"
Section 1.16, "Using the Help"
Section 1.17, "For More Information"

1.1 Installing and Getting Started with SQL Developer
To install and start SQL Developer, you simply download a ZIP file and unzip it into a
desired parent directory or folder, and then type a command or double-click a file
name. You should read the Oracle Database SQL Developer Installation Guide before you
perform the installation. After you have read the installation guide, the basic steps are:
1.

Unzip the SQL Developer kit into a directory (folder) of your choice. This
directory location will be referred to as .
Unzipping the SQL Developer kit causes a directory named sqldeveloper to be
created under the  directory. It also causes many files
and folders to be placed in and under that directory.
If Oracle Database (Release 11 or later) is also installed, a version of SQL
Developer is also included and is accessible through the menu system under
Oracle. This version of SQL Developer is separate from any SQL Developer kit
that you download and unzip on your own, so do not confuse the two, and do not
unzip a kit over the SQL Developer files that are included with Oracle Database.
Suggestion: Create a shortcut for the SQL Developer executable file that you
install, and always use it to start SQL Developer.

2.

To start SQL Developer, go to the sqldeveloper directory under the
 directory, and do one of the following:
On Linux and Mac OS X systems, run sh sqldeveloper.sh.
On Windows systems, double-click sqldeveloper.exe.
If you are asked to enter the full pathname for java.exe, click Browse and find
java.exe. For example, on a Windows system the path might have a name similar
to C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.6.0_06\bin\java.exe.

3.

If you want to become familiar with SQL Developer concepts before using the
interface, read the rest of this chapter before proceeding to the next step.

4.

Create at least one database connection (or import some previously exported
connections), so that you can view and work with database objects, use the SQL
Worksheet, and use other features.
To create a new database connection, right-click the Connections node in the
Connections navigator, select New Connection, and complete the required entries
in the Create/Edit/Select Database Connection dialog box.

5.

If you want to get started quickly with SQL Developer, do the short tutorial in
Chapter 3, "Tutorial: Creating Objects for a Small Database", or work with your
existing database objects.

1.2 SQL Developer User Interface
The SQL Developer window generally uses the left side for navigation to find and
select objects, and the right side to display information about selected objects.
Figure 1–1 shows the main window.

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SQL Developer User Interface

Figure 1–1 SQL Developer Main Window

Note: This text explains the default interface. However, you can
customize many aspects of the appearance and behavior of SQL
Developer by setting preferences (see Section 1.13). If you ever need to
restore the default interface, see Section 1.2.2, "Restoring the Original
"Look and Feel"".

Note: For migration of third-party databases to Oracle, see also
Section 2.14, "SQL Developer User Interface for Migration".

The menus at the top contain standard entries, plus entries for features specific to SQL
Developer (see Section 1.2.1, "Menus for SQL Developer"), as shown in the following
figure.

You can use shortcut keys to access menus and menu items: for example Alt+F for the
File menu and Alt+E for the Edit menu; or Alt+H, then Alt+S for Help, then Full Text
Search. You can also display the File menu by pressing the F10 key.
Icons under the menus perform various actions, including the following:
■

New creates a new a new database object (see Section 4.10, "Create/Edit New
Object (New Gallery)").

■

Open opens a file (see Section 4.89, "Open File").

■

Save saves any changes to the currently selected object.

SQL Developer Concepts and Usage

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SQL Developer User Interface

■
■

■

■

Save All saves any changes to all open objects.
Back moves to the pane that you most recently visited. (Or use the drop-down
arrow to specify a tab view.)
Forward moves to the pane after the current one in the list of visited panes. (Or
use the drop-down arrow to specify a tab view.)
Open SQL Worksheet opens the SQL Worksheet (see Using the SQL Worksheet).
If you do not use the drop-down arrow to specify the database connection to use,
you are asked to select a connection.

The left side of the SQL Developer window has tabs and panes for the Connections
and Reports navigators, icons for performing actions, and a hierarchical tree display
for the currently selected navigator, as shown in the following figure.

The Connections navigator lists database connections that have been created. To
create a new database connection, import an XML file with connection definitions, or
export or edit current connections, right-click the Connections node and select the
appropriate menu item. (For more information, see Section 1.4, "Database
Connections".)
The Files navigator (marked by a folder icon; not shown in the preceding figure)
displays your local file system using a standard hierarchy of folders and files. You can
double-click or drag and drop files to open them, and you can edit and save the files.
For example, if you open a .sql file, it is displayed in a SQL Worksheet window. The
Files navigator is especially useful if you are using versioning with SQL Developer
(see Section 1.11, "Using Versioning").
The Reports navigator lists informative reports provided by SQL Developer, such as a
list of tables without primary keys for each database connection, as well as any
user-defined reports. (For more information, see Section 1.12, "SQL Developer
Reports".)
Icons under the Connections tab (above the metadata tree) perform the following
actions on the currently selected object:
■

■

Refresh queries the database for the current details about the selected object (for
example, a connection or just a table).
Apply Filter restricts the display of objects using a filter that you specify. For
example, you can right-click the Tables node and specify a filter of EM% to see
only tables that start with EM and to have the Tables node label be changed to

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SQL Developer User Interface

Tables (EM%). To remove the effects of applying a filter, right-click the node and
select Clear Filter.
The metadata tree in the Connections pane displays all the objects (categorized by
object type) accessible to the defined connections. To select an object, expand the
appropriate tree node or nodes, then click the object.
The right side of the SQL Developer window has tabs and panes for objects that you
select or open, as shown in the following figure, which displays information about a
table named BOOKS. (If you hold the mouse pointer over the tab label -- BOOKS in
this figure -- a tooltip displays the object’s owner and the database connection.)

For objects other than subprograms, icons provide the following options:
■

Freeze View (the pin) keeps that object’s tab and information in the window when
you click another object in the Connections navigator; a separate tab and display
are created for that other object. If you click the pin again, the object’s display is
available for reuse.

■

Edit displays a dialog box for editing the object.

■

Refresh updates the display by querying the database for the latest information.

■

Actions displays a menu with actions appropriate for the object. The actions are
the same as when you right-click an object of that type in the Connections
navigator, except the Actions menu does not include Edit.

To switch among objects, click the desired tabs; to close a tab, click the X in the tab. If
you make changes to an object and click the X, you are asked if you want to save the
changes.
For tables and views, this information is grouped under tabs, which are labeled near
the top. For example, for tables the tabs are Columns, Data (for seeing and modifying
the data itself), Indexes, Constraints, and so on; and you can click a column heading
under a tab to sort the grid rows by the values in that column. For most objects, the
tabs include SQL, which displays the SQL statement for creating the object.
You can export data from a detail pane or from the results of a SQL Worksheet
operation or a report by using the context menu and selecting Export.
The Messages - Log area is used for feedback information as appropriate (for example,
results of an action, or error or warning messages). If this area is not already visible,
you can display is by clicking View and then Log.
The Compiler - Log area is used for any messages displayed as a result of a Compile
or Compile for Debug operation.

SQL Developer Concepts and Usage

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SQL Developer User Interface

1.2.1 Menus for SQL Developer
This topic explains menu items that are specific to SQL Developer.
Edit menu
Extended Paste: Displays the Paste dialog box, in which you select a clipboard item
(from potentially many) to be pasted into the current location.
Duplicate Selection: When you have selected text while editing a function or
procedure, creates a copy of the selected text at the current location.
Wrap Selection: When you have selected text while editing a function or procedure,
wraps the selected text.
View menu
Contains options that affect what is displayed in the SQL Developer interface.
Connections: Displays the Connections navigator.
Files: Displays the Files navigator, which is marked by a folder icon. You can use the
Files navigator to browse, open, edit, and save files that are accessible from the local
system.
Reports: Displays the Reports navigator (see Section 1.12, "SQL Developer Reports").
Captured Models: Displays the Captured Models navigator (see Section 2.14, "SQL
Developer User Interface for Migration").
Converted Models: Displays the Converted Models navigator (see Section 2.14, "SQL
Developer User Interface for Migration").
Find DB Object: Displays the Find Database Object pane (see Section 1.9, "Using Find
DB Object to Find Database Objects").
Versioning Navigator: Displays the Versioning navigator (see Section 1.11, "Using
Versioning").
Log: Displays the Messages - Log pane, which can contain errors, warnings, and
informational messages.
Debugger: Displays panes related to debugging (see Section 1.6, "Running and
Debugging Functions and Procedures").
Run Manager: Displays the Run Manager pane, which contains entries for any active
debugging sessions.
SQL History: Displays information about SQL statements that you have executed. You
can select statements and append them to or overwrite statements on the worksheet
(see Section 1.7.7, "SQL History").
Snippets: Displays snippets (see Section 1.8, "Using Snippets to Insert Code
Fragments").
Status Bar: Controls the display of the status bar at the bottom of the SQL Developer
window.
Toolbars: Controls the display of the main toolbar (under the SQL Developer menus)
and the Connections navigator toolbar.
Refresh: Updates the current display for any open connections using the current
objects in the affected database or databases.

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SQL Developer User Interface

Navigate menu
Contains options for navigating to panes and in the execution of subprograms.
Back: Moves to the pane that you most recently visited.
Forward: Moves to the pane after the current one in the list of visited panes.
Toggle Bookmark: If you are editing a function or procedure, creates or removes a
bookmark (see Section 1.6.1, "Using Bookmarks When Editing Functions and
Procedures").
Remove Bookmarks from File: Removes bookmarks from the currently active editing
window for a function or procedure (see Section 1.6.1, "Using Bookmarks When
Editing Functions and Procedures").
Remove All Bookmarks: Removes bookmarks from open editing windows for
functions and procedures (see Section 1.6.1, "Using Bookmarks When Editing
Functions and Procedures").
Go to Bookmark: Displays a dialog box so that you can go to a specified bookmark
(see Section 1.6.1, "Using Bookmarks When Editing Functions and Procedures").
Go to Next Bookmark: Goes to the next bookmark in the currently active editing
window for a function or procedure (see Section 1.6.1, "Using Bookmarks When
Editing Functions and Procedures").
Go to Previous Bookmark: Goes to the previous bookmark in the currently active
editing window for a function or procedure (see Section 1.6.1, "Using Bookmarks
When Editing Functions and Procedures").
Go to Line: Goes to the specified line number and highlights the line in the editing
window for the selected function or procedure. (To display line numbers, enable Show
Line Numbers under the Code Editor: Line Gutter preferences.)
Go to Last Edit: Goes to the last line that was edited in the editing window for a
function or procedure.
Go to Recent Files: Displays the Recent Files dialog box, in which you can specify a
function or procedure to go to.
Run menu
Contains options relevant when a function or procedure is selected or when it is open
for debugging.
Run [name]: Starts execution of the specified function or procedure.
Debug [name]: Starts execution of the specified function or procedure in debug mode.
The remaining items on the Debug menu match commands on the debugging toolbar,
which is described in Section 1.6, "Running and Debugging Functions and
Procedures".
Source menu
Contains options for use when editing functions and procedures.
Completion Insight: Causes a pop-up window to be displayed when you are typing
PL/SQL code, listing items from which you can select for autocompletion. See the
Code Editor options under Section 1.13, "SQL Developer Preferences".
Toggle Line Comments: Inserts and removes comment indicators at the start of
selected code lines.
Indent Block: Moves the selected statements to the right.
SQL Developer Concepts and Usage

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SQL Developer User Interface

Unindent Block: Moves the selected statements to the left.
Versioning menu
Contains options related to support for the CVS and Subversion version management
and source control system; see Section 1.11, "Using Versioning" for more information.
The commands on the Versioning menu depend on whether the Version System is
specified as CVS, Subversion, or none.
Migration menu
Contains options related to migrating third-party databases to Oracle; see
Section 2.14.1, "Migration Menu" for more information.
Tools menu
Invokes SQL Developer tools.
Database Copy: Enables you to copy objects from one database schema to another (see
the Database Copy (Schema Objects) interface).
Database Export: Enables you to export some or all objects of one or more object types
for a database connection to a file containing SQL statements to create these objects
and optionally to export table data (see the Export (Database Objects and Data)
interface).
Database Diff: Enables you to compare two schemas to find differences between
objects of the same type and name (for example, tables named CUSTOMERS) in two
different schemas, and optionally to update the objects in the destination schema to
reflect differences in the source schema (see the Database Schema Differences
interface).
Monitor Sessions: Displays the status of one or more sessions, using information from
the V$RSRC_SESSION_INFO view, which shows how the session has been affected by
the Oracle Database Resource Manager. For more information about session
monitoring, see Oracle Database Administrator's Guide.
Monitor SQL: Displays information about any query currently executing and queries
that are done executing for a selected connection. To see detailed information about a
query, right-click its row and select Show SQL Details. The information is especially
useful for real-time monitoring of long-running SQL statements. Cursor statistics (such
as CPU times and IO times) and execution plan statistics (such as number of output
rows, memory, and temporary space used) are updated close to real-time during
statement execution. (Internally, this feature calls the DBMS_SQLTUNE.REPORT_
SQL_MONITOR subprogram.)
SQL Worksheet: Displays a worksheet in which you can enter and execute SQL and
PL/SQL statements using a specified connection (see Section 1.7, "Using the SQL
Worksheet").
External Tools: Displays the External Tools dialog box, with information about
user-defined external tools that are integrated with the SQL Developer interface. From
this dialog box can add external tools (see Section 4.65, "Create/Edit External Tool").
The Tools menu also contains items for any user-defined external tools.
Preferences: Enables you to customize the behavior of SQL Developer (see
Section 1.13, "SQL Developer Preferences").

1-8 Oracle SQL Developer User's Guide

Database Objects

Help menu
Displays help about SQL Developer and enables you to check for SQL Developer
updates.
Search: Displays the Help Center window.
Table of Contents: Displays the Help Center window.
Tip of the Day: Displays a suggestion for efficient use of SQL Developer.
Check for Updates: Checks for any updates to the selected optional SQL Developer
extensions, as well as any mandatory SQL Developer extensions. The available
updates may include the JTDS JDBC Driver for Microsoft SQL Server and the MySQL
JDBE Driver, which enable you to create connections to third-party databases. (If the
system you are using is behind a firewall, see the SQL Developer user preferences for
Web Browser and Proxy.)
About: Displays version-related information about SQL Developer and its
components.

1.2.2 Restoring the Original "Look and Feel"
If you have made changes to the SQL Developer user interface ("look and feel"), such
as accidentally repositioning navigators and panes, you can restore the interface to the
way it was after SQL Developer was installed by following these steps:
1.

If you are running SQL Developer, exit.

2.

Create a backup copy of the folder or directory where your SQL Developer user
information is stored, in case you want to restore any old user-defined reports,
snippets, code templates, or SQL history. The default location is:
■

■

Windows: C:\Documents and Settings\\Application Data\SQL
Developer
Linux or Mac OS X: ~/.sqldeveloper

If you have specified a nondefault location for your SQL Developer user
information (see Section 1.14), create the backup copy of that folder or directory
instead.
(If you do not want to use any old information or settings, you can skip creating a
backup copy.)
3.

Delete the original (not the backup) folder or directory where your user
information is stored (explained in step 2).

4.

Start SQL Developer.
This creates a folder or directory where your user information is stored (explained
in step 2), which has the same content as when SQL Developer was installed.

1.3 Database Objects
You can create, edit, and delete (drop) most types of objects in an Oracle database by
using the context menu (right-click, or Shift+F10) in the Connections navigator or by
clicking the Actions button in the detail pane display. For some objects, you can do
other operations, as appropriate for the object type.

SQL Developer Concepts and Usage

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Database Objects

Note: The actions available from context menus and Actions buttons
depend on the Oracle Database release number for the specified
database connection. If an action mentioned in the text is not available
with a connection, it may be that the feature was not available in that
release of Oracle Database.

You can search for specific objects associated with an Oracle database connection by
clicking View, then Find DB Object. For more information, see Section 1.9, "Using
Find DB Object to Find Database Objects".
If you have connected to any third-party (non-Oracle) databases, such as MySQL,
Microsoft SQL Server, Sybase Adaptive Server, or Microsoft Access, you can view their
objects using the Connections navigator. (For information about connecting to
third-party databases, see the SQL Developer user preferences for Database: Third
Party JDBC Drivers.)

1.3.1 Applications (Application Express 3.0.1 and Later)
Effective with Oracle Application Express 3.0.1, if you use SQL Developer to connect
to a schema that owns any Application Express applications, the Connections
navigator has an Application Express node. You can click an application name to
display tabs (Application, Pages, LOVs, Lists, Templates, Breadcrumbs, and so on)
with information about the application.
You can perform the following operations on an Application Express application by
right-clicking the application name in the Connections navigator and selecting an item
from the menu:
■

Import Application: Imports an application from a specified file and installs the
application.

■

Deploy Application: Deploys an application into a specified target schema.

■

Drop: Deletes the application.

■

■

Modify Application: Enables you to change the alias, name (Rename), status,
global notification, and proxy server for the application.
Export DDL: Saves the DDL statements to create the application (or the selected
component) to a file, a .zip file, a worksheet, or the system clipboard.

The following operations are available only by right-clicking the Application Express
node in the Connections navigator and selecting an item from the menu:
■

■

Start EPG: Starts the embedded PL/SQL gateway for Application Express.
Displays a dialog box for executing the following statements: BEGIN DBMS_
EPG.map_dad('APEX', '/apex/*'); end;
Stop EPG: Stops the embedded PL/SQL gateway for Application Express.
Displays a dialog box for executing the following statements: BEGIN DBMS_
EPG.unmap_dad('APEX'); end;

1.3.2 Cache Groups (Oracle TimesTen In-Memory Database)
A cache group describes a collection of in-memory database tables that map to all or a
subset of the tables in an Oracle database. A cache group can consist of all or a subset
of the rows and columns in these tables. Multiple cache groups can be used to cache
different sets of related tables in the Oracle database.

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Database Objects

1.3.3 Database Links (Public and Private)
A database link is a database object in one database that enables you to access objects
on another database. The other database need not be an Oracle Database system;
however, to access non-Oracle systems you must use Oracle Heterogeneous Services.
After you have created a database link, you can use it to refer to tables and views in
the other database. The Connections navigator has a Database Links node for all
database links (public and private) owned by the user associated with the specified
connection, and a Public Database Links node for all public database links on the
database associated with the connection. For help with specific options in creating a
database link, see Section 4.25, "Create/Edit Database Link".
You can perform the following operations on a database link by right-clicking the
database link name in the Connections navigator and selecting an item from the menu:
■

Test Database Link: Validates the database link.

■

Drop: Deletes the database link.

1.3.4 Directories
A directory object specifies an alias for a directory (called a folder on Windows
systems) on the server file system where external binary file LOBs (BFILEs) and
external table data are located. To create a directory (that is, a directory object), you can
use SQL Developer or the SQL statement CREATE DIRECTORY.
You can use directory names when referring to BFILEs in your PL/SQL code and OCI
calls, rather than hard coding the operating system path name, for management
flexibility. All directories are created in a single namespace and are not owned by an
individual schema. You can secure access to the BFILEs stored within the directory
structure by granting object privileges on the directories to specific users.

1.3.5 Functions
A function is a type of PL/SQL subprogram, which is a programming object that can
be stored and executed in the database server, and called from other programming
objects or applications. (Functions return a value; procedures do not return a value.)
For help with specific options in creating a PL/SQL subprogram, see Section 4.30,
"Create PL/SQL Subprogram (Function or Procedure)".
You can perform the following operations on a function by right-clicking the function
name in the Connections navigator and selecting an item from the menu:
■

Open: Displays the function text so that you can view and edit it.

■

Compile: Performs a PL/SQL compilation of the function.

■

■

■

■

■

Compile for Debug: Performs a PL/SQL compilation of the procedure, with
PL/SQL library units compiled for debugging.
Run: Displays the Run/Debug/Profile PL/SQL dialog box, and then executes the
function in normal (not debug) mode.
Debug: Displays the Run/Debug/Profile PL/SQL dialog box, and then executes
the function in debug mode.
Profile (for an Oracle Database Release 11.1 or later connection): Displays the
Run/Debug/Profile PL/SQL dialog box, and then executes the function and
collects execution statistics.
Rename: Renames the function.

SQL Developer Concepts and Usage

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Database Objects

■

Drop: Deletes the function.

1.3.6 Indexes
An index is a database object that contains an entry for each value that appears in the
indexed column(s) of the table or cluster and provides direct, fast access to rows.
Indexes are automatically created on primary key columns; however, you must create
indexes on other columns to gain the benefits of indexing. For help with specific
options in creating an index, see Section 4.26, "Create/Edit Index".
You can perform the following operations on an index by right-clicking the index
name in the Connections navigator and selecting an item from the menu:
■
■

■
■

■

■

■

Drop: Deletes the index.
Rebuild Index: Re-creates the index or one of its partitions or subpartitions. If the
index is unusable, a successful rebuild operation makes the index usable. For a
function-based index, rebuilding also enables the index; however, if the function
on which the index is based does not exist, the rebuild operation fails.
Rename Index: Changes the name of the index.
Make Unusable: Prevents the index from being used by Oracle in executing
queries. An unusable index must be rebuilt, or dropped and re-created, before it
can be used again.
Coalesce: Merges the contents of index blocks, where possible, to free blocks for
reuse.
Compute Statistics: For a function-based index, collects statistics on both the
index and its base table using the DBMS_STATS package. Such statistics will
enable Oracle Database to correctly decide when to use the index.
Export DDL: Saves the DDL statement to create the index to a file, a SQL
Worksheet, or the system clipboard.

1.3.7 Java Sources
Java sources can be created and managed in the database. You can create a Java source
object by right-clicking the Java node in the Connections navigator, selecting Load
Java, and specifying the Java source name and source code. (A CREATE OR REPLACE
AND RESOLVE JAVA SOURCE statement is executed using the information you
specify.) For information about Java concepts and stored procedures, see Oracle
Database Java Developer's Guide.

1.3.8 Materialized Views
A materialized view is a database object that contains the results of a query. The FROM
clause of the query can name tables, views, and other materialized views. Collectively
these objects are called master tables (a replication term) or detail tables (a data
warehousing term). This reference uses "master tables" for consistency. The databases
containing the master tables are called the master databases. For help with specific
options in creating a materialized view, see Section 4.45, "Create/Edit View", especially
the View Information or Materialized View Properties pane.

1.3.9 Materialized View Logs
A materialized view log is a table associated with the master table of a materialized
view. When DML changes are made to master table data, Oracle Database stores rows

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describing those changes in the materialized view log and then uses the materialized
view log to refresh materialized views based on the master table. This process is called
incremental or fast refresh. Without a materialized view log, Oracle Database must
reexecute the materialized view query to refresh the materialized view. This process is
called a complete refresh. Usually, a fast refresh takes less time than a complete refresh.

1.3.10 Packages
A package is an object that contains subprograms, which are programming objects that
can be stored and executed in the database server, and called from other programming
objects or applications. A package can contain functions or procedures, or both. For
help with specific options in creating a package, see Section 4.29, "Create PL/SQL
Package".
You can perform the following operations on a package by right-clicking the package
name in the Connections navigator and selecting an item from the menu:
■
■

Edit: Displays a read-only tabbed view of information about the package.
Open: Opens the package in a window, where you can modify the content and
other information.

■

Run: Lets you select a member in the package and run it.

■

Compile: Performs a PL/SQL compilation of the members in the package.

■

■

Compile for Debug: Performs a PL/SQL compilation of the members in the
package, with PL/SQL library units compiled for debugging
Order Members By: Orders the members of the package by location in the source,
by name, or by type and by name within each type.

■

Drop Package: Deletes the package.

■

Create Body: Displays a pane in which you can enter text for the package body.

■

Grant: Lets you grant privileges on the package

■

Revoke: Lets you revoke privileges on the package.

■

■

Save Package Spec and Body: Saves the package specification and body to a file
that you specify.
Export DDL: Saves the DDL statement to create the package to a file, a SQL
Worksheet, or the system clipboard.

1.3.11 Procedures
A procedure is a type of PL/SQL subprogram, which is a programming object that can
be stored and executed in the database server, and called from other programming
objects or applications. (Procedures do not return a value; functions return a value.)
For help with specific options in creating a PL/SQL subprogram, see Section 4.30,
"Create PL/SQL Subprogram (Function or Procedure)".
You can perform the following operations on a procedure by right-clicking the
procedure name in the Connections navigator and selecting an item from the menu:
■
■

■

Open: Displays the procedure text so that you can view and edit it.
Run: Displays the Run/Debug/Profile PL/SQL dialog box, and then executes the
procedure in normal (not debug) mode.
Compile: Performs a PL/SQL compilation of the procedure.

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■

■

■

Compile for Debug: Performs a PL/SQL compilation of the procedure, with
PL/SQL library units compiled for debugging.
Debug: Displays the Run/Debug/Profile PL/SQL dialog box, and then executes
the procedure in debug mode.
Profile (for an Oracle Database Release 11.1 or later connection): Displays the
Run/Debug/Profile PL/SQL dialog box, and then executes the procedure and
collects execution statistics.

■

Grant: Lets you grant privileges on the procedure

■

Revoke: Lets you revoke privileges on the procedure.

■

Drop: Deletes the procedure.

■

■

Compile Dependants: Performs a PL/SQL compilation of the procedure and any
relevant dependent subprograms (see the Dependencies tab).
Export DDL: Saves the DDL statement to create the procedure to a file, a SQL
Worksheet, or the system clipboard.

1.3.12 Queues
A queue is an object in which messages are enqueued and dequeued. Queues are
managed by Oracle Streams Advanced Queueing (AQ). For information about using
queues, see Oracle Streams Advanced Queuing User's Guide.

1.3.13 Queue Tables
A queue table is a table that holds messages to be used with Oracle Streams Advanced
Queueing (AQ). For information about using queue tables, see Oracle Streams Advanced
Queuing User's Guide, especially the information about managing queue tables in the
chapter describing the Oracle Streams AQ administrative interface.

1.3.14 Recycle Bin
The Recycle bin (applicable only to Oracle Database Release 10g and later) holds
objects that have been dropped (deleted). The objects are not actually deleted until a
commit operation is performed. Before the objects are actually deleted, you can
"undelete" them by selecting them in the Recycle bin and selecting Undrop from the
context menu.
You can perform the following operations on an object in the Recycle bin by
right-clicking the object name in the Recycle bin in the Connections navigator and
selecting an item from the menu:
■
■

Purge: Removes the object from the Recycle bin and deletes it.
Flashback to Before Drop: Moves the object from the Recycle bin back to its
appropriate place in the Connections navigator display.

1.3.15 Replication Schemes (Oracle TimesTen In-Memory Database)
A replication scheme is a configuration, using SQL statements and a transaction-based
log, whereby committed changes are copied from their source to one or more
subscriber databases. The goal is to enable high efficiency and low overhead during
the replication.

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1.3.16 Sequences
Sequences are used to generate unique integers. You can use sequences to
automatically generate primary key values. For help with specific options in creating
and editing a sequence, see Section 4.32, "Create/Edit Sequence".

1.3.17 Synonyms (Public and Private)
Synonyms provide alternative names for tables, views, sequences, procedures, stored
functions, packages, materialized views, Java class database objects, user-defined
object types, or other synonyms. The Connections navigator has a Synonyms node for
all synonyms (public and private) owned by the user associated with the specified
connection, and a Public Synonyms node for all public synonyms on the database
associated with the connection. For help with specific options in creating and editing a
synonym, see Section 4.36, "Create/Edit Synonym".

1.3.18 Tables
Tables are used to hold data. Each table typically has multiple columns that describe
attributes of the database entity associated with the table, and each column has an
associated data type. You can choose from many table creation options and table
organizations (such as partitioned tables, index-organized tables, and external tables),
to meet a variety of enterprise needs. To create a table, you can do one of the following:
■

■

■

Create the table quickly by adding columns and specifying frequently used
features. To do this, do not check the Advanced box in the Create Table dialog box.
For help with options for creating a table using this quick approach, see Create
Table (quick creation).
Create the table by adding columns and selecting from a larger set of features. To
do this, check the Advanced box in the Create Table dialog box. For help with
options for creating a table with advanced features, see Create/Edit Table (with
advanced options).
Create the table automatically from a Microsoft Excel worksheet. To do this,
right-click Tables under a connection in the Connections navigator, and select
Import Data. When asked for the file, select a file of type .xls or .csv.

You can perform the following operations on a table by right-clicking the table name in
the Connections navigator and selecting an item from the menu:
■
■

■

■

■

Edit: Displays the Create/Edit Table (with advanced options) dialog box.
Table: Table actions include Rename, Copy (create a copy using a different name),
Drop (delete the table), Truncate (delete existing data without affecting the table
definition), Lock (set the table lock mode: row share, exclusive, and so on),
Comment (descriptive comment explaining the use or purpose of the table),
Parallel (change the default degree of parallelism for queries and DML on the
table), No Parallel (specify serial execution), and Count Rows (return the number
of rows).
Column: Column actions include Comment (descriptive comment about a
column), Add, Drop, and Normalize.
Constraint: Includes options for adding, dropping, enabling, and disabling
constraints.
Index: Options include Create (create an index on specified columns), Create Text
(create an Oracle Text index on a column), Create Text (create a function-based
index on a column), and Drop.

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■

■

■

■

■

■

■

Constraint: Options include Enable or Disable Single, Drop (delete a constraint),
Add Check (add a check constraint), Add Foreign Key, and Add Unique.
Privileges: If you are connected as a database user with sufficient privileges, you
can Grant or Revoke privileges on the table to other users.
Statistics: Options include Gather Statistics (compute exact table and column
statistics and store them in the data dictionary) and Validate Structure (verifies the
integrity of each data block and row, and for an index-organized table also
generates the optimal prefix compression count for the primary key index on the
table). Statistics are used by the Oracle Database optimizer to choose the execution
plan for SQL statements that access analyzed objects.
Storage: Options include Shrink Table (shrink space in a table, for segments in
tablespaces with automatic segment management) and Move Table (to another
tablespace). The Shrink Table options include Compact (only defragments the
segment space and compacts the table rows for subsequent release, but does not
readjust the high water mark and does not release the space immediately) and
Cascade (performs the same operations on all dependent objects of the table,
including secondary indexes on index-organized tables).
Trigger: Options include Create, Create PK from Sequence (create a before-insert
trigger to populate the primary key using values from a specified sequence),
Enable or Disable All, Enable or Disable Single, and Drop (delete the trigger).
Import Data: Enables you to import data from a Microsoft Excel worksheet (.xls or
.csv file).
Export Data: Enables you to export some or all of the table data to a file or to the
system clipboard, in any of the following formats: XML (XML tags and data), CSV
(comma-separated values including a header row for column identifiers), SQL
Insert (INSERT statements), or SQL Loader (SQL*Loader control file). After you
select a format, the Export Table Data dialog box is displayed.

You can perform the following operations on a column in a table by right-clicking the
column name in the Connections navigator and selecting an item from the menu:
■

Rename: Renames the column.

■

Drop: Deletes the column (including all data in that column) from the table.

■

Comment: Adds a descriptive comment about the column.

■

■

■

Encrypt (for Oracle Database Release 10.2 and higher, and only if the Transparent
Data Encryption feature is enabled for the database): Displays a dialog box in
which you specify a supported encryption algorithm to be used for encrypting all
data in the column. Current data and subsequently inserted data are encrypted.
Decrypt (for Oracle Database Release 10.2 and higher, and only if the Transparent
Data Encryption feature is enabled for the database): Decrypts data in the column
that had been encrypted, and causes data that is subsequently inserted not to be
encrypted.
Normalize: Creates a new table using the distinct values in the specified column.
You must specify names for the new table and its primary key column, as well as a
sequence name and trigger name.

1.3.18.1 Flashback Table Support
For tables in Oracle Database Release 11.1 and later, the table display includes the
Flashback tab, which provides a view of the modified and original data in the table. If
you have appropriate privileges, you can click the Undo SQL subtab to select and

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review the syntax required to undo changes. For information about using the
Flashback Table feature, see Oracle Database Backup and Recovery User's Guide.

1.3.19 Triggers
Triggers are stored PL/SQL blocks associated with a table, a schema, or the database,
or anonymous PL/SQL blocks or calls to a procedure implemented in PL/SQL or Java.
Oracle Database automatically executes a trigger when specified conditions occur. For
help with specific options in creating a trigger, see Section 4.40, "Create Trigger".

1.3.20 Types
A data type associates a fixed set of properties with the values that can be used in a
column of a table or in an argument of a function or procedure. These properties cause
Oracle Database to treat values of one data type differently from values of another
data type. Most data types are supplied by Oracle, although users can create data
types.
For help with specific options in creating a user-defined type, see Section 4.41, "Create
Type (User-Defined)".

1.3.21 Users (Other Users)
Database users are accounts through which you can log in to the database. In the
Connections navigator, you can see the Other Users in the database associated with a
connection, but the database objects that you are allowed to see for each user are
determined by the privileges of the database user associated with the current database
connection.
If you are connected as a user with the DBA role, you can create a database user by
right-clicking Other Users and selecting Create User, and you can edit an existing
database user by right-clicking the user under Other Users and selecting Edit User.
For help on options in creating and editing users, see Create/Edit User.

1.3.22 Views
Views are virtual tables (analogous to queries in some database products) that select
data from one or more underlying tables. Oracle Database provides many view
creation options and specialized types of views (such as materialized views, described
in Section 1.3.8, "Materialized Views"), to meet a variety of enterprise needs. For help
with specific options in creating and editing a view, see Create/Edit View.
You can perform the following operations on a view by right-clicking the view name
in the Connections navigator and selecting an item from the menu:
■

Edit: Displays the Create/Edit View dialog box.

■

Drop: Deletes the view.

■

Compile: Recompiles the view, to enable you to locate possible errors before run
time. You may want to recompile a view after altering one of its base tables to
ensure that the change does not affect the view or other objects that depend on it.

1.3.23 XML Schemas
XML schemas are schema definitions, written in XML, that describe the structure and
various other semantics of conforming instance XML documents. For conceptual and

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usage information about XML schemas, see Oracle XML DB Developer's Guide in the
Oracle Database documentation library.
You can edit an XML schema by right-clicking the XML schema name in the
Connections navigator and selecting Edit from the menu.

1.3.24 Captured and Converted Database Objects (for Migration)
If you are migrating a third-party database to Oracle, the Captured Models and
Converted Models navigators can display models that include database objects, such
as tables and procedures. A captured object represents an object in the captured
third-party database, and a converted object represents an Oracle model of that object
as it will be created in the Oracle database.
The context menu for each captured object includes Convert to Oracle, which creates a
corresponding converted object. The context menu for each converted object includes
Generate, which creates the corresponding Oracle Database object. (The context
menus will contain other items as appropriate for the object.)
For information about the related Oracle Database objects, see the following:
■

Section 1.3.5, "Functions"

■

Section 1.3.6, "Indexes"

■

Section 1.3.11, "Procedures"

■

Section 1.3.16, "Sequences"

■

Section 1.3.18, "Tables"

■

Section 1.3.19, "Triggers"

■

Section 1.3.21, "Users (Other Users)"

■

Section 1.3.22, "Views"

1.4 Database Connections
A connection is a SQL Developer object that specifies the necessary information for
connecting to a specific database as a specific user of that database. You must have at
least one database connection (existing, created, or imported) to use SQL Developer.
You can connect to any target Oracle database schema using standard Oracle database
authentication. Once connected, you can perform operations on objects in the
database. You can also connect to schemas for selected third-party (non-Oracle)
databases, such as MySQL, Microsoft SQL Server, Sybase Adaptive Server, and
Microsoft Access, and view metadata and data.
When you start SQL Developer and whenever you display the database connections
dialog box, SQL Developer automatically reads any connections defined in the
tnsnames.ora file on your system, if that file exists. By default, tnsnames.ora is located
in the $ORACLE_HOME/network/admin directory, but it can also be in the directory
specified by the TNS_ADMIN environment variable or registry value or (on Linux
systems) the global configuration directory. On Windows systems, if the tnsnames.ora
file exists but its connections are not being used by SQL Developer, define TNS_
ADMIN as a system environment variable. For information about the tnsnames.ora
file, see the "Local Naming Parameters (tnsnames.ora)" chapter in Oracle Database Net
Services Reference.

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You can create additional connections (for example, to connect to the same database
but as different users, or to connect to different databases). Each database connection is
listed in the Connections navigator hierarchy.
To create a new database connection, right-click the Connections node and select New
Database Connection. Use the dialog box to specify information about the connection
(see Section 4.12, "Create/Edit/Select Database Connection"). You can also create a
new database connection by selecting an existing connection in that dialog box,
changing the connection name, changing other connection attributes as needed, and
clicking Save or Connect.
To edit the information about an existing database connection, right-click the
connection name in the Connections navigator display and select Properties. Use the
dialog box to modify information about the connection, but do not change the
connection name. (See Section 4.12, "Create/Edit/Select Database Connection".)
To organize connection groups using folders, see Section 1.4.1, "Using Folders to
Group Connections".
To export information about the existing database connections into an XML file that
you can later use for importing connections, right-click Connections in the
Connections navigator display and select Export Connections. Use the dialog box to
specify the connections to be exported (see Section 4.24, "Export/Import Connection
Descriptors").
To import connections that had previously been exported (adding them to any
connections that may already exist in SQL Developer), right-click Connections in the
Connections navigator display and select Import Connections. Use the dialog box to
specify the connections to be imported (see Section 4.24, "Export/Import Connection
Descriptors").
To perform limited database management operations if you are connected AS
SYSDBA, right-click the connection name in the Connections navigator display and
select Manage Database. You can click to refresh the read-only display of memory
(SGA and PGA) and tablespace information. If a listener is running with a static
listener configured for the database, you can also click to start and stop the database.
To perform remote debugging if you are using the Sun Microsystem's Java Platform
Debugger Architecture (JPDA) and you would like the debugger to listen so that a
debuggee can attach to the debugger, right-click the connection name in the
Connections navigator display and select Remote Debug. Use the dialog box to
specify remote debugging information (see Section 4.53, "Debugger - Attach to JPDA").
To estimate or compute statistics for objects in a database schema, right-click the
connection name in the Connections navigator display and select Gather Schema
Statistics. Statistics are used to optimize SQL execution.
To generate documentation (in HTML format (comparable to Javadoc for Java classes)
about a schema, right-click the connection name in the Connections navigator display
and select Generate DB Doc. To view the generated documentation, open the
index.html file in the output directory that you specified.
To rename a connection, right-click the connection name in the Connections navigator
display and select Rename Connection.
To delete a connection (that is, delete it from SQL Developer, not merely disconnect
from the current connection), right-click the connection name in the Connections
navigator display and select Delete. Deleting a connection does not delete the user
associated with that connection.

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To connect using an existing connection, expand its node in the Connections navigator,
or right-click its name and select Connect. A SQL Worksheet window is also opened
for the connection (see Section 1.7, "Using the SQL Worksheet"). To create a separate
unshared worksheet for a connection, use Ctrl+Shift+N.
To disconnect from the current connection, right-click its name in the Connections
navigator and select Disconnect.
To specify a preference for using an OCI (thick, Type 2) driver (if available) instead of a
JDBC (thin) driver for basic and TNS (network alias) database connections, enable the
Use OCI/Thick driver option under the Database: Advanced Parameters user
preferences.

1.4.1 Using Folders to Group Connections
You can use folders in the Connections navigator to organize connections into groups:
for example, one folder for connections on your local system, another for connections
on the test system, and another for connections on the production system.
To create a folder to hold connections, right-click the name in the Connections
navigator of a connection to be added to the folder, select Add to Folder and then New
Folder, and specify the folder name (such as Local Connections).
To add more connections to a folder, right-click the name in the Connections navigator
of a connection to be added to the folder, and select Add to Folder and then the name
of the folder into which to add the connection.
To move a connection from one folder to another folder, right-click the connection
name under its current folder, select Add to Folder, and then either the name of the
destination folder or New Folder to move the connection to a new folder to be created.
To remove a connection from the folder, right-click the connection name under the
folder and select Remove from Folder. (This does not delete the connection; it is
moved to the top level in the Connections navigator hierarchy display.)
To remove a folder, right-click the folder name select Remove Folder. (This does not
delete any connections that are in the folder; these connections are moved to the top
level in the Connections navigator hierarchy display.)
To rename a folder, right-click the folder name, select Rename Folder, and specify the
new name.

1.4.2 Sharing of Connections
By default, each connection in SQL Developer is shared when possible. For example, if
you open a table in the Connections navigator and two SQL Worksheets using the
same connection, all three panes use one shared connection to the database. In this
example, a commit operation in one SQL Worksheet commits across all three panes. If
you want a dedicated session, you must duplicate your connection and give it another
name. Sessions are shared by name, not connection information, so this new
connection will be kept separate from the original.

1.4.3 Advanced Security for JDBC Connection to the Database
You are encouraged to use Oracle Advanced Security to secure a JDBC connection to
the database. Both the JDBC OCI and the JDBC Thin drivers support at least some of
the Oracle Advanced Security features. If you are using the OCI driver, you can set
relevant parameters in the same way that you would in any Oracle client setting. The
JDBC Thin driver supports the Oracle Advanced Security features through a set of

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Java classes included with the JDBC classes in a Java Archive (JAR) file and supports
security parameter settings through Java properties objects.
For more information about using Oracle Advanced Security, see Oracle Database JDBC
Developer's Guide and Reference.

1.4.4 Connections with Operating System (OS) Authentication
When you create a connection to an Oracle database that is using operating system
(OS) authentication, you can omit the user name and password; that is, specify a
connection name and all the other necessary information, except do not specify a user
name or password. For information about using external authentication, including the
use of the OS_AUTHENT_PREFIX and REMOTE_OS_AUTHENT database
initialization parameters, see Oracle Database Security Guide.
If you omit the user name and password trying to create a connection to a system that
is not configured for external authentication, an error message is displayed.

1.4.5 Connections with Proxy Authentication
Proxy authentication enables one JDBC connection to act as a proxy for other JDBC
connections. If you use the Proxy Connection option when you create a database
connection, the connection will be used to connect as the specified user for the
connection, but authenticated using the user name and either the password or
distinguished name of the proxy user. For information about using a middle tier server
for proxy authentication, see Oracle Database Security Guide.
For example, to create connection for a user named PROXY_USER but connecting
using the user name and password of existing database user SCOTT, follow these
steps.
1.

Create the proxy user and grant it the appropriate privileges:
CREATE USER proxy_user IDENTIFIED BY ;
ALTER USER proxy_user GRANT CONNECT THROUGH scott AUTHENTICATED USING PASSWORD;
GRANT create session TO proxy_user;
. . .

2.

Create a new database connection. For example: connection name = proxy_conn,
user name = scott, password = .

3.

Enable (check) Proxy Connection.

4.

In the Oracle Proxy Connection dialog box, select User Name for Proxy Type

5.

For Proxy User, enter PROXY_USER; and for Proxy Password, enter the password
for the PROXY_USER database user.

6.

Click OK to close the Oracle Proxy Connection dialog box.

7.

Complete any other necessary connection information, and click Connect to create
the connection.

In this example, when you connect using the proxy_conn connection, the user name
and password for user SCOTT are used to connect to the database, but the connection
sees the database objects owned by the PROXY_USER schema.

1.5 Entering and Modifying Data
You can use SQL Developer to enter data into tables and to edit and delete existing
table data. To do any of these operations, select the table in the Connections navigator,
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then click the Data tab in the table detail display. The following figure shows the Data
pane for a table named BOOKS, with a filter applied to show only books whose rating
is 10, and after the user has clicked in the Title cell for the first book.

Icons and other controls under the Data tab provide the following options:
■

■

■
■

■

■
■

■

■

Freeze View (the pin) keeps that object’s tab and information in the window when
you click another object in the Connections navigator; a separate tab and display
are created for that other object. If you click the pin again, the object’s display is
available for reuse.
Refresh queries the database to update the data display. If a filter is specified, the
refresh operation uses the filter.
Insert Row adds an empty row after the selected row, for you to enter new data.
Delete Selected Row(s) marks the selected rows for deletion. The actual deletion
does not occur until you commit changes.
Commit Changes ends the current transaction and makes permanent all changes
performed in the transaction.
Rollback Changes undoes any work done in the current transaction.
Sort displays a dialog box for selecting columns to sort by. For each column, you
can specify ascending or descending order, and you can specify that null values be
displayed first.
Filter enables you to enter a SQL predicate (WHERE clause text without the
WHERE keyword) for limiting the display of data. For example, to show only
rows where the RATING column value is equal to 10, specify: rating = 10
Actions displays a menu with actions relevant to the table.

When you enter a cell in the grid, you can directly edit the data for many data types,
and for all data types you can click the ellipsis (...) button to edit the data. For binary
data you cannot edit the data in the cell, but must use the ellipsis button.
In the data grid, the context menu (right-click) includes the following commands:
■

■

■

■
■

Single Record View displays the Single Record View dialog box, which enables
you to edit data for a table or view, one record at a time.
Auto-fit All Columns adjusts the width of all columns according to your
specification (by column header, by column data, or best fit).
Auto-fit Selected Columns adjusts the width of the selected columns according to
your specification (by column header, by column data, or best fit).
Count Rows displays the number of rows in the table.
Publish to Apex (if Application Express is installed) creates a small Application
Express application based on the data. It displays a dialog box in which you

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specify the following for the application to be created: workspace, application
name, theme, page name, and SQL statement for generating the report.
■

Export Data enables you to export some or all of the table data to a file or to the
system clipboard, in any of the following formats: XML (XML tags and data), CSV
(comma-separated values including a header row for column identifiers), SQL
Insert (INSERT statements), or SQL Loader (SQL*Loader control file). After you
select a format, the Export Table Data dialog box is displayed.

