Oracle: SQL*Plus
Tutorial
Under construction
For additional information, the following sites can be
accessed:
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of Oracle related sites
Oracle faq contains several hints on Oracles products,
including SQL Plus and Oracle SQL
Oracle Underground contains many Oracle
related links.
[Logging on/off |SQL Plus Commands |Data Definition |Data Manipulation ]
In windows, find the Oracle group and click on SQL Plus. You
will
be prompted for your UserID, password, hoststring. Enter the
information indicated in class.
If successful, you will see the SQL> prompt.
[Introduction |Line Editing |Using
Notepad for editing |Sending results
to a file |Retrieving a file ]
At the SQL prompt, you can begin typing any SQL command.
Upon hitting return (i.e., enter key) the SQL prompt will
change to line number prompts. When you are finished typing
a command,
type / or RUN to execute the SQL command. Also, a semicolon
at the end of the SQL command will execute the command
immediately after hitting return. In addition to SQL
commands, /, and RUN, other commands can be issued at the
SQL prompt (a semicolon does not have to follow the nonSQL
commands).
- DESCRIBE tablename--lists the attributes and their
specifications of tablename
- EDIT--Places you in an editor (Notepad). The buffer
contents are put into the editor
- GET filename--Retrieves a file and places it into the
buffer
- SAVE filename--Saves the buffer to the name file
- CLEAR BUFFER--Clears the buffer
One way to change an SQL statement in the buffer is by using
the line editor. The following are a list of line edit
commands.
- LIST or L--Lists the contents of the buffer
- LIST n or L n--Lists the contents of line number n in
the buffer and makes the line current
- LIST * or L *--Lists the current line
- LIST m n--Lists the range from m to n line
- Append text or A text--Adds to the end of the current
line (e.g., "A ," adds a comma to the end of line
- INPUT or I--Adds one or more lines after the current
line so you can begin adding the text.
- CHANGE /text--Deletes text from the current line
- CHANGE /oldtext/newtext--Replaces oldtext with newtext
in the current line
- DEL -- Deletes the current line
You can use Notepad to edit the contents of the buffer.
There are two ways to enter Notepad.
- Use the menus Edit/editor/invoke. In addition here, you
can use Edit/editor/define to change the editor. You might
check Edit/editor/define prior to editing a buffer to make
sure it is set up the way you would like.
- Type Edit at the SQL Prompt
When you are finished editing, click on File/exit (in
Notepad). Next, type GET buffername at the SQL prompt. The
buffer name will be listed a few lines up in SQL Plus upon
returning to SQL Plus. Type RUN, to execute the command.
Notepad can also be used to save the buffer contents. Use
File/Save As to create a permanent file.
Multiple SQL commands can be typed in Notepad. End each SQL
command (except the last one) with a semicolon. After
exiting notepad, type Start buffername instead of GET
buffername to run all of the commands.
Start filename can also be used to execute SQL command that
are stored
in a file.
To send queries and their results to a file for later
printing (e.g., turning in homework assigments), the
spool command is used. On the menu go to FILE/Spool to begin
spooling--it will ask for a file name. To
quit spooling, go to FILE/Spool and then click on end Spool.
To retrieve SQL command from a file use GET filename or
START filename. GET filename places the
file into the buffer. START filename executes the commands
in the file.
Last modified: December 11, 2000
Dirk Baldwin, MIS, UW-Parkside, dirk.baldwin@uwp.edu