Oracle SQL Developer is a tool.
My general rule for using tools boils down to – if the tool is making it harder to do the job you’re using it for, you’re either ‘doing it wrong’ or you have the wrong tool.
Sorry for the long setup, but I had someone approach me at the DOAG conference in Nuremberg this week with the following request:
I cannot really use your tool to work with my PL/SQL packages. Can you show me how to make it work?
She went on to describe a few problems, and I immediately knew why she was so frustrated. We went and found a place to sit down, and in a few moments, I had her back on the right track.
I’m going to show you this stuff as well here in a few minutes, but I want to digress for a moment…
I wrote on LinkedIn awhile back about Conferences and Vendors. As a vendor, we WANT customers to approach us and ask for help. Challenge us. Tell us what we’re doing wrong. That’s why we’re there. So when this very nice lady approached me, almost apologetically, I was thrilled she took advantage of the opportunity to tell me why she wasn’t happy.
Please, do NOT feel bad or hesitant about approaching speakers and vendors when at a conference, user group meeting, or other professional environment. Just don’t forget to be professional about it. I’ve had a couple of people openly insult me and our team as an opening line. That’s not so cool.
But, anyways…
A Few Features to Keep in Mind when working with PL/SQL, The Movie!
The first time I mention the ‘click into database object’ feature, I mumbled over the ‘ctrl’ bit. That’s ‘hold down the ctrl key and mouse over the object, then click…’
More Questions?
Search this site for ‘plsql’ and I’m betting you’ll get most of what you need. If not, leave a comment, or a video request and I’ll try to help you out. If you have a general question, use the ‘Ask a Question’ link up top on the main menu of this page.