You can copy and paste data between table grid cells and cells in a Microsoft Excel
worksheet.
To copy table data to the clipboard, click the column header (for all column data) or
select specific cells and press Ctrl+C; to copy the column header text along with the
table data, press Ctrl+Shift+C.
To sort the display of rows by values within a column, double-click the column
header; to switch between ascending and descending sorting, double-click the
up/down arrow in the column header.
In the Data pane for a table or view, you can split the display vertically or horizontally
to see two (or more) parts independently by using the split box (thin blue rectangle),
located to the right of the bottom scroll bar and above the right scroll bar.
In the Data pane, the acceptable format or formats for entering dates may be different
from the date format required by SQL*Plus.

1.6 Running and Debugging Functions and Procedures
You can use SQL Developer to run and debug PL/SQL subprograms (functions and
procedures).
■

■

To run a subprogram, click its name in the Connections navigator; then either
right-click and select Run, or click the Edit icon and then click the Run icon above
its source listing.
To debug a subprogram, click its name in the Connections navigator. If the
procedure in its current form has not already been compiled for debug, right-click
and select Compile for Debug. Then click the Edit icon and click the Debug icon
above its source listing.

In both cases, a code editing window is displayed. The following figure shows the
code editing window being used to debug a procedure named LIST_A_RATING2,
which is used for tutorial purposes in Section 3.8, "Debug a PL/SQL Procedure".

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Running and Debugging Functions and Procedures

In the code editing window, under the tab with the name of the subprogram, is a
toolbar, and beneath it is the text of the subprogram, which you can edit. You can set
and unset breakpoints for debugging by clicking to the left of the thin vertical line
beside each statement with which you want to associate a breakpoint. (When a
breakpoint is set, a red circle is displayed.)
The toolbar under the tab for the subprogram name has a toolbar that includes the
icons shown in the following figure.

■

■

■
■

Run starts normal execution of the subprogram, and displays the results in the
Running - Log tab.
Debug starts execution of the subprogram in debug mode, and displays the
Debugging - Log tab, which includes the debugging toolbar for controlling the
execution.
Compile performs a PL/SQL compilation of the subprogram.
Compile for Debug performs a PL/SQL compilation of the subprogram so that it
can be debugged.

The Debugging - Log tab under the code text area contains the debugging toolbar and
informational messages. The debugging toolbar has the icons shown in the following
figure.

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Running and Debugging Functions and Procedures

■

■

■

Find Execution Point goes to the execution point (the next line of source code to
be executed by the debugger).
Step Over bypasses the next subprogram (unless the subprogram has a
breakpoint) and goes to the next statement after the subprogram. If the execution
point is located on a subprogram call, it runs that subprogram without stopping
(instead of stepping into it), then positions the execution point on the statement
that follows the call. If the execution point is located on the last statement of a
subprogram, Step Over returns from the subprogram, placing the execution point
on the line of code that follows the call to the subprogram from which you are
returning.
Step Into executes a single program statement at a time. If the execution point is
located on a call to a subprogram, Step Into steps into that subprogram and places
the execution point on its first statement. If the execution point is located on the
last statement of a subprogram, Step Into returns from the subprogram, placing
the execution point on the line of code that follows the call to the subprogram from
which you are returning.

■

Step Out leaves the current subprogram and goes to the next statement.

■

Step to End of Method goes to the last statement of the current subprogram.

■

Resume continues execution.

■

Pause halts execution but does not exit, thus allowing you to resume execution.

■

Terminate halts and exits the execution. You cannot resume execution from this
point; instead, to start running or debugging from the beginning of the
subprogram, click the Run or Debug icon in the Source tab toolbar.

The Breakpoints tab displays breakpoints, both system-defined and user-defined.
The Smart Data tab displays information about variables, using your Debugger: Smart
Data preferences. You can also specify these preferences by right-clicking in the Smart
Data window and selecting Preferences.
The Data tab displays information about variables, using your Debugger: Data
preferences. You can also specify these preferences by right-clicking in the Data
window and selecting Preferences.
The Watches tab displays information about watches (see Section 1.6.5, "Setting
Expression Watches").
If the function or procedure to be debugged is on a remote system, see also
Section 1.6.2, "Remote Debugging".

1.6.1 Using Bookmarks When Editing Functions and Procedures
When you are editing a long function or procedure, you may find it convenient to
create bookmarks in the code so that you can easily navigate to points of interest.
To create or remove a bookmark, click Navigate, then Toggle Bookmark. When a
bookmark is created, an icon appears to the left of the thin vertical line.
To go to a specific bookmark, click Navigate, then Go to Bookmark. To go to the next
or previous bookmark, click Navigate, then Go to Next Bookmark or Go to Previous
Bookmark, respectively.
To remove all bookmarks from the currently active editing window for a function or
procedure or from all open editing windows, click Navigate, then Remove
Bookmarks from File or Remove All Bookmarks, respectively.

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Running and Debugging Functions and Procedures

You can also go to a specific line or to your last edit by clicking Navigate, then Go to
Line or Go to Last Edit, respectively.

1.6.2 Remote Debugging
To debug a function or procedure for a connection where the database is on a different
host than the one on which you are running SQL Developer, you can perform remote
debugging. Remote debugging involves many of the steps as for local debugging;
however, do the following before you start the remote debugging:
1.

Use an Oracle client such as SQL*Plus to issue the debugger connection command.
Whatever client you use, make sure that the session which issues the debugger
connection commands is the same session which executes your PL/SQL program
containing the breakpoints. For example, if the name of the remote system is
remote1, use the following SQL*Plus command to open a TCP/IP connection to
that system and the port for the JDWP session:
EXEC DBMS_DEBUG_JDWP.CONNECT_TCP('remote1', '4000');

The first parameter is the IP address or host name of the remote system, and the
second parameter is the port number on that remote system on which the
debugger is listening.
2.

Right-click the connection for the remote database, select Remote Debug, and
complete the information in the Debugger - Attach to JPDA dialog box.

Then, follow the steps that you would for local debugging (for example, see
Section 3.8, "Debug a PL/SQL Procedure").

1.6.3 Displaying SQL Trace (.trc) Files
If you have any SQL Trace (.trc) output files, you can display them in SQL Developer
as an alternative to using the TKPROF program to format the contents of the trace file.
To open a .trc file in SQL Developer and see an attractive, effective display of the
information, click File, then Open, and specify the file; or drag the file’s name or icon
into the SQL Developer window.
You can then examine the information in the List View, Statistics View, and History
panes, with each pane including options for filtering and controlling the display.
For information about SQL Trace and TKPROF, see Oracle Database Performance Tuning
Guide.

1.6.4 Using the PL/SQL Hierarchical Profiler
For an Oracle Database Release 11.1 or later connection, you can use the PL/SQL
hierarchical profiler to identify bottlenecks and performance-tuning opportunities in
PL/SQL applications. Profiling consists of the two steps: running the PL/SQL module
in profiling mode, and analyzing the reports. In addition, some one-time setup work is
required the first time you use profiling in SQL Developer.
To initiate profiling, right-click the name of the function or procedure in the
Connections navigator hierarchy and select Profile, or click the Profile button on the
PL/SQL source editor toolbar. After the function or procedure is run in profiling
mode, the profiler reports are located at the Execution Profiles tab of the object viewer
window. You can review subprogram-level execution summary information, such as:
■

Number of calls to the subprogram

■

Time spent in the subprogram itself (function time or self time)

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■

■

Time spent in the subprogram itself and in its descendent subprograms (subtree
time)
Detailed parent-children information, including all subprograms that a given
subprogram called (that is, children of the given subprogram)

For more information about using the PL/SQL hierarchical profiler, see Oracle Database
Advanced Application Developer's Guide.

1.6.5 Setting Expression Watches
A watch enables you to monitor the changing values of variables or expressions as
your program runs. After you enter a watch expression, the Watches window displays
the current value of the expression. As your program runs, the value of the watch
changes as your program updates the values of the variables in the watch expression.
A watch evaluates an expression according to the current context which is controlled
by the selection in the Stack window. If you move to a new context, the expression is
reevaluated for the new context. If the execution point moves to a location where any
of the variables in the watch expression are undefined, the entire watch expression
becomes undefined. If the execution point returns to a location where the watch
expression can be evaluated, the Watches window again displays the value of the
watch expression.
To open the Watches window, click View, then Debugger, then Watches.
To add a watch, right-click in the Watches window and select Add Watch. To edit a
watch, right-click in the Watches window and select Edit Watch.

1.7 Using the SQL Worksheet
You can use the SQL Worksheet to enter and execute SQL, PL/SQL, and SQL*Plus
statements. You can specify any actions that can be processed by the database
connection associated with the worksheet, such as creating a table, inserting data,
creating and editing a trigger, selecting data from a table, and saving that data to a file.
You can display a SQL Worksheet by right-clicking a connection in the Connections
navigator and selecting Open SQL Worksheet, by selecting Tools and then SQL
Worksheet, or by clicking the Use SQL Worksheet icon under the menu bar. In the
Select Connection dialog box, select the database connection to use for your work with
the worksheet. You can also use that dialog box to create and edit database
connections. (You can have a SQL Worksheet window open automatically when you
open a database connection by enabling the appropriate SQL Developer user
preference under Database Connections.)
To create a separate unshared worksheet for a connection, use Ctrl+Shift+N.
The SQL Worksheet has the user interface shown in the following figure:

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Using the SQL Worksheet

SQL Worksheet toolbar (under the SQL Worksheet tab): Contains icons for the
following operations:
■

■

■

■

■
■

■

■

■
■

Execute Statement executes the statement at the mouse pointer in the Enter SQL
Statement box. The SQL statements can include bind variables and substitution
variables of type VARCHAR2 (although in most cases, VARCHAR2 is
automatically converted internally to NUMBER if necessary); a pop-up box is
displayed for entering variable values.
Run Script executes all statements in the Enter SQL Statement box using the Script
Runner. The SQL statements can include substitution variables (but not bind
variables) of type VARCHAR2 (although in most cases, VARCHAR2 is
automatically converted internally to NUMBER if necessary); a pop-up box is
displayed for entering substitution variable values.
Commit writes any changes to the database, and ends the transaction; also clears
any output in the Results and Script Output panes.
Rollback discards any changes without writing them to the database, and ends
the transaction; also clears any output in the Results and Script Output panes.
Cancel stops the execution of any statements currently being executed.
Monitor SQL Status (Oracle Database Release 11.1 and later only) calls the
real-time SQL monitoring feature of Oracle Database, enabling you to monitor the
performance of SQL statements while they are executing.
Execute Explain Plan generates the execution plan for the statement (internally
executing the EXPLAIN PLAN statement). To see the execution plan, click the
Explain tab. For more information, see Section 1.7.3, "Execution Plan".
Autotrace generates trace information for the statement. To see the execution plan,
click the Autotrace tab. For more information, see Section 1.7.3, "Execution Plan".
Clear erases the statement or statements in the Enter SQL Statement box.
To the right of these icons is a drop-down list for changing the database
connection to use with the worksheet.

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The context menu (right-click, or Shift+F10) includes the preceding SQL Worksheet
toolbar operations, plus the following operations:
■
■

■

■

■

■

■

Print File prints the contents of the Enter SQL Statement box.
Cut, Copy, Paste, and Select All have the same meanings as for normal text
editing operations.
Query Builder opens the Query Builder dialog box, where you can create a
SELECT statement by dragging and dropping table and view names and by
graphically specifying columns and other elements of the query.
Refactoring enables you to do the following on selected text: switch character case
(to upper/lower/initcap), extract the sequence of PL/SQL statements to a
procedure, or rename the local variable.
Format formats the SQL statement (capitalizing the names of statements, clauses,
keywords, and so on).
Popup Describe, if the name of a database object is completely selected, displays a
window with tabs and information appropriate for that type of object (see
Section 4.55, "Describe Object Window").
Save Snippet opens the Save Snippet (User-Defined) dialog box with the selected
text as the snippet text.

Enter SQL Statement: The statement or statements that you intend to execute. For
multiple statements, each non-PL/SQL statement must be terminated with either a
semicolon or (on a new line) a slash (/), and each PL/SQL statement must be
terminated with a slash (/) on a new line. SQL keywords are automatically
highlighted. To format the statement, right-click in the statement area and select
Format SQL.
You can drag some kinds of objects from the Connections navigator and drop them
into the Enter SQL Statement box:
■

■

If you drag and drop a table or view, a SELECT statement is constructed with all
columns in the table or view. You can then edit the statement, for example,
modifying the column list or adding a WHERE clause.
If you drag and drop a function or procedure, a snippet-like text block is
constructed for you to edit when including that object in a statement.

To view details for any object, you can select its name in the Enter SQL Statement box
and select Popup Describe from the context menu (or press Shift+F4). For example, if
you select a table name and press Shift+F4, information about Columns, Constraints,
Grants, and so on is displayed; or if you select a procedure name and press Shift+F4,
information about Code, Grants, Dependencies, References, and Details is displayed.
Tabs display panes with the following information:
■
■

■

■

■

Results: Displays the results of the most recent Execute Statement operation.
Explain: Displays the output if you clicked the Explain Execution Plan icon (see
Section 1.7.3, "Execution Plan").
Script Output: Displays the output if you clicked the Run Script icon (see
Section 1.7.2, "Script Runner").
DBMS Output: Displays the output of DBMS_OUTPUT package statements (see
Section 1.7.5, "DBMS Output Pane").
OWA Output: Displays Oracle Web Agent (MOD_PLSQL) output (see
Section 1.7.6, "OWA Output Pane").

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Using the SQL Worksheet

To toggle the relative heights of the Enter SQL Statement area and the area for tabs and
display panes, press Ctrl+Alt+L. You can also manually adjust the heights.

1.7.1 SQL*Plus Statements Supported and Not Supported in SQL Worksheet
The SQL Worksheet supports some SQL*Plus statements. SQL*Plus statements must
be interpreted by the SQL Worksheet before being passed to the database; any
SQL*Plus that are not supported by the SQL Worksheet are ignored and not passed to
the database.
The following SQL*Plus statements are supported by the SQL Worksheet:
@
@@
acc[ept]
conn[ect]
cl[ear]
def[ine]
desc[ribe]
doc[ument]
exec[ute]
exit (Stops execution and reinstates the specified connection)
ho[st]
pau[se]
pro[mpt]
quit (Stops execution and reinstates the specified connection)
rem[ark]
set pau[se] {ON | OFF}
sta[rt]
timi[ng]
undef[ine]
whenever
xquery

The following SQL*Plus statements are not supported by the SQL Worksheet:
a[ppend]
archive
attr[ibute]
bre[ak]
bti[tle]
c[hange]
col[ulmn]
comp[ute]
copy
del
disc[onnect]
ed[it]
get
help
i[nput]
l[ist]
newpage
oradebug
passw[ord]
print
r[un]
recover
repf[ooter]
reph[eader]
sav[e]
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sho[w]
shu[tdown]
spo[ol]
startup
store
tti[tle]
var[iable]

1.7.2 Script Runner
The script runner emulates a limited set of SQL*Plus features. You can often enter SQL
and SQL*Plus statements and execute them by clicking the Run Script icon. The Script
Output pane displays the output.
The SQL*Plus features available in the script runner include @, @@, CONNECT, EXIT,
QUIT, UNDEFINE, WHENEVER, and substitution variables. For example, to run a
script named c:\myscripts\mytest.sql, type @c:\myscripts\mytest in the Enter SQL
Statement box, and click the drop-down next to the Execute Statement icon and select
Run Script.
The following considerations apply to using the SQL Developer script runner:
■

■

■

■

You cannot use bind variables. (The Execute SQL Statement feature does let you
use bind variables of type VARCHAR2, NUMBER, and DATE.)
For substitution variables, the syntax &&variable assigns a permanent variable
value, and the syntax &variable assigns a temporary (not stored) variable value.
For EXIT and QUIT, commit is the default behavior, but you can specify rollback.
In either case, the context is reset: for example, WHENEVER command
information and substitution variable values are cleared.
DESCRIBE works for most, but not all, object types for which it is supported in
SQL*Plus.

■

For SQL*Plus commands that are not supported, a warning message is displayed.

■

SQL*Plus comments are ignored.

■

For XMLType data, data in the column is displayed as "SYS.XMLDATA" if the
database connection uses a JDBC Thin driver, but the expanded XML values are
displayed if the connection uses an OCI (thick, Type 2) driver.

If you have SQL*Plus available on your system, you may want to use it instead of the
script runner.

1.7.3 Execution Plan
The Execute Explain Plan icon generates the execution plan, which you can see by
clicking the Explain tab. The execution plan is the sequence of operations that will be
performed to execute the statement. An execution plan shows a row source tree with
the hierarchy of operations that make up the statement. For each operation, it shows
the ordering of the tables referenced by the statement, access method for each table
mentioned in the statement, join method for tables affected by join operations in the
statement, and data operations such as filter, sort, or aggregation.
In addition to the row source tree, the plan table displays information about
optimization (such as the cost and cardinality of each operation), partitioning (such as
the set of accessed partitions), and parallel execution (such as the distribution method
of join inputs). For more information, see the chapter about using EXPLAIN PLAN in
Oracle Database Performance Tuning Guide.

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1.7.4 Autotrace Pane
The Autotrace pane displays trace-related information when you execute the SQL
statement by clicking the Autotrace icon. Most of the specific information displayed is
determined by the SQL Developer Preferences for Database: Autotrace Parameters.
If you cancel a long-running statement, partial execution statistics are displayed.
This information can help you to identify SQL statements that will benefit from
tuning. For example, you may be able to optimize predicate handling by transitively
adding predicates, rewriting predicates using Boolean algebra principles, moving
predicates around in the execution plan, and so on. For more information about
tracing and autotrace, see the chapter about tuning in SQL*Plus User's Guide and
Reference.
To use the autotrace feature, the database user for the connection must have the
SELECT_CATALOG_ROLE privilege.

1.7.5 DBMS Output Pane
The PL/SQL DBMS_OUTPUT package enables you to send messages from stored
procedures, packages, and triggers. The PUT and PUT_LINE procedures in this
package enable you to place information in a buffer that can be read by another
trigger, procedure, or package. In a separate PL/SQL procedure or anonymous block,
you can display the buffered information by calling the GET_LINE procedure. The
DBMS Output pane is used to display the output of that buffer. This pane contains
icons and other controls for the following operations:
■

Enable/Disable DBMS Output: Toggles the SET SERVEROUTPUT setting
between ON and OFF. Setting server output ON checks for any output that is
placed in the DBMS_OUTPUT buffer, and any output is displayed in the pane.

■

Clear: Erases the contents of the pane.

■

Save: Saves the contents of the pane to a file that you specify.

■

Print: Prints the contents of the pane.

■

■

Buffer Size: For databases before Oracle Database 10.2, limits the amount of data
that can be stored in the DBMS_OUTPUT buffer. The buffer size can be between 1
and 1000000 (1 million).
Poll: The interval (in seconds) at which SQL Developer checks the DBMS_
OUTPUT buffer to see if there is data to print. The poll rate can be between 1 and
15.

1.7.6 OWA Output Pane
OWA (Oracle Web Agent) or MOD_PLSQL is an Apache (Web Server) extension
module that enables you to create dynamic Web pages from PL/SQL packages and
stored procedures. The OWA Output pane enables you to see the HTML output of
MOD_PLSQL actions that have been executed in the SQL Worksheet. This pane
contains icons for the following operations:
■

Enable/Disable OWA Output: Enables and disables the checking of the OWA
output buffer and the display of OWA output to the pane.

■

Clear: Erases the contents of the pane.

■

Save: Saves the contents of the pane to a file that you specify.

■

Print: Prints the contents of the pane.

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1.7.7 SQL History
You can click View, then SQL History (or press F8) to view a dockable window with
SQL statements and scripts that you have executed, and optionally select one or more
statements to have them either replace the statements currently on the SQL Worksheet
or be added to the statements currently on the SQL Worksheet.
You can click on a column heading to sort the rows by the values in that column.
The SQL history list will not contain any statement that can include a password. Such
statements include (but are not necessarily limited to) CONNECT, ALTER USER, and
CREATE DATABASE LINK.
Append: Appends the selected statement or statements to any statements currently on
the SQL Worksheet. You can also append the selected statement or statements by
dragging them from the SQL History window and dropping them at the desired
location on the SQL Worksheet.
Replace: Replaces any statements currently on the SQL Worksheet with the selected
statement or statements.
Clear: Removes all statements from the SQL history.
Filter: If you type a string in the text box and click Filter, only SQL statements
containing that string are displayed.

1.7.8 Gauges: In the SQL Worksheet and User-Defined Reports
You can use graphical gauges to display query results in the SQL Worksheet and in
user-defined reports. In both cases, you need to specify the name of the value column
for the gauge data, and minimum and maximum values on the gauge, and the values
to be shown as low and high on the gauge (usually between the minimum and
maximum values). In the SQL Worksheet, the required structure for the value to be
selected is:
'SQLDEV:GAUGE:::::' || 
For example, to display the last name and the salary in gauge format, where the gauge
shows from 1000 to 30000 with below 10000 as low and above 18000 as high, for
employees with ID numbers less than a number to be specified, connect to the
supplied HR schema and execute the following query:
SELECT last_name, 'SQLDEV:GAUGE:1000:30000:10000:18000:' || salary
FROM employees WHERE employee_id < :employee_id

If you specify 104 as the bind variable value, the output appears as shown in the
following figure:

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Using Snippets to Insert Code Fragments

For a user-defined gauge report, the query must specify only the value column, the
minimum and maximum values, and the low and high values, and optionally a
WHERE clause. The required structure for the query (before any optional WHERE
clause) is:
SELECT , , , ,  FROM 
For example, to create a report of salaries in gauge dial format, with the same values
and WHERE clause as in the preceding query, right-click on User Defined Reports in
the Reports navigator and select Add Report. In the Add Report dialog box, specify a
report name; for Style, select Gauge; and for SQL, enter the following:
SELECT salary, 1000, 30000, 10000, 18000 FROM employees
WHERE employee_id < :EMPLOYEE_ID;

Click the Chart Details tab near the bottom of the box; for Chart Type, select DIAL; for
Query Based, select true; and click Apply.
Use the Reports navigator to view the newly created user-defined report. For
Connection, specify one that connects to the HR sample schema. For the bind variable
value, specify 104. The report shows four semicircular dials, each with a label
containing the salary amount and a "needle" pointing to an appropriate place on the
dial.

1.8 Using Snippets to Insert Code Fragments
Snippets are code fragments, such as SQL functions, Optimizer hints, and
miscellaneous PL/SQL programming techniques. Some snippets are just syntax, and
others are examples. You can insert and edit snippets when you are using the SQL
Worksheet or creating or editing a PL/SQL function or procedure.
To display snippets, from the View menu, select Snippets. In the snippets window (on
the right side), use the drop-down to select a group (such as Aggregate Functions or
Character Functions). In most cases, the fragments in each group do not represent all
available objects in that logical grouping, or all formats and options of each fragment
shown. For complete and detailed information, see the Oracle Database
documentation.
A Snippets button is placed in the right window margin, so that you can display the
snippets window if it becomes hidden.
To insert a snippet into your code in a SQL Worksheet or in a PL/SQL function or
procedure, drag the snippet from the snippets window and drop it into the desired
place in your code; then edit the syntax so that the SQL function is valid in the current
context. To see a brief description of a SQL function in a tooltip, hold the pointer over
the function name.
For example, you could type SELECT and then drag CONCAT(char1, char2) from the
Character Functions group. Then, edit the CONCAT function syntax and type the rest
of the statement, such as in the following:
SELECT CONCAT(title, ' is a book in the library.') FROM books;

1.8.1 User-Defined Snippets
You can create and edit snippets. User-defined snippets are intended mainly to enable
you to supplement the Oracle-supplied snippets, although you are also permitted to
replace an Oracle-supplied snippet with your own version.

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When you create a user-defined snippet, you can add it to one of the Oracle-supplied
snippet categories (such as Aggregate Functions) or to a category that you create. If
you add a snippet to an Oracle-supplied category and if your snippet has the same
name as an existing snippet, your snippet definition replaces the existing one. (If you
later upgrade to a new version of SQL Developer and if you choose to preserve your
old settings, your old user-defined snippets will replace any Oracle-supplied snippets
of the same name in the new version of SQL Developer.)
To create a snippet, do any of the following:
■
■

■

Open the Snippets window and click the Add User Snippets icon.
Select text for the snippet in the SQL Worksheet window, right-click, and select
Save Snippet.
Click the Add User Snippet icon in the Edit Snippets (User-Defined) dialog box.

To edit an existing user-defined snippet, click the Edit User Snippets icon in the
Snippets window.
Information about user-defined snippets is stored in a file named UserSnippets.xml
under the directory for user-specific information. For information about the location of
this information, see Section 1.14, "Location of User-Related Information".

1.9 Using Find DB Object to Find Database Objects
You can use the Find DB Object feature to find database objects associated with an
Oracle database connection and to open editing panes to work with those objects. To
move to the Find Database Object pane or to display it if it is not visible, from the
View menu, select Find DB Object.
The following figure shows the Find Database Object pane with results from a search
for all objects associated with a connection named hr_conn that start with EMPLOYEE.
(The pane may be displayed on the right side of the SQL Developer window or at the
bottom.)

To find objects for an Oracle connection, click Search, select the connection name, enter
an object name or a string containing one or more wildcard characters, and press the
Enter key. To view or edit one of the objects, double-click its name in the Find Database
Object pane.
You can detach, move, and dock the Find Database Object pane by clicking and
holding the tab, and dragging and positioning the pane.

1.10 Using Extended Search
You can use the extended feature to find various types of objects (tables, columns,
declarations within functions or procedures, and so on) associated with an Oracle
database connection and to open editing panes to work with those objects. (Thus,
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Using Versioning

extended search is more comprehensive than the Find DB Object feature.) To move to
the Extended Search pane or to display it if it is not visible, from the View menu, select
Extended Search.
The following figure shows the Extended Search pane with results from a search for
columns associated with a connection named stacd05_hr that start with EM. (The pane
may be displayed on the right side of the SQL Developer window or at the bottom.)

Connection: Database connection to use for the search.
Name: An object name or a string containing one or more wildcard characters. For
example: EM% for all names starting with EM.
Type: Type of object for which to restrict the search.
Usage: Usage of the object. May or may not be relevant, depending on the type of
object.
Click the Lookup icon to display objects that meet the specified criteria. To view or
edit one of the objects (or the parent object that contains the specified object),
double-click its name in the Extended Search pane
You can detach, move, and dock the Extended Search pane by clicking and holding the
tab, and dragging and positioning the pane.

1.11 Using Versioning
SQL Developer provides integrated support for the following versioning and source
control systems: CVS (Concurrent Versions System) and Subversion. The SQL
Developer documentation does not provide detailed information about the concepts
and operations of such systems; it assumes that you know them or can read about
them in the product documentation.
■

■

For the CVS manual (by Per Cederqvist and others), see
http://ximbiot.com/cvs/manual/.
For information about Subversion, see http://subversion.tigris.org/. For
Subversion documentation, see http://svnbook.red-bean.com/.

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To access the versioning features of SQL Developer, use the Versioning menu.
If you create any versioning system repositories, you can use the hierarchical display
in the Files navigator, which is marked by a folder icon. (If that navigator is not visible,
click View, then Files.)

1.11.1 About CVS and SQL Developer
CVS repositories can be created on a local PC or remote server. There can be more than
one CVS repository. You need to create one or more CVS repositories.
Source files are held in a CVS repository. The source files in a CVS repository are
grouped into modules. If you have new files, a wizard in SQL Developer will help you
import them into the CVS repository and place them under version control. A copy is
made of your original files and placed in a subdirectory (.backup) of the one from
which you imported them.
Files to be worked on are checked out from the CVS repository. This makes a local
copy of the files. You can see the contents of the CVS repository in the SQL Developer
CVS Navigator and open read-only versions of files. You can then decide which files
you want to check out and work on.
CVS creates a new directory populated with the copy of the source files. You can see
the files in the System Navigator. You can also open them from here.
Source files have a status, depending on what operations have been carried out on
them. A preference lets you choose whether the version control status of a file is
shown in the System Navigator.

1.11.1.1 Pending Changes (CVS)
The Pending Changes window is displayed if you click Versioning, then CVS, then
Pending Changes, or when you initiate an action that changes the local source control
status of a file. This window shows files that have been added, modified or removed
(locally or remotely), files whose content conflicts with other versions of the same file
files that have not been added to source control files that are being watched, and files
for which editors have been obtained. You can use this information to detect conflicts
and to resolve them where possible.
The Outgoing pane shows changes made locally, the Incoming pane shows changes
made remotely, and the Candidates pane shows files that have been created locally but
not yet added to source control. You can double-click file names to edit them, and you
can use the context menu to perform available operations.

1.11.2 About Subversion and SQL Developer
Before you can work with a Subversion repository through SQL Developer, you must
create a connection to it. When you create a local Subversion repository, a connection
to it is automatically created, and this can be seen in the Subversion Navigator. You
can subsequently edit the connection details.
Existing files must be imported into the Subversion repository to bring them under
version control. Files are then checked out from the Subversion repository to a local
folder known as the "Subversion working copy". Files created in (or moved into) SQL
Developer must be stored in the Subversion working copy.
Files newly created within SQL Developer must be added to version control. Changed
and new files are made available to other users by committing them to the SQL
Developer repository. The Subversion working copy can be updated with the contents
of the Subversion repository to incorporate changes made by other users.
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1.12 SQL Developer Reports
SQL Developer provides many reports about the database and its objects. You can also
create your own user-defined reports. To display reports, click the Reports tab on the
left side of the window (see SQL Developer User Interface). If this tab is not visible,
select View and then Reports.
Individual reports are displayed in tabbed panes on the right side of the window; and
for each report, you can select (in a drop-down control) the database connection for
which to display the report. For reports about objects, the objects shown are only those
visible to the database user associated with the selected database connection, and the
rows are usually ordered by Owner. The detail display pane for a report includes the
following icons at the top:
■

■

■

Freeze View (the pin) keeps that report in the SQL Developer window when you
click another report in the Reports navigator; a separate tab and detail view pane
are created for that other report. If you click the pin again, the report’s detail view
pane is available for reuse.
Run Report updates the detail view pane display by querying the database for the
latest information.
Run Report in SQL Worksheet displays the SQL statement used to retrieve the
information for a report in a SQL Worksheet pane, where you can view, edit, and
run the statement (see Section 1.7, "Using the SQL Worksheet").

The time required to display specific reports will vary, and may be affected by the
number and complexity of objects involved, and by the speed of the network
connection to the database.
For most reports that contain names of database objects, you can double-click the
object name in the report display pane (or right-click the object name and select Go To)
to display that object in a detail view pane, just as if you had selected that object using
the Connections navigator.
To export a report into an XML file that can be imported later, right-click the report
name in the Reports navigator display and select Export. To import a report that had
previously been exported, select the name of the report folder name (such as a
user-defined folder) in which to store the imported report, right-click, and select
Import.
You can create a shared report from an exported report by clicking Tools, then
Preferences, and using the Database: User-Defined Extensions pane to add a row with
Type as REPORT and Location specifying the exported XML file. The next time you
restart SQL Developer, the Reports navigator will have a Shared Reports folder
containing that report.
Reports are grouped in the following categories:
About Your Database reports list release information about the database associated
with the connection.
All Objects reports list information about all objects accessible to the user associated
with the specified database connection, not just objects owned by the user.
Application Express reports list information about Oracle Application Express 3.0.1 (or
later) applications, pages, schemas, UI defaults, and workspaces.
ASH and AWR reports list information provided by the Active Session History (ASH)
and Automated Workload Repository (AWR) features.
Database Administration reports list usage information about system resources.

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Data Dictionary reports list information about the data dictionary views that are
accessible in the database. Examples of data dictionary views are ALL_OBJECTS and
USER_TABLES.
Jobs reports list information about jobs running on the database.
PL/SQL reports list information about your PL/SQL objects and allow you to search
the source of those objects.
Security reports list privilege-related information about the database.
Streams reports list information about stream rules.
Table reports list information about tables owned by the user associated with the
specified connection. These reports can help you to better understand the metadata
and data. The table reports include Quality Assurance reports that indicate possible
logical design flaws and sources of run-time performance problems.
XML reports list information about XML objects.
User Defined reports are any customized reports that you have created.
Bind Variables for Reports
For some reports, you are prompted for bind variables before the report is generated.
These bind variables enable you to further restrict the output. The default value for all
bind variables is null, which implies no further restrictions. To specify a bind variable,
select the variable name and type an entry in the Value field. Any bind variable values
that you enter are case insensitive, all matches are returned where the value string
appears anywhere in the name of the relevant object type.

1.12.1 About Your Database reports
The About Your Database reports list release information about the database
associated with the selected connection. The reports include Version Banner (database
settings) and National Language Support Parameters (NLS_xxx parameter values for
globalization support).

1.12.2 All Objects reports
All Objects reports list information about objects visible to the user associated with the
database connection.
All Objects: For each object, lists the owner, name, type (table, view, index, and so on),
status (valid or invalid), the date it was created, and the date when the last data
definition language (DDL) operation was performed on it. The Last DDL date can help
you to find if any changes to the object definitions have been made on or after a
specific time.
Collection Types: Lists information about for each collection type. The information
includes the type owner, element type name and owner, and type-dependent specific
information.
Dependencies: For each object with references to it, lists information about references
to (uses of) that object.
Invalid Objects: Lists all objects that have a status of invalid.
Object Count by Type: For each type of object associated with a specific owner, lists
the number of objects. This report might help you to identify users that have created
an especially large number of objects, particularly objects of a specific type.

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Public Database Links: Lists all public database links.
Public Synonyms: Lists all public synonyms.

1.12.3 Application Express reports
If you select a connection for a schema that owns any Oracle Application Express 3.0.1
(or later) applications, the Application Express reports list information about
applications, pages, schemas, UI defaults, and workspaces. For information about
Oracle Application Express, see the documentation for that product.

1.12.4 ASH and AWR reports
The ASH and AWR reports list information provided by the Active Session History
(ASH) and Automated Workload Repository (AWR) features, which require special
licensing. For information about using AWR, including how to use ASH reports, see
the information about automatic performance statistics in Oracle Database Performance
Tuning Guide.

1.12.5 Charts reports
Charts reports include a chart showing the distribution of objects of various object
types (number of tables, indexes, and so on).

1.12.6 Database Administration reports
Database Administration reports list usage information about system resources. This
information can help you to manage storage, user accounts, and sessions efficiently.
(The user for the database connection must have the DBA role to see most Database
Administration reports.)
All Tables: Contains the reports that are also grouped under Table reports, including
Quality Assurance reports.
Cursors: Provide information about cursors, including cursors by session (including
open cursors and cursor details.
Database Parameters: Provide information about all database parameters or only
those parameters that are not set to their default values.
Locks: Provide information about locks, including the user associated with each.
Sessions: Provide information about sessions, selected and ordered by various criteria.
Storage: Provide usage and allocation information for tablespaces and data files.
Top SQL: Provide information about SQL statements, selected and ordered by various
criteria. This information might help you to identify SQL statements that are being
executed more often than expected or that are taking more time than expected.
Users: Provide information about database users, selected and ordered by various
criteria. For example, you can find out which users were created most recently, which
user accounts have expired, and which users use object types and how many objects
each owns.
Waits and Events: Provide information about waits and events, selected by criteria
related to time and other factors. For Events in the Last x Minutes, specify the number
of minutes in the Enter Bind Values dialog box.

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1.12.7 Data Dictionary reports
Data Dictionary reports list information about the data dictionary views that are
accessible in the database. Examples of data dictionary views are ALL_OBJECTS and
USER_TABLES.
Dictionary View Columns: For each Oracle data dictionary view, lists information
about the columns in the view.
Dictionary Views: Lists each Oracle data dictionary view and (in most cases) a
comment describing its contents or purpose.

1.12.8 Jobs reports
Jobs reports list information about jobs running on the database.
All Jobs: Lists information about all jobs running on the database. The information
includes the start time of its last run, current run, and next scheduled run.
DBA Jobs: Lists information about each job for which a DBA user is associated with
the database connection. The information includes the start time of its last run, current
run, and next scheduled run.
Your Jobs: Lists information about each job for which the user associated with the
database connection is the log user, privilege user, or schema user. The information
includes the start time of its last run, current run, and next scheduled run.

1.12.9 PL/SQL reports
PL/SQL reports list information about PL/SQL packages, function, and procedures,
and about types defined in them.
Program Unit Arguments: For each argument (parameter) in a program unit, lists the
program unit name, the argument position (1, 2, 3, and so on), the argument name,
and whether the argument is input-only (In), output-only (Out), or both input and
output (In/Out).
Search Source Code: For each PL/SQL object, lists the source code for each line, and
allows the source to be searched for occurrences of the specified variable.
Unit Line Counts: For each PL/SQL object, lists the number of source code lines. This
information can help you to identify complex objects (for example, to identify code
that may need to be simplified or divided into several objects).

1.12.10 Security reports
Security reports list information about users that have been granted privileges, and in
some cases about the users that granted the privileges. This information can help you
(or the database administrator if you are not a DBA) to understand possible security
issues and vulnerabilities, and to decide on the appropriate action to take (for
example, revoking certain privileges from users that do not need those privileges).
Auditing: Lists information about audit policies.
Encryption: Lists information about encrypted columns.
Grants and Privileges: Includes the following reports:
■

Column Privileges: For each privilege granted on a specific column in a specific
table, lists the user that granted the privilege, the user to which the privilege was
granted, the table, the privilege, and whether the user to which the privilege was
granted can grant that privilege to other users.
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■

■

■

Object Grants: For each privilege granted on a specific table, lists the user that
granted the privilege, the user to which the privilege was granted, the table, the
privilege, and whether the user to which the privilege was granted can grant that
privilege to other users.
Role Privileges: For each granted role, lists the user to which the role was granted,
the role, whether the role was granted with the ADMIN option, and whether the
role is designated as a default role for the user.
System Privileges: For each privilege granted to the user associated with the
database connection, lists the privilege and whether it was granted with the
ADMIN option.

Policies: Lists information about policies.
Public Grants: Lists information about privileges granted to the PUBLIC role.

1.12.11 Streams reports
Streams reports list information about stream rules.
All Stream Rules: Lists information about all stream rules. The information includes
stream type and name, rule set owner and name, rule owner and name, rule set type,
streams rule type, and subsetting operation.
Your Stream Rules: Lists information about each stream rule for which the user
associated with the database connection is the rule owner or rule set owner. The
information includes stream type and name, rule set owner and name, rule owner and
name, rule set type, streams rule type, and subsetting operation.

1.12.12 Table reports
Table reports list information about tables owned by the user associated with the
specified connection. This information is not specifically designed to identify problem
areas; however, depending on your resources and requirements, some of the
information might indicate things that you should monitor or address.
For table reports, the owner is the user associated with the database connection.
Columns: For each table, lists each column, its data type, and whether it can contain a
null value. Also includes Datatype Occurrences: For each table owner, lists each data
type and how many times it is used.
Comments for tables and columns: For each table and for each column in each table,
lists the descriptive comments (if any) associated with it. Also includes a report of
tables without comments. If database developers use the COMMENT statement when
creating or modifying tables, this report can provide useful information about the
purposes of tables and columns
Constraints: Includes the following reports related to constraints:
■

■

■

All Constraints: For each table, lists each associated constraint, including its type
(unique constraint, check constraint, primary key, foreign key) and status (enabled
or disabled).
Check Constraints: For each check constraint, lists information that includes the
owner, the table name, the constraint name, the constraint status (enabled or
disabled), and the constraint specification.
Enabled Constraints and Disabled Constraints: For each constraint with a status
of enabled or disabled, lists the table name, constraint name, constraint type
(unique constraint, check constraint, primary key, foreign key), and status. A

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disabled constraint is not enforced when rows are added or modified; to have a
disabled constraint enforced, you must edit the table and set the status of the
constraint to Enabled (see the appropriate tabs for the Create/Edit Table (with
advanced options) dialog box).
■

■

■

Foreign Key Constraints: For each foreign key constraint, lists information that
includes the owner, the table name, the constraint name, the column that the
constraint is against, the table that the constraint references, and the constraint in
the table that is referenced.
Primary Key Constraints: For primary key constraint, lists information that
includes the owner, the table name, the constraint name, the constraint status
(enabled or disabled), and the column name.
Unique Constraints: For each unique constraint, lists information that includes
the owner, the table name, the constraint name, the constraint status (enabled or
disabled), and the column name.

Indexes: Includes information about all indexes, indexes by status, indexes by type,
and unused indexes.
Organization: Specialized reports list information about partitioned tables, clustered
tables, and index-organized tables.
Quality Assurance: (See Quality Assurance reports.)
Statistics: For each table, lists statistical information, including when it was last
analyzed, the total number of rows, the average row length, and the table type. In
addition, specialized reports order the results by most rows and largest average row
length.
Storage: Lists information about the table count by tablespace and the tables in each
tablespace.
Triggers: Lists information about all triggers, disabled triggers, and enabled triggers.
User Synonyms: Displays information about either all user synonyms or those user
synonyms containing the string that you specify in the Enter Bind Variables dialog box
(uncheck Null in that box to enter a string).
User Tables: Displays information about either all tables or those tables containing the
string that you specify in the Enter Bind Variables dialog box (uncheck Null in that box
to enter a string).
Quality Assurance reports
Quality assurance reports are table reports that identify conditions that are not
technically errors, but that usually indicate flaws in the database design. These flaws
can result in various problems, such as logic errors and the need for additional
application coding to work around the errors, as well as poor performance with
queries at run time.
Tables without Primary Keys: Lists tables that do not have a primary key defined. A
primary key is a column (or set of columns) that uniquely identifies each row in the
table. Although tables are not required to have a primary key, it is strongly
recommended that you create or designate a primary key for each table. Primary key
columns are indexed, which enhances performance with queries, and they are
required to be unique and not null, providing some "automatic" validation of input
data. Primary keys can also be used with foreign keys to provide referential integrity.
Tables without Indexes: Lists tables that do not have any indexes. If a column in a
table has an index defined on it, queries that use the column are usually much faster

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and more efficient than if there is no index on the column, especially if there are many
rows in the table and many different data values in the column.
Tables with Unindexed Foreign Keys: Lists any foreign keys that do not have an
associated index. A foreign key is a column (or set of columns) that references a
primary key: that is, each value in the foreign key must match a value in its associated
primary key. Foreign key columns are often joined in queries, and an index usually
improves performance significantly for queries that use a column. If an unindexed
foreign key is used in queries, you may be able to improve run-time performance by
creating an index on that foreign key.

1.12.13 XML reports
XML reports list information about XML objects.
XML Schemas: For each user that owns any XML objects, lists information about each
object, including the schema URL of the XSD file containing the schema definition.

1.12.14 Migration reports
Migration reports list information related to migrating third-party databases to Oracle.
For more information, see Section 2.13, "Using Migration Reports".

1.12.15 User Defined reports
User Defined reports are any reports that are created by SQL Developer users. To
create a user-defined report, right-click the User Defined node under Reports and
select Add Report. A dialog box is displayed in which you specify the report name
and the SQL query to retrieve information for the report (see Section 4.43, "Create/Edit
User Defined Report").
You can organize user-defined reports in folders, and you can create a hierarchy of
folders and subfolders. To create a folder for user-defined reports, right-click the User
Defined node or any folder name under that node and select Add Folder (see
Section 4.44, "Create/Edit User Defined Report Folder").
Information about user-defined reports, including any folders for these reports, is
stored in a file named UserReports.xml under the directory for user-specific
information. For information about the location of this information, see Section 1.14,
"Location of User-Related Information".
For examples of creating user-defined reports, see:
■

Section 1.12.15.1, "User-Defined Report Example: Chart"

■

Section 1.12.15.2, "User-Defined Report Example: Dynamic HTML"

■

Section 1.7.8, "Gauges: In the SQL Worksheet and User-Defined Reports"

1.12.15.1 User-Defined Report Example: Chart
This example creates a report displayed as a chart. It uses the definition of the
EMPLOYEES table from the HR schema, which is a supplied sample schema.
Right-click on User Defined Reports and select Add Report. In the Add Report dialog
box, specify a report name; for Style, select Chart; and for SQL, enter the following:
select m.department_id, e.last_name, e.salary
from employees m, employees e
where e.employee_id = m.employee_id
order by 1

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The preceding query lists the last name and salary of each employee in each
department, grouping the results by department ID (10, 20, 30, ... 110). Note that the
expected syntax for the SQL statement for a chart report is:
SELECT ,, FROM 

Click the Chart Details tab near the bottom of the box; for Chart Type, select BAR_
VERT_STACK (bar chart, stacked vertically); and click Apply.
Use the Reports navigator to view the newly created user-defined report. For
Connection, specify one that connects to the HR sample schema.
The report is displayed as a chart, part of which is shown in the following illustration.
For example, as you can see, department 50 has mainly employees with the lowest
salaries, and department 90 consists of the three highest-paid employees.

