SQL Developer Usage Suggestions

This topic contains several usage suggestions for SQL Developer. (The material was displayed through the "Tip of the Day" feature for English locales in previous releases.)

SQL History Shortcuts

Using Ctrl+up-arrow or Ctrl+down-arrow in the SQL Worksheet replaces the contents of the SQL Worksheet with lines of code from the SQL History. You can step up and down through the SQL History.

To view the SQL History in the SQL Worksheet, press F8 or click View, then History.

Unshared Worksheets

To create a separate unshared worksheet for a connection, press Ctrl+Shift+N.

SQL Worksheet Bookmarks

If you have many SQL Worksheets open, you can assign a bookmark number to each and then easily navigate among them. To create a bookmark, click the worksheet's tab and press Alt+Shift+number (for example, Alt+Shift+1) or click Window, then Assign File Accelerator, then the appropriate selection (for example, Assign to Alt+1). The number now appears as a small superscript in the tab.

To switch to a worksheet that has a bookmark, press Alt+number (for example, Alt+1).

Oracle Data Miner

Interested in Oracle Data Miner? Click Help, then Data Mining.

Formatted Display of SQL Trace (.trc) Files

To see a formatted display of a SQL Trace file, drag the *.trc file onto the area above the SQL Worksheet (or open it by clicking File, then Open).

Keyboard Navigation: Alt + Page Down/Up to Move Among Tabs

You can press Alt + Page Down to move to the next tab, and Alt + Page Up to move to the previous tab, in a tabbed editor or display window, such as with the tabs for Table and View grid displays (Columns, Data, and so on).

Folders for Organizing Connections

You can group connections into folders. Right-click a connection name and select Add to Folder. See the help topic Using Folders to Group Connections.

Third-Party Databases and SQL Developer

In addition to Oracle databases, SQL Developer works with several third-party databases, such as MySQL, Sybase, Microsoft Access, Microsoft SQL Server, and IBM DB2.

For information about connecting to third-party databases, or about migrating a third-party database to Oracle, see the help topics Database Connections and SQL Developer: Migrating Third-Party Databases.

Debugger Ports and Firewalls

The SQL Debugger by default uses ports 40000 to 49000. If you cannot get the debugger to start, make sure that you are not being blocked by a firewall on these ports.

Viewing Multiple Tables

You can have tabs open for more than one table. Just click the Freeze View button (it looks like a push pin) when you are viewing a table; and when you click to display another table, the tab for the first table will remain open.

Customizing SQL Developer Appearance

You can use the Look and Feel (platform) option under Environment preferences to customize the appearance of the SQL Developer window.

Maximizing Tab Panes

You can often maximize a display pane (such as a SQL Worksheet) by double-clicking its tab.

To restore the SQL Developer window to its original display, double-click the tab again.

Default Path for Running Scripts

You can set a default path for SQL Developer to use if you run a SQL script file (for example, @my_script.sql) without specifying the path. See the Database: Worksheet Parameters preferences.

Shutting Down and Restarting the Database

A user with SYSDBA privileges can shut down and restart the database from within SQL Developer, if a listener is running with a static listener configured for the database. Right-click the connection name and select Manage Database.

Feature Requests

Do you have a SQL Developer feature request? Log it at the Oracle Technology Network: go to http://sqldeveloper.oracle.com and select the Feature Requests link.

Discussion Forums

Would you like to share and search information, questions, and comments about SQL Developer and Data Miner? Visit our discussion forums:

SQL Developer: http://forums.oracle.com/forums/forum.jspa?forumID=260

Data Mining: http://forums.oracle.com/forums/forum.jspa?forumID=55

Help Text Font Size

You can use a button in the Help Center window display pane (right side) to change the help text display size: click Increase Font Size or Decrease Font Size (repeatedly if necessary) until the size is right for you. (If the text appears blurry, try decreasing the size.)

Suggestion: Don't close the Help Center window, because font size changes will be in effect only for as long as the current window is open. Consider using the Keep on Top toggle in the Help Center window.

Procedure and Function Signatures

To see the signature (format, including parameters) of a procedure or function in a PL/SQL package, expand the package (under Packages in the Connections navigator), and place the mouse pointer over the procedure or function name.

Type-Ahead in Navigators

Many navigators that use a tree support type-ahead to find and open an object. For example, expand the Tables node under a connection and start typing a table name.

Note: This works only on nodes when the child nodes are visible. For example, if the Tables node is not expanded to display the individual tables, typing the name of a table will not find and open it.

Extended Paste

If you have cut or copied multiple things to the clipboard and want to paste something other than the most recent copy, you can use extended paste to display a dialog box to select which one to paste. Press Ctrl+Shift+V; or click Edit, then Extended Paste.

Closing Tabbed Windows Using the Mouse Wheel

To close a tabbed editor or display window, click its tab with the mouse wheel.

Go to Last Edit Location

If you have made edits in several editing windows and are now in a different window, and if you want to return to where you made the last edit, press Ctrl+Shift+Backspace; or click Navigate, then Go to Last Edit.

Closing Tabbed Windows Using the Context Menu

To close a tabbed editor or display window, right-click and select Close from the context menu.

List of All Open Windows

To see a list of all open tabbed windows, click the small button with the drop-down arrow, located to the right of the tabs and over the tabbed window vertical scroll bar.

To go to one of the listed windows, select it from the drop-down list.

Go to Subprogram Implementation from Package Window

In the window for a package definition, you can press Ctrl+click on a procedure or function name to perform the Open Declaration command, which opens the procedure or function implementation (body specification) in a new window.

Select Multiple Table or Column Names in Completion Insight

When entering or editing a SELECT query, you can select multiple tables and columns from the completion insight popup window. Aliases are provided for column and table names if the Generate Column/Table Aliases Automatically preference for Code Editor: Completion Insight is enabled.

Startup Time and Automatic Check for Updates

If the startup time for SQL Developer seems too slow, consider disabling the Automatically Check for Updates option (Tools, Preferences, Extensions).

If this option is enabled, it can increase the startup time. You can manually check for updates by clicking Help, then Check for Updates.