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1.12.15.2 User-Defined Report Example: Dynamic HTML
This example creates a report using one or more PL/SQL DBMS_OUTPUT statements,
so that the report is displayed as dynamic HTML.
Right-click on User Defined Reports and select Add Report. In the Add Report dialog
box, specify a report name; for Style, select plsql-dbms_output; and for SQL, enter the
following:
begin
dbms_output.put_line ('
 This is Level-1 Heading 
');
dbms_output.put_line ('
 This is a Level-2 Heading 
');
dbms_output.put_line ('
 This is regular paragraph text. 
');
end;

Click Apply.
Use the Reports navigator to view the newly created user-defined report. For
Connection, specify any from the list. (This report does not depend on a specific
connection of table.).
The report is displayed as formatted HTML output.

1.13 SQL Developer Preferences
You can customize many aspects of the SQL Developer interface and environment by
modifying SQL Developer preferences according to your preferences and needs. To
modify SQL Developer preferences, select Tools, then Preferences.
Information about SQL Developer preferences is stored under the directory for
user-specific information. For information about the location of this information, see
Section 1.14, "Location of User-Related Information".
Most preferences are self-explanatory, and this topic explains only those whose
meaning and implications are not obvious. Some preferences involve performance or
system resource trade-offs (for example, enabling a feature that adds execution time),
and other preferences involve only personal aesthetic taste. The preferences are
grouped in the following categories.

1.13.1 Environment
The Environment pane contains options that affect the startup and overall behavior
and appearance of SQL Developer. You can specify that certain operations be
performed automatically at specified times, with the trade-off usually being the extra
time for the operation as opposed to the possibility of problems if the operation is not
performed automatically (for example, if you forget to perform it when you should).
The undo level (number of previous operations that can be undone) and navigation
level (number of open files) values involve slight increases or decreases system
resource usage for higher or lower values.
Automatically Reload Externally Modified Files: If this option is checked, any files
open in SQL Developer that have been modified by an external application are
updated when you switch back to SQL Developer, overwriting any changes that you
might have made. If this option is not checked, changes that you make in SQL
Developer overwrite any changes that might have been made by external applications.
Silently Reload When File Is Unmodified: If this option is checked, you are not asked
if you want to reload files that have been modified externally but not in SQL
Developer. If this option is not checked, you are asked if you want to reload each file
that has been modified externally, regardless of whether it has been modified in SQL
Developer.
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Environment: Dockable Windows
The Dockable Windows pane configures the behavior of dockable windows and the
shapes of the four docking areas of SQL Developer: top, bottom, left, and right.
Dockable Windows Always on Top: If this option is checked, dockable windows
always remain visible in front of other windows.
Windows Layout: Click the corner arrows to lengthen or shorten the shape of each
docking area.
Environment: Local History
The Local History pane controls whether information about editing operations on files
opened within SQL Developer is kept. If local history is enabled, you can specify how
long information is retained and the maximum number of revisions for each file.
Environment: Log
The Log pane configures the colors of certain types of log messages and the saving of
log messages to log files.
Save Logs to File: If this option is checked, all output to the Messages - Log window is
saved to log files, where the file name reflects the operation and a timestamp. You are
also asked to specify a Log Directory; and if the specified directory does not already
exist, it is created. Note that if you save log information to files, the number of these
files can become large.
Maximum Log Lines: The maximum number of lines to store in each log file.

1.13.2 Accelerators (Keyboard Shortcuts)
The Accelerators pane enables you to view and customize the accelerator key
mappings (keyboard shortcuts) for SQL Developer.
Category: Select All or a specific category (Code Editor, Database, Debug, Edit, and so
on), to control which actions are displayed.
Actions: The actions for the selected category. When you select an action, any existing
accelerator key mappings are displayed.
Accelerators: Any existing key mappings for the selected action. To remove an existing
key mapping, select it and click Remove.
New Accelerator: The new accelerator key to be associated with the action. Press and
hold the desired modifier key, then press the other key. For example, to associate
Ctrl+J with an action, press and hold the Ctrl key, then press the j key. If any actions
are currently associated with that accelerator key, they are listed in the Current
Assignment box.
Current Assignment: A read-only display of the current action, if any, that is mapped
to the accelerator key that you specified in the New Accelerator box.
Load Preset: Displays the Load Preset Key Mappings dialog box, where you can load a
set of predefined key mappings (including the SQL Developer defaults) for certain
systems and external editing applications. If you load any preset key mappings that
conflict with changes that you have made, your changes are overwritten.

1.13.3 Code Editor
The Code Editor pane contains general options that affect the appearance and
behavior of SQL Developer when you edit functions, procedures, and packages.

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Code Editor: Bookmarks
The Bookmarks pane contains options that determine the persistence and search
behavior for bookmarks that you create when using the code editor.
Code Editor: Caret Behavior
The Caret Behavior pane contains options that determine the shape, color, and
blinking characteristics of the caret (cursor) in the code editor.
Code Editor: Code Insight
The Code Insight pane contains options for the logical completion (autocomplete
options) of keywords and names while you are coding in the SQL Worksheet.
When you press Ctrl+Space, code insight provides a context-sensitive popup window
that can help you select parameter names. Completion insight provides you with a list
of possible completions at the insertion point that you can use to auto-complete code
you are editing. This list is based on the code context at the insertion point. To exit
code insight at any time, press Esc.
You can enable or disable both completion and parameter insight, as well as set the
time delay for the popup windows.
Code Editor: Code Insight: Completion
The Code Insight: Completion pane contains options for refining the behavior when
matching items are found. For more information, see the explanation for Code Editor:
Code Insight.
Code Editor: Display
The Display pane contains general options for the appearance and behavior of the
code editor.
Text Anti-Aliasing allows smooth-edged characters where possible.
Code Folding Margin allows program blocks in procedures and functions to be
expanded and collapsed in the display.
Visible Right Margin renders a right margin that you can set to control the length of
lines of code.
Automatic Brace Matching controls the highlighting of opening parentheses and
brackets and of blocks when a closing parenthesis or bracket is typed.
Code Editor: Fonts
The Fonts pane specifies text font options for the code editor.
Display Only Fixed-Width Fonts: If this option is checked, the display of available
font names is restricted to fonts where all characters have the same width.
(Fixed-width fonts are contrasted with proportional-width fonts.)
Code Editor: Line Gutter
The Line Gutter pane specifies options for the line gutter (left margin of the code
editor).
Show Line Numbers: If this option is checked, lines are numbered. (To go to a line
number while you are using the SQL Worksheet, press Ctrl+G.)
Enable Line Selection by Click-Dragging: If this option is checked, you can select
consecutive lines in the editor by clicking in the gutter and dragging the cursor
without releasing the mouse button.
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Code Editor: Printing
The Printing pane specifies options for printing the contents of the code editor. The
Preview pane sample display changes as you select and deselect options.
Code Editor: Printing HTML
The Printing HTML pane specifies options for printing HTML files from the code
editor.
Code Editor: Save Actions
The Save Actions pane specifies actions to be performed automatically during a save
operation.
Code Editor: Syntax Colors
The Syntax Colors pane specifies colors for different kinds of syntax elements.
Code Editor: Undo Behavior
The Undo Behavior pane specifies options for the behavior of undo operations
(Ctrl+Z, or Edit, then Undo). Only consecutive edits of the same type are considered; for
example, inserting characters and deleting characters are two different types of
operation.
Allow Navigation-Only Changes to be Undoable: If this option is checked,
navigation actions with the keyboard or mouse can be undone. If this option is not
checked, navigation actions cannot be undone, and only actual changes to the text can
be undone.

1.13.4 Compare and Merge
The Compare and Merge pane defines options for comparing and merging two source
files. For more information, see, see Comparing Source Files.
For each type of option, you can specify a Maximum File Size (KB): the maximum
size of the file (number of kilobytes) for which the operation will be performed.
Ignore Whitespace: If this option is enabled, leading and trailing tabs and letter
spacing are ignored when comparing files. Carriage returns are not ignored. Enabling
this option makes comparing two files easier when you have replaced all the space
with hard tabs, or vice versa. Otherwise, every line in the two documents might be
shown as different in the Compare window.
Show Character Differences: If this option is enabled, characters that are present in
one file and not in another are highlighted. Red highlighting indicates a character that
has been removed. Green highlighting indicates a character that has been added. The
highlighting is shown only when you click into a comparison block that contains
character differences.
Enable XML Compare: If this option is enabled, XML files can be compared.
Enable XML Merge: If this option is enabled, XML files can be merged.
Reformat Result: If this option is enabled, merged XML files can be reformatted.
Validate Result (May require Internet access): If this option is enabled, merged XML
files will be validated.
Comparing Source Files
You can compare source files in the following ways:

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■

■

■

A file currently being edited with its saved version: Place the focus on the current
version open in the editor, then select the History tab in the editor window. The
saved file opens side by side with the file in the editor buffer.
One file with another file outside the project: Place the focus on the file in the
editor to be compared; from the main menu, choose File, then Compare With
Other File; in the Select File to Compare With dialog, navigate to the file and click
Open.
Two files within the same project: In the navigator, select the two files to be
compared; then from the main menu, choose File, then Compare With Each
Other.

1.13.5 Database
The Database pane sets properties for the database connection.
Validate date and time default values: If this option is checked, date and time
validation is used when you open tables.
Default path for storing export: Default path of the directory or folder under which to
store output files when you perform an export operation. To see the current default for
your system, click the Browse button next to this field.
Run startup script on each new database connection: If this option is checked, the
script specified in the next field is executed whenever a connection is opened to an
Oracle database.
Filename for startup script: File name for the startup script to run when an Oracle
database connection is opened. You can click Browse to specify the location. The
default location is the default path for scripts (see the Database: Worksheet Parameters
preferences pane).
Database: Advanced Parameters
The Advanced Parameters pane specifies options such as the SQL array fetch size and
display options for null values.
You can also specify Kerberos thin driver configuration parameters, which enables you
to create database connections using Kerberos authentication and specifying the user
name and password. For more information, see the Kerberos Authentication
explanation on the Oracle tab in the Create/Edit/Select Database Connection dialog
box. For information about configuring Kerberos authentication, see Oracle Database
Advanced Security Administrator's Guide.
Use OCI/Thick driver: If this option is checked, and if an OCI (thick, Type 2) driver is
available, that driver will be used instead of a JDBC (thin) driver for basic and TNS
(network alias) database connections.
Kerberos Thin Config: Config File: Kerberos configuration file (for example,
krb5.conf).
Kerberos Thin Config: Credential Cache File: Kerberos credential cache file (for
example, krb5_cc_cache).
Database: Autotrace Parameters
The Autotrace Parameters pane specifies information to be displayed on the Autotrace
pane in the SQL Worksheet.

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Database: General Export Parameters
Custom Export Delimiter: The character to be used as the delimiter when you export
table data in CSV format. This option enables you to use a character other than the
default comma (,) as the CSV delimiter.
Database: NLS Parameters
The NLS Parameters pane specifies values for globalization support parameters, such
as the language, territory, sort preference, and date format. These parameter values are
used for SQL Developer session operations, such as for statements executed using the
SQL Worksheet and for the National Language Support Parameters report. Specifying
values in this preferences pane does not apply those values to the underlying database
itself. To change the database settings, you must change the appropriate initialization
parameters and restart the database.
Note that SQL Developer does not use default values from the current system for
globalization support parameters; instead, SQL Developer, when initially installed, by
default uses parameter values that include the following:
NLS_LANG,"AMERICAN"
NLS_TERR,"AMERICA"
NLS_CHAR,"AL32UTF8"
NLS_SORT,"BINARY"
NLS_CAL,"GREGORIAN"
NLS_DATE_LANG,"AMERICAN"
NLS_DATE_FORM,"DD-MON-RR"

Database: ObjectViewer Parameters
The ObjectViewer Parameters pane specifies whether to freeze object viewer windows,
and display options for the output. The display options will affect the generated DDL
on the SQL tab. The Data Editor Options affect the behavior when you are using the
Data tab to edit table data.
Data Editor Options
Post Edits on Row Change: If this option is checked, posts DML changes when you
perform edits using the Data tab (and the Set Auto Commit On option determines
whether or not the changes are automatically committed). If this option is not checked,
changes are posted and committed when you press the Commit toolbar button.
Set Auto Commit On (available only if Post Edit on Row Changes is enabled): If this
option is checked, DML changes are automatically posted and committed when you
perform edits using the Data tab.
Clear persisted table column widths, order, sort, and filter settings: If you click
Clear, then any customizations in the Data tab display for table column widths, order,
sort, and filtering are not saved for subsequent openings of the tab, but instead the
default settings are used for subsequent openings.
Database: PL/SQL Compiler Options
The PL/SQL Compiler Options pane specifies options for compilation of PL/SQL
subprograms.
Generate PL/SQL Debug Information: If this option is checked, PL/SQL debug
information is included in the compiled code; if this option is not checked, this debug
information is not included. The ability to stop on individual code lines and debugger
access to variables are allowed only in code compiled with debug information
generated.

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Types of messages: You can control the display of informational, severe, and
performance-related messages. (The ALL type overrides any individual specifications
for the other types of messages.) For each type of message, you can specify any of the
following:
■

No entry (blank): Use any value specified for ALL; and if none is specified, use the
Oracle default.

■

Enable: Enable the display of all messages of this category.

■

Disable: Disable the display of all messages of this category.

■

Error: Enable the display of only error messages of this category.

Optimization Level: 1, 2, or 3, reflecting the number and type of changes made
(lowest impact to highest impact). Higher levels usually result in better performance,
but longer compilation time.
PLScope Identifiers: Specifies the amount of PL/Scope identifier data to collect and
use (All or None).
Database: Reports
The Reports pane specifies options relating to SQL Developer reports.
Close all reports on disconnect: If this option is checked, all reports for any database
connection are automatically closed when that connection is disconnected.
Database: SQL Editor Code Templates
The SQL Editor Code Templates pane enables you to view, add, and remove templates
for editing SQL and PL/SQL code. Code templates assist you in writing code more
quickly and efficiently by inserting text for commonly used statements. You can then
modify the inserted text.
To insert the contents of a code template in the SQL Worksheet, put the cursor at the
point where the template is to be inserted, type the ID associated with the template,
and then press Ctrl+Shift+T. (Note: Ctrl+Shift+T is the accelerator assigned in the
default keymap, but you can assign another mapping.)
To enclose a SELECT statement in a FOR loop, select (highlight) the SELECT statement
and press Ctrl+Shift+T.
Add Template: Adds an empty row in the code template display. Enter an ID value,
then move to the Template cell; you can enter template content in that cell, or click the
ellipsis (...) button to open the code editor to enter the template content.
Remove Template: Deletes the selected code template.
Database: SQL Formatter
The SQL Formatter pane controls how statements in the SQL Worksheet are formatted
when you click Format SQL. The options include whether to insert space characters or
tab characters when you press the Tab key (and how many characters), uppercase or
lowercase for keywords and identifiers, whether to preserve or eliminate empty lines,
and whether comparable items should be placed or the same line (if there is room) or
on separate lines.
Database: Third Party JDBC Drivers
The Third Party JDBC Drivers pane specifies drivers to be used for connections to
third-party (non-Oracle) databases, such as MySQL, Microsoft SQL Server, or Sybase
Adaptive Server. (You do not need to add a driver for connections to Microsoft Access

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databases.) To add a driver, click Add Entry and select the path for the driver (for
example, a file with a name similar to mysql-connector-java-5.0.4-bin.jar,
in a directory under the one into which you unzipped the download for the MySQL
driver; or jtds-1.2.jar, which is included in the jtds-1.2-dist.zip download,
for Microsoft SQL Server or Sybase Adaptive Server).
Alternative: As an alternative to using this preference, you can click
Help, then Check for Updates to install the JTDS JDBC Driver for
Microsoft SQL Server and the MySQL JDBE Driver as extensions.

To find a specific third-party JDBC driver, see the appropriate Web site (for example,
http://www.mysql.com for the MySQL Connector/J JDBC driver for MySQL, or
http://jtds.sourceforge.net/ for the jTDS driver for Microsoft SQL Server
and Sybase Adaptive Server). For MySQL, use the MySQL 5.0 driver, not 5.1 or later,
with SQL Developer release 1.5.
You must specify a third-party JDBC driver or install a driver using the Check for
Updates feature before you can create a database connection to a third-party database
of that associated type. (See the tabs for creating connections to third-party databases
in the Create/Edit/Select Database Connection dialog box.)
Database: User-Defined Extensions
The User-Defined Extensions pane specifies user-defined extensions that have been
added. You can use this pane to add extensions that are not available through the
Check for Updates feature. (For more information about extensions and checking for
updates, see Section 1.13.7, "Extensions".)
One use of the Database: User-Defined Extensions pane is to create a Shared Reports
folder and to include an exported report under that folder: click Add Row, specify
Type as REPORT, and for Location specify the XML file containing the exported report.
The next time you restart SQL Developer, the Reports navigator will have a Shared
Reports folder containing that report
Database: Worksheet Parameters
Autocommit in SQL Worksheet: If this option is checked, a commit operation is
automatically performed after each INSERT, UPDATE, or DELETE statement executed
using the SQL Worksheet. If this option is not checked, a commit operation is not
performed until you execute a COMMIT statement.
Open a worksheet on connect: If this option is checked, a SQL Worksheet window for
the connection is automatically opened when you open a database connection. If this
option is not checked, you must use the Open SQL Worksheet right-click command or
toolbar icon to open a SQL Worksheet.
Close all worksheets on disconnect: If this option is checked, all SQL Worksheet
windows for any database connection are automatically closed when that connection
is disconnected.
Max rows to print in a script: Limits the number of rows displayed.
Default path to look for scripts: The default directory where SQL Developer looks
when you run a script (using @).
Save bind variables to disk on exit: If this option is checked, bind variables that you
enter when running a script are saved on disk for reuse. If you do not want bind
variable values stored on disk (for security or other reasons), be sure not to check this
option.
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Drag and Drop Effects: Determines the type of SQL statement created in the SQL
Worksheet when you drag an object from the Connections navigator into the SQL
Worksheet. The SQL Developer preference sets the default, which you can override in
the Drag and Drop Effects dialog box.
The type of statement (INSERT, DELETE, UPDATE, or SELECT) applies only for object
types for which such a statement is possible. For example, SELECT makes sense for a
table, but not for a trigger. For objects for which the statement type does not apply, the
object name is inserted in the SQL Worksheet.

1.13.6 Debugger
The Debugger pane contains general options for the SQL Developer debugger. Other
panes contain additional specific kinds of debugger options.
Debugger: Breakpoints
The Breakpoints pane sets the columns to appear in the Breakpoints pane and the
scope of each breakpoint.
Debugger: Breakpoints: Default Actions
The Breakpoints: Default Actions pane sets defaults for actions to occur at breakpoints.
These actions are the same as on the Actions tab in the Create/Edit Breakpoint dialog
box.
Debugger: Data
The Data pane enables you to control the columns to appear in the debugger Data
pane and aspects of how the data is displayed.
Debugger: Inspector
The Inspector pane enables you to control the columns to appear in the debugger
Inspector pane and aspects of how the data is displayed.
Debugger: Smart Data
The Smart Data pane enables you to control the columns to appear in the debugger
Smart Data pane and aspects of how the data is displayed.
Debugger: Stack
The Stack pane enables you to control the columns to appear in the debugger Stack
pane and other options.
Debugger: Watches
The Watches pane enables you to control the columns to appear in the debugger
Watches pane and aspects of how the data is displayed.

1.13.7 Extensions
The Extensions pane determines which optional extensions SQL Developer uses when
it starts. (SQL Developer also uses some mandatory extensions, which users cannot
remove or disable.) If you change any settings, you must exit SQL Developer and
restart it for the new settings to take effect.
For Versioning Support, the settings (selected or not, and configuration options if
selected) affect whether the Versioning menu is displayed and the items on that menu.

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Extensions to Use: Controls the specific optional SQL Developer extensions to use at
startup.
Check for Updates: Checks for any updates to the selected optional SQL Developer
extensions, as well as any mandatory extensions. (If the system you are using is behind
a firewall, see the SQL Developer user preferences for Web Browser and Proxy.)
Automatically Check for Updates: If this option is checked, SQL Developer
automatically checks for any updates to the selected optional SQL Developer
extensions and any mandatory extensions at startup.

1.13.8 File Types
The File Types pane determines which file types and extensions will be opened by
default by SQL Developer. The display shows each file extension, the associated file
type, and a check mark if files with that extension are to be opened by SQL Developer
be default, such as when a user double-clicks the file name.
Details area at bottom: You can modify the file type, content type (text or binary), and
whether to open files with this extension automatically by SQL Developer.
To have files with a specific extension be opened by default by SQL Developer, click
the file extension in the list, then check Open with SQL Developer in the Details area.
This overrides any previous application association that may have been in effect for
that file extension.
To add a file extension, click Add and specify the file extension (including the period).
After adding the extension, you can modify its associated information by selecting it
and using the Details area.

1.13.9 Global Ignore List
The Global Ignore List pane specifies filters that determine which files and file types
will not be used in any processing.
New Filter: A file name or file type that you want to add to the list of files and file
types (in the Filter box) that SQL Developer will ignore during all processing (if the
filter is enabled, or checked). You can exclude a particular file by entering its complete
file name, such as mumble.txt, or you can exclude all files of the same type by
entering a construct that describes the file type, such as *.txt.
Add: Adds the new filter to the list in the Filter box.
Remove: Deletes the selected filter from the list in the Filter box.
Restore Defaults: Restores the contents of the Filter box to the SQL Developer
defaults.
Filter: Contains the list of files and file types. For each item, if it is enabled (checked),
the filter is enforced and the file or file type is ignored by SQL Developer; but if it is
disabled (unchecked), the filter is not enforced.

1.13.10 Migration
The Migration pane contains options that affect the behavior of SQL Developer when
you migrate schema objects and data from third-party databases to an Oracle
database.
Default Repository: Migration repository to be used for storing the captured models
and converted models. For information about migrating third-party databases to
Oracle, including how to create a migration repository, see Chapter 2.
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Migration: Data Move Options
The Data Move Options pane contains options that affect the behavior when you
migrate data from third-party databases to Oracle Database tables generated by the
migration.
Online for all. Offline for MySQL, SQL Server, and Sybase Adaptive Server:
Options that can be used for online data migration for all supported third-party
databases, and for offline data migration for MySQL, SQL Server, and Sybase
Adaptive Server.
Representation for 0 Length String: The value to which Oracle converts zero-length
strings in the source data. Can be a space (' ') or a null value (NULL). Specific notes:
■

■
■

For Microsoft Access offline migrations, a null value and a space are considered
the same.
For Sybase offline migrations, '' is considered the same as a space (' ').
For MySQL offline migrations, a null value is exported as 'NULL', which is
handled as type VARCHAR2. You can specify another escape character by using
the --fields-escaped-by option with the mysqldump command (for example,
specifying \N for null or \\ for \). For information about the mysqldump
command, see Section 2.9.1.3, "Creating Data Files From MySQL".
For MySQL offline migrations, the data is exported to a file named table-name.txt;
so if you are moving data from two or more tables with the same name but in
different schemas, rename files as needed so that they are all unique, and modify
the SQL*Loader .ctl file accordingly.

Online: The online data move options determine the results of files created when you
click Migration, then Migrate Data.
Number of Parallel Data Move Streams: The number of internal connections created
for simultaneous movement of data from the source database to the Oracle tables.
Higher values may shorten the total time required, but will use more database
resources during that time.
Number of Rows to Commit After: During the data move operation, Oracle pauses to
perform an automatic internal commit operation after each number of rows that you
specify are moved from the source database to Oracle tables.
Lower values will cause a successful move operation to take more time; but if a failure
occurs, it is likely that more source records will exist in the Oracle tables and that if the
move operation is resumed, fewer source records will need to be moved. Higher
values will cause a successful move operation to take less time; but if a failure occurs,
it is likely that fewer source records will exist in the Oracle tables and that is the move
operation is resumed, more source records will need to be moved.
Offline: The offline data move options determine the results of files created when you
click Migration, then Generate Scripts, then Generate Data Move Scripts.
Offline Data Script Directory: Default location for scripts for offline data move
operations.
End of Column Delimiter: String to indicate end of column.
End of Row Delimiter: String to indicate end of row.
Date Mask: Format mask for dates.
Timestamp Mask: Format mask for timestamps.

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Migration: Generation Options
The Generation Options pane contains options that determine the results of files
created when you click Migration, then Generate Scripts, then Generate Oracle DDL.
One single file, A file per object, or A file per database: Determines how many files
are created and their relative sizes. Having more files created might be less convenient,
but may allow more flexibility with complex migration scenarios. (See also the
Maximum Number of Lines option.)
Output Directory: Default location in which the files will be created.
Implement ’CREATE’ as ’CREATE OR REPLACE’: Causes CREATE statements in
source database objects to be implemented using CREATE OR REPLACE when the
Oracle syntax allows this.
Generate Comments: Generates comments in the Oracle SQL statements.
Generate Controlling Script: Generates a "master" script for running all the required
files.
Maximum Number of Lines: Sets a maximum number of lines for each file; you then
specify the number.
Least Privilege Schema Migration: For migrating schema objects in a converted
model to Oracle, causes CREATE USER, GRANT, and CONNECT statements not to be
generated in the output scripts. You must then ensure that the scripts are run using a
connection with sufficient privileges. You can select this option if the database user
and connection that you want to use to run the scripts already exist, or if you plan to
create them.
Generate Data Move User: For data move operations, creates an additional database
user with extra privileges to perform the operation. It is recommended that you delete
this user after the operation. This option is provided for convenience, and is suggested
unless you want to perform least privilege migrations or unless you want to grant
privileges manually to a user for the data move operations. This option is especially
recommended for multischema migrations, such as when not all tables belong to a
single user.
Generate Failed Objects: Causes objects that failed to be converted to be included in
the generation script, so that you can make any desired changes and then run the
script. If this option is not checked, objects that failed to be converted are not included
in the generation script.
Generate Stored Procedure for Migrate Blobs Offline: Causes a stored procedure
named CLOBtoBLOB_sqldeveloper (with execute access granted to public) to be
created if the schema contains a BLOB (binary large object); this procedure is
automatically called if you perform an offline capture. If this option is not checked,
you will need to use the manual workaround described in Section 2.9.1.4, "Populating
the Destination Database Using the Data Files". (After the offline capture, you can
delete the CLOBtoBLOB_sqldeveloper procedure or remove execute access from
public.)
Migration: Identifier Options
The Identifier Options pane contains options that apply to object identifiers during
migrations.
Prepended to All Identifier Names (Microsoft Access, Microsoft SQL Server, and
Sybase Adaptive Server migrations only): A string to be added at the beginning of the
name of migrated objects. For example, if you specify the string as XYZ_, and if a

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source table is named EMPLOYEES, the migrated table will be named XYZ_
EMPLOYEES. (Be aware of any object name length restrictions if you use this option.)
Is Quoted Identifier On (Microsoft SQL Server and Sybase Adaptive Server
migrations only): If this option is enabled, quotation marks (double-quotes) can be
used to refer to identifiers (for example, SELECT "Col 1" from "Table 1"); if this option
is not enabled, quotation marks identify string literals. Important: The setting of this
option must match the setting in the source database to be migrated, as explained in
Section 2.5.1, "Before Migrating From Microsoft SQL Server or Sybase Adaptive
Server".
Migration: Translation Options
The Translation Options pane contains options that relate to conversion of stored
procedures and functions from their source database format to Oracle format.
Default Source Date Format: Default data format mask for dates in the source data.
Translation Diff Viewer: Several options affect the display when you use the
translation differences viewer feature.

1.13.11 Versioning
Versioning preferences affect the behavior of the version control and management
systems that you can use with SQL Developer. You can specify preferences for CVS
and Subversion. For information about using versioning with SQL Developer, see
Section 1.11, "Using Versioning".
Versioning: CVS
The CVS pane specifies options for use with CVS (Concurrent Versions System).
CVS Client: Internal to Oracle SQL Developer (installed with SQL Developer) or
External Executable (separately installed CVS client, for which you must specify the
name or path).
■

■

■

Name on System Path: Name of the CVS server executable. The default (cvs) is
correct for most installations. This option assumes that the name of the CVS server
executable is on the system path.
Path from Environment: Location of the CVS server executable, especially if there
is more than one on the system path. The selection area will list all instances of the
CVS server executable known to the local system. You may have more than one
version of CVS installed: this option lets you specify which of them to use with
SQL Developer.
Other Path: Location of the CVS server executable, if it is not on the system path at
all.

Run CVS in Edit/Watch Mode: If this option is enabled, you coordinate access to files
by declaring an editor for them through CVS, after which they may be modified. Only
those files that you check out after changing this preference will be affected. If this
option is disabled, the edit and watch commands on the Versioning menu are disabled.
State Overlay Scheme: Scheme for the icons displayed alongside folder and file names
in the navigators to indicate their versioning status.
Versioning: CVS: Commands
The CVS: Commands pane sets options for CVS source control. Some options are not
available when using the internal CVS client.

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Enable Advanced Controls: If this option is enabled, advanced CVS controls are
shown in dialog boxes. If you find that you use only basic CVS features, you might
wish to use SQL Developer without advanced controls, to reduce complexity and save
screen space.
Global Options: Run Quietly: If this option is enabled, informational messages are
suppressed.
Global Options: Do not Log Commands: If this option is enabled, CVS commands are
not logged in the repository command history.
Global Options: Encrypt: If this option is enabled, all communication between the
client and the server is encrypted. Encryption support is not available in CVS by
default; it must be enabled using a special configuration option when you build CVS.
Set Compression Level (z): If this option is enabled, you can set the compression level
for files sent between client and server. The level can be set from Minimum (high
speed, low compression) to Maximum (low speed, high compression).
Keyword Substitution Mode: CVS uses keyword substitution modes to insert revision
information into files when they are checked out or updated. This option controls the
mode of replacement for keyword substitution in versioned files:
■
■

■
■

■

■

Automatic: The default, recommended option.
Keyword-Only Mode: Generates only keyword names in keyword strings and
omits their values. This option is useful for disregarding differences due to
keyword substitution when comparing different revisions of a file.
Keyword-Value Mode: Generates keyword strings using the default form.
Keyword-Value-Locker Mode: Like the keyword-value mode, except that the
name of the locker is always inserted if the given revision is currently locked.
Old-Contents Mode: Generates the old keyword string, present in the working file
just before it was checked in.
Value-Only Mode: Generates only keyword values for keyword strings. This can
help generate files in programming languages where it is hard to strip keyword
delimiters from a string. However, further keyword substitution cannot be
performed once the keyword names are removed, so this option should be used
with care.

On Commit: Use Comment Templates: If this option is enabled, your commit
comments will be entered through template forms. The forms are set up by the CVS
system administrator. There may be different forms for different circumstances and
installations, and it may be that none of them are suitable for your commit comments.
In this case, this preference lets you disable the use of all forms.
On Commit: Automatically Add Files: If this option is enabled, local files are added to
the CVS repository whenever you perform a commit action.
Create Backup Files on Remove: If this option is enabled, backup copies are made of
files that are removed through actions of the source control system.
Versioning: CVS: General
The CVS: General pane specifies environment settings and the operation timeout.
Use Navigator State Overlay Icons: If this option is enabled, state overlay icons are
used. State overlay icons are small symbols associated with object names in the
navigators. They indicate the state of version-controlled files (for example, "up to
date").

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Use Navigator State Overlay Labels: If this option is enabled, state overlay labels are
used. State overlay labels are tooltips associated with object names in the navigators.
Automatically Make Files Editable: If this option is enabled, an editor is
automatically used on a data file when you start to change it. (If you edit a file
unintentionally, immediately use Versioning, then Unedit to revert.)
Operation Timeout: Maximum time allowed for CVS operations to complete.
Versioning: CVS: Navigator Labels
The CVS: Navigator Labels pane specifies formatting for CVS information appears on
navigator nodes and tool tips. For a full explanation of keyword substitution modes,
see the CVS documentation.
Versioning: CVS: Version Tools
The CVS: Version Tools pane specifies options for the pending changes window and
the merge editor.
Use Outgoing Changes Commit Dialog: Enables you to make optimum use of limited
screen space when the Pending Changes window is open. You can save screen space
by not showing the Comments area of the Pending Changes window, but you might
still want to add comments before a commit action. You can choose the circumstances
under which the Commit dialog is opened: always, only when the Comments area of
the Pending Changes window is hidden, or never.
Incoming Changes Timer Interval: The frequency at which the change status of files is
checked.
Merge Editor: Specifies whether files are merged locally or at the server.
Versioning: Subversion
The Subversion pane specifies the Subversion client to use with SQL Developer.
Versioning: Subversion: General
The Subversion: General pane specifies environment settings and the operation
timeout.
Use Navigator State Overlay Icons: If this option is enabled, state overlay icons are
used. State overlay icons are small symbols associated with object names in the
navigators. They indicate the state of version-controlled files (for example, "up to
date").
Use Navigator State Overlay Labels: If this option is enabled, state overlay labels are
used. State overlay labels are tooltips associated with object names in the navigators.
Automatically Make Files Editable: If this option is enabled, an editor is
automatically used on a data file when you start to change it. (If you edit a file
unintentionally, immediately use Versioning, then Unedit to revert.)
Operation Timeout: Maximum time allowed for Subversion operations to complete.
Versioning: Subversion: Version Tools
The Subversion: Version Tools pane specifies options for the pending changes window
and the merge editor.
Use Outgoing Changes Commit Dialog: Enables you to make optimum use of limited
screen space when the Pending Changes window is open. You can save screen space
by not showing the Comments area of the Pending Changes window, but you might
still want to add comments before a commit action. You can choose the circumstances
1-60 Oracle SQL Developer User's Guide

Location of User-Related Information

under which the Commit dialog is opened: always, only when the Comments area of
the Pending Changes window is hidden, or never.
Incoming Changes Timer Interval: The frequency at which the change status of files is
checked.
Merge Editor: Specifies whether files are merged locally or at the server.

1.13.12 Web Browser and Proxy
The Web Browser and Proxy pane settings are relevant only when you use the Check
for Updates feature (click Help, then Check for Updates), and only if your system is
behind a firewall.
Browser Command Line: To specify a Web browser other than your default browser,
specify the executable file to start that browser. To use your default browser, leave this
field blank.
Use HTTP Proxy Server: Check your Web browser options or preferences for the
appropriate values for these fields.

1.14 Location of User-Related Information
SQL Developer stores user-related information in several places, with the specific
location depending on the operating system and certain environment specifications.
User-related information includes user-defined reports, user-defined snippets, SQL
Worksheet history, code templates, and SQL Developer user preferences. In most cases,
your user-related information is stored outside the SQL Developer installation
directory hierarchy, so that it is preserved if you delete that directory and install a new
version.
The user-related information is stored in or under the following location:
■

■

On Windows systems: the HOME environment variable location, if defined;
otherwise the SQLDEVELOPER_USER_DIR location, if defined; otherwise as
indicated in the following table
On Linux and Mac OS X systems: the SQLDEVELOPER_USER_DIR location, if
defined; otherwise as indicated in the following table

The following table shows the typical default locations (under a directory or in a file)
for specific types of resources on different operating systems. (Note the period in the
name of any directory named .sqldeveloper.)
Table 1–1

Default Locations for User-Related Information

Resource Type

System (Windows, Linux, or Mac OS X)

User-defined
reports

Windows: C:\Documents and Settings\\Application Data\SQL
Developer\UserReports.xml
Linux or Mac OS X: ~/.sqldeveloper/UserReports.xml

User-defined
snippets

Windows: C:\Documents and Settings\\Application
Data\SQL Developer\UserSnippets.xml
Linux: ~/.sqldeveloper/ UserSnippets.xml
Mac OS X: /Users//Library/Application Support/
SQLDeveloper/UserSnippets.xml

SQL Developer Concepts and Usage

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Oracle TimesTen In-Memory Database Support

Table 1–1 (Cont.) Default Locations for User-Related Information
Resource Type

System (Windows, Linux, or Mac OS X)

SQL history

Windows: C:\Documents and Settings\\Application Data\SQL
Developer\SqlHistory.xml
Linux: ~/.sqldeveloper/ SqlHistory.xml
Mac OS X: /Users//Library/Application Support/
SQLDeveloper/ SqlHistory.xml

Code templates

Windows: C:\Documents and Settings\\Application
Data\SQL Developer\ CodeTemplate.xml
Linux: ~/.sqldeveloper/ CodeTemplate.xml
Mac OS X: /Users//Library/Application Support/
SQLDeveloper/ CodeTemplate.xml

SQL Developer
user preferences

Windows: C:\Documents and Settings\\Application
Data\SQL Developer\systemn.n.n.n.n
Linux or Mac OS X: ~/.sqldeveloper/systemn.n.n.n.n

To specify a nondefault SQLDEVELOPER_USER_DIR location, do either of the
following:
■

■

Set the SQLDEVELOPER_USER_DIR environment variable to specify another
directory path.
Edit the \sqldeveloper\sqldeveloper\bin\sqldeveloper.conf file
and substitute the desired directory path for SQLDEVELOPER_USER_DIR in the
following line:
SetUserHomeVariable SQLDEVELOPER_USER_DIR

If you want to prevent other users from accessing your user-specific SQL Developer
information, you must ensure that the appropriate permissions are set on the directory
where that information is stored or on a directory above it in the path hierarchy. For
example, on a Windows system you may want to ensure that the SQL Developer
folder and the \\Application Data\SQL Developer folder under
Documents and Settings are not shareable; and on a Linux or Mac OS X system
you may want to ensure that the ~/.sqldeveloper directory is not world-readable.

1.15 Oracle TimesTen In-Memory Database Support
When you connect to an Oracle TimesTen In-Memory Database, the available types of
objects that you can work with include several that apply to an Oracle Database, and
the following that are specific to TimesTen:
■

Cache groups

■

Replication schemes

To create a connection to a TimesTen database, use the TimesTen tab in the
Create/Edit/Select Database Connection dialog box.
For usage and reference information about TimesTen, see the online documentation
that is included with the TimesTen installation. For additional information, go to:
http://www.oracle.com/technology/products/timesten/

1-62 Oracle SQL Developer User's Guide

For More Information

1.16 Using the Help
SQL Developer provides a Help menu and context-sensitive help (click the Help
button or press the F1 key in certain contexts). Much of the help content is also in
Oracle Database SQL Developer User's Guide, which is in the SQL Developer
Documentation Library.
Help is displayed in the Help Center window, which has a Contents pane on the left, a
Search box at the top right, and a help topic display pane under the Search box. You
can move the horizontal divider to change the pane sizes (for example, to make the
Contents pane narrower, to allow more room for the help topic content). You can also
resize and reposition the Help Center window.
For Search, you can click the icon (binoculars) to see search options: case sensitive
(Match case) or case insensitive; and whether to match topics based on all specified
words, any specified words, or a Boolean expression.
The Keep on Top button toggles whether the Help Center window is kept on top of
the display when you switch focus (click) back in the SQL Developer window.
To print a help topic, display it in the topic display pane and click the Print icon at the
top of the pane.
To increase or decrease the size of the font in the help topic viewer, click the Change
Font Size (A) icon in the Help Center topic display area toolbar, then select Increase
Font Size of Decrease Font Size. This setting is preserved only for the duration of the
current help pane or window; therefore, you may want to keep the Help Center
window open after setting the help text font to your preferred size.

1.17 For More Information
For more information about SQL Developer and related topics, you may find the
following resources helpful:
■

■

SQL Developer home page (OTN), which includes links for downloads, white
papers, tutorials, viewlets (demonstrations), blogs, a discussion forum, and other
sources of information:
http://www.oracle.com/technology/products/database/sql_
developer/
PL/SQL page on OTN: http://www.oracle.com/technology/tech/pl_
sql/

■

Oracle Accessibility site: http://www.oracle.com/accessibility/

■

Oracle Corporate site: http://www.oracle.com/

SQL Developer Concepts and Usage

1-63

For More Information

1-64 Oracle SQL Developer User's Guide

2
2

Migrating Third-Party Databases

Note: The migration capabilities in SQL Developer represent an
evolution of the Oracle Migration Workbench product.

Migration is the process of copying the schema objects and data from a source
third-party (non-Oracle) database, such as MySQL, Microsoft SQL Server, Sybase
Adaptive Server, or Microsoft Access, to an Oracle database. You can perform the
migration in an efficient, largely automated way.
Thus, you have two options for working with third-party databases in SQL Developer:
■

■

Creating database connections so that you can view schema objects and data in
these databases
Migrating these databases to Oracle, to take advantage of the full range of Oracle
Database features and capabilities

This chapter contains the following major sections:
Section 2.1, "Migration Quick Start"
Section 2.2, "Overview of Migration"
Section 2.3, "Preparing a Migration Plan"
Section 2.4, "Before You Start Migrating: General Information"
Section 2.5, "Before You Start Migrating: Source-Specific Information"
Section 2.6, "Capturing the Source Database"
Section 2.7, "Creating and Customizing the Converted Model"
Section 2.8, "Generating the DDL for the Oracle Schema Objects"
Section 2.9, "Migrating the Data"
Section 2.10, "Making Queries Case Insensitive"
Section 2.11, "Testing the Oracle Database"
Section 2.12, "Deploying the Oracle Database"
Section 2.13, "Using Migration Reports"
Section 2.14, "SQL Developer User Interface for Migration"

Migrating Third-Party Databases 2-1

Migration Quick Start

2.1 Migration Quick Start
To migrate a third-party database to Oracle, the basic actions are: prepare for the
migration, create or select associate a migration repository, capture the source
database, convert the captured database, generate and run DDL for the new Oracle
schema objects, and optionally move data from the source database to the new
database.
There are two mechanisms for migrating third-party databases to Oracle: standard
migration and quick migration.

2.1.1 Standard Migration
Standard migration involves capturing, converting, generating the database, and
performing the data move in several distinct steps. This is the recommended approach
when performing a migration. Any issues during these phases can be manually
resolved and all objects can be inspected or modified to suit your needs.
Standard Migration: Prepare for Migration
1. Prepare for the migration by reading the appropriate related topics in Chapter 2,
"Migrating Third-Party Databases".
2.

3.

Create a migration repository in a new or existing Oracle connection. You may
find it simple and convenient to create separate a Oracle database user and
connection for migration work. Then, select the connection and create the
repository. For example:
a.

Create an Oracle user named MIGRATIONS with default tablespace USER
and temporary tablespace TEMP; and grant it at least RESOURCE, CREATE
SESSION, and CREATE VIEW privileges. (For multischema migrations, you
must grant the RESOURCE role with the ADMIN option; and you must also
grant this user the CREATE ROLE, CREATE USER, and ALTER ANY
TRIGGER privileges, all with the ADMIN option.)

b.

Create a database connection named Migration_Repository that connects to
the MIGRATIONS user.

c.

Right-click the Migration_Repository connection, and select Migration
Repository, then Associate Migration Repository to create the repository.

Create and open a database connection for the third-party database. (For
migrations other than from Microsoft Access, you should set the third party JDBC
driver preference before creating the connection.)
For example, create a database connection named Sales_Access to the Microsoft
Access database named sales.mdb, and connect to it.

Standard Migration: Capture Source Schema Objects
There are two ways to capture source schema objects: online and offline. Online
capture which is suitable in most cases, so it is described here.
To perform online capture, right-click the connection name in the Connections
navigator and select Capture database-type (for example, Capture MySQL, Capture
Microsoft Access, Capture Microsoft SQL Server, or Capture Sybase Adaptive Server).
Selecting Capture Microsoft Access automatically invokes the Microsoft Access
exporter tool to create XML files for migrating the schema and the table data.
However, if you want to run the exporter tool manually (for example, to control
certain options), click Migration, then Microsoft Access Exporter, then the item for

2-2 Oracle SQL Developer User's Guide

Migration Quick Start

your version of Microsoft Access. Follow the steps for the exporter tool, which has its
own online help.
After the capture, the Captured Models navigator displays an expandable node for the
captured objects (for example, sales (Access) for the captured sales.mdb objects, as
shown in the figure in Section 2.14, "SQL Developer User Interface for Migration").
Standard Migration: Convert Captured Objects
To convert the captured objects to Oracle-format objects, right-click the appropriate
node in the Captured Objects navigator and select Convert to Oracle Model, and
accept the defaults for data mappings (or specify selected mappings if you need to).
After the conversion, the Converted Models navigator displays an expandable node
for the converted objects (for example, Converted sales (Access)).
Standard Migration: Generate Oracle Database Objects
1. Generate a SQL*Plus script that creates the DDL statements to create the Oracle
database objects that correspond to the source database objects: right-click the
appropriate node in the Captured Models navigator and select Generate. A SQL
Worksheet window opens containing the SQL*Plus statements.
2.

In the SQL Worksheet window that was just opened, select (in the drop-down list
on the right) an Oracle database connection in which to run the script (next step).

3.

Examine the generated SQL*Plus statements, and optionally make any changes.
For example, if the database user to own the generated objects already exists (as it
will if you are following these quick-step instructions), delete or modify the
CREATE USER and related statements.

4.

Click the Run Script button in the SQL Worksheet window to run the script.

5.

In the Connections navigator, create a connection to the user that was just created.

In the Connections navigator, you should now see the new database objects
corresponding to the objects in the third-party database that you migrated.
Standard Migration: Move Data to Oracle Database
If you want, you can migrate (move) any existing data from the source database to the
Oracle database. You have two options for data migration: online or offline.
■

■

Online data move: Click Migration, then Migrate Data. In the dialog box, specify
the Source Connection, the Target Connection, and the Converted Model. This
method uses JDBC and therefore is constrained by the third-party
implementations. This method is suitable for moving small data sets.
Offline data move: Click Migration, then Script Generation, then Generate Data
Move Scripts; specify the converted model and a directory into which to generate
the files that you will use for unloading the data from the source database and for
importing into Oracle using SQL*Loader. This method is designed for moving
large volumes of data.

2.1.2 Quick Migration
Quick migration is a simplified approach that uses a wizard. It provides a quick
solution when migrating a simple database; however, for more control of the
migration process, you should use Standard Migration.

Migrating Third-Party Databases 2-3

Migration Quick Start

Quick Migration: Prepare for Migration
1. Prepare for the migration by reading the appropriate related topics in Chapter 2,
"Migrating Third-Party Databases".
2.

3.

Create a migration repository in a new or existing Oracle connection. You may
find it simple and convenient to create separate a Oracle database user and
connection for migration work. Then, select the connection and create the
repository. For example:
a.

Create an Oracle user named MIGRATIONS with default tablespace USER
and temporary tablespace TEMP; and grant it at least RESOURCE, CREATE
SESSION, and CREATE VIEW privileges. (For multischema migrations, you
must grant the RESOURCE role with the ADMIN option; and you must also
grant this user the CREATE ROLE, CREATE USER, and ALTER ANY
TRIGGER privileges, all with the ADMIN option.)

b.

Create a database connection named Migration_Repository that connects to
the MIGRATIONS user.

c.

Right-click the Migration_Repository connection, and select Migration
Repository, then Associate Migration Repository to create the repository.

Create an Oracle user whose schema is to be used as the destination for the objects
to be migrated, or use an existing Oracle user and schema. Grant sufficient
privileges to this user.
For example, if you plan to migrate a Microsoft Access database named sales.mdb,
you might create an Oracle user named SALES, in whose schema the Oracle
database objects will be generated.

4.

Create and open an Oracle connection for the schema that you created or selected
in the preceding step.
For example, create an Oracle connection named Sales_Oracle to the schema
associated with user SALES, and connect to it.

5.

Create and open a database connection for the third-party database. (For
migrations other than from Microsoft Access, you should set the third party JDBC
driver preference before creating the connection.)
For example, create a database connection named Sales_Access to the Microsoft
Access database named sales.mdb, and connect to it.

Quick Migration: Migrate Using the Wizard
1. Click Migration, then Quick Migrate.
2.

For Source Connection, select the connection for the third-party database to be
migrated. For example: Sales_Access

3.

For Target Connection, select the connection for the Oracle Database schema to
which the third-party database is to be migrated. For example: Sales_Oracle

4.

For Repository, use the selected existing repository; or if no repository exists,
allow SQL Developer to create a migration repository in the schema of the target
connection.

5.

Click Verify to start the pre-migration check.

6.

After the pre-migration check completes satisfactorily, specify the Migration Type:
Migrate Tables, Migrate Tables and Data, or Migrate Everything (all objects).

7.

Click Finish in the Summary pane to perform the migration.

2-4 Oracle SQL Developer User's Guide

Overview of Migration

The specific operations performed depend on the migration type and the type of
third-party database being migrated. For example, for a Microsoft Access
database, the Exporter for Microsoft Access tool is automatically invoked. Do not
interrupt any of the migration operations.
If any issues arise during the migration, the quick migration will stop. To proceed with
migration, follow the Standard Migration approach, which will help identify the issues
and allow you to modify the appropriate objects.

2.2 Overview of Migration
An Oracle database provides you with better scalability, reliability, increased
performance, and better security than third-party databases. For this reason,
organizations migrate from their current database, such as Microsoft SQL Server,
Sybase Adaptive Server, or Microsoft Access, to an Oracle database. Although
database migration can be complicated, SQL Developer enables you to simplify the
process of migrating a third-party database to an Oracle database.
SQL Developer captures information from the source database and displays it in the
captured model, which is a representation of the structure of the source database. This
representation is stored in a migration repository, which is a collection of schema
objects that SQL Developer uses to store migration information.
The information in the repository is used to generate the converted model, which is a
representation of the structure of the destination database as it will be implemented in
the Oracle database. You can then use the information in the captured model and the
converted model to compare database objects, identify conflicts with Oracle reserved
words, and manage the migration progress. When you are ready to migrate, you
generate the Oracle schema objects, and then migrate the data.
SQL Developer contains logic to extract data from the data dictionary of the source
database, create the captured model, and convert the captured model to the converted
model.
Using SQL Developer to migrate a third-party database to an Oracle database provides
the following benefits:
■
■

■

■

Reduces the effort and risks involved in a migration project
Enables you to migrate an entire third-party database, including triggers and
stored procedures
Enables you to see and compare the captured model and converted model and to
customize each if you wish, so that you can control how much automation there is
in the migration process
Provides feedback about the migration through reports

2.2.1 How Migration Works
The components of SQL Developer work together to migrate a third-party database to
an Oracle database. Figure 2–1, "SQL Developer Migration Architecture" shows how
SQL Developer reads the information from the source database and creates the Oracle
database schema objects. SQL Developer uses the information stored in the migration
repository to migrate to the Oracle schema. You can make changes to the captured
model or the converted model, or both, before migrating. The information in the
converted model is used to complete the migration, that is, to generate the database
objects in the destination Oracle schema.

Migrating Third-Party Databases 2-5

Preparing a Migration Plan

Figure 2–1 SQL Developer Migration Architecture

Source
Database
Migration
Repository
SQL Developer

Captured
Model
Converted
Model

Destination
Oracle
Schema

2.2.2 Migration Implemented as SQL Developer Extensions
Migration support is implemented in SQL Developer as a set of extensions. If you
want, you can disable migration support or support for migrating individual
third-party databases.
To view the installed extensions, and to enable or disable individual extensions, click
Tools, then Preferences, then Extensions. Note that SQL Developer ships which all
extensions and third-party database "plugins" available at the time of release, so to
begin migrations other than for Microsoft Access, only the third-party drivers need be
installed.

2.3 Preparing a Migration Plan
This topic describes the process of how to create a migration project plan. It identifies
the sections to include in the migration plan, describes how to determine what to
include for each section, and explains how to avoid the risks involved in a migration
project. This information includes:
■

Task 1: Determining the Requirements of the Migration Project

■

Task 2: Estimating Workload

■

Task 3: Analyzing Operational Requirements

■

Task 4: Analyzing the Application

■

Task 5: Planning the Migration Project

2.3.1 Task 1: Determining the Requirements of the Migration Project
In this task, you identify which databases you want to migrate and applications that
access that database. You also evaluate the business requirements and define testing
criteria.
To determine the requirements of the migration project:
1.

Define the scope of the project.

2-6 Oracle SQL Developer User's Guide

Preparing a Migration Plan

There are several choices you must make about the third-party database and
applications that access that database in order to define the scope of the migration
project. To obtain a list of migration issues and dependencies, you should consider
the following
■

■

What third-party databases are you migrating?
–

What is the version of the third-party database?

–

What is the character set of the third-party database?

What source applications are affected by migrating the third-party database to
an Oracle database?
–

What is the third-party application language?

–

What version of the application language are you using?

In the scope of the project, you should have identified the applications you
must migrate. Ensure that you have included all the necessary applications
that are affected by migrating the database
■

■

2.

What types of connectivity issues are involved in migrating to an Oracle
database?
–

Do you use connectivity software to connect the applications to the
third-party database? Do you need to modify the connectivity software to
connect the applications to the Oracle database?

–

What version of the connectivity software do you use? Can you use this
same version to connect to the Oracle database?

Are you planning to rewrite the applications or modify the applications to
work with an Oracle database?

Use Table 2–1 to determine whether you have a complex or simple source database
environment. Identify the requirements based on the specific scenario.
If the migration project is a simple scenario, you may not have to complete all of
the tasks listed in this guide. You make decisions based on your specific
environment. For example, if you have a complex scenario, you may require extra
testing based on the complexity of the application accessing the database.

Table 2–1

Complex and Simple Scenarios

Complex Scenario
More than one of the following:

Simple Scenario
Contains the following:

■

Large database (greater than 25 GB)

■

■

Data warehouse

■

Large applications (greater than 100
forms, reports, and batch jobs)

■

Database is used by multiple lines of
business

■

■

■

■

Distributed deployment

■

Large user base (greater than 100)

■

3.

High availability requirement (such as
a 24 X 7 X 365 environment)

Small database (less than 25 GB)
Simple online transaction processing
(OLTP)
Small application (less than 100 forms,
reports, and batch jobs)
Database is used by one
department

■

Centralized deployment

■

Small user base (less than 100)

■

Average availability (business hours)

Determine whether the destination database requires additional hardware and
rewriting of backup schedules.

Migrating Third-Party Databases 2-7

Preparing a Migration Plan

4.

Define testing and acceptance criteria.
Define tests to measure the accuracy of the migration. You then use the acceptance
criteria to determine whether the migration was successful. The tests that you
develop from the requirements should also measure stability, evaluate
performance, and test the applications. You must decide how much testing is
necessary before you can deploy the Oracle database and applications into a
production environment.

5.

Create a requirements document with a list of requirements for the migration
project.
The requirements document should have clearly defined tasks and number each
specific requirement, breaking these into sub-requirements where necessary.

2.3.2 Task 2: Estimating Workload
In this task, you use SQL Developer to make calculated decisions on the amount of
work that can be automated and how much is manual.
To estimate the workload:
1.

Capture the captured model, create the converted model, and migrate to the
destination database.
You can analyze the source database through the captured model and a preview of
the destination database through the converted model. After you have captured
the source database, analyze the captured data contained in the captured model
and the converted model. Ensure the content and structure of the migration
repository is correct and determine how much time the entire process takes.

2.

Use the Migration Log pane to evaluate the capture and migration process,
categorize the total number of database objects, and identify the number of objects
that can be converted and migrated automatically.
The migration log provides information about the actions that have occurred and
record any warnings and errors. They identify the changes that have been made to
the converted model so that you can evaluate if you should make changes to the
applications that access the destination database.

3.

Evaluate and categorize the issues that occurred. The migration log can help by
providing information about:
■
■

■
■

■

4.

Tables that did not load when you captured the source database
Stored procedures, views, and triggers that did not parse when you created
the converted model
Syntax that requires manual intervention
Database objects that were not created successfully when you migrated the
destination database
Data that did not migrate successfully when you migrated the destination
database

For each error or warning in the migration log, evaluate the following:
■

Number of times an issue occurred

■

Time required to fix the issues, in person-hours

■

Number of resources required to fix the issue

2-8 Oracle SQL Developer User's Guide

Preparing a Migration Plan

After you have solved a complex problem, it should be easier and quicker to
resolve the next time you have the same problem.

2.3.3 Task 3: Analyzing Operational Requirements
In this task, you analyze the operational requirements, as follows:
1.

Evaluate the operational considerations in migrating the source database to a
destination database. Consider the following questions:
Note: If the scope of the migration project is a complex scenario as
defined in Table 2–1, Oracle recommends that you answer all of
these questions. If you have a simple scenario, determine the
answers to the most appropriate questions.

■

What backup and recovery changes do you require?

■

What downtime is required during the migration?

■

Have you met the performance requirements?

■

Are you changing the operational time window?

■

What effect does the downtime have on the business?

■

What training requirements or additional staff considerations are required?

■

Is it necessary to have the third-party and the Oracle database running
simultaneously?

2.

For each task, determine the resources and time required to complete.

3.

Create an initial project plan.
Use the information that you have gathered during the requirements and planning
stage to develop an initial project plan.

2.3.4 Task 4: Analyzing the Application
In this task, you identify the users of the applications that run on the source database,
what hardware it requires, what the application does, and how it interfaces with the
source database. You also analyze the method the application uses to connect to the
database and identify necessary modifications.
Note: If the migration project is a complex scenario as defined in
Table 2–1, Oracle recommends that you answer all of these
questions. If you have a simple scenario, determine the answers to
the most appropriate questions.

To analyze the application:
1.

Determine whether changes to the application are required to make them run
effectively on the destination database.

2.

If changes are required to the application, determine whether it is more efficient to
rewrite or modify the applications.
If you are rewriting the application to use the Oracle database, consider the
following:

Migrating Third-Party Databases 2-9

Before You Start Migrating: General Information

a.

Create the necessary project documentation to rewrite the application. For
example, you need a design specification and requirements documentation.

b.

Rewrite the application according to the specification.

c.

Test the application works against the Oracle database.

If you are modifying the application to use the Oracle database, consider the
following:
a.

Identify the number of connections to the database that are in the application
and modify these connections to use the Oracle database.
You may need to change the connection information to use an ODBC or JDBC
connection.

b.

Identify the embedded SQL statements that you need to change in the
application before you can test it against the Oracle database.

c.

Test the application using the Oracle database.

3.

Allocate time and resource to address each issue associated with rewriting or
modifying the application.

4.

Update the general requirements document for the project that you created in Task
1.

2.3.5 Task 5: Planning the Migration Project
In this task, you evaluate the unknown variables that the migration project may
contain, such as the difference in the technologies of the source database and the
destination database. During the planning stage, you:
■

Estimate the budget constraints of the project

■

Gather information to produce a migration plan

■

Estimate how much time the migration project should take

■

Calculate how many resources are required to complete and test the migration

To plan a migration project:
1.

Define a list of tasks required to successfully complete the migration project
requirements of Task 1.

2.

Categorize the list of tasks required to complete the migration project.
You should group these tasks according to your business. This allows you to
schedule and assign resources more accurately.

3.

Update and finalize the migration project plan based on the information that you
have obtained from Task 3 and Task 4.

4.

Make sure the migration project plan meets the requirements of the migration
project.
The migration plan should include a project description, resources allocated,
training requirements, migration deliverable, general requirements, environment
analysis, risk analysis, application evaluation, and project schedule.

2.4 Before You Start Migrating: General Information
You may need to perform certain tasks before you start migrating a third-party
database to an Oracle database. See the following for more information:
2-10 Oracle SQL Developer User's Guide

Before You Start Migrating: General Information

■

Section 2.4.1, "Creating a Database User for the Migration Repository"

■

Section 2.4.2, "Requirements for Creating the Destination Oracle Objects"

See also any information specific to the source database that you will be migrating, as
explained in Section 2.5.
Note: Oracle recommends that you make a complete backup of
the source database before starting the migration. For more
information about backing up the source database, see the
documentation for that type of database.

If possible, begin the migration using a development or test
environment, not a production database.

2.4.1 Creating a Database User for the Migration Repository
SQL Developer requires a migration repository to migrate a third-party database to an
Oracle database. To use an Oracle database for the migration repository, you must
have access to that database using a database user account. Oracle recommends that
you use a specific user account for migrations, For example, you may want to create a
user named MIGRATIONS, create a database connection to that user, and use that
connection for the migration repository; and if you wish, you can later delete the
MIGRATIONS user to remove all traces of the migration from the database.
When you create a user for migrations, specify the tablespace information as in the
following example, instead of using the defaults for tablespaces:
CREATE USER migrations IDENTIFIED BY password
DEFAULT TABLESAPACE users TEMPORARY TABLESPACE temp,

Do not use a standard account (for example, SYSTEM) for migration.
When SQL Developer creates a migration repository, it creates many schema objects
that are intended only for its own use. For example, it creates tables, views, indexes,
packages, and triggers, many with names starting with MD_ and MIGR. You should not
directly modify these objects or any data stored in them.

2.4.2 Requirements for Creating the Destination Oracle Objects
The user associated with the Oracle database connection used to perform the
migration (that is, to run the script containing the generated DDL statements) must
have the following roles and privileges:
Note: You must grant these privileges directly to a user account.
Granting the privileges to a role, which is subsequently granted to a
user account, does not suffice. You cannot migrate a database as the
user SYS.

Roles
CONNECT WITH ADMIN OPTION
RESOURCE WITH ADMIN OPTION

Privileges
ALTER ANY ROLE
ALTER ANY SEQUENCE

Migrating Third-Party Databases 2-11

Before You Start Migrating: Source-Specific Information

ALTER ANY TABLE
ALTER TABLESPACE
ALTER ANY TRIGGER
COMMENT ANY TABLE
CREATE ANY SEQUENCE
CREATE ANY TABLE
CREATE ANY TRIGGER
CREATE VIEW WITH ADMIN OPTION
CREATE PUBLIC SYNONYM WITH ADMIN OPTION
CREATE ROLE
CREATE USER
DROP ANY SEQUENCE
DROP ANY TABLE
DROP ANY TRIGGER
DROP USER
DROP ANY ROLE
GRANT ANY ROLE
INSERT ANY TABLE
SELECT ANY TABLE
UPDATE ANY TABLE

For example, you can create a user called migrations with the minimum required
privileges required to migrate a database by using the following commands:
CREATE USER migrations IDENTIFIED BY password
DEFAULT TABLESAPACE users TEMPORARY TABLESPACE temp;
GRANT CONNECT, RESOURCE, CREATE VIEW, CREATE PUBLIC SYNONYM TO
migrations WITH ADMIN OPTION;
GRANT ALTER ANY ROLE, ALTER ANY SEQUENCE, ALTER ANY TABLE, ALTER TABLESPACE,
ALTER ANY TRIGGER, COMMENT ANY TABLE, CREATE ANY SEQUENCE, CREATE ANY TABLE,
CREATE ANY TRIGGER, CREATE ROLE, CREATE TABLESPACE, CREATE USER, DROP ANY
SEQUENCE, DROP ANY TABLE, DROP ANY TRIGGER, DROP TABLESPACE, DROP USER, DROP ANY
ROLE, GRANT ANY ROLE, INSERT ANY TABLE, SELECT ANY TABLE, UPDATE ANY TABLE TO
migrations;

After you have created the converted model is created and done first DDL generation
done for the new database, it will be clear from the scripts which privileges will be
required for your situation.

2.5 Before You Start Migrating: Source-Specific Information
Depending on the third-party database that you are migrating to an Oracle database,
you may have to configure connection information and install drivers. For more
information about specific third-party database requirements, see the following:
■

Section 2.5.1, "Before Migrating From Microsoft SQL Server or Sybase Adaptive
Server"

■

Section 2.5.2, "Before Migrating From Microsoft Access"

■

Section 2.5.3, "Before Migrating From MySQL"

2.5.1 Before Migrating From Microsoft SQL Server or Sybase Adaptive Server
To configure a Microsoft SQL Server or Sybase Adaptive Server database for
migration:
1.

Ensure that the source database is accessible by the Microsoft SQL Server or
Sybase Adaptive Server user that is used by SQL Developer for the source

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Before You Start Migrating: Source-Specific Information

connection. This user must be able to see any objects to be captured in the
Microsoft SQL Server or Sybase Adaptive Server database; objects that the user
cannot see are not captured. For example, if the user can execute a stored
procedure but does not have sufficient privileges to see the source code, the stored
procedure cannot be captured.
2.

Ensure that you can connect to the Microsoft SQL Server or Sybase Adaptive
Server database from the system where you have installed SQL Developer.

3.

Ensure that you have downloaded the JTDS JDBC driver from
http://jtds.sourceforge.net/.

4.

In SQL Developer, if you have not already installed the JTDS driver using Check
for Updates (on the Help menu), do the following:

5.

a.

Click Tools, then Preferences, then Database, then Third Party JDBC Drivers.

b.

Click Add Entry.

c.

Select the jar file for the JTDS driver you downloaded from
http://jtds.sourceforge.net/.

d.

Click OK.

In SQL Developer, click Tools, then Preferences, then Migration: Identifier
Options, and ensure that the setting is correct for the Is Quoted Identifier On
option (that is, the setting reflects the database to be migrated).
If this option is enabled, quotation marks (double-quotes) can be used to refer to
identifiers; if this option is not enabled, quotation marks identify string literals. As
an example of the difference in behavior, consider the following T-SQL code:
select col1, "col 2" "column_alias"
from tablex "table_alias"

If the Is Quoted Identifier On option is enabled (checked), the following PL/SQL
code is generated:
SELECT col1, col_2 "column_alias"
FROM tablex "table_alias";

If the Is Quoted Identifier On option is disabled (not checked), the following
PL/SQL code is generated:
SELECT col1, 'col 2' "column_alias"
FROM tablex "table_alias";

2.5.2 Before Migrating From Microsoft Access
To configure a Microsoft Access database for migration:
1.

Make backup copies of the database file or files.

2.

Ensure that the necessary software (Microsoft Access, perhaps other components)
is installed on the same system as SQL Developer.

3.

Ensure that the Admin user has at least Read Design and Read Data permissions
on the MSysObjects, MSysQueries, and MSysRelationships system tables, as
explained in the information about the Access tab in the Create/Edit/Select
Database Connection dialog box.

4.

If security is enabled, you should turn it off by copying the contents of the secured
database into a new database, as follows:

Migrating Third-Party Databases 2-13

Before You Start Migrating: Source-Specific Information

SQL Developer does not support the migration of Microsoft Access databases that
have security enabled. By default, SQL Developer uses the name of the Microsoft
Access MDB file as the user name for the destination Oracle user. If you create an
Oracle user in this way, the password is ORACLE.
a.

From the File menu in Microsoft Access, select New Database.

b.

Select the Blank Database icon, then click OK.

c.

In the File New Database option, type a name for the database, then click
Create.

d.

From the File menu within the new database, select Get External Data, then
select Import.

e.

Select the secured Microsoft Access database that you want to import, then
click Import.

f.

From the Import Objects dialog, click Options.

g.

Select the Relationships and Definition and Data options.

h.

From the Tables tab, choose Select All.

i.

Click OK.
All Microsoft Access objects are copied over to the new Microsoft Access
database, except for the security settings.

5.

If the application contains linked tables to other Microsoft Access databases,
refresh these links by opening the application in Microsoft Access and performing
the following:
From the Tools menu in Microsoft Access 97, select Add Ins, then select Linked
Table Manager.
From the Tools menu in Microsoft Access 2000, select Database Utilities, then
select Linked Table Manager.

6.

Ensure that the Microsoft Access database is not a replica database, but a master
database.
When you use the Exporter for Microsoft Access to export, an error message is
displayed if the database is a replica. SQL Developer does not support the
migration of a replica database.

7.

From the Tools menu within Microsoft Access, select Database, then select
Compact Database to compact the Microsoft Access database files.

8.

Ensure that the Microsoft Access MDB file is accessible from the system where you
have installed SQL Developer.

9.

Use the Oracle Universal Installer to verify that you have the Oracle ODBC driver
installed. If you need to install the driver, it is available on the Oracle Database
Server or Database Client CD. You can also download the Oracle ODBC driver
from the Oracle Technology Network (OTN) Web site:
http://www.oracle.com/technology/software/tech/windows/odbc/

Install the Oracle ODBC driver into an Oracle home directory that contains the
Oracle Net Services. You can obtain the Oracle Net Services from the Oracle Client
or Oracle Database CD. You install Oracle Net Services to obtain the Net
Configuration Assistant and Net Manager. These allow you to create a net
configuration in the tnsnames.ora file.

2-14 Oracle SQL Developer User's Guide

Capturing the Source Database

Note: For more information about installing the networking
products needed to connect to an Oracle database, see the
installation guide for your Oracle Database release.

2.5.2.1 Creating Microsoft Access XML Files
To prepare for capturing a Microsoft Access database, the Exporter for Microsoft
Access tool must be run, either automatically or manually, as explained in Section 2.6,
"Capturing the Source Database". This tool is packaged as a Microsoft Access MDE file
and it allows you to export the Microsoft Access MDB file to an XML file.
Note:

Do not modify any of the files created by the Exporter tool.

Each Microsoft Access database that you selected is exported to an XML file. The
exporter tool currently does not support creating XML files from secured or replica
databases.

2.5.3 Before Migrating From MySQL
To configure a MySQL database for migration, install MySQLConnector/J release
3.1.12 or 5.0.4 on the system where you have installed SQL Developer and set the
appropriate SQL Developer preference. Follow these steps:
1.

Ensure that you can connect to the MySQL database from the system where you
have installed SQL Developer.

2.

Ensure that you have downloaded the MySQLConnector/J API from the MySQL
Web site at http://www.mysql.com/.

3.

In SQL Developer, if you have not already installed the MySQL JDBC driver using
Check for Updates (on the Help menu), do the following:

4.

a.

Click Tools, then Preferences, then Database, then Third Party JDBC Drivers.

b.

Click Add Entry.

c.

Select the jar file for the MySQL driver you downloaded from
http://www.mysql.com/.

d.

Click OK.

Ensure that the source database is accessible by the MySQL user that is used by
SQL Developer for the source connection. This user must be able to see any objects
to be captured in the MySQL database; objects that the user cannot see are not
captured. For example, if the user can execute a stored procedure but does not
have sufficient privileges to see the source code, the stored procedure cannot be
captured.

2.6 Capturing the Source Database
Before migrating a third-party database, you must extract information from the
database. This information is a representation of the structure of the source database,
and it is called the captured model. The process of extracting the information from the
database is called capturing the source database.
The capture can be done online or offline:

Migrating Third-Party Databases 2-15

Capturing the Source Database

■

■

Online capture is done in a convenient guided sequence within the SQL
Developer interface, as explained in Section 2.6.1, "Online Capture". You can use
online capture with all supported third-party databases.
Offline capture involves creating a script that you run later, as explained in
Section 2.6.2, "Offline Capture". You can use offline capture with MySQL,
Microsoft SQL Server databases, and Sybase Adaptive Server.

After capturing the source database, you can view the source database information in
the captured model in SQL Developer. If necessary, you can modify the captured
model and change data type mappings.
Note: Oracle recommends that you do not change the default data
type mappings unless you are an experienced Oracle database
administrator.

2.6.1 Online Capture
To perform an online capture of the source database, you can have the capture
performed automatically as part of the Quick Migrate option, or you can have it
performed as a separate operation by right-clicking the connection name in the
Connections navigator and selecting Capture product-name (for example, Capture
MySQL, Capture Microsoft Access, Capture Microsoft SQL Server, or Capture Sybase
Adaptive Server).
For a Microsoft Access database, selecting Capture product-name automatically
invokes the Microsoft Access exporter tool to create XML files for migrating the
schema and the table data. However, if you want to run the exporter tool manually
(for example, to control certain options), click Migration, then Microsoft Access
Exporter, then the item for your version of Microsoft Access. Follow the steps for the
exporter tool, which has its own online help.

2.6.2 Offline Capture
To perform an offline capture of a MySQL, Microsoft SQL Server, or Sybase Adaptive
Server database, you create a set of offline capture scripts, run these scripts outside
SQL Developer to create the script output (a dump of the third party metadata tables),
and load the script output (the .ocp file containing the converted model) using SQL
Developer.
■

To create the script file (a Windows .bat file or a Linux or UNIX .sh file) and related
files, click Migration, then MySQL, SQL Server, and Sybase Offline Capture,
then Create Database Capture Scripts.
When this operation completes, you are notified that several files (.bat, .sql, .ocp)
have been created, one of which is the controlling script. You must run the
controlling script (outside SQL Developer) to populate the object capture
properties (.ocp) file with information about the converted model.

■

To load the converted model from the object capture properties (.ocp) file
generated by the offline capture controlling script, click Migration, then MySQL,
SQL Server, and Sybase Offline Capture, then Load Database Capture Script
Output.

2-16 Oracle SQL Developer User's Guide

Generating the DDL for the Oracle Schema Objects

2.7 Creating and Customizing the Converted Model
After you capture a third-party database, the next step is to convert it, creating the
converted model. The converted model is a representation of the structure of the
destination database. SQL Developer creates the converted model using the
information from the captured model.
By default, all procedures, functions, triggers, and views are copied to the converted
model during translation and translated to Oracle PL/SQL. However, if translation
fails for any of the objects, those objects appear in the converted model but their
original SQL code remains unchanged. Objects that remain in their original SQL code
will not be used when the generation scripts are created. Therefore, to have any such
objects migrated, you must either fix the problem in the original SQL code before
generating the script or edit the generated script to replace the original SQL code with
valid PL/SQL code.
To convert a captured model to a converted model, right-click the appropriate node in
the Captured Models navigator and select Convert to Oracle, and specify or accept the
defaults for data mappings.
The following topic describes how to modify the converted model, if this becomes
necessary:
■

Correcting Errors in the Converted Model

2.7.1 Correcting Errors in the Converted Model
If error messages with the prefix Parse Exception are listed in the migration log,
manual intervention is required to resolve the issues. To complete the converted
model:
1.

Note the converted model schema object that failed.

2.

Select that schema object in the converted model.

3.

Copy the schema objects DDL and paste it into the translation scratch editor
(displayed by clicking Migration, then Translation Scratch Editor).

4.

Inspect the properties on the schema object in the translation scratch editor for
possible causes of the error.

5.

Modify a property of the schema object in the translation scratch editor.
For example, you might comment out one line of a stored procedure.

6.

Translate using the appropriate translator.

7.

If the error appears again, repeat steps 2 to 6.

8.

If the error cannot be resolved in this way, it is best to modify the object manually
in the converted model.

2.8 Generating the DDL for the Oracle Schema Objects
To generate the DDL statements to create the Oracle schema objects, you must already
have captured the captured model and created the converted model. After you
generate the DDL, you run the DDL statements to cause the objects to be created in the
Oracle database. At this point, the database schema is migrated to Oracle.
After you generate and run the DDL statements to migrate the schema objects, you can
migrate the data from the original source database, as explained in Section 2.9.

Migrating Third-Party Databases 2-17

Migrating the Data

2.9 Migrating the Data
After you have generated and run DDL statements to create the Oracle schema objects
for the migrated database, you can migrate (move) any existing data from the source
database to the Oracle database. You have two options for data migration: online or
offline.
■

■

Online data move: Click Migration, then Migrate Data. In the dialog box, specify
the Source Connection, the Target Connection, and the Converted Model. This
method uses JDBC and therefore is constrained by the third-party
implementations. Online data moves are suitable for small data sets.
Offline data move: Click Migration, then Generate Offline Data Move Scripts;
specify the converted model and a directory into which to generate the files that
you will use for unloading the data from the source database and for importing
into Oracle using SQL*Loader. The offline data move approach is designed for
moving large volumes of data.

2.9.1 Transferring the Data Offline
To transfer the data offline, you generate and use scripts to copy data from the source
database to the destination database. During this process you must:
■

■

■

Use SQL Developer to generate the data unload scripts for the source database and
corresponding data load scripts for the destination database.
Run the data unload scripts to create data files from the source database using the
appropriate procedure for your source database:
–

Creating Data Files From Microsoft SQL Server or Sybase Adaptive Server

–

Creating Data Files From Microsoft Access

–

Creating Data Files From MySQL

Run the data load scripts using SQL*Loader to populate the destination database
with the data from these data files as described in Section 2.9.1.4.

2.9.1.1 Creating Data Files From Microsoft SQL Server or Sybase Adaptive Server
To create data files from a Microsoft SQL Server or Sybase Adaptive Server database:
1.

Copy the contents of the directory where SQL Developer generated the data
unload scripts onto the computer where the source database is installed.

2.

Edit the BCP extract script to include the name of the source database server.
■

On Windows, edit the unload_script.bat script to alter the bcp lines to
include the appropriate variables.

The following shows a line from a sample unload_script.bat script:
bcp "AdventureWorks.dbo.AWBuildVersion" out
"[AdventureWorks].[dbo].[AWBuildVersion].dat" -q -c -t "" -r ""
-U -P -S
3.

Run the BCP extract script.
■

On Windows, enter:
prompt> unload_script.bat

This script creates the data files in the current directory.

2-18 Oracle SQL Developer User's Guide

Migrating the Data

4.

Copy the data files and scripts, if necessary, to the target Oracle database system,
or to a system that has access to the target Oracle database and has SQL*Loader
(Oracle Client) installed.

2.9.1.2 Creating Data Files From Microsoft Access
To create data files from a Microsoft Access database, use the Exporter for Microsoft
Access tool.
Note: For information about how to create data files from a
Microsoft Access database, see online help for the exporter tool.

2.9.1.3 Creating Data Files From MySQL
To create data files from a MySQL database:
1.

Copy the contents of the directory where SQL Developer generated the data
unload scripts, if necessary, onto the system where the source database is installed
or a system that has access to the source database and has the mysqldump tool
installed.

2.

Edit the unload_script script to include the correct host, user name, password,
and destination directory for the data files.
■

On Windows, edit the unload_script.bat script.

■

On Linux or UNIX, edit the unload_script.sh script.

The following shows a line from a sample unload_script.bat script:
mysqldump -h localhost -u  -p -T 
--fields-terminated-by="" --fields-escaped-by=""
--lines-terminated-by="" "CarrierDb" "CarrierPlanTb"

Edit this line to include the correct values for USERNAME, PASSWORD, and
DESTINATION PATH. Do not include the angle brackets in the edited version of
this file.
In this command line, localhost indicates a loopback connection, which is
required by the -T option. (See the mysqldump documentation for more
information.)
3.

Run the script.
■

On Windows, enter:
prompt> unload_script.bat

■

On Linux or UNIX, enter:
prompt> chmod 755 unload_script.sh
prompt> sh ./unload_script.sh

This script creates the data files in the current directory.
4.

Copy the data files and scripts, if necessary, to the target Oracle database system,
or to a system that has access to the target Oracle database and has SQL*Loader
(Oracle Client) installed.

Migrating Third-Party Databases 2-19

Migrating the Data

2.9.1.4 Populating the Destination Database Using the Data Files
To populate the destination database using the data files, you run the data load scripts
using SQL*Loader:
1.

Navigate to the directory where you created the data unload scripts.

2.

Edit the oracle_ctl.bat (Windows systems) or oractl_ctl.sh (Linux or
UNIX systems) file, to provide the appropriate user name and password strings.

3.

Run the SQL Load script.
■

On Windows, enter:
prompt> oracle_ctl.bat

■

On Linux or UNIX, enter:
prompt> ./oracle_ctl.sh

For Microsoft SQL Server and Sybase migrations, if you are inserting into BLOB fields
with SQL*Loader, you will receive the following error:
SQL*Loader-309: No SQL string allowed as part of LARGEOBJECT field specification

To handle situations indicated by this error, you can use either one of the following
options:
■

■

Enable the Generate Stored Procedure for Migrate Blobs Offline SQL Developer
preference (see Migration: Generation Options).
Use the following Workaround.

Workaround
The workaround is to load the data (which is in hex format) into an additional CLOB
field and then convert the CLOB to a BLOB through a PL/SQL procedure.
The only way to export binary data properly through the Microsoft SQL Server or
Sybase Adaptive Server BCP is to export it in a hexadecimal (hex) format; however, to
get the hex values into Oracle, save them in a CLOB (holds text) column, and then
convert the hex values to binary values and insert them into the BLOB column. The
problem here is that the HEXTORAW function in Oracle only converts a maximum of
2000 hex pairs. Consequently, write your own procedure that will convert (piece by
piece) your hex data to binary. (In the following steps and examples, modify the
START.SQL and FINISH.SQL to reflect your environment.
The following shows the code for two scripts, start.sql and finish.sql, that
implement this workaround. Read the comments in the code, and modify any SQL
statements as needed to reflect your environment and your needs.
Note: After you run start.sql and before you run finish.sql,
run BCP; and before you run BCP, change the relevant line in the .ctl
file from:
 CHAR(2000000) "HEXTORAW (:)"

to:
_CLOB CHAR(2000000)

-- START.SQL

2-20 Oracle SQL Developer User's Guide

Migrating the Data

-- Modify this for your environment.
-----

This should be executed in the user schema in Oracle that contains the table.
DESCRIPTION:
ALTERS THE OFFENDING TABLE SO THAT THE DATA MOVE CAN BE EXECUTED
DISABLES TRIGGERS, INDEXES AND SEQUENCES ON THE OFFENDING TABLE

-- 1) Add an extra column to hold the hex string;
alter table  add (_CLOB CLOB);
-- 2) Allow the BLOB column to accept NULLS
alter table  MODIFY  NULL;
-- 3) Disable triggers and sequences on 
alter trigger  disable;
alter table  drop primary key cascade;
drop index ;
-- 4) Allow the table to use the tablespace
alter table  move lob () store as (tablespace lob_
tablespace);
alter table  move lob (_clob) store as (tablespace lob_
tablespace);
COMMIT;
-- END OF FILE

-- FINISH.SQL
-- Modify this for your enironment.
------

This should be executed in the table schema in Oracle.
DESCRIPTION:
MOVES THE DATA FROM CLOB TO BLOB
MODIFIES THE TABLE BACK TO ITS ORIGINAL SPEC (without a clob)
THEN ENABLES THE SEQUENCES, TRIGGERS AND INDEXES AGAIN

-----

Currently we have the hex values saved as
text in the _CLOB column
And we have NULL in all rows for the  column.
We have to get BLOB locators for each row in the BLOB column

-- put empty blobs in the blob column
UPDATE  SET =EMPTY_BLOB();
COMMIT;
-- create the following procedure in your table
CREATE OR REPLACE PROCEDURE CLOBTOBLOB
AS
inputLength NUMBER; -- size of input CLOB
offSet NUMBER := 1;
pieceMaxSize NUMBER := 2000; -- the max size of
piece VARCHAR2(2000); -- these pieces will make
currentPlace NUMBER := 1; -- this is where were
blobLoc BLOB; -- blob locator in the table

schema

each peice
up the entire CLOB
up to in the CLOB

Migrating Third-Party Databases 2-21

Migrating the Data

clobLoc CLOB; -- clob locator pointsthis is the value from the dat file
-- THIS HAS TO BE CHANGED FOR SPECIFIC CUSTOMER TABLE
-- AND COLUMN NAMES
CURSOR cur IS SELECT _clob clob_column ,  blob_column
FROM /*table*/ FOR UPDATE;
cur_rec cur%ROWTYPE;
BEGIN
OPEN cur;
FETCH cur INTO cur_rec;
WHILE cur%FOUND
LOOP
--RETRIVE THE clobLoc and blobLoc
clobLoc := cur_rec.clob_column;
blobLoc := cur_rec.blob_column;
currentPlace := 1; -- reset evertime
-- find the lenght of the clob
inputLength := DBMS_LOB.getLength(clobLoc);
-- loop through each peice
LOOP
-- get the next piece and add it to the clob
piece := DBMS_LOB.subStr(clobLoc,pieceMaxSize,currentPlace);
-- append this piece to the BLOB
DBMS_LOB.WRITEAPPEND(blobLoc, LENGTH(piece)/2, HEXTORAW(piece));
currentPlace := currentPlace + pieceMaxSize ;
EXIT WHEN inputLength < currentplace;
END LOOP;
FETCH cur INTO cur_rec;
END LOOP;
END CLOBtoBLOB;
/
-- now run the procedure
-- It will update the blob column with the correct binary representation
-- of the clob column
EXEC CLOBtoBLOB;
-- drop the extra clob cloumn
alter table  drop column _clob;
-- 2) apply the constraint we removed during the data load
alter table  MODIFY FILEBINARY NOT NULL;
-- Now re enable the triggers, indexes and primary keys
alter trigger  enable;
ALTER TABLE  ADD ( CONSTRAINT  PRIMARY KEY ( ) ) ;
CREATE INDEX  ON (  );

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Testing the Oracle Database

COMMIT;
-- END OF FILE

2.10 Making Queries Case Insensitive
With several third-party databases, it is common for queries to be case insensitive. For
example, in such cases the following queries return the same results:
SELECT * FROM orders WHERE sales_rep = 'Oracle';
SELECT * FROM orders WHERE sales_rep = 'oracle';
SELECT * FROM orders WHERE sales_rep = 'OrAcLe';

If you want queries to be case insensitive for a user in the Oracle database, you can
create an AFTER LOGON ON DATABASE trigger, in which you set, for that database
user, the NLS_SORT session parameter to an Oracle sort name with _CI (for "case
insensitive") appended.
The following example causes queries for user SMITH to use the German sort order
and to be case insensitive:
CREATE OR REPLACE TRIGGER set_sort_order AFTER LOGON ON DATABASE
DECLARE
username VARCHAR2(30);
BEGIN
username:=SYS_CONTEXT('USERENV','SESSION_USER');
IF username LIKE 'SMITH' then
execute immediate 'alter session set NLS_COMP=LINGUISTIC';
execute immediate 'alter session set NLS_SORT=GERMAN_CI';
END IF;
END;

2.11 Testing the Oracle Database
During the testing phase, you test the application and Oracle database to make sure
that the:
■

Migrated data is complete and accurate

■

Applications function in the same way as the source database

■

Oracle database producing the same results as the source database

■

Applications and Oracle database meet the operational and performance
requirements

You may already have a collection of unit tests and system tests from the original
application that you can use to test the Oracle database. You should run these tests in
the same way that you ran tests against the source database. However, regardless of
added features, you should ensure that the application connects to the Oracle database
and that the SQL statements it issues produces the correct results.
Note: The tests that you run against the application vary
depending on the scope of the application. Oracle recommends that
you thoroughly test each SQL statement that is changed in the
application. You should also test the system to make sure that the
application functions the same way as in the third-party database.

Migrating Third-Party Databases 2-23

Testing the Oracle Database

See also the following:
■

Section 2.11.1, "Testing Methodology"

■

Section 2.11.2, "Testing the Oracle Database"

2.11.1 Testing Methodology
Many constraints shape the style and amount of testing that you perform on a
database. Testing can contain one or all of the following:
■

Simple data validation

■

Full life cycle of testing addressing individual unit tests

■

System and acceptance testing

You should follow a strategy for testing that suits your organization and
circumstances. Your strategy should define the process by which you test the migrated
application and Oracle database. A typical test method is the V-model, which is a
staged approach where each feature of the database creation is mirrored with a testing
phase.
Figure 2–2, "V-model with a Database Migration" shows an example of the V-model
with a database migration scenario:
Figure 2–2 V-model with a Database Migration

Testing Phase

Development Phase

System Acceptance
Testing

Database Migration
Requirements
Database/Application
Design

Integration
Testing

Database Object
Testing

There are several types of tests that you use during the migration process. During the
testing stage, you go through several cycles of testing to enhance the quality of the
database. The test cases you use should make sure that any issues encountered in a
previous version of the Oracle database are not introduced again.
For example, if you have to make changes to the migrated schema based on test
results, you may need to create a new version of the Oracle database schema. In
practice, you use SQL Developer to create a base-line Oracle schema at the start of
testing, and then edit this schema as you progress with testing.
Note: Oracle recommends that you track issues that you find
during a testing cycle in an issue tracking system. Track these issues
against the version of the database or application that you are
testing.

2.11.2 Testing the Oracle Database
Use the test cases to verify that the Oracle database provides the same business logic
results as the source database.
2-24 Oracle SQL Developer User's Guide

Testing the Oracle Database

Note: Oracle recommends that you define completion criteria so
that you can determine the success of the migration.

This procedure explains one way of testing the migrated database. Other methods are
available and may be more appropriate to your business requirements.
To test the Oracle database:
1.

Create a controlled version of the migrated database.
Oracle recommends that you keep the database migration scripts in a source
control system.

2.

Design a set of test cases that you can use to test the Oracle database from unit to
system level. The test cases should:
a.

b.

c.

Ensure the following:
–

All the users in the source database have migrated successfully

–

Privileges and grants for users are correct

–

Tables have the correct structure, defaults are functioning correctly, and
errors did not occur during mapping or generation

Validate that the data migrated successfully by doing the following:
–

Comparing the number of rows in the Oracle database with those in the
source database

–

Calculating the sum of numerical columns in the Oracle database and
compare with those in the source database

Ensure that the following applies to constraints:
–

You cannot enter duplicate primary keys

–

Foreign keys prevent you from entering inconsistent data

–

Check constraints prevent you from entering invalid data

d.

Check that indexes and sequences are created successfully.

e.

Ensure that views migrated successfully by doing the following:

f.

–

Comparing the number of rows in the Oracle database with those in the
source database

–

Calculating the sum of numerical columns in the Oracle database and
compare with those in the source database

Ensure that triggers, procedures, and functions are migrated successfully.
Check that the correct values are returned for triggers and functions.

3.

Run the test cases against the migrated database.

4.

Create a report that evaluates the test case results.
These reports allow you to evaluate the data to qualify the errors, file problem
reports, and provide a customer with a controlled version of the database.

5.

If the tests pass, go to step 7.
If all tests in the test cases pass or contain acceptable errors, the test passes. If
acceptable errors occur, document them in an error report that you can use for
audit purposes.

Migrating Third-Party Databases 2-25

Testing the Oracle Database

6.

7.

If the test cases fail:
a.

Identify the cause of the error.

b.

Identify the test cases needed to check the errors.

c.

Log an issue on the controlled version of the migrated database code in the
problem report.

d.

Add the test case and a description of the problem to the incident tracking
system of your organization, which could be a spreadsheet or bug reporting
system. Aside from the test case, the incident log should include the following:
–

Provide a clear, concise description of the incident encountered

–

Provide a complete description of the environment, such as platform and
source control version

–

Attach the output of the test, if useful

–

Indicate the frequency and predictability of the incident

–

Provide a sequence of events leading to the incident

–

Describe the effect on the current test, diagnostic steps taken, and results
noted

–

Describe the persistent after effect, if any

e.

Attempt to fix the errors.

f.

Return to step 1.

Identify acceptance tests that you can use to make sure the Oracle database is an
acceptable quality level.

2.11.2.1 Guidelines for Creating Tests
You may already have a collection of unit tests and system tests from the original
application that you can use to test the Oracle database. However, if you do not have
any unit or system tests, you need to create them. When creating test cases, use the
following guidelines:
■

Plan, specify, and execute the test cases, recording the results of the tests.
The amount of testing you perform is proportional to the time and resources that
are available for the migration project. Typically, the testing phase in a migration
project can take anywhere from 40% to 60% of the effort for the entire project.

■

■

Identify the components that you are testing, the approach to the test design and
the test completion criteria.
Define each test case so that it is reproducible.
A test that is not reproducible is not acceptable for issue tracking or for an audit
process.

■

Divide the source database into functions and procedures and create a test case for
each function or procedure. In the test case, state what you are going to test, define
the testing criteria, and describe the expected results.

■

Record the expected result of each test case.

■

Verify that the actual results meet the expected results for each test.

■

Define test cases that produce negative results as well as those that you expect a
positive result.

2-26 Oracle SQL Developer User's Guide

Deploying the Oracle Database

2.11.2.2 Example of a Unit Test Case
The following displays a sample unit test plan for Windows:
Name

Jane Harrison

Module

Table Test Emp

Date test completed

23 May 2007

Coverage log file location

mwb\database\TableTestEmp

Description
successfully.

This unit test tests that the emp table was migrated

Reviewed by

John Smith

Task ID Task Description
1

2

Expected Result

Run the following on the source On the source database, the
count(*) produces a number.
database for each table:
In this case, the number is
select count(*) from emp
the number of rows in each
table.
Run the following on the
destination database for each
On the destination database,
table:
the count(*) number
select count(*) from emp
corresponds to the number
of rows in the new Oracle
table.
Run the following on the source On the source database,
database for each table:
sum(salary) produces a
check sum for the sum of
select sum(salary) from emp
the data in each table.
Run the following on the
destination database for each
table:
select sum(salary) from emp

On the destination database,
sum(salary) corresponds to
the sum of the salary in the
emp table.

Verified (Yes/No)
Yes
The number of
rows in each table
is the same in the
source and
destination
databases.

Yes
The sum for each
table is the same
in the source and
destination
databases.

2.12 Deploying the Oracle Database
Deploying the migrated and tested Oracle database within a business environment can
be difficult. Therefore, you may need to consider different rollout strategies depending
on your environment. Several rollout strategies are identified for you, but you may use
another approach if that is recommended by your organization.
During the deployment phase, you move the destination database from a
development to a production environment. A group separate from the migration and
testing team, may perform the deployment phase, such as the in-house IT department.
Deployment involves the following:
■

Choosing a Rollout Strategy

■

Deploying the Destination Database

2.12.1 Choosing a Rollout Strategy
The strategy that you use for migrating a third-party database to an Oracle database
must take into consideration the users and the type of business that may be affected
during the transition period. For example, you may use the Big Bang approach
Migrating Third-Party Databases 2-27

Deploying the Oracle Database

because you do not have enough systems to run the source database and Oracle
database simultaneously. Otherwise, you may want to use the Phased approach to
make sure that the system is operating in the user environment correctly before it is
released to the general user population. You can use one of the following approaches.

2.12.1.1 Phased Approach
Using the Phased approach, you migrate groups of users at different times. You may
decide to migrate a department or a subset of the complete user-base. The users that
you select should represent a cross-section of the complete user-base. This approach
allows you to profile users as you introduce them to the Oracle database. You can
reconfigure the system so that only selected users are affected by the migration and
unscheduled outages only affect a small percentage of the user population. This
approach may affect the work of the users you migrated. However, because the
number of users is limited, support services are not overloaded with issues.
The Phased approach allows you to debug scalability issues as the number of migrated
users increases. However, using this approach may mean that you must migrate data
to and from legacy systems during the migration process. The application architecture
must support a phased approach.

2.12.1.2 Big Bang Approach
Using the Big Bang approach, you migrate all of the users at the same time. This
approach may cause schedule outages during the time you are removing the old
system, migrating the data, deploying the Oracle system, and testing that the system is
operating correctly. This approach relies on you testing the database on the same scale
as the original database. It has the advantage of minimal data conversion and
synchronization with the original database because that database is switched off. The
disadvantage is that this approach can be labor intensive and disruptive to business
activities due to the switch over period needed to install the Oracle database and
perform the other migration project tasks.

2.12.1.3 Parallel Approach
Using the Parallel approach, you maintain both the source database and destination
Oracle database simultaneously. To ensure that the application behaves the same way
in the production environment for the source database and destination database, you
enter data in both databases and analyze the data results. The advantage of this
approach is if problems occur in the destination database, users can continue using the
source database. The disadvantage of the Parallel approach is that running and
maintaining both the source and the destination database may require more resources
and hardware than other approaches.

2.12.2 Deploying the Destination Database
There are several ways to deploy the destination database. The following task is an
example that you should use as a guideline for deploying the destination database.
Note: If you have a complex scenario as defined in Table 2–1,
Oracle recommends that you complete all of the deployment tasks.
However, if you have a simple scenario, you should choose the
deployment tasks appropriate to your organization.
1.

Configure the hardware, if necessary.

2-28 Oracle SQL Developer User's Guide

Using Migration Reports

In a large scale or complex environment, you must design the disk layout to
correspond with the database design. If you use redundant disks, align them in
stripes that you can increase as the destination database evolves. You must install
and configure the necessary disks, check the memory, and configure the system.
2.

Make sure the operating system meets the parameters of the Oracle configuration.
Before installing any Oracle software, make sure that you have modified all
system parameters. For more information about modifying system parameters, see
the relevant installation guide for your platform, such as Solaris Operating
System.

3.

Install the Oracle software.
Aside from the Oracle software that allows you to create an Oracle database, you
may need to install ancillary software to support the application, such as Extract
Transformation and Load (ETL) Software for data warehousing.

4.

Create the destination database from the source database and migrate the data to
the Oracle database.
There are several ways of putting the destination database into production after
testing it, such as:
■

■

■

Place the successfully tested database into production. The test system is now
the production system.
Use Oracle Export to extract the destination database from the successfully
tested database and use Oracle Import to create that database within the
production environment.
Use the tested migration scripts to create the Oracle database and populate it
with data using SQL*Loader.

5.

Perform the final checks on the destination database and applications.

6.

Place the destination database into production using one of the rollout strategies.

7.

Perform a final audit by doing the following:
■

Audit the integrity of the data

■

Audit the validity of the processes, such as back-up and recovery

■

Obtain sign-off for the project, if necessary

2.13 Using Migration Reports
Several SQL Developer reports provide information about objects that have been
captured, converted, and generated during operations designed to migrate third-party
databases to Oracle. Each report uses information from a selected migration project.
These reports are listed in the Reports navigator: click Migration Reports.
Automatic Name Changes: Lists name changes that were automatically made when
the converted model was generated. Some names are automatically changed during
conversion, so that they are Oracle compliant and no collisions exist.
Migration Details: Lists all the objects and their status through each phase of the
migration (capture, convert, generate).
Migration Summary: Gives a summary of the migration. Includes the total number of
procedures, triggers, and views that where captured, converted. and generated
successfully.

Migrating Third-Party Databases 2-29

SQL Developer User Interface for Migration

2.14 SQL Developer User Interface for Migration
If you are performing database migration, you need to use some migration-specific
features in addition to those described in Section 1.2, "SQL Developer User Interface".
The user interface includes some additional navigator tabs and panes (Captured
Models and Converted Models) and a Migration menu, and many smaller changes
throughout the interface. Figure 2–3, "Main Window for a Database Migration" shows
the SQL Developer main window with objects reflecting the migration of a Microsoft
Access application named sales.mdb.

2-30 Oracle SQL Developer User's Guide

SQL Developer User Interface for Migration

Figure 2–3 Main Window for a Database Migration

In this figure:

Migrating Third-Party Databases 2-31

SQL Developer User Interface for Migration

■

■

■

The Connections navigator shows three database connections: migration_
repository for a connection (to a user named MIGRATION) used for the
migration repository, sales_access connected to a Microsoft Access database
named sales.mdb, and sales_oracle connected to an Oracle user named SALES
whose schema owns the migrated schema objects.
The Captured Models navigator shows one captured model, which was created
using an XML file created by the exporter tool for Access applications. (If the
source database is a type other than Microsoft Access, the procedure for creating
the captured model is different: you can generate it directly from the source
database connection.)
The Converted Models navigator shows one converted model, which is an Oracle
representation of the source database. The converted model is created from the
captured model, and the converted model is used to generate the schema objects
that you can see using an Oracle database connection (sales_oracle in this figure).

2.14.1 Migration Menu
The Migration menu contains options related to migrating third-party databases to
Oracle.
Quick Migrate: Displays a dialog box for performing a quick migration using many
default values.
Repository Management: Enables you to create, delete, or truncate (remove all data
from) a migration repository; select the current migration repository; and disconnect
from the current migration repository (which deactivates the current repository but
does not disconnect from the database).
Microsoft Access Exporter: Contains submenu items from which you specify the
version of the exporter tool to use to create an XML file to be used for creating the
captured model. You can also use the exporter tool to export table data. Specify the
exporter tool version for the version of Access that is on your PC and that was used to
create the .mdb file.
Migrate Data: Displays a dialog box for performing an online migration of table data
from the source database to the Oracle schema.
Script Generation: Generate Oracle DDL displays DDL (data definition language)
statements in a SQL Worksheet window, where you can then run the script to create
the Oracle schema and schema objects; Generate Data Move Scripts displays a dialog
box for specifying the location in which to create files for performing an offline
migration of table data from the source database to the Oracle schema.
Capture Microsoft Access Exporter XML: Creates a captured model of a Microsoft
Access database from the XML file created by the exporter tool.
MySQL, SQL Server, and Sybase Offline Capture: Create Database Capture Scripts
specifies options for creating an offline capture properties (.ocp) file, which you can
later load and run; Load Database Capture Script Output enables you to select a
script to be loaded and run.
Script Generation: Generate Oracle DDL specifies the converted model for which to
generate Oracle DDL and produces a SQL*Plus script file that you use for offline
generation (that is, you can run the script to create the appropriate objects in the
Oracle database); Generate Data Move Scripts specifies the converted model and the
destination directory if you are performing offline data migration.
Translation Scratch Editor: Displays the translation scratch editor, which is explained
in Section 2.14.5.
2-32 Oracle SQL Developer User's Guide

SQL Developer User Interface for Migration

2.14.2 Other Menus: Migration Items
The View menu has the following items related to database migration:
■

Captured Models: Displays the Captured Models navigator.

■

Converted Models: Displays the Converted Models navigator.

2.14.3 Migration Preferences
The SQL Developer user preferences window (displayed by clicking Tools, then
Preferences) contains a Migration pane with several related subpanes, and a
Translation pane with a Translation Preferences subpane.
For information about these preferences, click Help in the pane, or see Section 1.13.10,
"Migration".

2.14.4 Migration Log Panes
Migration Log: Contains errors, warnings, and informational messages relating to
migration operations.
Logging Page: Contains an entry for each migrated-related operation.
Data Editor Log: Contains entries when data is being manipulated by SQL Developer.
For example, the output of a Microsoft Excel import operation will be reported here as
a series of INSERT statements.

2.14.5 Using the Translation Scratch Editor
You can use the translation scratch editor to enter third-party database SQL statements
and have them translated to Oracle PL/SQL statements. You can specify translation
from Microsoft SQL Server T-SQL to PL/SQL, from Sybase T-SQL to PL/SQL, or from
Microsoft Access SQL to PL/SQL.
You can display the scratch editor by clicking Migration, then Translation Scratch
Editor. The scratch editor consists of two SQL Worksheet windows side by side, as
shown in the following figure:

Migrating Third-Party Databases 2-33

SQL Developer User Interface for Migration

To translate a statement to its Oracle equivalent, select the type of translation, enter the
third-party SQL statement or statements, then click the Translate (>>) icon to display
the generated PL/SQL statement or statements.
SQL keywords are automatically highlighted.
Note: For a Microsoft SQL Server or Sybase Adaptive Server
connection, the worksheet does not support running T-SQL
statements. It only supports SELECT, CREATE, INSERT, UPDATE,
DELETE, and DROP statements.

The first time you save the contents of either worksheet window in the translation
scratch editor, you are prompted for the file location and name. If you perform any
subsequent Save operations (regardless of whether you have erased or changed the
content of the window), the contents are saved to the same file. To save the contents to
a different file, click File, then Save As.
For detailed information about the worksheet windows, see Section 1.7, "Using the
SQL Worksheet".

2-34 Oracle SQL Developer User's Guide

3
3

Tutorial: Creating Objects for a Small
Database

In this tutorial, you will use SQL Developer to create objects for a simplified library
database, which will include tables for books, patrons (people who have library cards),
and transactions (checking a book out, returning a book, and so on).
The tables are deliberately oversimplified for this tutorial. They would not be adequate
for any actual public or organizational library. For example, this library contains only
books (not magazines, journals, or other document formats), and it can contain no
more than one copy of any book.
You will perform the following major steps:
1.

Create a Table (BOOKS).

2.

Create a Table (PATRONS).

3.

Create a Table (TRANSACTIONS).

4.

Create a Sequence.

5.

Insert Data into the Tables.

6.

Create a View.

7.

Create a PL/SQL Procedure.

8.

Debug a PL/SQL Procedure (optional).

9.

Use the SQL Worksheet for Queries (optional).
Note: To delete the objects that you create for this tutorial, you can
use the DROP statements at the beginning of the script in Section 3.10,
"Script for Creating and Using the Library Tutorial Objects".

Related Topics
Section 3.10, "Script for Creating and Using the Library Tutorial Objects"
Chapter 1, "SQL Developer Concepts and Usage"
Section 1.2, "SQL Developer User Interface"
Section 1.3, "Database Objects"

Tutorial: Creating Objects for a Small Database

3-1

Create a Table (BOOKS)

3.1 Create a Table (BOOKS)
The BOOKS table contains a row for each book in the library. It includes columns of
character and number types, a primary key, a unique constraint, and a check
constraint. You will use the Create Table dialog box to create the table declaratively;
the table that you create will be essentially the same as if you had entered the
following statement using the SQL Worksheet:
CREATE TABLE books (
book_id VARCHAR2(20),
title VARCHAR2(50)
CONSTRAINT title_not_null NOT NULL,
author_last_name VARCHAR2(30)
CONSTRAINT last_name_not_null NOT NULL,
author_first_name VARCHAR2(30),
rating NUMBER,
CONSTRAINT books_pk PRIMARY KEY (book_id),
CONSTRAINT rating_1_to_10 CHECK (rating IS NULL OR
(rating >= 1 and rating <= 10)),
CONSTRAINT author_title_unique UNIQUE (author_last_name, title));

To create the BOOKS table, connect to the database as the user in the schema you want
to use for this tutorial. Right-click the Tables node in the schema hierarchy on the left
side, select New Table, and enter the following information. (If a tab or field is not
mentioned, do not enter anything for it. Be sure that the Advanced box is not checked
when you start creating the table.)
For detailed information about the table dialog box and its tabs, see Section 4.37,
"Create Table (quick creation)" and Section 4.38, "Create/Edit Table (with advanced
options)".
Schema: Specify your current schema as the schema in which to create the table.
Name: BOOKS
Create the table columns using the following information. After creating each column
except the last one (rating), click Add Column to add the next column. (If you
accidentally click OK instead of Add Column, right-click the BOOKS table in the
Connections navigator display, select Edit, and continue to add columns.)
Column Name

Type

Size

Other Information and Notes

book_id

VARCHAR2 20

Primary Key (Automatically checks Not Null;
an index is also created on the primary key
column. This is the Dewey code or other book
identifier.)

title

VARCHAR2 50

Not Null

author_last_name

VARCHAR2 30

Not Null

author_first_name

VARCHAR2 30

rating

NUMBER

(Librarian’s personal rating of the book, from 1
(poor) to 10 (great))

After you have entered the last column (rating), check Advanced (next to Schema).
This displays a pane for more table options. For this table, you will use the Unique
Constraints and Check Constraints panes.

3-2 Oracle SQL Developer User's Guide

Create a Table (PATRONS)

Unique Constraints pane
Click Add to add a unique constraint for the table, namely, that the combination of
author_last_name and title must be unique within the table. (This is deliberately
oversimplified, since most major libraries will have allow more than one copy of a
book in their holdings. Also, the combination of last name and title is not always a
"foolproof" check for uniqueness, but it is sufficient for this simple scenario.)
Name: author_title_unique
In Available Columns, double-click TITLE and then AUTHOR_LAST_NAME to move
them to Selected Columns.
Check Constraints pane
Click Add to add a check constraint for the table, namely, that the rating column value
is optional (it can be null), but if a value is specified, it must be a number from 1
through 10. You must enter the condition using SQL syntax that is valid in a CHECK
clause (but do not include the CHECK keyword or enclosing parentheses for the entire
CHECK clause text).
Name: rating_1_to_10
Condition: rating is null or (rating >= 1 and rating <= 10)
Click OK to finish creating the table.
Go to Section 3.2, "Create a Table (PATRONS)" to create the next table.

3.2 Create a Table (PATRONS)
The PATRONS table contains a row for each patron who can check books out of the
library (that is, each person who has a library card). It includes an object type
(MDSYS.SDO_GEOMETRY) column. You will use the Create Table dialog box to create
the table declaratively; the table that you create will be essentially the same as if you
had entered the following statement using the SQL Worksheet:
CREATE TABLE patrons (
patron_id NUMBER,
last_name VARCHAR2(30)
CONSTRAINT patron_last_not_null NOT NULL,
first_name VARCHAR2(30),
street_address VARCHAR2(50),
city_state_zip VARCHAR2(50),
location MDSYS.SDO_GEOMETRY,
CONSTRAINT patrons_pk PRIMARY KEY (patron_id));

The use of single city_state_zip column for all that information is not good database
design; it is done here merely to simplify your work in the tutorial.
The location column (Oracle Spatial geometry representing the patron’s geocoded
address) is merely to show the use of a complex (object) type.
To create the PATRONS table, if you are not already connected, connect to the database
as the user for the schema you are using for this tutorial. Right-click the Tables node in
the schema hierarchy on the left side, select New Table, and enter the following
information. (If a tab or field is not mentioned, do not enter anything for it. Be sure
that the Advanced box is not checked when you start creating the table.)
Schema: Specify your current schema as the schema in which to create the table.
Name: PATRONS

Tutorial: Creating Objects for a Small Database 3-3

Create a Table (TRANSACTIONS)

Create most of the table columns using the following information. After creating each
column except the city_state_zip column, click Add Column to add the next column.
(If you accidentally click OK instead of Add Column, right-click the PATRONS table in
the Connections navigator display, select Edit, and continue to add columns.)
Column Name Type

Size

patron_id

NUMBER

last_name

VARCHAR2

30

first_name

VARCHAR2

30

street_address

VARCHAR2

30

city_state_zip

VARCHAR2

30

Other Information and Notes
Primary Key. (Unique patron ID number, with
values to be created using a sequence that you
will create)
Not Null

The last column in the table (location) requires a complex data type, for which you
must use the Columns tab with advanced options. Check Advanced (next to Schema).
This displays a pane for selecting more table options.
In the Columns pane, click the city_state_zip column name, and click the Add Column
(+) icon to add the following as the last column in the table.
Column Name Type

Other Information and Notes

location

(Oracle Spatial geometry object representing the
patron’s geocoded address)

Complex type
Schema: MDSYS
Type: SDO_GEOMETRY

After you have entered the last column (location), click OK to finish creating the table.
Go to Section 3.3, "Create a Table (TRANSACTIONS)" to create the next table.

3.3 Create a Table (TRANSACTIONS)
The TRANSACTIONS table contains a row for each transaction involving a patron and
a book (for example, someone checking a book out or returning a book). It includes
two foreign key columns. You will use the Create Table dialog box to create the table
declaratively; the table that you create will be essentially the same as if you had
entered the following statement using the SQL Worksheet:
CREATE TABLE transactions (
transaction_id NUMBER,
patron_id CONSTRAINT for_key_patron_id
REFERENCES patrons(patron_id),
book_id CONSTRAINT for_key_book_id
REFERENCES books(book_id),
transaction_date DATE
CONSTRAINT tran_date_not_null NOT NULL,
transaction_type NUMBER
CONSTRAINT tran_type_not_null NOT NULL,
CONSTRAINT transactions_pk PRIMARY KEY (transaction_id));

To create the TRANSACTIONS table, if you are not already connected, connect to the
database as the user for the schema you are using for this tutorial. Right-click the
Tables node in the schema hierarchy on the left side, select New Table, and enter the

3-4 Oracle SQL Developer User's Guide

Create a Table (TRANSACTIONS)

following information. (If a tab or field is not mentioned, do not enter anything for it.
Be sure that the Advanced box is not checked when you start creating the table.)
Schema: Specify your current schema as the schema in which to create the table.
Name: TRANSACTIONS
Create the table columns using the following information. After creating each column
except the last one (transaction_type), click Add Column to add the next column. (If
you accidentally click OK instead of Add Column, right-click the TRANSACTIONS
table in the Connections navigator display, select Edit, and continue to add columns.)
Column Name

Type

Size

transaction_id

NUMBER

Primary Key. (Unique transaction ID number,
with values to be created using a trigger and
sequence that will be created automatically)

patron_id

NUMBER

(Foreign key; must match a patron_id value in
the PATRONS table)

book_id

VARCHAR2 20

(Foreign key; must match a book_id value in
the BOOKS table)

transaction_date

DATE

(Date and time of the transaction)

transaction_type NUMBER

Other Information and Notes

(Numeric code indicating the type of
transaction, such as 1 for checking out a book)

After you have entered the last column (transaction_type), check Advanced (next to
Schema). This displays a pane for selecting more table options. For this table, you will
use the Column Sequences and Foreign Keys panes.
Column Sequences pane
You have already specified TRANSACTION_ID as the primary key, and you will use
this pane only to specify that the primary key column values are to be populated
automatically. This convenient approach uses a trigger and a sequence (both created
automatically by SQL Developer), and ensures that each transaction ID value is
unique.
Column: TRANSACTION_ID
Sequence: New Sequence
Trigger: TRANSACTIONS_TRG (The default; a before-insert trigger with this name
will be created automatically.)
Foreign Keys tab
1. Click Add to create the first of the two foreign keys for the TRANSACTIONS table.
Name: for_key_patron_id
Referenced Schema: Name of the schema containing the table with the primary key or
unique constraint to which this foreign key refers. Use the schema you have been
using for this tutorial.
Referenced Table: PATRONS
Referenced Constraint: PATRONS_PK (The name of the primary key constraint for
the PATRONS table. Be sure that the Referenced Column on PATRONS displayed
value is PATRON_ID.)
Associations: Local Column: PATRON_ID

Tutorial: Creating Objects for a Small Database

3-5

Create a Sequence

Associations: Referenced Column on PATRONS: PATRON_ID
2. Click Add to create the second of the two foreign keys for the TRANSACTIONS
table.
Name: for_key_book_id
Referenced Schema: Name of the schema containing the table with the primary key or
unique constraint to which this foreign key refers. Use the schema you have been
using for this tutorial.
Referenced Table: BOOKS
Referenced Constraint: BOOKS_PK (The name of the primary key constraint for the
BOOKS table. Be sure that the Referenced Column on BOOKS displayed value is
BOOK_ID.
Associations: Local Column: BOOK_ID
Associations: Referenced Column on BOOKS: BOOK_ID
3. Click OK to finish creating the table.
You have finished creating all the tables. To create a sequence for use in generating
unique primary key values for the PATRONS table, go to Section 3.4, "Create a
Sequence".

3.4 Create a Sequence
Create one sequence object, which will be used in INSERT statements to generate
unique primary key values in the PATRONS table. (You do not need to create a
sequence for the primary key in the TRANSACTIONS table, because you used the
SQL Developer feature that enables automatic population of primary key values for
that table.) You will use the Create Sequence dialog box to create the sequence
declaratively; the sequence that you create will be essentially the same as if you had
entered the following statements using the SQL Worksheet:
CREATE SEQUENCE patron_id_seq
START WITH 100
INCREMENT BY 1;

After creating the sequence, you can use it in INSERT statements to generate unique
numeric values. The following example uses the patron_id_seq sequence in creating a
row for a new patron (library user), assigning her a patron ID that is the next available
value of the patron_id_seq sequence:
INSERT INTO patrons VALUES (patron_id_seq.nextval,
'Smith', 'Jane', '123 Main Street', 'Mytown, MA 01234', null);

To create the sequence, if you are not already connected, connect to the database as the
user for the schema you are using for this tutorial. Right-click the Sequences node in
the schema hierarchy on the left side, select New Sequence, and enter information
using the Create Sequence dialog box.
Schema: Specify your current schema as the schema in which to create the sequence.
Name: patron_id_seq
Increment: 1
Start with: 100
Min value: 100
Click OK to finish creating the sequence.
3-6 Oracle SQL Developer User's Guide

Insert Data into the Tables

To insert sample data into the tables, go to Section 3.5, "Insert Data into the Tables".

3.5 Insert Data into the Tables
For your convenience in using the view and the PL/SQL procedure that you will
create, add some sample data to the BOOKS, PATRONS, and TRANSACTIONS tables.
(If you do not add sample data, you can still create the remaining objects in this
tutorial, but the view and the procedure will not return any results.)
Go to the SQL Worksheet window associated with the database connection you have
been using. (For information about using the SQL Worksheet, see Section 1.7, "Using
the SQL Worksheet".) Copy and paste the following INSERT statements into the Enter
SQL Statement box:
INSERT
INSERT
INSERT
null);
INSERT
5);
INSERT

INTO books VALUES ('A1111', 'Moby Dick', 'Melville', 'Herman', 10);
INTO books VALUES ('A2222', 'Get Rich Really Fast', 'Scammer', 'Ima', 1);
INTO books VALUES ('A3333', 'Finding Inner Peace', 'Blissford', 'Serenity',
INTO books VALUES ('A4444', 'Great Mystery Stories', 'Whodunit', 'Rodney',
INTO books VALUES ('A5555', 'Software Wizardry', 'Abugov', 'D.', 10);

INSERT INTO patrons VALUES (patron_id_seq.nextval,
'Smith', 'Jane', '123 Main Street', 'Mytown, MA 01234', null);
INSERT INTO patrons VALUES (patron_id_seq.nextval,
'Chen', 'William', '16 S. Maple Road', 'Mytown, MA 01234', null);
INSERT INTO patrons VALUES (patron_id_seq.nextval,
'Fernandez', 'Maria', '502 Harrison Blvd.', 'Sometown, NH 03078', null);
INSERT INTO patrons VALUES (patron_id_seq.nextval,
'Murphy', 'Sam', '57 Main Street', 'Mytown, MA 01234', null);
INSERT INTO transactions (patron_id, book_id,
transaction_date, transaction_type)
VALUES (100, 'A1111', SYSDATE, 1);
INSERT INTO transactions (patron_id, book_id,
transaction_date, transaction_type)
VALUES (100, 'A2222', SYSDATE, 2);
INSERT INTO transactions (patron_id, book_id,
transaction_date, transaction_type)
VALUES (101, 'A3333', SYSDATE, 3);
INSERT INTO transactions (patron_id, book_id,
transaction_date, transaction_type)
VALUES (101, 'A2222', SYSDATE, 1);
INSERT INTO transactions (patron_id, book_id,
transaction_date, transaction_type)
VALUES (102, 'A3333', SYSDATE, 1);
INSERT INTO transactions (patron_id, book_id,
transaction_date, transaction_type)
VALUES (103, 'A4444', SYSDATE, 2);
INSERT INTO transactions (patron_id, book_id,
transaction_date, transaction_type)
VALUES (100, 'A4444', SYSDATE, 1);
INSERT INTO transactions (patron_id, book_id,
transaction_date, transaction_type)
VALUES (102, 'A2222', SYSDATE, 2);
INSERT INTO transactions (patron_id, book_id,
transaction_date, transaction_type)
VALUES (102, 'A5555', SYSDATE, 1);
INSERT INTO transactions (patron_id, book_id,
transaction_date, transaction_type)

Tutorial: Creating Objects for a Small Database 3-7

Create a View

VALUES (101, 'A2222', SYSDATE, 1);

Click the Run Script icon, or press the F5 key.
To create a view, go to Section 3.6, "Create a View".

3.6 Create a View
Create a view that returns information about patrons and their transactions. This view
queries the PATRONS and TRANSACTIONS tables, and returns rows that contain a
patron’s ID, last name, and first name, along with a transaction and the transaction
type. The rows are ordered by patron ID, and by transaction type within patron IDs.
To create the patrons_trans_view view, if you are not already connected, connect to the
database as the user for the schema you are using for this tutorial. Right-click the
Views node in the schema hierarchy on the left side, select New View, and enter the
following information. (If a tab or field is not mentioned, do not enter anything for it.)
Schema: Specify your current schema as the schema in which to create the view.
Name: patrons_trans_view
SQL Query tab
In the SQL Query box, enter (or copy and paste) the following statement:
SELECT p.patron_id,
p.last_name,
p.first_name,
t.transaction_type,
t.transaction_date
FROM patrons p, transactions t
WHERE p.patron_id = t.patron_id
ORDER BY p.patron_id, t.transaction_type

Then click Test Syntax, and ensure that you have not made any syntax errors. If you
made any errors, correct then and click Test Syntax again.
DDL
Review the SQL statement that SQL Developer will use to create the view. If you want
to make any changes, go back to the SQL Query tab and make the changes there.
If you want to save the CREATE VIEW statement to a SQL script file, click Save and
specify the location and file name.
When you are finished, click OK.
You have finished creating the view. If you inserted data to the underlying tables, as
described in Section 3.5, "Insert Data into the Tables", you can see the data returned by
this view as follows: in the Connections navigator, expand Views, and select
PATRONS_TRANS_VIEW, then click the Data tab.
To create a procedure that lists all books with a specified rating, go to Section 3.7,
"Create a PL/SQL Procedure".

3.7 Create a PL/SQL Procedure
Create a procedure that lists all books with a specified rating. You can then call this
procedure with an input parameter (a number from 1 to 10), and the output will be all
the titles of all books with that rating.

3-8 Oracle SQL Developer User's Guide

Debug a PL/SQL Procedure

To create the procedure, if you are not already connected, connect to the database as
the user for the schema you are using for this tutorial. Right-click the Procedures node
in the schema hierarchy on the left side, select New Procedure, and enter the following
information using the Create PL/SQL Procedure dialog box.
Object Name: list_a_rating
Click OK. A source window for the new procedure is opened. Enter (or copy and
paste) the following procedure text, replacing any existing text:
CREATE OR REPLACE
PROCEDURE list_a_rating(in_rating IN NUMBER) AS
matching_title VARCHAR2(50);
TYPE my_cursor IS REF CURSOR;
the_cursor my_cursor;
BEGIN
OPEN the_cursor
FOR 'SELECT title
FROM books
WHERE rating = :in_rating'
USING in_rating;
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('All books with a rating of ' || in_rating || ':');
LOOP
FETCH the_cursor INTO matching_title;
EXIT WHEN the_cursor%NOTFOUND;
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE(matching_title);
END LOOP;
CLOSE the_cursor;
END list_a_rating;

This procedure uses a cursor (named the_cursor) to return only rows where the book
has the specified rating (in_rating parameter), and uses a loop to output the title of
each book with that rating.
Click the Save icon to save the procedure.
As a usage example, after creating the procedure named LIST_A_RATING, if you have
inserted data into the BOOKS table (for example, using the INSERT statements in
Section 3.5, "Insert Data into the Tables"), you could use the following statement to
return all books with a rating of 10:
CALL list_a_rating(10);

To run this procedure within SQL Developer, right-click LIST_A_RATING in the
Connections navigator hierarchy display and select Run. Under PL/SQL Block in the
Run PL/SQL dialog box, change IN_RATING => IN_RATING to IN_RATING => 10,
and click OK. The Log window display will now include the following output:
All books with a rating of 10:
Moby Dick
Software Wizardry

3.8 Debug a PL/SQL Procedure
If you want to practice debugging a PL/SQL procedure with SQL Developer, create a
procedure that is like the list_a_rating procedure that you created in Section 3.7,
"Create a PL/SQL Procedure", but with a logic error. (The coding is also deliberately
inefficient, to allow the display of the rating in a variable.)
Before you can debug the procedure, you must ensure that the user associated with the
database connection has the DEBUG CONNECT SESSION and DEBUG ANY
PROCEDURE privileges.
Tutorial: Creating Objects for a Small Database 3-9

Debug a PL/SQL Procedure

To create this procedure, if you are not already connected, connect to the database as
the user for the schema you are using for this tutorial. Right-click the Procedures node
in the schema hierarchy on the left side, select New Procedure, and enter the following
information using the Create PL/SQL Procedure dialog box.
Object Name: list_a_rating2
Click OK. A source window for the new procedure is opened. Enter (or copy and
paste) the following procedure text, replacing any existing text:
CREATE OR REPLACE
PROCEDURE list_a_rating2(in_rating IN NUMBER) AS
matching_title VARCHAR2(50);
matching_rating NUMBER;
TYPE my_cursor IS REF CURSOR;
the_cursor my_cursor;
rating_cursor my_cursor;
BEGIN
OPEN the_cursor
FOR 'SELECT title
FROM books
WHERE rating <= :in_rating'
USING in_rating;
OPEN rating_cursor FOR 'SELECT rating FROM books WHERE
rating <= :in_rating' USING in_rating;
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('All books with a rating of ' || in_rating || ':');
LOOP
FETCH the_cursor INTO matching_title;
FETCH rating_cursor INTO matching_rating;
EXIT WHEN the_cursor%NOTFOUND;
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE(matching_title);
END LOOP;
CLOSE the_cursor;
CLOSE rating_cursor;
END list_a_rating2;

This procedure contains a logic error in the definition of the_cursor: it selects titles
where the rating is less than or equal to a specified rating, whereas it should select
titles only where the rating is equal to the specified rating.
Click the Save icon to save the procedure.
Assume that you wanted to run this procedure and list all books with a rating of 10.
Right-click LIST_A_RATING2 in the Connections navigator hierarchy display and
select Run. Under PL/SQL Block in the Run PL/SQL dialog box, change, change IN_
RATING => IN_RATING to IN_RATING => 10, and click OK. In the Log window,
however, you see unexpected output: many titles are listed, including some with
ratings other than 10. So, you decide to debug the procedure.
To debug the procedure, follow these steps:
1.

Click the Compile for Debug icon in the toolbar under the LIST_A_RATING2 tab.

2.

Set two breakpoints by clicking in the left margin (left of the thin vertical line)
beside each of these two lines:
FETCH the_cursor INTO matching_title;
FETCH rating_cursor INTO matching_rating;

Clicking in the left margin toggles the setting and unsetting of breakpoints.
Clicking beside these two lines will enable you to see the values of the matching_
title and matching_rating variables as execution proceeds in debug mode.

3-10 Oracle SQL Developer User's Guide

Use the SQL Worksheet for Queries

3.

On the Debug menu, select Debug LIST_A_RATING2. Ensure that the line IN_
RATING => IN_RATING has been changed to IN_RATING => 10, and click OK.

4.

Click View, then Debugger, then Data to display the Data pane. (Tip: Expand the
Name column width so that you can see MATCHING_RATING.)

5.

Press the F9 key (or click Debug, then Resume) to have execution proceed,
stopping at the next breakpoint.

6.

Repeatedly press the F9 key (or click Debug, then Resume), noticing especially the
value of MATCHING_RATING as each row is processed. You will notice the first
incorrect result when you see that the title Get Rich Really Fast is included, even
though its rating is only 1 (obviously less than 10). (See the screen illustration with
debugging information in Section 1.6, "Running and Debugging Functions and
Procedures".)

7.

When you have enough information to fix the problem, you can click the
Debugging - Log tab, and Terminate icon in the debugging toolbar.

From this debugging session, you know that to fix the logic error, you should change
rating <= :in_rating to rating = :in_rating in the definition of the_cursor.

3.9 Use the SQL Worksheet for Queries
You can use the SQL Worksheet to test SQL statements using a database connection. To
display the worksheet, from the Tools menu, select SQL Worksheet. In the Select
Connection dialog box, select the database connection that you used to create the
BOOKS, PATRONS, and TRANSACTIONS tables for the tutorial in Chapter 3,
"Tutorial: Creating Objects for a Small Database".
The SQL Worksheet has the user interface shown in Section 1.7, "Using the SQL
Worksheet".
In the Enter SQL Statement box, enter the following statement (the semicolon is
optional for the SQL Worksheet):
SELECT author_last_name, title FROM books;

Notice the automatic highlighting of SQL keywords (SELECT and FROM in this
example).
Click the Execute SQL Statement icon in the SQL Worksheet toolbar. The results of the
query are displayed on the Results tab under the area in which you entered the SQL
statement.
In the Enter SQL Statement box, enter (or copy and paste) the following statement,
which is the same as the SELECT statement in the view you created in Create a View:
SELECT p.patron_id,
p.last_name,
p.first_name,
t.transaction_type,
t.transaction_date
FROM patrons p, transactions t
WHERE p.patron_id = t.patron_id
ORDER BY p.patron_id, t.transaction_type;

Click the Execute SQL Statement icon in the SQL Worksheet toolbar, and view the
results of the query.
Click the Execute Explain Plan icon in the SQL Worksheet toolbar to see the execution
plan (displayed on the Explain tab) that Oracle Database follows to execute the SQL
Tutorial: Creating Objects for a Small Database 3-11

Script for Creating and Using the Library Tutorial Objects

statement. The information includes the optimizer strategy and the cost of executing
the statement. (For information about how to generate and interpret execution plans,
see Oracle Database Performance Tuning Guide.)

3.10 Script for Creating and Using the Library Tutorial Objects
The following statements create and use the database objects that you have created (or
will create) for the tutorial in Chapter 3, "Tutorial: Creating Objects for a Small
Database". You can view these commands to help you understand the library database
objects that are covered in the tutorial.
-- Clean up from any previous tutorial actions.
DROP TABLE transactions;
DROP TABLE books;
DROP TABLE patrons;
DROP SEQUENCE patron_id_seq;
DROP SEQUENCE transactions_seq;
DROP TRIGGER transactions_trg;
DROP VIEW patrons_trans_view;
DROP PROCEDURE list_a_rating;
DROP PROCEDURE list_a_rating2;
set serveroutput on
-- Create objects.
CREATE TABLE books (
book_id VARCHAR2(20),
title VARCHAR2(50)
CONSTRAINT title_not_null NOT NULL,
author_last_name VARCHAR2(30)
CONSTRAINT last_name_not_null NOT NULL,
author_first_name VARCHAR2(30),
rating NUMBER,
CONSTRAINT books_pk PRIMARY KEY (book_id),
CONSTRAINT rating_1_to_10 CHECK (rating IS NULL OR
(rating >= 1 and rating <= 10)),
CONSTRAINT author_title_unique UNIQUE (author_last_name, title));
CREATE TABLE patrons (
patron_id NUMBER,
last_name VARCHAR2(30)
CONSTRAINT patron_last_not_null NOT NULL,
first_name VARCHAR2(30),
street_address VARCHAR2(50),
city_state_zip VARCHAR2(50),
location MDSYS.SDO_GEOMETRY,
CONSTRAINT patrons_pk PRIMARY KEY (patron_id));
CREATE TABLE transactions (
transaction_id NUMBER,
patron_id CONSTRAINT for_key_patron_id
REFERENCES patrons(patron_id),
book_id CONSTRAINT for_key_book_id
REFERENCES books(book_id),
transaction_date DATE
CONSTRAINT tran_date_not_null NOT NULL,
transaction_type NUMBER
CONSTRAINT tran_type_not_null NOT NULL,

3-12 Oracle SQL Developer User's Guide

Script for Creating and Using the Library Tutorial Objects

CONSTRAINT transactions_pk PRIMARY KEY (transaction_id));
CREATE SEQUENCE patron_id_seq
START WITH 100
INCREMENT BY 1;
-- The sequence for the transaction_id
-- in the tutorial is created automatically,
-- and may have the name TRANSACTIONS_SEQ.
CREATE SEQUENCE transactions_seq
START WITH 1
INCREMENT BY 1;
-- The before-insert trigger for transaction ID values
-- in the tutorial is created automatically,
-- and may have the name TRANSACTIONS_TRG.
CREATE OR REPLACE TRIGGER transactions_trg
BEFORE INSERT ON TRANSACTIONS
FOR EACH ROW
BEGIN
SELECT TRANSACTIONS_SEQ.NEXTVAL INTO :NEW.TRANSACTION_ID FROM DUAL;
END;
/
CREATE VIEW patrons_trans_view AS
SELECT p.patron_id,
p.last_name,
p.first_name,
t.transaction_type,
t.transaction_date
FROM patrons p, transactions t
WHERE p.patron_id = t.patron_id
ORDER BY p.patron_id, t.transaction_type;
-- Procedure: List all books that have a specified rating.
CREATE OR REPLACE PROCEDURE list_a_rating(in_rating IN NUMBER) AS
matching_title VARCHAR2(50);
TYPE my_cursor IS REF CURSOR;
the_cursor my_cursor;
BEGIN
OPEN the_cursor
FOR 'SELECT title
FROM books
WHERE rating = :in_rating'
USING in_rating;
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('All books with a rating of ' || in_rating || ':');
LOOP
FETCH the_cursor INTO matching_title;
EXIT WHEN the_cursor%NOTFOUND;
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE(matching_title);
END LOOP;
CLOSE the_cursor;
END;
/
show errors;
-- Insert and query data.
INSERT INTO books VALUES ('A1111', 'Moby Dick', 'Melville', 'Herman', 10);
INSERT INTO books VALUES ('A2222', 'Get Rich Really Fast', 'Scammer', 'Ima', 1);

Tutorial: Creating Objects for a Small Database 3-13

Script for Creating and Using the Library Tutorial Objects

INSERT INTO books VALUES ('A3333', 'Finding Inner Peace', 'Blissford', 'Serenity',
null);
INSERT INTO books VALUES ('A4444', 'Great Mystery Stories', 'Whodunit', 'Rodney',
5);
INSERT INTO books VALUES ('A5555', 'Software Wizardry', 'Abugov', 'D.', 10);
INSERT INTO patrons VALUES (patron_id_seq.nextval,
'Smith', 'Jane', '123 Main Street', 'Mytown, MA 01234', null);
INSERT INTO patrons VALUES (patron_id_seq.nextval,
'Chen', 'William', '16 S. Maple Road', 'Mytown, MA 01234', null);
INSERT INTO patrons VALUES (patron_id_seq.nextval,
'Fernandez', 'Maria', '502 Harrison Blvd.', 'Sometown, NH 03078', null);
INSERT INTO patrons VALUES (patron_id_seq.nextval,
'Murphy', 'Sam', '57 Main Street', 'Mytown, MA 01234', null);
INSERT INTO transactions (patron_id, book_id,
transaction_date, transaction_type)
VALUES (100, 'A1111', SYSDATE, 1);
INSERT INTO transactions (patron_id, book_id,
transaction_date, transaction_type)
VALUES (100, 'A2222', SYSDATE, 2);
INSERT INTO transactions (patron_id, book_id,
transaction_date, transaction_type)
VALUES (101, 'A3333', SYSDATE, 3);
INSERT INTO transactions (patron_id, book_id,
transaction_date, transaction_type)
VALUES (101, 'A2222', SYSDATE, 1);
INSERT INTO transactions (patron_id, book_id,
transaction_date, transaction_type)
VALUES (102, 'A3333', SYSDATE, 1);
INSERT INTO transactions (patron_id, book_id,
transaction_date, transaction_type)
VALUES (103, 'A4444', SYSDATE, 2);
INSERT INTO transactions (patron_id, book_id,
transaction_date, transaction_type)
VALUES (100, 'A4444', SYSDATE, 1);
INSERT INTO transactions (patron_id, book_id,
transaction_date, transaction_type)
VALUES (102, 'A2222', SYSDATE, 2);
INSERT INTO transactions (patron_id, book_id,
transaction_date, transaction_type)
VALUES (102, 'A5555', SYSDATE, 1);
INSERT INTO transactions (patron_id, book_id,
transaction_date, transaction_type)
VALUES (101, 'A2222', SYSDATE, 1);
-- Test the view and the procedure.
SELECT * FROM patrons_trans_view;
CALL list_a_rating(10);

3-14 Oracle SQL Developer User's Guide

4
4

Dialog Boxes for Creating/Editing Objects
SQL Developer uses dialog boxes for creating and editing database connections and
objects in the database (tables, views, procedures, and so on). The dialog boxes
sometimes have multiple tabs, each reflecting a logical grouping of properties for that
type of object.
For an explanation of any dialog box or tab, click the Help button or press the F1 key.
The dialog boxes are not presented here in any rigorous order, because the help for
each box is an independent piece of information and is normally seen when you click
Help or press F1 in that box.
Note: For all Name fields, any name that you type is automatically
converted to and stored in the database metadata in uppercase, unless
you enclose the name in quotation marks (" "). (Names of database
objects in SQL and PL/SQL statements are not case-sensitive.)

To include lowercase characters, special characters, or spaces in object
names, enclose the name in quotation marks (" ") when you type it.
Example: "My table"

4.1 Add Extension
This dialog box is displayed when you click Add in the File Types pane of SQL
Developer Preferences.
Extension: Specify the file extension, including the period (for example, .xyz).
After you click OK, you can select that extension and modify its details, including the
file type, content type, and whether to have files with the extension automatically
opened by SQL Developer.

4.2 Branch/Tag
This dialog box is displayed when you right-click a remote directory in the Subversion
repository and select Branch/Tag. Create a branch by copying the current working
copy or a revision from the repository to a selected location in the repository.
From: Location of the working copy or revision.
Working Copy: Causes the current working copy to be copied.
HEAD Revision: Causes the HEAD revision (the latest revision in the repository) to be
copied.

Dialog Boxes for Creating/Editing Objects 4-1

Check for Updates

Use Revision: Causes the revision specified in the text box to be copied. To see a list of
revisions from which you can choose, click List Revisions.
To: Destination location.
Comment: Optional descriptive comment.
Switch to new branch/tag: If this option is checked, the existing working copy is
switched to the new branch.
After you click OK, the SVN Console - Log pane is displayed at the bottom, with
messages about commands that were executed.

4.3 Check for Updates
When you click Help and then Check for Updates, you can check for and download
available SQL Developer updates. The following pages may be displayed. (If you have
enabled the SQL Developer preference to check for updates automatically at startup,
and if you click to see available updates at startup, the Updates page is displayed.)
If you are unable to check for updates because your system is behind a firewall, you
may need to set the SQL Developer user preferences for Web Browser and Proxy.
1.

Source: Select the source or sources to be checked for available updates: any or all
of some specified online update centers, or a local ZIP file containing an update
bundle. You can also click Add to add a user-defined update center.

2.

Updates: If any updates are available from the selected source or sources, select
those that you want to download.The available updates include certain third-party
JDBC drivers, which require that you agree to the terms of their licenses.
The Show Upgrades Only option restricts the display to upgrades of currently
installed SQL Developer components. To enable the display of all new and
updated components, whether currently installed or not, uncheck this option.
After you click Next, you may be prompted to enter your Oracle Web Account
user name and password. If you do not have an account, you can click the Sign Up
link.

3.

License Agreements (displayed only if you selected any updates that require a
license agreement): For each update that requires you to agree to the terms of a
license, review the license text and click I Agree. You must do this for each
applicable license.

4.

Download: If you selected any updates to download, this page displays the
progress of the download operation.

5.

Summary: Displays information about the updates that were downloaded. After
you click Finish, you will be asked if you want to install the updates now and
restart SQL Developer.

4.4 Check Out from CVS
Use this dialog box to check out modules from a CVS repository.
Connection Name: Name of the connection to the repository
Module Name: Name of the module to be checked out.
Path: Path to the module.
Get/Refresh Module List: Displays the list of modules or updates the current display.

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Destination Folder: Folder into which to place the checked out files.
Use Revision or Tag: If this option is checked, the revision or tag that you specify in
the text box is used. To see the available tags, click the binoculars icon.
Prune Empty Folders: If this option is checked, empty folders are removed from the
working directory.

4.5 Check Out from Subversion
Use this dialog box to check out modules from a Subversion repository.
Repository Connection: Name of the connection to the repository.
Path: Path to the module to be checked out.
Destination: Directory or folder into which to place the checked out files.
Use Revision: If this option is checked, the revision you specify in the text box is used.
To see the available revisions, click the binoculars icon.
Recursive: If this option is checked, the folder hierarchy is searched recursively from
the top down. If this option is not checked, only the top folder is searched.

4.6 Choose Directory
This is a standard box for choosing a directory in which to place files: use Location to
navigate to (double-clicking) the folder in which to save the files, or enter a directory
name. If the directory does not already exist, it is created.

4.7 Confirm Drop Application
This dialog box is displayed when you right-click an Application Express application
and select Drop. To drop the application, click Yes; to keep (not drop) the application,
click No.
If the application contains an uninstall script, that script is run before the application is
dropped.

4.8 Confirm Running SQL
This dialog box is displayed in certain situations when SQL Developer needs to run a
setup script on the server. The script is displayed in a text box, where you can view or
edit the contents. To allow the script to run, click Yes; to prevent.the script from
running, click No.

4.9 Connection Has Uncommitted Changes
This dialog box is displayed if you try to end the active database session while there
are transactions to be committed. Select the appropriate option and click OK.
To commit the changes and end the session, select Commit Changes. To roll back the
changes and end the session, select Rollback Changes. To cancel the attempt to end
the session, select Abort Connection Disconnect. (Selecting Abort Connection
Disconnect and clicking OK has the same effect as clicking Cancel.)

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Create/Edit New Object (New Gallery)

4.10 Create/Edit New Object (New Gallery)
Specify the type of object to create. After you click OK, the dialog box for creating that
type of object is displayed.
Search: Enables you to restrict the types of objects based on a string that you specify.
For example, to display only the item for creating a table, specify table.
Categories: A hierarchical display of types of objects. To see all types of objects that
you can create, select All Items.
Items: Types of objects that you can create within the selected category, and as limited
by any search string that you specified.
Show All Descriptions: If this option is checked, full descriptions of all displayed
items are shown.

4.11 Create/Edit CVS Connection
This information applies to creating or editing a CVS (Concurrent Versions System)
connection. For information about SQL Developer support for versioning and CVS, see
Section 1.11.
Connection
Access Method: The method by which the client will gain access to and authenticate
against the server. The methods available depend on which CVS preferences you have
set; the available methods might include External, Password Server, Secure Shell via
SSH2, and [Other].
Most of the remaining Connection fields apply only to specific Access Method values.
User Name: A CVS user name known to the repository.
Host Name: Qualified host name or IP address of the CVS server system.
Port: TCP/IP port number on which the repository is listening.
Repository Path: The location of the CVS repository software. The seeded / can be
overwritten with a path in the format suitable for your operating system, for example
c:\cvs. A simple formatting error, such as a forward slash instead of a backslash, will
result in a message asking you to enter a valid repository path.
SSH2 Key: Path and file name for the SSH2 private key file for this connection. You
can generate a SSH2 private key file using Generate SSH2 Key Pair.
Generate SSH2 Key Pair: Displays a dialog box for generating an SSH2 key pair (that
is, a private key file and a public key file). You specify the private key file in the SSH2
Key box. You add the details of the public key file to the list of public keys on the CVS
server system
Use HTTP Proxy Settings: Check (enable) this option if you are behind a firewall and
need to use HTTP to access the CVS server.
External Locator Configuration: Displays the External Locator Configuration dialog
box, in which you can edit the details of the remote shell client and remote server
program.
Root
Value of CVSROOT: CVS root variable made up from the information that you have
already provided. This variable provides the client with access details when contacting

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the server. The format of the seeded variable is:
:accessmethod:username@serverlocation:repositorypath
You would not normally need to change this value. One instance when you would
change this value is when you are attempting to connect to a CVSNT server through a
firewall. In this case, you would add proxy information to the beginning of the
username portion, so that the CVS root variable would take the following form:
:accessmethod:proxy=proxyname;proxyport=portnumber:username@serverlocation:re
positorypath
Test
Test Connection: Attempts to establish a connection to the CVS repository.
Status: Displays the result of the test (success or an error message).
Name
Connection Name: Name to identify the connection to the CVS repository. The default
name is the same as the CVSROOT value.
Summary
Displays the connection information that you have specified. To make any corrections,
click Back as needed and modify the information. To create the connection, click
Finish.

4.12 Create/Edit/Select Database Connection
The database connection dialog box displays any existing connections. Depending on
the context, you can select a connection to connect to the database, edit the information
about existing connections, or specify information while creating a new connection.
(See Creating and Editing Connections.)
Connection Name: An alias for a connection to the database using the information
that you enter. (The connection name is not stored in the database, and the connection
is not a database object.) Suggestion: Include the database name (SID) and user name
in the connection name. Example: personnel_herman for connecting to the personnel
database as user Herman.
Username: Name of the database user for the connection. This user must have
sufficient privileges to perform the tasks that you want perform while connected to the
database, such as creating, editing, and deleting tables, views, and other objects.
Password: Password associated with the specified database user.
Save Password: If this option is checked, the password is saved with the connection
information, and you will not be prompted for the password on subsequent attempts
to connect using this connection.
Oracle tab
The following information applies to a connection to an Oracle Database.
Role: The set of privileges to be associated with the connection. For a user that has
been granted the SYSDBA system privilege, you can specify a connection that includes
the privilege.
Connection Type: Select Basic, TNS, LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol),
or Advanced. (The display of fields changes to reflect any change in connection type.)

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Create/Edit/Select Database Connection

OS Authentication: If this option is checked, control of user authentication is passed
to the operating system (OS). This allows the specified user to connect to the database
by authenticating that user’s OS username in the database. No password is associated
with the connection since it is assumed that OS authentication is sufficient. For
information about using OS authentication, see Oracle Database JDBC Developer's Guide
and Reference.
Kerberos Authentication: If this option is checked, credentials can be shared across
many Kerberos-enabled applications (for example, to have the same username and
password for both the operating system and Oracle Database). Thick driver
configuration is done through sqlnet.ora (sqlnet.authentication_
services=(KERBEROS) and related parameters), so no username and password are
needed. Thin driver configuration uses the configuration (.conf) file and the
credentials cache, and uses a service principal and password. For more information
about Kerberos authentication options, see Database: Advanced Parameters. For
information about configuring Kerberos authentication, see Oracle Database Advanced
Security Administrator's Guide.
Proxy Connection: If this option is checked, proxy authentication will be used, as
explained in Section 1.4.5, "Connections with Proxy Authentication". Displays the
Oracle Proxy Authentication dialog box.
Basic connection type
Host Name: Host system for the Oracle database.
Port: Listener port.
SID: Database name.
Service Name: Network service name of the database (for a remote database
connection over a secure connection).
TNS connection type
Network Alias: Oracle Net alias for the database. (The list for selecting a network alias
is initially filled from the tnsnames.ora file on your system, if that file exists.)
Connect Identifier: Oracle Net connect identifier.
LDAP connection type
Enterprise users are authenticated with the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol
(LDAP) server. The user login information must be configured in the LDAP server and
mapped to a schema in the database. Support for LDAP-compliant directory servers
provides a centralized vehicle for managing and configuring a distributed Oracle
network. The directory server can replace client-side and server-side localized
tnsnames.ora files.
LDAP Server: Select from the list (from  entries in the
ldap.ora file, or enter a new directory server.
Context: LDAP administrative context. The contexts available in the selected server are
listed.
DB Service: Database connection information. If a connection uses the OCI/Thick
driver (see the Use OCI/Thick preference under Database: Advanced Parameters), the
system on which SQL Developer is running must have an Oracle Client installation
that contains the JDBC and orai18n libraries, is present on the path, and is version 10.2
or later. To load the information, click Load.

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Advanced connection type
Custom JDBC URL: URL for connecting directly from Java to the database; overrides
any other connection type specification. If you are using TNS or a naming service with
the OCI driver, you must specify this information: Example:
jdbc:oracle:thin:scott/@localhost:1521:orcl

Note that in this example, the "/" is required, and the user will be prompted to enter
the password.
To use a custom JDBC URL, the system on which SQL Developer is running must have
an Oracle Client installation that contains the JDBC and orai18n libraries, is present on
the path, and is version 10.2 or later.
TimesTen tab
The following information applies to a connection to an Oracle TimesTen In-Memory
Database.
For Username and Password, specify the user name and password of the user account
in the TimesTen database.
DSN: Data source name. Select an existing DSN (if any are displayed), or User-specified
to create a new DSN. A DSN is a character string that identifies a TimesTen database
and includes connection attributes to be used when connecting to the database. A DSN
has the following characteristics: its maximum length is 32 characters; it cannot contain
spaces; and it consists of ASCII characters except for the following: []{},;?*=!@\
Connection Type (if DNS is user-specified): C/S for client-server mode or Direct for
direct mode
Connection String: Connection attributes including database attributes, first
connection attributes, general connection attributes, NLS attributes, and Cache
Connect attributes. (See the Oracle TimesTen In-Memory Database API Reference Guide for
information about the attributes.)
Oracle Password (for Cache): The password for the TimesTen user account on the
Oracle Database. (See the Oracle TimesTen Application-Tier Database Cache Connect Guide
for more information.)
For more information about SQL Developer support for TimesTen, see Section 1.15.
For detailed usage and reference information about Oracle TimesTen, see the online
documentation that is included in the TimesTen installation. For additional
information, go to:
http://www.oracle.com/technology/products/timesten/
Access tab
For a connection to a Microsoft Access database, click Browse and find the database
(.mdb) file. However, to be able to use the connection, you must first ensure that the
system tables in the database file are readable by SQL Developer, as follows:
1.

Open the database (.mdb) file in Microsoft Access.

2.

Click Tools, then Options, and on the View tab ensure that System Objects are
shown.

3.

Click Tools, then Security, and, if necessary, modify the user and group
permissions for the MSysObjects, MsysQueries, and MSysRelationships tables as
follows: select the table and give the Admin user at least Read Design and Read
Data permission on the table.

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Rename Model (Migration)

4.

Save changes and close the Access database file.

5.

Create and test the connection in SQL Developer.

MySQL tab
The following information applies to a connection to a MySQL database.
Note that to connect to a MySQL database, you must first download the appropriate
MySQL connection driver, and then click Tools, then Preferences, and use the SQL
Developer user preference pane for Database: Third Party JDBC Drivers to add the
driver.
Host Name: Host system for the MySQL database.
Port: TCP/IP Port on which the MySQL server will listen.
Choose Database: Name of the MySQL database.
Zero Date Handling: Because the MySQL JDBC driver cannot handle the default
0000-00-00 date, specify one of the following options for handling this date: Set to
NULL to set it to a null value, or Round to 0001-01-01 to set it to 0001-01-01.
SQL Server and Sybase tabs
The following information applies to a connection to a Microsoft SQL Server or Sybase
Adaptive Server database.
Note that to connect to a Microsoft SQL Server or Sybase Adaptive Server database,
you must first download the appropriate connection driver, and then click Tools, then
Preferences, and use the SQL Developer user preference pane for Database: Third
Party JDBC Drivers to add the driver.
Host Name: Host system for the Microsoft SQL Server or Sybase Adaptive Server
database.
Port: TCP/IP Port on which Microsoft SQL Server or Sybase Adaptive Server will
listen.
Retrieve Database: Name of the Microsoft SQL Server or Sybase Adaptive Server
database.
Creating and Editing Connections
To create a new connection when no connections exist, enter the connection information
and click Connect. To test the connection before you create it, click Test.
To create a new connection when one or more connections already exist, click to select an
existing connection, change the Connection Name to the desired name, edit other
connection information as needed, and click Save or Connect to create the new
connection. To test the connection before you create it, click Test.
To edit an existing connection, click in its entry in the Connection Name column, change
any connection information except the connection name, and click Save or Connect. To
test the connection before you save changes to it, click Test.

4.13 Rename Model (Migration)
This dialog box is displayed when you right-click a captured or converted model and
select Rename Model. To rename the model, change the name and click OK.

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4.14 Rename Database Item (Migration)
This dialog box is displayed when you right-click a database object under a captured
or converted model and select Rename. To rename the object, change the name and
click OK.

4.15 Select Connection
Use this dialog box to select a database connection for use with a specific SQL
Developer feature (for example, the SQL worksheet or the Reports navigator). After
you click OK, the interface for the component is displayed , with the current user the
same as the one specified in the connection.
To create a new database connection, click the plus (+) icon; to edit the selected
database connection, click the pencil icon. In both cases, a dialog box for specifying
connection information is displayed (see Section 4.12, "Create/Edit/Select Database
Connection").

4.16 Connection Information
Use this dialog box to specify the user name and password for the selected database
connection.
If the specified user name does not exist in the database associated with the
connection, or if the specified password is not the correct one for that user, the
connection is refused.

4.17 No Connection Found
This dialog box is displayed when you attempt to perform an operation that requires a
database connection, but no connection currently exists for that operation. For
example, you might have opened a SQL file but not selected a connection, or the
connection might have disconnected; or you might have tried to perform a schema
copy operation without specifying both the From Schema and To Schema connections.
To select a connection in the SQL Worksheet, click OK to close this dialog box, then
select a connection from the drop-down list in the SQL Worksheet icon bar.

4.18 Connection Rename Error
This dialog box is displayed when you attempt to rename a database connection to a
name that is already used for another connection. For example, you might have
forgotten to enter a new name for the connection that you want to rename.
To rename the connection, click OK to close this dialog box, then specify a unique
connection name.

4.19 New Folder (Connections)
This dialog box enable you to create or rename a folder for organizing database
connections. If you are creating a folder, enter the name of the new folder; if you are
renaming a folder, replace the existing name with the desired new name. For
information about using folders, see Section 1.4.1, "Using Folders to Group
Connections".

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Continue After Pause

4.20 Continue After Pause
This dialog box is displayed when a PAUSE statement is encountered in a script that
you are running in the SQL Worksheet.
To continue execution at the statement after the PAUSE statement, click Yes. To stop
execution and not continue with the statement after the PAUSE statement, click No.

4.21 Select Library
This dialog box is displayed when you click Browse in the Database pane when setting
SQL Developer Preferences. Use this box to select the library for the specified JDBC
driver class.

4.22 Create Library
This dialog box is displayed when you click New in the Select Library dialog box,
which is displayed when you click Browse in the Database pane when setting SQL
Developer Preferences. Use this box to create the library for the specified JDBC driver
class.

4.23 Import Data
This dialog box is displayed when you right-click the Tables node or a table name in
the Connections navigator, select Import Data, and specify the .xls or .csv file from
which to import data. It enables you to create a table and import data into it from an
Microsoft Excel file, or to import Microsoft Excel data into an existing table.
Data Preview
Worksheet: Name of a worksheet in the Microsoft Excel file.
Header row?: If this option is checked, the first row in the selected Microsoft Excel
worksheet is considered a row with text for the column headings. If this option is not
checked, the first row is considered to contain worksheet data.
Locale: Language for any text data in the worksheet.
Choose Columns
Available Columns: Lists the Microsoft Excel worksheet columns from which you can
select for import into columns in the table. To select one or more worksheet columns,
use the arrow buttons to move columns from Available to Selected.
Selected Columns: Lists the columns whose data is to be imported into columns in the
database table. To change the order of a selected column in the list for the import
operation, select it and use the up and down arrow buttons.
Column Definition
Enables you to specify the name of the database table and information about the
columns in that table.
Table Name: Name of the database table into which to import the Excel data.
Source Data Columns and Target Table Columns: You can select a source (Excel) data
column to display its target (Oracle) column properties. For Data Type, select one of
the supported types for this import operation. For a VARCHAR2 or NUMBER column,

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you must specify an appropriate Size/Precision value. You can specify whether the
column value can be null (Nullable?), and you can specify a default value (Default).
Finish
Verify: You must verify the import parameters. If any test fails, the Information
column contains a brief explanation, and you must go back and fix any errors before
you can click Finish.
Send to Worksheet: Does not immediately perform the import operation, but instead
opens a SQL Worksheet with statements that will be used after you click the Run
Script icon in the worksheet.
To perform the import operation, or to send the statements to a SQL Worksheet if you
so specified, click Finish.

4.24 Export/Import Connection Descriptors
The Export Connection Descriptors dialog box exports information about one or more
database connections to an XML file. The Import Connection Descriptors dialog box
imports connections that have been exported. Connections that you import are added
to any connections that already exist in SQL Developer.
File Name: Name of the XML file to contain exported information or that contains
information to be imported. Use the Browse button to specify the location.
Connections: Names of connections that you can select for the export or import
operation.

4.25 Create/Edit Database Link
The following information applies to a database link, which is a database object in one
database that enables you to access objects on another database, as explained in
Section 1.3.3, "Database Links (Public and Private)".
Public: If this option is checked, the database link is public (available to all users). If
this option is not checked, the database link is private and is available only to you.
Schema: Database schema in which to create the database link.
Name: Name of the database link. Must be unique within a schema.
Host Name: The service name of a remote database. If you specify only the database
name, Oracle Database implicitly appends the database domain to the connect string
to create a complete service name. Therefore, if the database domain of the remote
database is different from that of the current database, you must specify the complete
service name.
Current User: Creates a current user database link. The current user must be a global
user with a valid account on the remote database. If the database link is used directly,
that is, not from within a stored object, then the current user is the same as the
connected user.
Fixed User: Creates a fixed user database link, for which you specify the user name
and password used to connect to the remote database.
Shared: If this option is checked, a single network connection is used to create a public
database link that can be shared among multiple users. In this case, you must also
specify the Authentication information.

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Create/Edit Index

Authentication - User Name and Password: The user name and password on the
target instance. This information authenticates the user to the remote server and is
required for security. The specified user and password must be a valid user and
password on the remote instance.
DDL tab
You can review and save the SQL statement that SQL Developer will use to create the
database link.

4.26 Create/Edit Index
The following information applies to an index, which is a database object that contains
an entry for each value that appears in the indexed column(s) of the table or cluster
and provides direct, fast access to rows, as explained in Section 1.3.6, "Indexes".
Advanced: If this option is checked, the dialog box changes to enable you to set
advanced properties (select Advanced on the left side).
Schema: Database schema that owns the table associated with the index.
Table: Name of the table associated with the index.
Name: Name of the index. Must be unique within a schema.
Index Type: Normal for a standard Oracle index, in which case you also specify
non-unique, unique, or bitmap, as well as one or more index expressions; or Text for
an Oracle Text index (created with INDEXTYPE IS CTXSYS.CONTEXT), in which case
you specify the column to be indexed.
Non-unique means that the index can contain multiple identical values; Unique
means that no duplicate values are permitted; Bitmap stores rowids associated with a
key value as a bitmap.
Index: A list of index expressions, that is, the table columns or column expressions in
the index. To add an index expression, click the Add Column Expression (+) icon; this
adds a column name here and in Column Expression, where you can edit it. To delete
an index expression, click the Remove Column Expression (X) icon; to move an index
expression up or down in the list, click the Move Column Up and Move Column
Down icons. An index must have at least one index expression.
For example, to create an index on the AUTHOR_LAST_NAME column of the BOOKS
table from the tutorial (see Section 3.1, "Create a Table (BOOKS)"), click the + icon, and
select AUTHOR_LAST_NAME in Column Name or Expression (next field), which
changes BOOKS to AUTHOR_LAST_NAME in the Index field.
Column Name or Expression: A column name or column expression. A column
expression is an expression built from columns, constants, SQL functions, and
user-defined functions. When you specify a column expression, you create a
function-based index.
Order: ASC for an ascending index (index values sorted in ascending order); DESC for
a descending index (index values sorted in descending order).
Properties
Enables you to specify index properties such as compression, parallelism, and storage
options.
Compress: If this option is checked, key compression is enabled, which eliminates
repeated occurrence of key column values and may substantially reduce storage. If this

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option is checked, you can enter an integer to specify the prefix length (number of
prefix columns to compress).
Parallel: If this option is checked, parallel creation of the index is enabled. You can also
enter an integer in the text box to specify the degree of parallelism, which is the
number of parallel threads used in the parallel operation. (Each parallel thread may
use one or two parallel execution servers.) If you specify Parallel without entering an
integer, the optimum degree of parallelism is automatically calculated.
Storage Options: Enables you to specify storage options for the index. Displays the
Storage Options dialog box.

4.27 Create Filter
This dialog box is displayed when you click New to add a user-defined exclusion filter
when importing files into a CVS repository.
Filter: Shell filename pattern, which can contain both normal characters and
meta-characters, including wildcards. (See the supplied Selected Filters list for typical
patterns.) For example, to exclude files with the extension xyz, enter the following:
*.xyz
When you click OK, the specified filter is added to the Selected Filters list.

4.28 Create/Edit Materialized View Log
User this dialog box to create of edit a materialized view log, which is a table
associated with the master table of a materialized view. For more information, see
Section 1.3.9, "Materialized View Logs".
Schema: Database schema in which to create the materialized view log.
Name: Name of the master table of the materialized view to be associated with this
materialized view log.
Properties tab
Tablespace: Tablespace in which the materialized view log is to be created.
Logging: LOGGING or NOLOGGING, to establish the logging characteristics for the
materialized view log.
Row ID: Yes indicates that the rowid of all rows changed should be recorded in the
materialized view log; No indicates that the rowid of all rows changed should not be
recorded in the materialized view log.
Primary Key: Yes indicates that the primary key of all rows changed should be
recorded in the materialized view log; No indicates that the primary key of all rows
changed should not be recorded in the materialized view log.
New Values: INCLUDING saves both old and new values for update DML operations
in the materialized view log; EXCLUDING disables the recording of new values in the
materialized view log. If this log is for a table on which you have a single-table
materialized aggregate view, and if you want the materialized view to be eligible for
fast refresh, you must specify INCLUDING.
Cache: For data that will be accessed frequently, CACHE specifies that the blocks
retrieved for this log are placed at the most recently used end of the least recently used
(LRU) list in the buffer cache when a full table scan is performed. This attribute is
useful for small lookup tables. NOCACHE specifies that the blocks are placed at the
least recently used end of the LRU list.
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Create PL/SQL Package

Parallel: If this option is checked, parallel operations will be supported for the
materialized view log.
Object ID: For a log on an object table only: Yes indicates that the system-generated or
user-defined object identifier of every modified row should be recorded in the
materialized view log; No indicates that the system-generated or user-defined object
identifier of every modified row should not be recorded in the materialized view log.
Sequence: Yes indicates that a sequence value providing additional ordering
information should be recorded in the materialized view log; No indicates that a
sequence value providing additional ordering information should not be recorded in
the materialized view log. Sequence numbers (that is, Yes for this option) are necessary
to support fast refresh after some update scenarios.
Available Filter Columns: Additional columns, which are non-primary-key columns
referenced by subquery materialized views, to be recorded in the materialized view
log. To select one or more filter columns, use the arrow buttons to move columns from
Available to Selected.
DDL tab
If you are editing an existing materialized view log or if you have only partially
created a materialized view log, this tab contains a read-only display of a SQL
statement that reflects the current definition of the materialized view log.
To save the SQL statement to a script file, click Save and specify the location and file
name.

4.29 Create PL/SQL Package
Use this dialog box to create a package to contain PL/SQL subprograms (functions or
procedures, or a combination).
Schema: Database schema in which to create the PL/SQL package.
Name: Name of the package. Must be unique within a schema.
Add New Source in Lowercase: If this option is checked, new text is entered in
lowercase regardless of the case in which you type it. This option affects only the
appearance of the code, because PL/SQL is not case-sensitive in its execution.
The package is created and is displayed in the Editor window, where you can enter the
details.

4.30 Create PL/SQL Subprogram (Function or Procedure)
Use this dialog box to create a PL/SQL subprogram (function or procedure). A
function returns a value; a procedure does not return a value.
Specify the information for the package and for each parameter, then click OK to create
the subprogram and have it displayed in the Editor window, where you can enter the
details.
Schema: Database schema in which to create the PL/SQL subprogram.
Name: Name of the subprogram. Must be unique within a schema.
Add New Source in Lowercase: If this option is checked, new text is entered in
lowercase regardless of the case in which you type it. This option affects only the
appearance of the code, because PL/SQL is not case-sensitive in its execution.

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Parameters tab
For each parameter in the procedure to be created, specify the following information.
Name: Name of the parameter.
Type: Data type of the parameter.
Mode: IN for input only, OUT for output only, or IN OUT for input and output (that is,
the output is stored in the parameter overwriting its initial input value).
Default Value: Optionally, the default value if the parameter is omitted or specified as
null when the subprogram is called.
To add a parameter, click the Add (+) icon; to delete a parameter, click the Remove (X)
icon; to move a parameter up or down in the list, click the up-arrow or down-arrow
icon.
DDL tab
This tab contains a read-only display of a SQL statement that reflects the current
definition of the subprogram.

4.31 Create Remote Directory
Use this dialog box to create a remote directory for a connection in a Subversion
repository.
Directory Name: Directory name to be associated with the specified URL.
Comments: Optional descriptive comment.

4.32 Create/Edit Sequence
The following information applies to a sequence, which is an object from which
multiple users may generate unique integers. You can use sequences to automatically
generate primary key values.
Schema: Database schema in which to create the sequence.
Name: Name of the sequence. Must be unique within a schema.
Increment: Interval between successive numbers in a sequence.
Start with: Starting value of the sequence.
Min value: Lowest possible value for the sequence. The default is 1 for an ascending
sequence and -(10^26) for a descending sequence.
Max value: Highest possible value for the sequence. The default is 10^27 for an
ascending sequence and -1 for a descending sequence.
Cycle: Indicates whether the sequence "wraps around" to reuse numbers after reaching
its maximum value (for an ascending sequence) or its minimum value (for a
descending sequence). If cycling of values is not enabled, the sequence cannot generate
more values after reaching its maximum or minimum value.
Cache and Cache size: If Cache is checked, sequence values are preallocated in cache,
which can improve application performance; Cache size indicates the number of
sequence values preallocated in cache. If Cache is not checked, sequence values are not
preallocated in cache.

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Create SQL File

Order: Indicates whether sequence numbers are generated in the order in which they
are requested. If no ordering is specified, sequence numbers are not guaranteed to be
in the order in which they were requested.
DDL tab
You can review the SQL statement that SQL Developer will use to create a new
sequence or that reflects any changes you have made to the sequence properties.

4.33 Create SQL File
Use this dialog box to create a SQL script file and to open the file in a SQL Worksheet
for editing.
File Name: Name and extension of the file to be created. The default and
recommended extension is .sql.
Directory Name: Directory path for the file. To specify a directory, you can click
Browse. The default directory is the Location of User-Related Information.

4.34 Create/Edit Subversion Connection
This information applies to creating or editing a Subversion connection. For
information about SQL Developer support for versioning and Subversion, see
Section 1.11.
Repository URL: Full, valid URL for the location of the Subversion repository. The
following are URL schemas and the access methods they map to:
■

file:/// -- Direct repository access (on local disk)

■

http://-- Access via WebDAV protocol to Subversion-aware Apache server

■

https:// -- Same as http://, but with SSL encryption

■

svn:// -- Access via custom protocol to an svnserve server

■

svn+ssh:// -- Same as svn://, but through an SSH tunnel

Connection Name: Name for this connection. If you leave this box blank, the
connection will be given a name based on the URL of the repository location.
User Name: User name known to the repository, if the repository requires user and
password validation.
Password: Password for the specified user, or blank if a password is not required.
Test Connection: Attempts to establish a connection to the Subversion repository.
Status: Displays the result of the test (success or an error message).

4.35 Create Subversion Repository
This information applies to creating a Subversion repository. A connection to the
repository will be created automatically. For information about SQL Developer
support for versioning and Subversion, see Section 1.11.
Repository Path: Location for the new Subversion repository. You can Browse to select
the location.

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File System Type: Data storage system type for the repository. For information about
choosing a system, see "Version Control with Subversion" at
http://svnbook.red-bean.com/.
■
■

Native: The file system type being used by the operating system.
Berkeley DB: Causes a Berkeley DB database to be used as the data storage
system.

Connection Name: Name for this connection. If you leave this box blank, the
connection will be given a name based on the URL of the repository location.

4.36 Create/Edit Synonym
The following information applies to a synonym, which is an alternative name for a
table, view, sequence, procedure, stored function, package, materialized view, Java
class database object, user-defined object type, or another synonym.
Public: If this option is checked, the synonym is accessible to all users. (However each
user must have appropriate privileges on the underlying object in order to use the
synonym.) If this option is not checked, the synonym is a private synonym, and is
accessible only within its schema.
Schema: Database schema in which to create the synonym.
Name: Name of the synonym. A private synonym must be unique within its schema; a
public synonym must be unique within the database.
For - Referenced Schema: Schema containing the object or name to which this
synonym refers.
Object Based: Specify the object to which this synonym refers.
Name Based: Enter the name of the object to which this synonym refers.
DDL tab
You can review the SQL statement that SQL Developer will use to create a new
synonym or that reflects any changes you have made to the synonym properties.

4.37 Create Table (quick creation)
This dialog box (if you do not check the Advanced box) creates a new table quickly by
specifying columns and some frequently used features. (If you need to add or change
features after you create the table, you can edit the table by clicking the Modify icon
while viewing the table or by right-clicking its name in the Connections navigator and
selecting Properties, which displays the Create/Edit Table (with advanced options)
dialog box.)
To create a new table, the only things you must do are specify the schema and the table
name, add the necessary columns, and click OK. Although it is not required, you
should also specify a primary key.
Advanced: If this option is checked, the dialog box changes to include an extended set
of features for creating the table. For example, you must check this option if you want
to create a partitioned table, an index-organized table, or an external table.
Schema: Database schema in which to create the table.
Name: Name of the table. Must be unique within a schema.

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Create/Edit Table (with advanced options)

Table tab (quick creation)
Specifies properties for each column in the table.
Columns: Lists the columns currently in the table.
To add a column after the currently selected column, click Add
Column; to delete a column, select it and click Remove Column.

Note:

Column Name: Name of the column. Must be unique within the table. Suggestion: For
a new column, replace any default name, such as COLUMN1.
Type: Data type for the column. The drop-down list includes only selected frequently
used data types. To specify any other type for the column, you must use the Columns
panel of the Create/Edit Table (with advanced options) dialog box.
Size: For VARCHAR2 data, the maximum size of the column data; for NUMBER data,
the maximum number of digits.
Not Null: If this option is checked, the column must contain data; you cannot specify
no value or an explicit null value for this column when you insert a row. If this option
is not checked, the column can contain either data or no data.
Primary Key: If this option is checked, the column is the primary key, or part of the
primary key, for the table. The primary key is the column, or set of columns, that
uniquely identifies each row in the table. A primary key column cannot be null.
If you want to have the primary key values automatically populated by a convenient
method that uses a before-insert trigger and a sequence, then before you finish
creating the table, you must check the Advanced box and use the Primary Key tab,
starting with the Populate Primary Key Column field.
To add another column, click Add Column. When you are finished adding columns,
either click OK or click the DDL tab to review the CREATE TABLE statement.
DDL tab (quick creation)
You can review and save the CREATE TABLE statement that SQL Developer will use
to create a new table or that reflects any changes you have made to the table
properties. If you want to make any changes, go back to the Table tab and make the
changes there.
When you are finished, click OK.

4.38 Create/Edit Table (with advanced options)
The table dialog box is used for creating a new table or editing an existing table. The
table properties are grouped under several tabs.
To create a new table, the only things you must do are specify the schema and the table
name, add the necessary columns, and click OK. Although it is not required, you
should also specify a primary key using the Primary Key pane. For other table-related
features, use the appropriate tabs; the order in which you visit tabs usually does not
matter, although you might find it convenient to visit them in the sequence in this
topic. If you are editing an existing table, you can visit the tabs in any order.
If you click OK before you are finished creating or editing the table, right-click the
table name in the Connections navigator, select Edit, and continue creating or editing
the table.
Schema: Database schema in which to create the table.
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Name: Name of the table. Must be unique within a schema.
Type: The type of table:
■

■
■

■

Normal: A regular database table. It can be partitioned (see Partitioning pane,
Subpartition Templates pane, and Partition Definitions pane).
External: An external table (see External Table Properties pane).
Index Organized: An index-organized table (see Index Organized Properties
pane).
Temporary Table: A temporary table, which is not stored permanently in the
database. The temporary table definition persists in the same way as the definition
of a regular table, but the table segment and any data in the temporary table
persist only for the duration of either the transaction (Transaction option) or the
session (Session option).

Columns pane
Specifies properties for each column in the table.
Columns: Lists the columns currently in the table. To add a column, click the Add
Column (+) icon; to delete a column, select it and click the Remove Column (X) icon; to
move a column up or down in the table definition, select it and use the up-arrow and
down-arrow buttons.
Note: After you add a column, to add another column, click the Add
Column (+) icon.

Name: Name of the column. Must be unique within the table. Suggestion: For a new
column, replace any default name, such as COLUMN1.
Datatype: Simple indicates a simple (non-object) data type; Complex indicates an
object type. For a complex type, you must specify the schema and the type name (for
example, MDSYS and SDO_GEOMETRY for the Oracle Spatial geometry type).
Type: Name of the data type. Most of the remaining information depends on the
specific type.
Precision: For numeric data, the precision (total number of significant digits that can
be represented) of the column data.
Scale: For numeric data, the scale (number of digits after the decimal point) of the
column data.
Size: For character data, the maximum size of the column data.
Units: For character data, the units represented by the Size: BYTE for bytes or CHAR
for characters. This attribute is important if the database can contain data in Unicode
format, with multiple bytes for each character.
Default: For relevant types, the default value inserted into the column if no value is
specified when a row is inserted.
Cannot be NULL: If this option is checked, the column must contain data; you cannot
specify no value or an explicit null value for this column when you insert a row. If this
option is not checked, the column can contain either data or no data. A primary key
column (see Primary Key pane) cannot be null.
Comment: Optional descriptive comment about the column.
To add another column, click the Add Column (+) icon.
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Create/Edit Table (with advanced options)

Primary Key pane
Specifies the primary key for the table. The primary key is the column, or set of
columns, that uniquely identifies each row in the table.
An index is automatically created on the primary key.
Name: Name of the constraint to be associated with the primary key definition. Must
be unique within the database.
Enabled: If this option is checked, the primary key constraint is enforced: that is, the
data in the primary key column (or set of columns) must be unique and not null.
Available Columns: Lists the columns that are available to be added to the primary
key definition.
Selected Columns: Lists the columns that are included in the primary key definition.
To add a column to the primary key definition, select it in Available Columns and click
the Add (>) icon; to remove a column from the primary key definition, select it in
Selected Columns and click the Remove (<) icon. To move all columns from available
to selected (or the reverse), use the Add All (>>) or Remove All (<<) icon. To move a
column up or down in the primary key definition, select it in Selected Columns and
use the arrow buttons.
The remaining fields (Populate Primary Key Column through Trigger Name) appear
only when you are creating a table. They are not available when you are editing an
existing table.
Populate Primary Key Column: When you are creating a table, if you want to use a
trigger and a sequence to have a unique value automatically inserted into the primary
key column when you insert a new row, specify the primary key column.
From: An existing sequence that you select, or a new sequence whose name you enter.
(For a new sequence, SQL Developer creates the sequence automatically using the
name that you enter.)
Trigger Name: The name for the before-insert trigger that will be automatically
created. This trigger uses the sequence to generate a new value for the primary key
when a row is inserted. For an example of using this technique, see the tutorial section
Section 3.3, "Create a Table (TRANSACTIONS)".
Unique Constraints pane
Specifies one or more unique constraints for the table. A unique constraint specifies a
column, or set of columns, whose data values must be unique: each data value must
not be null, and it must not be the same as any other value in the column.
For a multicolumn unique constraint, the combination of values must be unique, and
no column in the constraint definition can have a null value. For example, if you
specify the office_name and city columns for a unique constraint, you could not have
two Sales offices in Chicago, but you could have a Sales office in Chicago and a Sales
office in Atlanta.
Unique Constraints: Lists the unique constraints currently defined on the table. To
add a unique constraint, click the Add button; to delete a unique constraint, select it
and click the Remove button.
Note: After you add a unique constraint, to add another unique
constraint, click the Add button.

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Name: Name of the unique constraint. Must be unique within the database.
Enabled: If this option is checked, the unique constraint is enforced.
Available Columns: Lists the columns that are available to be added to the unique
constraint definition.
Selected Columns: Lists the columns that are included in the unique constraint
definition.
To add a column to the unique constraint definition, select it in Available Columns and
click the Add (>) icon; to remove a column from the unique constraint definition,
select it in Selected Columns and click the Remove (<) icon. To move all columns from
available to selected (or the reverse), use the Add All (>>) or Remove All (<<) icon. To
move a column up or down in the unique constraint definition, select it in Selected
Columns and use the arrow buttons.
Foreign Keys pane
Specifies one or more foreign keys for the table. A foreign key specifies a column
("local column"), each of whose data values must match a value in the primary key or
unique constraint of another table.
Foreign Keys: Lists the foreign keys currently defined on the table. To add a foreign
key, click the Add button; to delete a foreign key, select it and click the Remove button.
Note: After you add a foreign key, to add another foreign key, click
the Add button.

Name: Name of the foreign key definition. Must be unique within the database.
Enabled: If this option is checked, the foreign key is enforced.
Referenced Schema: Name of the schema containing the table with the primary key or
unique constraint to which this foreign key refers.
Referenced Table: Name of the table with the primary key or unique constraint to
which this foreign key refers.
Referenced Constraint: Name of the primary key or unique constraint to which this
foreign key refers.
Associations: Local Column: Lists the column in the currently selected (local) table
that is included in the foreign key definition. For each local column in the foreign key
definition, select the name of a column in the local table.
Associations: Referenced Column on [table]: For each local column, identifies the
column in the other (foreign) table that must have a value matching the value in the
local column.
Check Constraints pane
Specifies one or more check constraints for the table. A check constraint specifies a
condition that must be met when a row is inserted into the table or when an existing
row is modified.
Check Constraints: Lists the check constraints currently defined on the table. To add a
check constraint, click the Add button; to delete a check constraint, select it and click
the Remove button.

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Create/Edit Table (with advanced options)

After you add a check constraint, to add another check
constraint, click the Add button.

Note:

Name: Name of the check constraint definition. Must be unique within the database.
Enabled: If this option is checked, the check constraint is enforced.
Condition: Condition that must be met for a row. Can be any valid CHECK clause
(without the CHECK keyword). For example, to indicate that the value in a numeric
column named RATING must be from 1 to 10, you can specify: rating >=1 and
rating <= 10
To add another check constraint, click the Add button.
Indexes pane
Specifies properties for each index on the table.
Indexes: Lists the indexes currently defined on the table. To add an index, click the
Add Index (+) icon; to delete an index, select it and click the Remove Index (X) icon.
Note: After you add an index, to add another index, click the Add
Index (+) icon.

Name: Name of the index. Must be unique within the schema.
Index: A list of index expressions, that is, the table columns or column expressions in
the index. To add an index expression, click the Add Column Expression (+) icon; this
adds a column name here and in Column Expression, where you can edit it. To delete
an index expression, click the Remove Column Expression (X) icon; to move an index
expression up or down in the list, click the Move Column Up and Move Column
Down icons. An index must have at least one index expression.
For example, to create an index on the AUTHOR_LAST_NAME column of the BOOKS
table from the tutorial (see Create a Table (BOOKS)), click the + icon, and select
AUTHOR_LAST_NAME in Column Name or Expression (next field), which changes
BOOKS to AUTHOR_LAST_NAME in the Index field.
Column Name or Expression: A column name or column expression. A column
expression is an expression built from columns, constants, SQL functions, and
user-defined functions. When you specify a column expression, you create a
function-based index.
Order: ASC for an ascending index (index values sorted in ascending order); DESC for
a descending index (index values sorted in descending order).
Column Sequences pane
Enables you to specify sequences and before-insert triggers to be used in populating a
column with values. This approach is especially convenient for automatically
populating primary key column values with unique values.
Column: Name of the column for which a sequence and a trigger are to be used to
insert unique values. The data type of the column must be numeric.
Sequence: None causes no sequence to be used; Existing Sequence uses the sequence
that you specify; New Sequence creates a new sequence with a default or specified
name.

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Trigger: Before-insert trigger that automatically inserts the next value of the specified
sequence into the column when a new row is inserted.
Table Properties pane
Enables you to specify table properties such as compression, parallelism, and storage
options.
Compress (heap-organized tables only): If this option is checked, data segments are
compressed to reduce disk use. This clause is especially useful in environments such
as data warehouses, where the amount of insert and update operations is small, and in
OLTP environments.
Parallel: If this option is checked, parallel creation of the table is enabled, and the
default degree of parallelism is set for queries and the DML INSERT, UPDATE,
DELETE, and MERGE statements after table creation. You can also enter an integer in
the text box to specify the degree of parallelism, which is the number of parallel
threads used in the parallel operation. (Each parallel thread may use one or two
parallel execution servers.) If you specify Parallel without entering an integer, the
optimum degree of parallelism is automatically calculated.
Storage Options: Enables you to specify storage options for the table. Displays the
Storage Options dialog box.
LOB Parameters pane
Specifies storage options for LOB (large object) columns, enabling you to override the
default storage options.
Column: Name of the LOB column.
LOB Parameters: If this option is checked, the specified values for the remaining field
are used. If this option is not checked, the default values for all fields are used.
Segment: LOB segment ID.
Tablespace: Name of the tablespace for the LOB data.
Store in Row: If this option is checked, the LOB value is stored in the row (inline) if its
length is less than approximately 4000 bytes minus system control information.
Cache: Specifies how Oracle Database should store blocks in the buffer cache:
■

■

■

CACHE: For data that is accessed frequently, indicates that the blocks retrieved for
this table are placed at the most recently used end of the least recently used (LRU)
list in the buffer cache when a full table scan is performed. This attribute is useful
for small lookup tables.
NOCACHE: For data that is not accessed frequently, indicates that the blocks
retrieved for this table are placed at the least recently used end of the LRU list in
the buffer cache when a full table scan is performed. NOCACHE is the default for
LOB storage.
CACHE READS: LOB values are brought into the buffer cache only during read
operations but not during write operations.

Retention: If this option is checked, old versions of this LOB column and retained. You
can specify this option only if the database is running in automatic undo mode and if
you do not specify a Pct Version value.
Logging:  means to use the Oracle Database default. ON means that the
table creation and any subsequent direct loader (SQL*Loader) and direct-path INSERT
operations against the table, partition, or LOB storage are logged in the redo log file.
OFF means that these operations are not logged in the redo log file.
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Create/Edit Table (with advanced options)

Chunk: The number of bytes to be allocated for LOB manipulation. If the value is not a
multiple of the database block size, then the database rounds up in bytes to the next
multiple. The maximum value is 32768 (32K), which is the largest Oracle Database
block size allowed. The default CHUNK size is one Oracle Database block.
Pct Version: Specifies the maximum percentage of overall LOB storage space used for
maintaining old versions of the LOB. The default value is 10, meaning that older
versions of the LOB data are not overwritten until they consume 10% of the overall
LOB storage space. You can specify a Pct Version value whether the database is
running in manual mode (where it is the default) or automatic undo mode (where
Retention is the default). You cannot specify both a Pct Version value and the
Retention option.
Free Pools: Specifies the number of groups of free lists for the LOB segment, usually
the number of instances in a Real Application Clusters environment or 1 for a
single-instance database. You can specify this option only if the database is running in
automatic undo mode. You cannot specify both a Free Pools value and the Free Lists
fields.
Extents - Initial: Size of the first extent of the table. Specify K (kilobytes) or M
(megabytes) for the unit associated with the number.
Extents - Next: Size of the next extent to be allocated to the table. Specify K (kilobytes)
or M (megabytes) for the unit associated with the number.
Extents - Min: Minimum number of extents allocated when the table is created.
Extents - Max: Maximum number of extents allocated when the table is created.
Unlimited (if checked) means that there is no maximum (and any specified maximum
is ignored).
Extents - Pct Increase: Percentage that each extent grows over the previous extent.
Buffer Pool:  means to use the Oracle Database default. KEEP means to
put blocks from the segment into the Keep buffer pool; maintaining an appropriately
sized Keep buffer pool lets Oracle retain the database object in memory to avoid I/O
operations. RECYCLE means to put blocks from the segment into the Recycle pool; an
appropriately sized Recycle pool reduces the number of objects whose default pool is
the Recycle pool from taking up unnecessary cache space.
Free Lists: Number of free lists for each of the free list groups for the table. The default
and minimum value for this parameter is 1, meaning that each free list group contains
one free list.
Free List Groups: Number of groups of free lists for the table. The default and
minimum value for this parameter is 1. Oracle uses the instance number of Real
Application Clusters instances to map each instance to one free list group.
Partitioning pane
Specifies partitioning options for a partitioned table, which is a table that is organized
into smaller and more manageable pieces called partitions. SQL queries and DML
statements do not need to be modified in order to access partitioned tables; however,
after partitions are defined, DDL statements can access and manipulate individuals
partitions rather than entire tables or indexes. Also, partitioning is entirely transparent
to applications.
Partition By: The type of partitioning: RANGE partitions the table on ranges of values
from the column list (which for an index-organized tablet must be a subset of the
primary key columns of the table); HASH partitions the table using the hash method
(rows assigned to partitions using a hash function on values found in columns

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designated as the partitioning key); LIST partitions the table on lists of literal values
from column (useful for controlling how individual rows map to specific partitions).
Available: Lists the columns whose values are available to be used in assigning rows
to partitions.
Selected: Lists the column whose values are to be used in assigning rows to partitions.
To add a column to the partitioning definition, select it in Available Columns and click
the Add (>) icon; to remove a column from the partitioning definition, select it in
Selected Columns and click the Remove (<) icon. To move all columns from available
to selected (or the reverse), use the Add All (>>) or Remove All (<<) icon. To move a
column up or down in the partitioning definition, select it in Selected Columns and
use the arrow buttons.
Subpartition By: The partitioning type to be used to create subpartitions within each
range partition. Use the Available and Selected column lists select and deselect a
column for subpartitioning.
Subpartition Templates pane
Specifies subpartitioning options for a partitioned table. The options depend on the
subpartition type, and might include the following.
Hash Quantity: Hash subpartition quantity.
Tablespaces: Available and Selected tablespaces for storage of the data in a
subpartition.
Subpartition Templates: Specifications (subpartition templates) to control the
placement of rows in each subpartition. Click the Add (+) icon to add a subpartition
template that is appropriate for the subpartition type.
Subpartition Details: For each subpartition template, specify a name and (if relevant)
a value or set of values that is appropriate for the subpartition type.
Storage: Enables you to specify a tablespace for the subpartition.
Partition Definitions pane
Defines each partition for a partitioned table. The options depend on the partition
type, and might include the following.
Partitions: Specifications to control the placement of rows in each partition. Click the
Add (+) icon to add a partition specification that is appropriate for the partition type.
Partition Details: For each partition specification, specify a name and (if relevant) a
value or set of values that is appropriate for the subpartition type.
Storage: Enables you to specify a tablespace for the partition.
Subpartitions: Enables you to specify subpartition information.
Index Organized Properties pane
Specifies options for an index-organized table, which is a table in which the rows,
both primary key column values and nonkey column values, are maintained in an
index built on the primary key. Index-organized tables are best suited for primary
key-based access and manipulation.
PCTTHRESHOLD: The percentage of space reserved in the index block for an
index-organized table row; must be large enough to hold the primary key. All trailing
columns of a row, starting with the column that causes the specified threshold to be

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Create/Edit Table (with advanced options)

exceeded, are stored in the overflow segment. PCTTHRESHOLD must be a value from
1 to 50; the default is 50.
Key Compression: If this option is checked, key compression is enabled, which
eliminates repeated occurrence of primary key column values in index-organized
tables. In the box to the right of this field, you can specify the prefix length, which is
the number of prefix columns to compress. (This value can be from 1 to the number of
primary key columns minus 1; the default prefix length is the number of primary key
columns minus 1.)
Include Column: Column at which to divide an index-organized table row into index
and overflow portions. The primary key columns are always stored in the index. The
Include Column can be either the last primary key column or any non-primary-key
column. All non-primary-key columns that follow the Include Column are stored in
the overflow data segment.
Mapping Table: If this option is checked, SQL Developer creates a mapping of local to
physical ROWIDs and store them in a heap-organized table. This mapping is needed
in order to create a bitmap index on the index-organized table. If the index-organized
table is partitioned, then the mapping table is also partitioned and its partitions have
the same name and physical attributes as the base table partitions.
Overflow: Specifications for the overflow segment. The options are the same as in the
Storage Options dialog box.
External Table Properties pane
Specifies options for an external table, which is a read-only table whose metadata is
stored in the database but whose data in stored outside the database. Among other
capabilities, external tables enable you to query data without first loading it into the
database.
Access Driver: The access driver of the external table. The access driver is the API that
interprets the external data for the database: ORACLE_LOADER or ORACLE_
DATAPUMP. You must specify the ORACLE_DATAPUMP access driver if you specify
the AS subquery clause to unload data from one Oracle database and reload it into the
same database or a different Oracle database.
Access Type: Type of data to be automatically converted during loads and unloads:
BLOB or CLOB.
Default Directory: A default directory object corresponding to a directory on the file
system where the external data sources may reside. The default directory can also be
used by the access driver to store auxiliary files such as error logs.
Project Column: Determines how the access driver validates the rows of an external
table in subsequent queries. ALL processes all column values, regardless of which
columns are selected, and validates only those rows with fully valid column entries. If
any column value would raise an error, such as a data type conversion error, the row is
rejected even if that column was not referenced in the select list. REFERENCED
processes only those columns in the select list.
The ALL setting guarantees consistent result sets. The REFERENCED setting can result
in different numbers of rows returned, depending on the columns referenced in
subsequent queries, but is faster than the ALL setting. If a subsequent query selects all
columns of the external table, then the settings behave identically.
Reject Limit: The number of conversion errors can occur during a query of the
external data before an Oracle Database error is returned and the query is aborted.

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Access Parameters: Values to the parameters of the specific access driver for this
external table.
Location Specifications: One or more external data sources. Each is usually a file, but
it need not be. Oracle Database does not interpret this clause; it is up to the access
driver to interpret this information in the context of the external data. Use the Add (+)
icon to add each location specification.
Comment pane
Optional descriptive comment about the table.
DDL pane
You can review and save the CREATE TABLE statement that SQL Developer will use
to create a new table or that reflects any changes you have made to the table
properties. If you want to make any changes, go back to the relevant tabs and make
the changes there.
To save the SQL statement to a script file, click Save and specify the location and file
name.
When you are finished, click OK.

4.39 Storage Options
This dialog box is displayed if you click Storage Options in the Properties pane when
creating or editing a table or an index. It enables you to override the default storage
options.
Tablespace: Name of the tablespace for the table or index.
Pct Free: Percentage of space in each of the data blocks of the table or index reserved
for future updates. You can enter a value from 0 through 99.
Pct Used: Minimum percentage of used space that Oracle maintains for each data
block. A block becomes a candidate for row insertions when its used space falls below
the Pct Used value. You can enter a value from 1 through 99.
Logging:  means to use the Oracle Database default. ON means that the
table creation and any subsequent direct loader (SQL*Loader) and direct-path INSERT
operations against the table, partition, or LOB storage are logged in the redo log file.
OFF means that these operations are not logged in the redo log file.
Ini Trans: Number of update transaction entries for which space is initially reserved in
the data block header.
Max Trans: Number of transaction entries that could concurrently use data in a data
block. This parameter has been deprecated. Oracle Database now automatically allows
up to 255 concurrent update transactions for any data block, depending on the
available space in the block.
Extents - Initial: Size of the first extent of the table or index. Specify K (kilobytes) or M
(megabytes) for the unit associated with the number.
Extents - Next: Size of the next extent to be allocated to the table or index. Specify K
(kilobytes) or M (megabytes) for the unit associated with the number.
Extents - Min: Minimum number of extents allocated when the table or index is
created.

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Create Trigger

Extents - Max: Maximum number of extents allocated when the table or index is
created. Unlimited (if checked) means that there is no maximum (and any specified
maximum is ignored).
Pct Increase: Percentage that each extent grows over the previous extent.
Buffer Pool:  means to use the Oracle Database default. KEEP means to
put blocks from the segment into the Keep buffer pool; maintaining an appropriately
sized Keep buffer pool lets Oracle retain the database object in memory to avoid I/O
operations. RECYCLE means to put blocks from the segment into the Recycle pool; an
appropriately sized Recycle pool reduces the number of objects whose default pool is
the Recycle pool from taking up unnecessary cache space.
Free Lists: Number of free lists for each of the free list groups for the table or index.
The default and minimum value for this parameter is 1, meaning that each free list
group contains one free list.
Free List Groups: Number of groups of free lists for the table or index. The default and
minimum value for this parameter is 1. Oracle uses the instance number of Real
Application Clusters instances to map each instance to one free list group.

4.40 Create Trigger
The following information applies to a trigger, which is which is a stored PL/SQL
block associated with a table, a schema, or the database, or an anonymous PL/SQL
block or a call to a procedure implemented in PL/SQL or Java. The trigger is
automatically executed when the specified conditions occur.
Schema: Database schema in which to create the trigger.
Name: Name of the trigger. Must be unique within the database.
Add New Source in Lowercase: If this option is checked, new text is entered in
lowercase regardless of the case in which you type it. This option affects only the
appearance of the code, because PL/SQL is not case-sensitive in its execution.
Trigger tab
Trigger Type: The type of object on which to create the trigger: TABLE, VIEW,
SCHEMA, or DATABASE. (The remaining items depend on the type of trigger.)
Table Owner or View Owner: For a trigger on a table or a view, the name of the owner
of the table or the view.
Table Name or View Name : For a trigger on a table or a view, the name of the table or
the view.
Before or After: For a trigger on a table, select Before to cause the database to fire the
trigger before executing the triggering event, or select After to cause the database to
fire the trigger after executing the triggering event.
Statement Level or Row Level: For a trigger on a table, Statement Level fires the
trigger once before or after the triggering statement that meets the optional trigger
constraint defined in the WHEN condition; Row Level fires the trigger once for each
row that is affected by the triggering statement and that meets the optional trigger
constraint defined in the WHEN condition.
Insert, Update, Delete: For a trigger on a table or a view, Insert fires the trigger
whenever an INSERT statement adds a row to a table or adds an element to a nested
table; Update fires fire the trigger whenever an UPDATE statement changes a value in
one of the columns specified in Selected Columns (or in any column if no columns are

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specified); Delete fires the trigger whenever a DELETE statement removes a row from
the table or removes an element from a nested table.
Referencing - Old: For a trigger on a table, the correlation names in the PL/SQL block
and WHEN condition of a row trigger to refer specifically to old value of the current
row.
Referencing - New: For a trigger on a table, the correlation names in the PL/SQL
block and WHEN condition of a row trigger to refer specifically to new value of the
current row.
Available Columns: For a trigger on a table, lists the columns from which you can
select for use in an Update trigger definition.
Selected Columns: For a trigger on a table, lists the columns used in an Update trigger
definition.
When: For a trigger on a table, an optional trigger condition, which is a SQL condition
that must be satisfied for the database to fire the trigger. This condition must contain
correlation names and cannot contain a query.
Schema: For a trigger on a schema, the name of the schema on which to create the
trigger.
Available Events: For a trigger on a schema or database, lists events from which you
can select for use in the trigger definition.
Selected Events: For a trigger on a schema or database, lists events used in the trigger
definition.
DDL tab
This tab contains a read-only display of a SQL statement that reflects the current
definition of the trigger.

4.41 Create Type (User-Defined)
This dialog box is displayed when you right-click Types in the Connections navigator
and select Create Type to create a user-defined type. After you complete the
information in this dialog box and click OK, a SQL Worksheet is displayed in which
you must specify the appropriate definition of the type.
Schema: Database schema in which to create the type.
Name: Name of the type. Must be unique within its schema.
Type: Select the type of data type to be created: array type, object type specification,
object type specification and type body, or table type.
For more information about creating a user-defined type, see the CREATE TYPE
statement in Oracle Database SQL Language Reference.

4.42 Create/Edit User
The user dialog box is used for creating a new database user or editing an existing
database user. The user properties are grouped under several tabs.
To create or edit a database user, the user associated with your database connection
must have the DBA role. You should also be familiar with the main concepts and
techniques documented in Oracle Database Administrator's Guide.

Dialog Boxes for Creating/Editing Objects 4-29

Create/Edit User Defined Report

User tab
Specifies general properties for the database user.
User Name: The user name string. For an existing user, this field is read-only; to
change the name, you must drop the user and create a new user with the desired
name.
New Password: Password string for the new user, or new password for an existing
user. You must also type the same password string for Confirm Password.
Password Expired: If this option is checked, the password is marked as expired, and
the user must change the password before being permitted to connect to the database.
Account Locked: If this option is checked, the user will not be permitted to connect to
the database until a DBA user unlocks the account associated with this user.
Roles tab
Specifies roles to be granted to the user. For each role, you can check Granted to grant
the role, Admin to permit the user to grant the role to other users, and Default to use
the default settings for Granted and Admin.
For convenience, you can click buttons to affect all settings (Grant All, Revoke All,
Admin All, Admin None, Default All, Default None); then, you can specify other
settings for individual roles.
System Privileges tab
Specifies privileges to be granted to the user. For each privilege, you can check
Granted to grant the privilege, and Admin Option to permit the user to grant the
privilege to other users.
For convenience, you can click buttons to affect all settings (Grant All, Revoke All,
Admin All, Admin None); then, you can specify other settings for individual
privileges.
Quotas tab
Specifies disk usage limits on specified tablespaces for the user. If you check
Unlimited, there is no disk usage limit on the tablespace.
SQL tab
Displays the SQL statements that SQL Developer will use to create (after executing a
CREATE USER statement) a new user or to edit an existing user. This display is
read-only; if you want to make any changes, go back to the relevant tabs and make the
changes there.

4.43 Create/Edit User Defined Report
The following information applies to a user-defined report. For information about how
to create a user-defined report, as well as examples of creating such reports, see
Section 1.12.15, "User Defined reports".
Details tab
Name: Name of the user-defined report.
Style: Report style: Table (default), Code (formats the code in the output), Chart (bar or
pie chart; see Section 1.12.15.1, "User-Defined Report Example: Chart" for an example),
Gauge (dial or status meter; see Section 1.7.8, "Gauges: In the SQL Worksheet and
User-Defined Reports"), plsql-dbms_output (dynamic HTML; see Section 1.12.15.2,
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"User-Defined Report Example: Dynamic HTML" for an example), or Script
(executable script).
Description: Optional description of the report.
ToolTip: Optional tooltip text to be displayed when the mouse pointer stays briefly
over the report name in the Reports navigator display.
SQL Statement: The complete SQL statement for retrieving the information to be
displayed in the user-defined report. As a trivial example, the statement SELECT user
"Current User" FROM DUAL displays Current User as the heading and the name of
the user associated with the current database connection.
Suggestion: Look at the SQL statements for various SQL Developer-supplied reports;
check the Messages - Log pane below the report results, or click the SQL icon under
the Report Results tab.
Add Child: Add a child report (subreport) of this report.
Test: Tests the report definition by running it in a separate window. This feature
enables you to test the report before creating it.
Columns tab
Name: Name of the column.
Format: Format of the column. If specified, must use the Java MessageFormat
formatting syntax. For detailed information and examples, see the Sun Javadoc
information for the MessageFormat class in the java.text package.
hAlign: Horizontal alignment: Left or Right
vAlign: Vertical alignment: Bottom, Center, or Top
Add Column: Adds a new column.
Remove column: Removes the selected column.
Binds tab
Name: Name of the bind variable.
Prompt: String displayed when the user is prompted to enter a value. Example: Table
name
Default: Default value if the user does not enter a value at the prompt. To accept the
Oracle SQL value, specify NULL_VALUE.
ToolTip: Optional tooltip text to be displayed when the mouse pointer stays briefly
over the bind variable name.
Chart Details tab
Available if the report type is Chart.
Chart Type: Bar chart with horizontal or vertical bars, or pie chart.
3D Graph: True for a three-dimensional appearance; False for a two-dimensional
appearance.
Gradient Effect: True for a gradient effect; False for no gradient effect.
Chart Style: Thematic name for the overall appearance of the chart.
Show Grid: True to show the grid lines; False to hide the grid lines.
Show Legend: True to show the chart legend; False to hide the chart legend.

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Create/Edit User Defined Report Folder

Gauge Details tab
Available if the report type is Gauge.
Gauge Type: Dial (like a fuel gauge in an automobile) or Status meter (bar
representation).
Query Based: True if the minimum, maximum, low, and high values are specified in
the SQL query; False to specify the minimum, maximum, low, and high values in the
remaining fields.
Min: Minimum value displayed on the gauge.
Max: Maximum value displayed on the gauge.
Low: "Low" value; usually greater than Min and less than High.
High: "High" value; usually greater than Low and less than Max.

4.44 Create/Edit User Defined Report Folder
The following information applies to a folder for organizing user-defined reports. Each
folder can contain reports and other folders (subfolders). For example, you can create a
folder named Sales, and then under that folder create folders named Sales by District
and Sales by Product.
For information about how to create user-defined reports and folders for these reports,
see Section 1.12.15, "User Defined reports".
Name: Name of the folder.
Description: Optional description of the folder.
ToolTip: Optional tooltip text to be displayed when the mouse pointer stays briefly
over the folder name in the Reports navigator display.

4.45 Create/Edit View
The view dialog box is used for creating or editing a view or materialized view. You
can use the SQL Query tab or a series of panes to specify the query part of the view
definition, and you can use one or more other panes (depending on the type of view)
for other parts of the definition.
If you click OK before you are finished creating or editing the view, right-click the
view name in the Connections navigator, select Edit, and continue creating or editing
the view.
Schema: Database schema in which to create the view.
Name: Name of the view. Must be unique within a schema.
Advanced: If this option is checked, the dialog box changes to include a pane that
provides an extended set of features for creating the view.
SQL Query tab or pane
As a tab (if you did not check the Advanced box), it contains the SQL code for the
query part of the view definition, using the SELECT and FROM keywords and usually
a WHERE clause with whatever syntax is needed to retrieve the desired information.
As a pane (if you checked the Advanced box), it presents options for building specific
parts of the query.

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For example, the following query, from the Create a View tutorial topic, selects
columns from the PATRONS and TRANSACTIONS tables, ordering them first by
values in the PATRON_ID column in the PATRONS table and then by values in the
TRANSACTION_TYPE column in the TRANSACTIONS table. The result is a listing
by patron ID of all patrons who had transactions, and for each listed patron the
transaction information listed by transaction type
CREATE VIEW patrons_trans_view AS
SELECT p.patron_id, p.last_name, p.first_name,
t.transaction_type, t.transaction_date
FROM patrons p, transactions t
WHERE p.patron_id = t.patron_id
ORDER BY p.patron_id, t.transaction_type;

SQL Parse Results: If you click Test Syntax, displays any SQL syntax errors, or
displays a message indicating no errors if there are no syntax errors.
Revert: Cancels any edits you have made in the SQL Query box, and displays the
contents of the box before these edits.
Test Syntax: Checks the statement in the SQL Query box for any SQL syntax errors.
Quick-Pick Objects pane
Specifies objects that you can use in the SELECT, FROM, and WHERE clauses of the
view definition. Identify the tables and views on which this view is based, and the
columns in those tables and views that are used in the definition of this view. To see
the results of your quick-pick specification, either check Auto-Query or click Query.
Schema: Database schema containing the objects to be selected.
Type Filter - Filter Types: Enables you to limit the display of objects available for
selection to certain types of database objects (for example, to show only tables or
views).
Name Filter: Enables you to limit the display of objects available for selection
according to a character string in the name, with the percent sign (%) as a wildcard
character. For example, to limit the display of available tables and views to those
whose names start with the string EM, specify the following name filter: EM%
Auto-Query: If this option is enabled, the display of available objects is automatically
refreshed when you specify or change the Type Filter or Name Filter value.
Query: Refreshes the display of available objects based on the Type Filter and Name
Filter values.
Available: Lists the objects (typically, tables and views in a hierarchical display) from
which you can select objects to use in the SELECT, FROM, and WHERE clauses of the
view definition.
Selected: Lists the objects (typically, columns) that you can use in the SELECT, FROM,
and WHERE clauses of the view definition.
To add an object as selected, select it in Available and click the Add (>) icon; to remove
an object as selected, select it in Selected and click the Remove (<) icon. To move all
objects from selected to available, use the Remove All (<<) icon. To move an object up
or down in the selected list, select it in Selected and use the arrow buttons.
For the example in DDL tab or pane, select the DEPTNO and SAL columns from the
EMP table.

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Create/Edit View

FROM Clause pane
Specifies the tables and views that you can use in the FROM clause of the view
definition.
Available: Lists the tables and views that are available to be selected for use in the
FROM clause of the view definition.
Selected: Lists the tables and views that you can use in the FROM clause of the view
definition.
To add an object as selected, select it in Available and click the Add (>) icon; to remove
an object as selected, select it in Selected and click the Remove (<) icon. To move all
objects from available to selected, use the Add All (<<) icon; to move all objects from
selected to available, use the Remove All (<<) icon.
Alias: Alias for the table or view.
For the example in DDL tab or pane, select the EMP table.
SELECT Clause pane
Specifies objects that you can use in the SELECT clause of the view definition.
SELECT List: Lists the objects (typically, columns) that you can currently use in the
SELECT clause. To add an object, click the Add (+) icon; to delete an object, select it
and click the Delete (X) icon; to move an object up or down in the view definition,
select it and use the up-arrow and down-arrow buttons.
After you add an object, to add another object, click the Add
(+) icon.

Note:

Expression: Column name or an expression. For expressions, you can type them, or
you can use the Expression Palette to add object names and function names.
Validate: Checks the validity of the Expression entry.
For the example in DDL tab or pane, select DEPTNO column and the MIN(emp.sal)
and MAX(emp.sal) functions.
WHERE Clause pane
Specifies the WHERE clause of the view definition.
WHERE: The text of the WHERE clause, without the WHERE keyword. You can type
the text completely; or you can type some of the text and use the Expression Palette to
add object names, function names, and operators.
Example (from the Create a View tutorial exercise): p.patron_id = t.patron_id
GROUP BY Clause pane
Specifies a clause to be used to group the selected rows based on the value of columns
for each row and return a single row of summary information for each group. The
GROUP BY clause groups rows but does not guarantee the order of the result set; to
order the groupings, use the ORDER BY clause.
Available: Lists the tables and views, and the columns in each, that are available to be
selected for use in the GROUP BY clause of the view definition.
Selected: Lists the tables and views, and the columns in each, that you can use in the
GROUP BY clause of the view definition.

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To add an object as selected, select it in Available and click the Add (>) icon; to remove
an object as selected, select it in Selected and click the Remove (<) icon. To move all
objects from available to selected, use the Add All (<<) icon; to move all objects from
selected to available, use the Remove All (<<) icon.
HAVING Clause pane
Specifies an expression that must be satisfied for rows to be processed by the GROUP
BY clause. For example, HAVING MIN(salary) < 30000 causes the GROUP BY
clause to consider only rows where the minimum value of the relevant salary values is
less than 30000.
HAVING: You can type the complete expression text, or you can use the Expression
Palette to add object names, function names, and operators to the expression text.
ORDER BY Clause pane
Specifies one or more columns or column expressions whose values will be used to
sort the results returned by the view. Without an ORDER BY clause, no guarantee
exists that the same query executed more than once will retrieve rows in the same
order.
ORDER BY List: Lists the objects (typically, columns) that you can currently use in the
ORDER BY clause. To add an object, click the Add (+) icon; to delete an object, select it
and click the Delete (X) icon; to move an object up or down in the view definition,
select it and use the up-arrow and down-arrow buttons.
After you add an object, to add another object, click the Add
(+) icon.

Note:

ORDER BY Expression Filter: For each column or column expression, you can type
the text completely into the Expression box; or you can type some of the text and use
the Expression Palette to add object names, function names, and operators.
Validate: Tests the validity of the syntax for the expression.
Order: ASC for ascending (expression values sorted in ascending order); DESC for
descending (expression values sorted in descending order).
Nulls Ordering: NULLS FIRST to have null expression values appear before non-null
values; NULLS LAST to have null expression values appear after non-null values.
("Before" and "after" positions are determined by the Order value.)
View Information or Materialized View Properties pane
Options for a standard view:
Restrict Query: If this option is checked, you can enable one of the following options
■

■

Read Only: Prevents the view from being used to add, delete, or change data in
the underlying table or tables.
Check Option: If this option is checked, it prohibits any changes to the underlying
table or tables that would produce rows that are not included in this view.

Force on create: If this option is checked, the view is created even if it has errors in its
definition. This option is useful if you want to create the view regardless of any errors,
and go back and correct the errors later. If this option is not checked, the view is not
created is its definition contains any errors.
Options for a materialized view:
Dialog Boxes for Creating/Editing Objects 4-35

Create/Edit View

Refresh Options:
Method: The method of refresh operation to be performed:
■

■

■

■

Complete Refresh: Executes the defining query of the materialized view, even if a
fast refresh is possible.
Fast Refresh: Uses the incremental refresh method, which performs the refresh
according to the changes that have occurred to the master tables. The changes for
conventional DML changes are stored in the materialized view log associated with
the master table.The changes for direct-path INSERT operations are stored in the
direct loader log.
Force Refresh: Performs a fast refresh if one is possible; otherwise, performs a
complete refresh.
Never: Do not perform refresh operations.

When: The type of refresh operation to be performed:
■

■

■

■

On Demand: Performs a refresh when one of the DBMS_MVIEW refresh
procedures is called.
On Commit: Performs a fast refresh whenever the database commits a transaction
that operates on a master table of the materialized view. This may increase the
time taken to complete the commit, because the database performs the refresh
operation as part of the commit process.
Specify: Performs refresh operations according to what you specify in the Start on
and Next fields.
Never: Does not perform a refresh operation.

Type: Refresh type, which determines the type of materialized view:
■

■

Primary Key: Creates a primary key materialized view, which allows materialized
view master tables to be reorganized without affecting the eligibility of the
materialized view for fast refresh.
Row ID: Creates a rowid materialized view, which is useful if the materialized
view does not include all primary key columns of the master tables.

Start on: Starting date and time for the first automatic refresh operation. Must be in
the future.
Next: Time for the next automatic refresh operation. The interval between the Start on
and Next times establishes the interval for subsequent automatic refresh operations. If
you do not specify a value, the refresh operation is performed only once at the time
specified for Start on.
Constraints: If this option is checked, more rewrite alternatives can be used during the
refresh operation, resulting in more efficient refresh execution. The behavior of this
option is affected by whether you select Enforced or Trusted.
Enforced: Causes only enforced constraints to be used during the refresh operation.
Trusted: Enables the use of dimension and constraint information that has been
declared trustworthy by the database administrator but that has not been validated by
the database. If the dimension and constraint information is valid, performance may
improve. However, if this information is invalid, then the refresh procedure may
corrupt the materialized view even though it returns a success status.
Materialized View Options:

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Parallel: If this option is checked, parallel operations will be supported for the
materialized view, and you can specify a number for the default degree of parallelism
for queries and DML on the materialized view after creation.
Enable Cache: If this option is checked, the blocks retrieved for this table are placed at
the most recently used end of the least recently used (LRU) list in the buffer cache
when a full table scan is performed. This setting is useful for small lookup tables. If
this option is not checked, the blocks are placed at the least recently used end of the
LRU list.
Build Type: Specifies when to populate the materialized view. Immediate indicates
that the materialized view is to be populated immediately. Deferred indicates that the
materialized view is to be populated by the next refresh operation. If you specify
Deferred, the first (deferred) refresh must always be a complete refresh; until then, the
materialized view has a staleness value of unusable, so it cannot be used for query
rewrite.
Enable Query Rewrite: If this option is checked, the materialized view is enabled for
query rewrite, an optimization technique that transforms a user request written in
terms of master tables into a semantically equivalent request that includes one or more
materialized views.
Prebuilt Option: If this option is checked, an existing table is registered as a
preinitialized materialized view. This option is particularly useful for registering large
materialized views in a data warehousing environment. The table must have the same
name and be in the same schema as the resulting materialized view, and the table
should reflect the materialization of a subquery. Reduced Precision authorizes the loss
of precision that will result if the precision of the table or materialized view columns
do not exactly match the precision returned by subquery. No Reduced Precision
requires that the precision of the table or materialized view columns match exactly the
precision returned by subquery, or the create operation will fail.
Index Storage Options:
Use Index: If this option is checked, a default index is created and used to speed up
incremental (fast) refresh of the materialized view. If this option is not checked, this
default index is not created. (For example, you might choose to suppress the index
creation now and to create such an index explicitly later.)
Use Tablespace: If this option is checked, you can specify the tablespace in which the
materialized view is to be created. If this option is not checked, the materialized view
is created in the default tablespace of the schema containing the materialized view.
DDL tab or pane
If you are editing an existing object or if you have only partially created an object, this
tab contains a read-only display of a SQL statement that reflects the current definition
of the object.
To save the SQL statement to a script file, click Save and specify the location and file
name.

4.46 Create XML Schema
This dialog box enables you to specify the URL of an XML schema that can be
associated with XML document instances.
Schema: Name of the schema in which to create the XML schema object.
Name: URL of the XML schema.

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Configure Extension

4.47 Configure Extension
This dialog box, which is displayed if you click Configure for Versioning Support in
the Extensions preferences pane, enables you to select from among available
versioning support extensions for SQL Developer. For information about using
versioning with SQL Developer, see Section 1.11.
If you change any existing settings, you will need to restart SQL Developer.

4.48 Configure File Type Associations
This dialog box, which is displayed the first time you start SQL Developer, enables you
to associate certain file types with SQL Developer. If a file type is associated with SQL
Developer, files with that type’s extension will automatically be opened by SQL
Developer when you double-click the file name. Any previous association for that file
type is replaced.
If you do not associate a file type with SQL Developer, any existing association for that
file is unchanged.
After you close this box, you can change the associations for these file types and many
others by clicking Tools and then Preferences, and selecting File Types (see
Section 1.13.8, "File Types").

4.49 Custom Filters
This dialog box is displayed if you right-click and select Customize Filters in the
History tab for a SQL Trace (.trc) file. You can modify an existing filter or create a new
filter.
Filter List: Names of the available filters. To edit an existing filter, select its name; the
details for that filter are displayed in the dialog box. To remove an existing filter, select
its name and click Remove.
To create a new filter, click Add and specify the filter name.
To restore the filters to those at SQL Developer installation, click Restore Defaults.
This deleted any filters that have been added since installation.
Simple Expression: Create the filter by selecting a column and operator and by
specifying a value. To select a value from a list, click Insert.
Complex Expression: Create the filter by entering a complex expression.

4.50 Database Copy (Schema Objects)
This dialog box is displayed if you click Tools, then Database Copy. Specify the type of
operation, and the connections for the source and destination schemas. All database
objects are copied from the source schema to the destination schema, subject to any
restrictions depending on the type of operation, which determines the behavior if
objects of the same name exist in the destination schema.
Source/Destination pane
Source Connection: Database connection for the schema from which to copy the
objects.
Destination Connection: Database connection for the schema to which to copy the
objects

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Create Objects: Copies the objects to new objects in the destination schema only if an
existing object of that type with the same name does not already exist.
Truncate Objects: Deletes existing rows in any existing table with the same name, and
then loads rows from the source.
Drop Objects: Drops any existing table with the same name, and then creates and
loads it from the source.
Copy Summary pane
You can review the SQL statements that will be used to perform the copy operation
according to your specifications.
To go back and make any changes, click Back.
To perform the copy operation, click Finish. After the copy operation completes, a log
file is displayed.

4.51 Database Schema Differences
This interface is displayed if you click Tools, then Database Diff. You can find
differences between objects of the same type and name (for example, tables named
CUSTOMERS) in two different schemas, and optionally update the objects in one
schema (destination) to reflect differences in the other schema (source).
Use the Source/Destination pane to specify the source and destination database
connections. Database objects in the schemas associated with these connections will be
compared. The schemas for the source and destination connections can be in the same
database or different databases.
Source/Destination pane
Source Connection: Database connection for the source schema (the schema in which
selected objects are to be compared with objects in the destination schema).
Destination Connection: Database connection for the database that contains the
destination schema (the schema containing one or more objects of the same type and
name as those selected in the source schema). The selected connection can be the same
as, or different from, the connection for the source schema.
Diff Objects: Check the types of objects that you want to be compared in the source
and destination connections. You can click Toggle All to check and uncheck all
individual types. You must select at least one object type.
Proceed to Summary: If this option is checked, clicking Next takes you directly to the
Diff Summary pane.
Specify Objects pane
You can limit the types or objects, and the objects within selected types, for the
comparison operation.
Object Type: Select All for all object types, or a specific type of object.
Go: Click Go to display a list of objects that meet the selection criteria for the selected
connection. Use the arrow keys to move selected objects or all objects from the
available objects box to the selected objects box.
Diff Summary pane
You can review the information that will be used to compare the source and
destination connections, according to your specifications.
Dialog Boxes for Creating/Editing Objects 4-39

DDL Panel for Creating or Editing an Object

To go back and make any changes, click Back as needed.
To perform the comparison, click Finish. The results are displayed in a Diff Report
window, where you can see the DDL statements to update the objects in the
destination schema to reflect differences in the source schema. To create a file
containing these DDL statements, click the Generate Script icon in that window. To
toggle the display between all objects and only those objects with differences, click
Show Equal Objects.

4.52 DDL Panel for Creating or Editing an Object
You can review and save the SQL statement that SQL Developer will use to create or
edit the object, to reflect any changes you have made to the object’s properties. If you
want to make any changes, go back to the relevant panels and make the changes there.
To save the SQL statement to a script file, click Save and specify the location and file
name.

4.53 Debugger - Attach to JPDA
This dialog box is displayed when you right-click a database connection name and
select Remote Debug. Use this dialog box if you are using the Sun Microsystem's Java
Platform Debugger Architecture (JPDA) and you would like the debugger to listen so
that a debuggee can attach to the debugger. For more information about remote
debugging, see Section 1.6.2, "Remote Debugging".
Host: Name or IP address of the remote host on which SQL Developer should listen
for the database to connect.
Port: Listening port number on the remote host. You can choose any valid port number
that is not in use by another process.
Timeout: The number of seconds that SQL Developer will wait for the remote
database to make a debugging connection.
Don’t Show Dialog Box Before Connecting: If this option is checked, this dialog box
will not be displayed before future connections for remote debugging.

4.54 Deploy or Import Application
Use this wizard to deploy or import an Application Express application into a
specified target schema.
Deploy to Connection or Specify File to Import
Choose Connection to Deploy Application: For a deploy operation, specify the
database connection for the target schema into which to deploy the application.
Specify File to Import: For an import operation, specify the location and name of the
SQL file containing the exported application (usually the output of a previous "export
application" operation).
Choose Import Options
Specifies options for the application to be deployed or imported.
Workspace: Name of the Application Express workspace.
Parse As Schema: Schema against which all of the application's SQL and PL/SQL will
be parsed.

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Application Name: Name of the application.
Application Alias: Alias for the application. It is recommended that you never hard
code the application ID into your application, but instead use the application alias or a
built-in substitution string (such as APP_ID and APP_ALIAS).
Build Status: RUN_ONLY or RUN_AND_BUILD
Application ID: Specify whether to have an application ID assigned automatically, to
use an existing listed ID, or to specify a new ID. Use these options to avoid application
ID conflicts, such as when you need to have two versions of the same application in
the same instance. For example, you might be migrating an application to a production
instance and still need to maintain the development version.
ID Currently Used by and Overwrite: If the specified Application ID is currently used
by another application, you can enable Overwrite to have the application ID instead
associated with the application being deployed or imported.
Summary
Displays the selected options for the application to be deployed or imported. To make
any changes, click Back. To perform the operation, click Finish.

4.55 Describe Object Window
This window is displayed when you select a database object name in the SQL
Worksheet, right-click, and select Describe. The information is read-only, and is
displayed using tabs that are appropriate for the type of object.
For example, if the display is for a table, the information displayed is similar to that in
the Create/Edit Table (with advanced options) dialog box.

4.56 Edit Value (Table Column Data)
This dialog box enables you to edit data in a cell in the table Data grid (that is, edit the
value of a single column within a row). You can change the data value and then click
OK.
The specific options available depend on the data type of the column associated with
that cell in the grid.
If you are not permitted to modify the data, the Value display is read-only.

4.57 Enter Bind Values
This dialog box enables you to enter values for each bind variable. If the NULL option
is checked, you cannot enter a value in this dialog box.

4.58 Error Writing to Export File
This box is displayed if you tried to export table data to a file, but the directory or
folder path does not exist.
Click OK to close the box, then enter a valid path in the Export Data dialog box and
click Apply.

Dialog Boxes for Creating/Editing Objects 4-41

Export (Database Objects and Data)

4.59 Export (Database Objects and Data)
This interface is displayed when you click Tools and then Database Export to export
database objects and optionally data. For a selected database connection, you can
export some or all objects of one or more types of database objects to a file containing
SQL data definition language (DDL) statements to create these objects. To specify
options for the export operation, use the Types to Export pane. To specify the objects or
types of objects to export, use the Specify Objects pane.
In several panes, if you select Proceed to summary, clicking Next takes you to the
Export Summary pane.
Source/Destination pane
Specify the output file, the database connection, and options that affect the content
(DDL statements) of the output file.
File: Specify the name of the script file to contain the DDL statements for creating the
objects to be exported and the INSERT statements if you will also be exporting data
(for example, my_tables.sql). You can click Browse to select a directory for this file.
(The default file path for export operations is specified in the SQL Developer user
preferences for Database.)
Connection: Select the database connection with the objects to be exported.
DDL Options: Options that affect the DDL statements in the output file:
■

■

■

■

■

■

■

■

Show Schema: If this option is checked, the schema name is included in CREATE
statements. If this option is not checked, the schema name is not included in
CREATE statements, which is convenient if you want to re-create the exported
objects under a schema that has a different name.
Storage: If this option is checked, any STORAGE clauses in definitions of the
database objects are preserved in the exported DDL statements. If you do not want
to use the current storage definitions (for example, if you will re-create the objects
in a different system environment), uncheck this option.
Terminator: If this option is checked, a line terminator character is inserted at the
end of each line.
Pretty Print: If this option is checked, the statements are attractively formatted in
the output file, and the size of the file will be larger than it would otherwise be.
Include BYTE Keyword: If this option is checked, column length specifications
refer to bytes; if this option is not checked, column length specifications refer to
characters.
Add Force to Views: If this option is checked, the FORCE option is added to any
CREATE VIEW statements, causing each view to be created even if it contains
errors.
Include Drop Statement: If this option is checked, a DROP statements is included
before each CREATE statement, to delete any existing objects with the same
names. However, you may want to uncheck this option, and create a separate drop
script that can be run to remove an older version of your objects before creation.
This avoids the chance of accidentally removing an object you did not intend to
drop.
Include Grants: If this option is checked, GRANT statements are included for any
grant objects on the exported objects. (However, grants on objects owned by the
SYS schema are never exported.)

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■

Automatically Include Dependent Objects: If this option is checked, objects that
are dependent on the objects specified for export are also exported. For
nonprivileged users, only dependent objects in their schema are exported; for
privileged users, all dependent objects are exported.

Types to Export pane
Specify object types to be exported and options for the export operation.
Object Types: Check the types of objects that you want to export. You can click Toggle
All to check and uncheck all individual types. You must select at least one object type.
Note also the following:
■

■

■

Dependencies (under Tables): If this option is checked, constraints for each table
are defined as inline constraints in the CREATE TABLE statement; and if any
indexes or triggers exist for a table, they are also included in the CREATE TABLE
statement.
Constraints: If this option is checked, any constraints for each table are defined in
separate ALTER TABLE statements instead of in the CREATE TABLE statement.
Data: If this option is checked, statements are included to insert the data for an
exported table or view. If this option is not checked, statements are not included to
insert the data for an exported table or view; that is, only the DDL statements are
included. If you check Data, statements are included to insert all data in all tables
in the selected schema, unless you use the Filter Data tab to limit the data to be
migrated.

Specify Objects pane
You can limit the types or objects, and the objects within selected types, for the export
operation.
Object Type: Select All for all object types, or a specific type of object.
Go: Click Go to display a list of objects that meet the selection criteria for the selected
connection. Use the arrow keys to move selected objects or all objects from the
available objects box to the selected objects box.
Specify Data pane
You can limit the data for the export operation.
Go: Click Go to display a list of available tables, and use the arrow keys to move
selected tables or all tables from the available box to the selected box.
Then, select a table, enter the filter text (a WHERE clause without the WHERE
keyword), and click Apply Filter.
Export Summary pane
You can review the information that will be used to create the output file, which will
contain statements to export database objects and data according to your
specifications.
To go back and make any changes, click Back as needed.
To create the output file, click Finish. The file is also displayed in a SQL Worksheet
window, where you can run it as a script and perform other operations.

Dialog Boxes for Creating/Editing Objects 4-43

Export: Advanced Data Filter

4.60 Export: Advanced Data Filter
This dialog box is displayed when you click Advanced in the Export (Database Objects
and Data) dialog box.
Schema: Select the name of the schema to see the available objects on which you can
specify a filter.
Filter: A WHERE clause specifying the condition or conditions for filtering data from
the selected object.
Apply Filter: Click to apply the specified filter.
When you are finished applying any filters, click Apply.

4.61 Export Error
This dialog box is displayed when you tried to export some or all objects of one or
more types of database objects to a file containing SQL statements, but did not include
some essential information, which might include one or more of the following:
■

■

■

The database connection. For Connection, select the database connection from
which the objects will be exported.
The name of the output file. Look at the Options tab, and be sure that you
specified a file.
One or more objects or types of objects. Look at the Objects tab, and be sure that
you selected (checked) at least one object or type of object.

4.62 Export Table Data
This dialog box is displayed when you right-click a table name, a table data display, a
SQL Worksheet result set, or report output, and select Export and then an export
format. You can export some or all of the data to a file or to the system clipboard. To
restrict the output to specified columns, use the Columns tab. To restrict the output
based on a WHERE clause condition, use the Where tab.
Format tab
Format: Determines the format of entries written in the specified output file: Insert for
SQL INSERT statements, XML for XML tags and data, SQL LOADER for a
SQL*Loader control file, or CSV for comma-separated values including a header row
for column identifiers.
Output: File writes the output to a file that you specify; Clipboard places the output on
the system clipboard, so that you can paste it into a file, a command line, or other
location appropriate for the format.
File: If the output is to a file, click Browse to select the directory or folder and to
specify the file name and extension. The file path is then placed in the File box. (The
default file path for export operations is specified in the SQL Developer user
preferences for Database.) Standard file extensions are .sql for Insert format, .xml for
XML format, .ctl for SQL LOADER format, and .csv for CSV format.
Columns tab
You can specify whether the output should include data from all columns or just from
the checked columns. (Note: For CLOB columns, only the first 32 KB of any CLOB is
exported.)

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Create/Edit External Tool

Where tab
You can restrict the output by entering a valid WHERE clause for a query on the table,
without the WHERE keyword. For example, to restrict the exported data to rows
where a column named RATING contains a value greater than 5, specify: rating >
5

4.63 External Locator Configuration
This dialog box is displayed if you click External Locator Configuration when creating
a CVS repository. Specify the information required to connect to the remote repository
when the method by which the client will gain access to and authenticate against the
server is External.
Set Remote Shell: If this option is checked, external repositories are accessed through a
remote shell utility, usually rsh (the default) or ssh.
Set Remote Shell: If this option is checked, you specify the name of the CVS program
on the remote server. (It is unlikely to need to be changed from the default, and should
only be changed in cooperation with the administrator of the CVS remote server.)

4.64 External Tools
This dialog box is displayed when you click Tools and then External Tools. It displays
information about user-defined external tools that are integrated with the SQL
Developer interface.
Find Tools: Checks for any tools that Oracle offers for your consideration, and adds
them to the list if they are not already included.
New: Starts a wizard for defining a new external tool (see Section 4.65, "Create/Edit
External Tool").
Edit: Displays a dialog box for editing the selected external tool (see Section 4.65,
"Create/Edit External Tool").

4.65 Create/Edit External Tool
This interface is displayed as a wizard if you are creating a new external tool, and as a
dialog box if you are editing an existing external tool (see Section 4.64, "External
Tools").
External Program Options
Program Executable: Path of the program executable for the tool.
Arguments: Arguments (parameters) to be passed to the program. You can click Insert
to insert a macro for the argument (see Section 4.69, "Insert Macro").
Run Directory: Directory in which to run the program. You can click Insert to insert a
macro for the directory (see Section 4.69, "Insert Macro").
Command Sample: A read-only sample display of the command to run the program.
Display Options
Specify how the external tool should appear when displayed in menu or toolbar items.
Caption for Menu Items: The text string that will appear for any menu item that calls
the external tool. To indicate the mnemonic character, use the ampersand before the

Dialog Boxes for Creating/Editing Objects 4-45

Choose Offline Options

character. For example: &Mytool for the "M" to be underlined and used as the
mnemonic
ToolTip Text: Text for the tooltip to be displayed when the mouse pointer hovers over
the icon for the tool in a toolbar.
Icon Location: File path of the icon associated with the tool. Click Browse to specify a
graphics file, or Use Default to use the default icon (if you previously specified a
nondefault icon).
Preview: A read-only display of the menu item and its associated icon.
Integration Options
Specify how the external tool will be integrated with SQL Developer.
Add Items to Menus: Check any menus on which you want to include an item for this
tool.
Add Buttons to Toolbars: To add the icon for this tool to the SQL Developer main
toolbar, check Main Toolbar.
After Tool Exits: To have SQL Developer reload any open files after the tool exits,
check Reload Open Files.
Availability Options
Specify when the external tool is enabled. In contexts where the tool is not enabled, its
menu item and icon are grayed out.
Always: Makes the tool always available.
When a File is Selected or Open in the Editor: Makes the tool available only when a
file is selected or open, such as when the SQL Worksheet is open.
When Specific File Types are Selected: Makes the tool available only when files of the
specified type or types are selected. Use the arrow buttons to move desired types from
Available Types to Selected Types.

4.66 Choose Offline Options
This dialog box is displayed when you click Migration, then MySQL, SQL Server, and
Sybase Offline Capture, then Create Database Capture Scripts. It specifies options for
creating an offline capture properties (.ocp) file, which you can later load and run by
clicking Migration, then MySQL, SQL Server, and Sybase Offline Capture, then Load
Database Capture Script Output.
Output Directory: Converted model containing tables whose data is to be moved to
the corresponding Oracle database tables.
Generate for: Windows Batch File generates a .bat file to be run on Windows systems;
Linux Shell Scripts generates .sh files to be run on Linux systems.
For a MySQL migrations, if you generate .sh files, you must also execute the following
command to make the .sh files executable and the .ocp file writable:
chmod 755 *

Platform: The MySQL, Microsoft SQL Server, or Sybase Adaptive Server version for
which to generate the scripts.

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Externally Modified Files

4.67 Feature Required
This dialog box is displayed if you try to use a SQL Developer feature that requires the
licensing of the specified feature for Oracle Database. If you do not have a license for
the specified feature, you must click No.
If you have a license for the feature on the database or databases on which you plan to
use the feature this time, you can click Yes. If you have a license for the feature on all
databases on which you plan to use the feature now and in the future, you can enable
Skip This Message Next Time and click Yes.
To purchase any required license, contact your Oracle sales representative or
authorized Oracle Reseller, or go to the Oracle Store to buy online.

4.68 Filter
This dialog box is displayed when you right-click an object type node (such as Tables)
in the Connections navigator and select Apply Filter. Use this box to limit the number
of objects of that type that are displayed, according to one or more filter criteria that
you specify. For each criterion, specify the following:
■

Criterion name (for example, OBJECT_NAME for a table)

■

Operator (for example, LIKE)

■

Value for comparison (for example EM%)

■

Case-sensitive option for character data comparison

For example, to display only tables with names that start with EM, specify: OBJECT_
NAME LIKE EM% (with the percent sign as a wildcard character)
To add another filter criterion, click the Add (+) icon; to delete a criterion, select it and
click the Delete (X) icon; to move a criterion up or down in the list, select it and use the
arrow icons.
To apply the filter criteria to the Connections navigator display, click OK.
To remove the effects of applying a filter, right-click the object type node in the
Connections navigator display and select Clear Filter.

4.69 Insert Macro
This dialog box is displayed when you click Insert when specifying external program
options (see Section 4.65, "Create/Edit External Tool"). It enables you to insert a
sample text string into the relevant field for the external program option; you can then
edit that string to suit your needs. (This is somewhat analogous to using snippets to
insert text strings into the SQL Worksheet.)
Select the desired type of macro, read its description to ensure that it is what you want,
and click OK. For some macros, a sample expansion is included.

4.70 Externally Modified Files
This dialog box filters is displayed when an external application has modified a file
that you have open in SQL Developer. You are asked if you want to reload the
externally modified file.

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Filter Object Types

If you click Yes, the externally modified file overwrites any changes that you might
have made in SQL Developer. If you click No, the externally modified file will be
overwritten by your version when you save the file in SQL Developer.

4.71 Filter Object Types
This dialog box filters (restricts) the types of objects to be displayed for the schema
associated with the selected user.
Available Object Types: Lists the types of objects that are available to be added to the
display.
Displayed Object Types: Lists the types of objects that are included in the display.
To add a type of object to the display, select it in Available Object Types and click the
Add (>) icon; to remove a type of object from the display, select it in Displayed Object
Types and click the Remove (<) icon. To move all types of objects from available to
displayed (or the reverse), use the Add All (>>) or Remove All (<<) icon.

4.72 Filter Schemas
This dialog box enables you to restrict the schemas that are displayed under Other
Users in the Connections navigator.
Available Schemas: Lists the schemas that are not currently displayed under Other
Users in the Connections navigator, but that are available to be added to the list of
displayed users.
Displayed Schemas: Lists the schemas that are to be included in the display under
Other Users in the Connections navigator.
To add a schema to the display, select it in Available Schemas and click the Add (>)
icon; to remove a schema from the display, select it in Displayed Schemas and click the
Remove (<) icon. To move all schemas from available to displayed (or the reverse), use
the Add All (>>) or Remove All (<<) icon.
Only display schemas with visible objects: Limits the display to available schemas
that have any database objects that are visible to the database user associated with the
current connection.

4.73 Filter Error
This dialog box is displayed if you did not specify any data for an export operation. Be
sure to specify Filter Data options that select some data for the export operation.

4.74 Find/Replace Text
This dialog box specifies a text string to find, optionally a replacement text string, and
search options.
Text to Search For: Text string to search for.
Replace With: If you check this option, enter a text string to replace the text string that
is being searched for.
Options: Options to control the search behavior: Match Case makes the search
case-sensitive; Search from Beginning starts the search at the beginning instead of at
the text cursor; Highlight All Occurrences highlights all occurrences of the search
string instead of just the first one; Wrap Around searches across line breaks; Whole
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Word Only find the search string only if it is a complete word and not just part of a
word; Regular Expressions means that the search string is a regular expression;
Selected Text Only means to search only in the text block that you have selected.
Direction: Forward starts the search from the cursor in the direction of normal text
flow; Backward starts the search from the cursor in the opposite direction of normal
text flow.

4.75 Find Result
This box is displayed if you specify text to search for in the Find/Replace Text dialog
box that is not in the SQL Worksheet.
If you think that the text is in the worksheet, retry your query, and check the spelling
of the text to search for.

4.76 Generate Oracle DDL
This dialog box is displayed when you click Migration, then Script Generation, then
Generate Oracle DDL It specifies the converted model for which to generate Oracle
DDL (data definition language) statements. The operation produces a SQL*Plus script
file that you use for offline generation: that is, you can run the script to create the
appropriate objects in the Oracle database.
When the operation is in progress, a box displays object types and the number of
objects of each type for which DDL statements are being generated.
After the operation finishes, a box displays the directory in which two files have been
created: a .sql file containing DDL statements (such as CREATE TABLE and CREATE
OR REPLACE VIEW) that create the migrated schema objects in the Oracle database,
and a .ctl file containing the SQL*Plus @ statement to invoke the .sql file.
Converted Models: Converted model containing objects for which to generate Oracle
DDL statements.

4.77 Generate Offline Data Move Files
This dialog box is displayed when you click Migration, then Script Generation, then
Generate Data Move Scripts. It specifies the converted model and the destination
directory if you are performing offline data migration, which is explained in
Section 2.9.1.
Converted Model: Converted model containing tables whose data is to be moved to
the corresponding Oracle database tables.
Directory: Path in which to create files containing the data and the SQL*Loader
specifications.

4.78 Go to Bookmark
Use this box to specify the bookmark to go to in the selected function or procedure.
After you enter the bookmark and click Go, the line associated with that bookmark is
highlighted.

Dialog Boxes for Creating/Editing Objects 4-49

Go to Line Number

4.79 Go to Line Number
Use this box to specify the line number to go to in the selected function or procedure.
After you enter the line number and click the Go icon, that line is highlighted.

4.80 Go to Line Number: Error
This error box tells you that you entered an invalid line number in the Go to Line
Number box, probably because you entered a line number greater than that of the last
line in the function or procedure.

4.81 Import to CVS
This interface is displayed when you click Versioning, then CVS, then Import Module.
It enables you to import local files into the repository as a CVS module.
Module
Select the connection name, enter a name for the module, and optionally enter a
descriptive comment about the import operation.
Tags
Select the connection name, enter a name for the module, and optionally enter a
descriptive comment about the import operation.
Sources
Source Folder: Location from which files will be copied for the import operation.
Filters
You can configure filters to be used for excluding folders and files from the import
operation. Use the arrow keys to move selected filters or all filters between Available
Filters and Selected Filters.
To create a filter and add it to the Selected Filters list, click New to display the Create
Filter dialog box.
Options
You can specify options to be used during the import operation.
Use File Modification Time: If this option is checked, the file's modification time is
used as the time of import. If this option is not checked, the time when the import
operation is performed is used as the time of import.
Perform Module Checkout: If this option is checked, the modules are checked out
after they are imported.
Summary
You can review the information that will be used to perform the import operation.
To go back and make any changes, click Back as needed.
To perform the import operation, click Finish.

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4.82 Load Preset Key Mappings
This dialog box is displayed when you click Load Preset when specifying accelerator
key preferences for SQL Developer. You can load a set of predefined key mappings for
certain systems and external editing applications. If you load any preset key mappings
that conflict with changes that you have made, your changes are overwritten.
You can specify Default to reset the accelerator key mappings to the SQL Developer
defaults for your system.

4.83 Log In to CVS
Use this dialog box to log in to the specified CVS repository. You must know the
password for the specified user.
Connect Automatically on Startup: If this option is checked, a login operation is
performed when you start SQL Developer.

4.84 Modify Value
This dialog box is displayed when you right-click a variable in the Data or Smart Data
pane during debugging and select Modify Value. You can modify the value for the
selected data item (primitive value, string, or reference pointer) during debugging.
Note: You cannot undo the action after you click OK, so be careful when making any
changes.
Current Value: The value of the data item.
New Value: The new value for the data item (enter or select from a drop-down list).
■
■

■

For a primitive value, you can enter a new value.
For a reference pointer, you can enter the memory address of an existing object or
array. To set a reference pointer to null, enter 0 as a memory address.
For a string, you can enter either a new string value or the memory address of an
existing string.

Interpret New Value as Object Address: If this option is checked, the New Value
entry is interpreted as a memory address pointer to an object or array in the heap of
the program you are debugging. For a string, this box must be checked check if the
value you enter in the New Value field is the memory address of an existing string

4.85 Data Move Details
This dialog box is displayed when you click Migration, then Migrate Data. It specifies
the source and target information for online data migration, which is explained in
Section 2.9.
Source Connection: Database connection from which data is to be migrated.
Target Connection: Database connection to which data is to be migrated.
Converted Model: Converted model containing tables whose data is to be moved to
the corresponding Oracle database tables.
Use qualified names from converted model for insert: If this option is checked, object
names are qualified by the schema name.

Dialog Boxes for Creating/Editing Objects 4-51

New Procedure (Refactoring)

4.86 New Procedure (Refactoring)
This dialog box is displayed if you are editing a procedure, select one or more PL/SQL
statements, right-click, and select Refactoring, then Extract Procedure. The selected
statements are encapsulated into the procedure to be created.
Defined Locally: For a standalone procedure, defines the newly refactored code in the
definition section of the original procedure.
Stored: For a standalone procedure, defines the newly refactored code in a new
standalone procedure.
Name: Name of the procedure to encapsulate the selected statements. For a packaged
procedure, the newly extracted procedure text is placed immediately after the current
procedure.

4.87 No Object Found
This dialog box is displayed if no objects could be found to satisfy the requested
operation, such as trying to perform a "Describe" operation when the currently
selected object is not valid for a SQL*Plus DESCRIBE statement.

4.88 No Object Selected
This dialog box is displayed if no object was selected for the requested operation, such
as trying to perform a "Describe" operation when no object is selected in the SQL
Worksheet.

4.89 Open File
This is a standard box for selecting a file to open: use Location to navigate to
(double-clicking) the folder with the file to open, then click the file to select it.

4.90 Oracle-Only Report
This dialog box is displayed if you select a non-Oracle (third-party) database
connection for a report that applies only to Oracle database connections. Be sure to
select an Oracle connection.

4.91 Oracle Proxy Authentication
This dialog box is displayed if you enable the Proxy Connection option in the
Create/Edit/Select Database Connection dialog box. For an explanation of proxy
authentication, see Section 1.4.5, "Connections with Proxy Authentication".
Proxy Type: User Name for authentication by proxy user name and password, or
Distinguished Name for authentication by proxy user name and distinguished name.
Proxy User: Name of the user to be used for authentication for this connection.
Proxy Password (if Proxy Type is User Name): Password for the specified proxy user.
Distinguished Name (if Proxy Type is Distinguished Name): Distinguished name for
the specified proxy user.

4-52 Oracle SQL Developer User's Guide

Query Builder

4.92 Paste
This dialog box is displayed if you click Edit, then Extended Paste. It shows a list of
clipboard items, so that you can select the content to be pasted. Click OK to paste the
selected content into the current location.
Clipboard Items: Clipboard items with content from copy operations. Usually
displays the first line of the content.
Item Content: The content of the selected clipboard item.

4.93 Privilege Warning for Migration
This dialog box is displayed if you click Verify in the Quick Migrate box and the
database user for the connection does not have all privileges necessary for a
multischema migration. For multischema migrations, this user must granted the
RESOURCE role with the ADMIN option; and this user must also be granted the
CREATE ROLE, CREATE USER, and ALTER ANY TRIGGER privileges, all with the
ADMIN option.
If you are performing a single-schema migration, you can ignore this warning.

4.94 Query Builder
The Query Builder box is displayed when you right-click in the SQL Worksheet and
select Query Builder. You can use this box to create a SELECT statement by dragging
and dropping table and view names and by graphically specifying columns and other
elements of the query. When you finish building the query, the resulting SELECT
statement is inserted into the SQL Worksheet.
The Query Builder capabilities are grouped under the following tabs.
Select Columns
Use the Select Columns tab to select tables and views, then columns within them, to be
used in the query. Use the connections tree on the left to find the desired tables and
views under the appropriate schema or schemas, and double-click each desired table
and view.
Within each selected table or view, click to select the desired columns (all or specific
ones) to include in the query.
Create Where Clause
Use the Create Where Clause tab to select, for each column in the WHERE clause, the
column name, operator, and value. For example, you might want to select only rows
where AUTHOR_LAST_NAME contains Melville or where RATING > 5.
Show SQL
Use the Show SQL tab to see a read-only display of the query reflecting what you have
specified so far.
View Results
Use the View tab to test the query in its current form. Click the Execute Statement icon
to execute the query.
Refresh: Specifies the refresh interval: the number of seconds between each time the
query is automatically re-executed and the results display is updated. A value of zero

Dialog Boxes for Creating/Editing Objects 4-53

Recent Files

(0) means that the query is not automatically re-executed after the initial execution.

4.95 Recent Files
This dialog box displays files recently opened in SQL Developer.
Files: A list of files opened in SQL Developer, with the most recent file first. The Show
All option determines whether the list includes only files opened implicitly or files
opened implicitly or explicitly.
Show All: If this option is checked, the list includes both explicitly and implicitly
opened files; if this option is not checked, the list includes only implicitly opened files.
Explicitly opened files are those that you opened directly; implicitly opened files are
those that SQL Developer opened to support your work (for example, while you were
debugging).

4.96 Create Repository
This dialog box is displayed if you click Migration, then Repository Management, then
Create Repository.
Create Repository: Name of the database connection to use to create a migration
repository. The objects associated with the migration repository are created in the
schema of the user associated with the selected connection.

4.97 Delete or Truncate Repository
The Delete Repository dialog box is displayed if you click Migration, then Repository
Management, then Delete Repository; the Truncate Repository dialog box is displayed
if you click Migration, then Repository Management, then Truncate Repository.
Deleting a repository removes all schema objects that are used for the migration
repository. Truncating a repository deletes all data from schema objects that are used
for the migration repository, but does not delete the schema objects themselves,
effectively leaving you with an empty repository.
Repository: Name of the database connection in which to delete or truncate the
migration repository.

4.98 Capture Microsoft Access Exporter XML
This dialog box is displayed if you click Migration, then Capture Exporter XML.
File Path: File path to the .xml file that was produced when you ran the appropriate
version of the exporter tool for Microsoft Access (when you clicked Migrations, then
Microsoft Access Exporter, then the appropriate version for your version of Microsoft
Access).

4.99 Rename Local Variable
This dialog box is displayed if you right-click a variable name in the display of the
source code for a function or procedure, and select Refactoring and then Rename Local
Variable. Specify the desired new name for the variable.

4-54 Oracle SQL Developer User's Guide

Run/Debug/Profile PL/SQL

4.100 Rename Procedure
This dialog box is displayed if you try to rename a procedure. Specify a unique new
name for the procedure.

4.101 Select Current Repository
This dialog box is displayed if you click Migration, then Repository Management, then
Select Current Repository. You can use this dialog box to reconnect to a migration
repository after you have disconnected (using Migration, then Repository
Management, then Disconnect Migration Repository). In addition, if you have
multiple migration repositories, and you can use this dialog box to switch from one to
another.
Select Current Repository: Name of the database connection with the migration
repository to be used for all operations relating to migrating third-party databases to
Oracle.

4.102 Cannot Capture Table
This dialog box is displayed if you try to capture a third-party database before
establishing and connecting to a current migration repository.
If no migration repository exists, create one by clicking Migration, then Repository
Management, then Create Repository.
To make an existing migration repository the current one, right-click its connection in
the Connections navigator and select Associate Migration Repository.
To open a connection to the migration repository, expand the node for its connection in
the Connections navigator.

4.103 Reset Expired Password
This dialog box is displayed if you attempt to create a new database connection or
open an existing connection, and if the password associated with the used for the
connection has expired. It is also displayed only if an OCI (thick) driver is available; if
an OCI driver is not available, an error message is displayed instead of this dialog box.
To reset the password, enter the new password, confirm the password, and click OK.

4.104 Revision Lister
This dialog box is displayed if you click List Revisions in the Branch/Tag dialog box. It
contains a list of revisions in the repository.
Select the desired revision to use, and click OK.

4.105 Run/Debug/Profile PL/SQL
Use this box to specify parameter values for running, debugging, or profiling a
PL/SQL function or procedure. (If you specify a package, select a function or
procedure in the package.) A profile operation runs the function or procedure and
collects execution statistics; it also requires auxiliary structures in the user schema. For
information, see Section 1.6.4, "Using the PL/SQL Hierarchical Profiler".
Comment (Profile only): Descriptive comment to be included in the execution profile.

Dialog Boxes for Creating/Editing Objects 4-55

Create/Edit Breakpoint

Target: Name of the function or procedure to run or to run in debug mode. (You have a
choice only if you specified a package that has more than one subprogram.)
Parameters: List of each parameter for the specified target. The mode of each
parameter can be IN (the value is passed in), OUT (the value is returned, or IN/OUT
(the value is passed in, and the result of the function or procedure’s action is stored in
the parameter).
PL/SQL Block: A block of PL/SQL code created by SQL Developer. You should
change the formal IN and IN/OUT parameter specifications in this block to actual
values that you want to use for running or debugging the function or procedure.
For example, to specify 10 as the value for an input parameter named in_rating,
change IN_RATING => IN_RATING to IN_RATING => 10.
When you click OK, SQL Developer runs the function or procedure.
If you are debugging a function or procedure, the debugging toolbar and one or more
windows for debug-related information are displayed, as explained in Section 1.6,
"Running and Debugging Functions and Procedures".

4.106 Create/Edit Breakpoint
Use this box to create or edit a breakpoint to use when debugging a PL/SQL function
or procedure.
Definition tab
Specify the definition of the breakpoint.
Breakpoint Type: Type of breakpoint, indicating when the breakpoint will occur.
Options include breaking when one of the following occurs: a specific line of code
(Source); exception class or other class; method, file, or watch.
Breakpoint Details: Options depend on the breakpoint type.
Breakpoint Group Name: Breakpoint group in which to include this breakpoint.
Breakpoint groups can be edited, enabled, and disabled.
Conditions tab
Specify any conditions that apply to the breakpoint.
Condition: A SQL condition (WHERE clause without the WHERE keyword)
restricting when the breakpoint occurs. For example, to specify that the condition
should occur only when status_code is greater than 10, specify:
status_code > 10

Thread Options: You can specify whether the breakpoint occurs for all threads, or
only when the breakpoint is hit by threads that either do or do not have a specified
name.
Pass Count: The number of times the debugger should allow execution to pass over
the breakpoint before the breakpoint occurs.
Actions tab
Specify the actions to be taken when the breakpoint occurs. The options you specify
override any default values on the Debugger: Breakpoints: Default Actions pane for
SQL Developer Preferences.
Halt Execution: Pauses execution when the breakpoint occurs.

4-56 Oracle SQL Developer User's Guide

Script Execution Failed

Beep: Beeps when the breakpoint occurs.
Log Breakpoint Occurrence: Sends a message to the log window when the breakpoint
occurs. You can also specify the following to be included in each display: a tag, and a
condition to be evaluated.
Enable/Disable a Group of Breakpoints: Enables or disables the specified breakpoint
group when this breakpoint occurs.

4.107 Save/Save As
This is a standard box for saving information to a file: use Location to navigate to
(double-clicking) the folder in which to save the file, then specify the file name
(including any extension) and, if necessary, the file type.

4.108 Save Files
This box asks if you want to save the specified files before another action occurs (for
example, saving procedures you had been editing before disconnecting).

4.109 Unable to Save Files
This box informs you that SQL Developer is unable to save the specified file or files. To
cancel the attempt to save the files and to return to edit the relevant object, click
Cancel.

4.110 Save Style Settings
This dialog box is displayed when you click Save As in the Code Editor: Syntax Colors
pane when setting SQL Developer Preferences. You can save the specified color
settings as a named color scheme, which adds it to the drop-down list for Scheme in
that pane.

4.111 Schema Differences Source or Destination Error
This error box is displayed if you click Apply before specifying the source or the
destination, or both, for a schema differences operation.
Click OK to close the error box, then follow the instructions for performing the schema
differences operation, as explained in Section 4.51, "Database Schema Differences".

4.112 Script Execution Failed
This error box is displayed if the script generated by the Quick Migrate procedure fails
before it completes its execution. The Build pane displays the error that caused the
failure.
To close the error box and open the script in a SQL Worksheet window, where you can
edit the text and run the corrected script, click Yes; or to close the error box without
opening the script in a SQL Worksheet window, click No.

Dialog Boxes for Creating/Editing Objects 4-57

Script Generation Complete

4.113 Script Generation Complete
This information box is displayed after you generate the controlling script and related
files for performing an offline capture of a third-party database, as explained in
Section 2.6.2, "Offline Capture".
Click OK to close the error box. Later, run the controlling script to generate output
containing the converted model.

4.114 Set Data Mapping
This dialog box is displayed if you right-click a captured model and select Set Data
Mapping. You can use this dialog box to specify source data type mappings when
migrating the specified third-party database to Oracle. If you are editing an existing
mapping, you can change only the Oracle data type, precision, and scale information.
Show only data types used in the source model: If you check this option, only data
types used in the selected captured model are shown. If you do not check this option,
all valid data types for the source (third-party) database are shown.
Source Data Type: Data type name in the third-party database.
Oracle Data Type: Data type name in Oracle Database.
Type: System for a system-defined data type, or User for a user-defined data type.
Add New Rule: Displays the Add/Edit Rule dialog box, for specifying a mapping for
another data type.
Edit Rule: Displays the Add/Edit Rule dialog box, for editing the selected mapping.
Remove Rule: Deletes the selected mapping.

4.115 Add/Edit Rule
This dialog box is displayed if you click Add New Rule or Edit Rule in the Set Data
Mapping dialog box, which is used for specifying source data type mappings when
migrating a specified third-party database to Oracle.
Source Data Type: Data type name in the third-party database.
Oracle Data Type: Data type name in Oracle Database.
Precision and Scale: Precision and scale values to be used for the source data type and
Oracle data type during the conversion.

4.116 Set Encoding
This dialog box is displayed if you right-click a CVS connection and select Set
Encoding. Specify a character set for the connection. The character set that you choose
is applied to the encoding of files under CVS control through that connection.
Platform Default (Newline Conversions): Uses the character set specified for the
platform/operating system. Newline conversions for files crossing different platforms
are handled automatically.
IDE Global Setting: Uses the default character set for the integrated development
environment (IDE).
Other: Uses the selected character set.

4-58 Oracle SQL Developer User's Guide

Save Snippet (User-Defined)

4.117 Set Pause Continue
This dialog box is displayed if you enter the SQL*Plus statement SET PAUSE ON in
the SQL Worksheet and then run the worksheet contents as a script. After the SET
PAUSE ON statement is processed, execution pauses (and this dialog box is displayed)
after each statement until the SET PAUSE OFF statement is processed.
To have execution continue at the next statement, click OK.

4.118 Sign In (checking for updates)
This dialog box is displayed if any of the updates that you selected during the check
for updates process are on a remote site that requires you to log in. Currently, all
updates are on the Oracle Technology Network (OTN), so you must enter your OTN
user name and password.
User Name: Your user name at the remote site.
Password: Your password at the remote site.
Sign Up: If you do not have an account at the remote site, click this link.
Find Password: If you have an account at the remote site but cannot remember your
password, click this link.

4.119 Single Record View
The main use for this box, which is displayed by right-clicking the display grid for an
object and selecting Single Record View, is to edit data for a table or view, one record at
a time. After you change data in any cells in a row, you can apply the changes by
clicking Apply or by navigating to another record. (For non-Data grids, the cells are
read-only.)
Navigation icons: First (<<) moves to the first record, Previous (<) moves to the
previous record, Next (>) moves to the next record, and Last (>) moves to the last
record.
Apply: Applies changes made to the current data record.
Cancel: Cancels changes made to the current data record, and closes the box.

4.120 Save Snippet (User-Defined)
Use this box to create a user-defined snippet. For information about how to create
user-defined snippets, including options for snippet categories, see Section 1.8.1,
"User-Defined Snippets".
Category: Existing or new category in which to place the snippet. To create a new
(user-defined) category, type the category name instead of selecting a category name
from the list.
Name: Name of the snippet, as it will be displayed when users see the list of available
snippets in the specified category. If an existing Oracle-supplied snippet has the same
name in the same category, the user-defined snippet definition replaces the
Oracle-supplied definition.
ToolTip: Optional tooltip text to be displayed when the mouse pointer stays briefly
over the snippet name in the display of snippets in the specified category.
Snippet: Text that will be inserted for this snippet.

Dialog Boxes for Creating/Editing Objects 4-59

Edit Snippets (User-Defined)

4.121 Edit Snippets (User-Defined)
This box displays any existing user-defined snippets, and enables you to add, edit, or
delete user-defined snippets.
To edit an existing user-defined snippet, select its row and click the Edit User Snippet
icon, which displays the Save Snippet (User-Defined) dialog box.
To create a new user-defined snippet, click the Add User Snippet icon, which displays
the Save Snippet (User-Defined) dialog box.
To delete a user-defined snippet, select its row and click the Delete User Snippet icon.

4.122 Unable to Open File
This box informs you that SQL Developer is unable to perform the export operation to
the location and file that you specified. The cause might be that you do not have
permission to write to that location.

4.123 Unsupported Database Version
This box is displayed if you try to create a connection to a database release that is not
supported by SQL Developer, such as Oracle Database release 8.1. For information
about database releases supported by SQL Developer, see Oracle Database SQL
Developer Installation Guide.

4.124 Windows
This dialog box is displayed if you right-click the tab for a window in the display area
of the SQL Developer main window.
Windows: A list of the windows in the display area.
Activate: Makes active (switches focus to) the selected window.
Close: Closes the selected window.

4-60 Oracle SQL Developer User's Guide

Index
A
accelerator keys
for menus, 1-3
accelerators (keyboard shortcuts), 1-47
Access (Microsoft) connections, 4-7
Active Session History (ASH) reports, 1-40
Advanced Security for JDBC connection, 1-20
analyzing tables, 1-16
application
deploying (Application Express), 4-40
importing (Application Express), 4-40
Application Express
applications, 1-10
deploying an application, 4-40
importing an application, 4-40
Publish to Apex option, 1-22
starting and stopping EPG (embedded PL/SQL
gateway), 1-10
applications
Application Express, 1-10
Apply Filter
to display of objects, 1-4, 4-47
ASH (Active Session History) reports, 1-40
associations
file types, 4-38
authentication
Kerberos, 4-6
Database Advanced Parameters, 1-50
OS (operating system), 4-6
autocommit
preference for database connections, 1-53
autocomplete preferences, 1-48
autocompletion
Source menu, 1-7
Automated Workload Repository (AWR)
reports, 1-40
autotrace
Autotrace pane, 1-32
preferences for, 1-50
AWR (Automated Workload Repository)
reports, 1-40

B
Berkeley DB

data storage for Subversion repository, 4-17
bind variables
for reports, 1-39
saving to disk on exit, 1-53
blogs
SQL Developer, 1-63
breakpoints
creating and editing, 4-56

C
cache groups, 1-10
case insensitivity for queries
setting, 2-23
charts
user-defined report example, 1-44
check constraints, 4-21
Check for Updates feature, 4-2
CLOBtoBLOB_sqldeveloper stored procedure, 1-57
close all SQL Worksheets automatically on disconnect
preference for database connections, 1-53
coalescing an index, 1-12
code completion
Source menu, 1-7
code fragments, 1-34
code insight, 1-48
column sequences, 4-22
columns
decrypting, 1-16
encrypting, 1-16
normalizing column data, 1-16
Compact option for shrinking a table, 1-16
compiling
function, 1-11
for debug, 1-11
procedure, 1-13
for debug, 1-14
view, 1-17
completion
SQL Developer preferences, 1-48
completion insight, 1-48
Source menu, 1-7
configuring, 2-12
third-party databases, 2-12
configuring file type associations, 4-38
connections

Index-1

creating, editing, or selecting, 4-5
explanation, 1-18
Microsoft Access, 4-7
Microsoft SQL Server, 4-8
MySQL, 4-8
Oracle Database, 4-5
Oracle TimesTen, 4-7
separate unshared worksheet for, 1-20, 1-27
Sybase Adaptive Server, 4-8
using folders to group, 1-20
constraints
check, 4-21
disabled, 1-42
unique, 4-20
converted model
correcting errors in, 2-17
creating and customizing, 2-17
custom export delimiter
preference for database connections, 1-51
customizing SQL Developer
setting preferences, 1-46
CVS (Concurrent Versions System)
preferences for, 1-58
SQL Developer support for, 1-36

D
data
entering and modifying, 1-21
data move
generating user, 1-57
number of parallel streams, 1-56
options, 1-56
data types
creating, 4-29
database connections, 4-8
creating, editing, or selecting, 4-5
explanation, 1-18
Microsoft Access, 4-7
Microsoft SQL Server, 4-8
MySQL, 4-8
Oracle Database, 4-5
Oracle TimesTen, 4-7
Sybase Adaptive Server, 4-8
database links, 1-11
creating or editing, 4-11
database objects, 1-9
exporting, 4-42
searching for, 1-35
database schema differences
differences between two database schemas, 4-39
DB Object Search pane, 1-35
DBMS_OUTPUT
user-defined report example, 1-46
DBMS_OUTPUT pane, 1-32
debugging PL/SQL function or procedure, 1-23
dialog box, 4-55
remote debugging, 1-26
decryption
data in a table column, 1-16

Index-2

deployment
after database migration, 2-27
destination schema
database schema differences, 4-39
dialog boxes and tabs, 4-1
directories (directory objects), 1-11
disabled constraints, 1-42
discussion forum
SQL Developer, 1-63
documentation
generating for schema, 1-19
downloads
SQL Developer, 1-63
drag and drop effects, 1-54
drivers
third-party JDBC, 1-52
dynamic HTML
user-defined report example, 1-46

E
embedded PL/SQL gateway (EPG) for Application
Express
starting and stopping, 1-10
encryption
data in a table column, 1-16
entering data in tables, 1-21
EPG (embedded PL/SQL gateway) for Application
Express
starting and stopping, 1-10
errors
parse exceptions, 2-17
Excel
importing data, 4-10
execution plan, 1-31
EXPLAIN PLAN
execution plan, 1-31
exporting
applying filters, 4-44
database objects, 4-42
reports, 1-38
table data, 1-16, 4-44
expression watches, 1-27
extended search, 1-35
extensions, 4-45
SQL Developer, 1-54
user-defined, 1-53
external tables
properties, 4-26
external tools, 1-8, 4-45

F
F10 key
for File menu, 1-3
F4 key, 1-29
failed objects
generating, 1-57
file types
associating with SQL Developer, 4-38

file-oriented development
SQL Worksheet right-click operations, 1-29
Files navigator, 1-4
filter
applying, 1-4, 4-47
clearing, 1-4, 4-47
Find DB Object pane, 1-35
Flashback Table support, 1-16
folders
for user-defined reports, 1-44, 4-32
in Connections navigator, 1-20
font
increasing or decreasing size for help text, 1-63
foreign keys, 4-21
Freeze View
pinning an object’s display, 1-5, 1-22, 1-38
FROM clause, 4-34
full pathname for java.exe, 1-2
functions
compiling, 1-11
compiling for debug, 1-11
creating, 4-14
debugging, 4-55
running, 4-55

G
Gather Schema Statistics menu command, 1-19
gauges
in SQL Worksheet and user-defined reports, 1-33
generate data move user option, 1-57
Generate DB Doc menu command, 1-19
generate failed objects option, 1-57
graphical user interface (GUI), 1-2, 2-30
GROUP BY clause, 4-34
groups
connections in folders, 1-20

H
HAVING clause, 4-35
help
increasing or decreasing help text font size,
using the online help, 1-63
hierarchical profiler (PL/SQL), 1-26
HTML
dynamic (user-defined report), 1-46

I
importing
Microsoft Excel data, 4-10
reports, 1-38
indexes, 4-22
coalescing, 1-12
creating or editing, 4-12
explanation, 1-12
making unusable, 1-12
rebuilding, 1-12
index-organized tables
properties, 4-25

1-63

introduction
SQL Developer, 1-1

J
Java sources, 1-12
java.exe
pathname for, 1-2
JDBC drivers, 1-52
jTDS
JDBC driver for Microsoft SQL Server and Sybase
Adaptive Server, 1-52

K
Kerberos authentication, 4-6
Database Advanced Parameters, 1-50
keyboard shortcuts, 1-47

L
least privilege schema migration, 1-57
link
database, 4-11
LOB parameters, 4-23
locking a table, 1-15
lowercase characters in object names
quotation marks required, 4-1

M
materialized view logs, 1-12
creating and editing, 4-13
materialized views, 1-12
options when creating or editing, 4-35
Microsoft Access
capturing using exporter tool, 2-15
configuring before migrating, 2-13
creating data files, 2-19
turning off security, 2-13
Microsoft Access connections, 4-7
Microsoft Excel
importing data, 4-10
Microsoft SQL Server, 2-12
connections, 4-8
creating data files, 2-18
third-party JDBC drivers, 1-52
migration
architecture, 2-5
before you start (general), 2-10
before you start (source-specific), 2-12
deployment after migrating, 2-27
introduction and main topics, 2-1
overview, 2-5
planning for, 2-6
quick start, 2-2
required roles and privileges, 2-11
migration plan
preparing, 2-6
migration repository
creating database user for, 2-11

Index-3

MOD_PLSQL
OWA output, 1-32
modifying data in tables, 1-21
Monitor Sessions command, 1-8
Monitor SQL command, 1-8
moving a table to another tablespace, 1-16
MySQL
configuring before migrating, 2-15
creating data files, 2-19
third-party JDBC drivers, 1-52
MySQL connections, 4-8
zero date handling, 4-8

N
normalizing
column data, 1-16

O
object search
extended search, 1-35
Find DB Object pane, 1-35
objects
database, 1-9
exporting, 4-42
OCI driver
database advanced parameters preference, 1-50
offline data transfer, 2-18
offline generation of Oracle DDL, 4-49
online help
using, 1-63
open SQL Worksheet automatically
preference for database connections, 1-53
operating system authentication, 4-6
Oracle Application Express
applications, 1-10
Oracle Database connections, 4-5
Oracle Web Agent (OWA), 1-32
ORDER BY clause, 4-35
OS authentication, 4-6
OTN page
SQL Developer, 1-63
overview
SQL Developer, 1-1
OWA_OUTPUT pane, 1-32

P
packages
creating, 4-14
debugging, 4-55
running, 4-55
parallel data move streams, 1-56
parameter insight, 1-48
parse exception errors, 2-17
partitioned tables
partition definitions, 4-25
partitioning options, 4-24
subpartitioning options (templates), 4-25
pathname
Index-4

for java.exe, 1-2
pinning an object’s display, 1-5, 1-22, 1-38
PL/SQL hierarchical profiler, 1-26
PL/SQL packages
creating, 4-14
PL/SQL subprograms
creating, 4-14
debugging, 4-55
breakpoints, 4-56
running, 4-55
plsql-dbms_output
user-defined report example, 1-46
preferences
customizing SQL Developer, 1-46
primary key, 4-20
private database links, 1-11
private synonyms, 1-15, 4-17
privileges
required for migration, 2-11
procedures
compiling, 1-13
compiling for debug, 1-14
creating, 4-14
profiler (PL/SQL hierarchical), 1-26
profiling a PL/SQL function or procedure, 4-55
projects
creating plan, 2-9
proxy authentication, 1-21
proxy connections, 1-21, 4-6
public database links, 1-11
public synonyms, 1-15, 4-17
Publish to Apex (Application Express) option, 1-22

Q
query builder, 4-53
quotation marks
for name with lowercase characters, special
characters, or spaces, 4-1

R
Raptor
former code name for SQL Developer,
rebuilding an index, 1-12
recompiling
view, 1-17
Recycle bin, 1-14
remote debugging, 1-26
replication schemes, 1-14
report navigator, 1-38
reports, 1-38
bind variables for, 1-39
exporting, 1-38
importing, 1-38
shared, 1-38
user-defined
chart example, 1-44
creating and editing, 4-30
dynamic HTML example, 1-46

1-1

explanation, 1-44
folders for, 1-44, 4-32
gauge example, 1-33
UserReports.xml, 1-44
roles
required for migration, 2-11
running PL/SQL function or procedure,
dialog box, 4-55

1-23

S
schema
XML, 1-17, 4-37
schema differences
differences between two database schemas, 4-39
schema documentation
generating, 1-19
schema objects, 1-9
schema statistics
gathering, 1-19
scratch editor, 2-33
script runner, 1-31
scripts
running, 1-31
search
extended, 1-35
security
Advanced Security for JDBC connection, 1-20
SELECT clause, 4-34
sequences, 1-15
creating and editing, 4-15
for populating table columns, 4-22
sessions
monitoring, 1-8
shared reports, 1-38
shortcut keys
accelerator key mappings, 1-47
for menus, 1-3
shrinking a table, 1-16
single record view, 4-59
size of help text
increasing or decreasing, 1-63
snippets, 1-34
user-defined, 1-34
source database
capturing, 2-15
source schema
database schema differences, 4-39
spaces in object names
quotation marks required, 4-1
special characters in object names
quotation marks required, 4-1
split
data pane for a table or view, 1-23
SQL
monitoring execution, 1-8
SQL Developer preferences, 1-46
SQL file
creating, 4-16
SQL scripts

running, 1-31
SQL Server
configuring, 2-12
creating data files, 2-18
third-party JDBC drivers, 1-52
SQL Server connections, 4-8
SQL Trace files (.trc), 1-26
SQL Worksheet
closing automatically on disconnect, 1-53
opening automatically on database
connection, 1-53
unshared for a connection, 1-20, 1-27
using, 1-27
SQLDEVELOPER_USER_DIR location, 1-61
statistics
computing table and column, 1-16
estimating table and column, 1-16
gathering schema, 1-19
storage options, 4-27
stored procedures
generating for Migrate Blobs Offline, 1-57
subpartitions
templates, 4-25
subprograms
creating, 4-14
debugging, 4-55
running, 4-55
substitution variables, 1-31
Subversion
preferences for, 1-60
SQL Developer support for, 1-36
Sybase Adaptive Server, 2-12
connections, 4-8
creating data files, 2-18
third-party JDBC drivers, 1-52
Synonyms, 1-15
synonyms, 1-15
creating and editing, 4-17

T
tables, 1-15
analyzing, 1-16
compacting, 1-16
computing statistics, 1-16
creating and editing, 4-18
creating quickly, 4-17
decrypting column data, 1-16
encrypting column data, 1-16
entering and modifying data, 1-21
estimating statistics, 1-16
exporting data, 1-16, 4-44
external
properties, 4-26
index-organized
properties, 4-25
locking, 1-15
moving to another tablespace, 1-16
normalizing column data, 1-16
partitioned

Index-5

partition definitions, 4-25
partitioning options, 4-24
subpartitioning options (templates), 4-25
shrinking, 1-16
splitting the data pane, 1-23
temporary, 4-19
truncating, 1-15
validating structure, 1-16
temporary tables, 4-19
thick (OCI) driver
database advanced parameters preference, 1-50
third-party databases
configuring before migrating, 2-12
third-party JDBC drivers, 1-52
TimesTen
cache groups, 1-10
database connections, 4-7
replication schemes, 1-14
support for in SQL Developer, 1-62
TKPROF
opening in SQL Developer as an alternative to
using, 1-26
tnsnames.ora file, 1-18
tools
external, 1-8, 4-45
trace files (.trc), 1-26
transferring
data offline, 2-18
translation scratch editor, 2-33
.trc files, 1-26
triggers, 1-17
creating and editing, 4-28
truncating a table, 1-15
T-SQL
not supported in worksheet for SQL Server or
Sybase connection, 2-34
translation to PL/SQL, 2-33
tutorial
creating objects for a small database, 3-1
types
creating, 4-29

U
unique constraints, 4-20
unshared worksheet for a connection, 1-20, 1-27
unusable indexes, 1-12
updates
checking for SQL Developer updates, 4-2
user information directory (SQLDEVELOPER_USER_
DIR), 1-61
user interface
restoring to original settings, 1-9
user interface (UI), 1-2, 2-30
user-defined extensions, 1-53
user-defined reports
chart example, 1-44
creating and editing, 4-30
dynamic HTML example, 1-46
explanation, 1-44

Index-6

folders for, 1-44, 4-32
gauge example, 1-33
UserReports.xml, 1-44
user-defined snippets, 1-34
user-defined types
creating, 4-29
UserReports.xml, 1-44
users
creating and editing, 4-29

V
versioning
preferences for, 1-58
SQL Developer support for, 1-36
viewlets
SQL Developer, 1-63
views, 1-17
compiling, 1-17
creating and editing, 4-32
FROM clause, 4-34
GROUP BY clause, 4-34
HAVING clause, 4-35
options when creating or editing, 4-35
ORDER BY clause, 4-35
recompiling, 1-17
SELECT clause, 4-34
splitting the data pane, 1-23
WHERE clause, 4-34

W
watches, 1-27
WHERE clause, 4-34

X
XML schema, 1-17
creating, 4-37

Z
zero date handling
MySQL connections, 4-8



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