3 Using SQL Commands

What is SQL Commands?

You can use SQL Commands to create, edit, view, run, and delete SQL commands. A SQL command can contain SQL statements or PL/SQL blocks.

When using SQL Commands, remember the following:

• SQL commands created in the Query Builder can be accessed in SQL Commands.

• Saved SQL commands must have names unique within a given workspace.

• There is no interaction between SQL Commands and SQL Scripts.

• You can cut and paste a SQL command from SQL Commands to run in the SQL Script Editor.

Accessing SQL Commands

To access SQL Commands:

1. Log in to the Workspace home page.

   The Workspace home page appears.

2. To view the SQL Commands home page you can either:

   • Click SQL Workshop and then SQL Commands to drill-down to the SQL Commands home page.

   • Click the down arrow on the right side of the SQL Workshop icon to view a drop down menu. Then select the SQL Commands menu option.

   
   Description of the illustration sql_commands.gif
   
   

   Note:

   For the purposes of consistency, this document uses the primary navigation path (or drill-down approach) when explaining navigation.

About the SQL Commands Home Page

The SQL Commands home page is divided into two sections: a command editor and a display pane. You use the command editor to execute SQL commands and the display pane to view output, saved command lists, and history lists.

The top of the SQL Commands home page features a command editor and the following controls:

• Autocommit. If available, click the Autocommit check box to enable autocommit and disable transactional commands. See "About Transactions in SQL Commands".

• Display. Make a selection from the Display list to specify the number of rows of output to display simultaneously up to a maximum of 100,000. All rows of DBMS Output are displayed regardless of the Display list setting.

• Clear Command icon. The Clear Command icon resembles a pencil with an eraser. Use this icon to clear the text in the command editor.

• Find Tables icon. The Find Tables icon resembles a flashlight. Click this icon to view tables and views. See "Using the Find Tables Icon".

• Save. Click the Save button to save the contents of the command editor, or the currently highlighted content to a file. You are prompted to enter a name and an optional description. The command appears in the Saved SQL list. See "Saving a SQL Command".

• Run. Click the Run button (or press Ctrl+Enter) to run the command in the command editor, or the currently highlighted command in the command editor. See "Running a SQL Command".

Selecting a Schema

A schema is a logical container for database objects. To access objects in another schema, make a selection from the Schema list in the upper right side of the page.

Switching to Another SQL Workshop Component

You can navigate to another SQL Workshop component by making a selection from the Component list located on the upper right side of the page:

• Object Browser. See "Managing Database Objects with Object Browser".

• SQL Commands. See "Using SQL Commands".

• SQL Scripts. See "Using SQL Scripts".

• Query Builder. See "Building Queries with Query Builder".

About the Display Pane

A display pane displays at the bottom of the SQL Commands home page.

The display pane features five tabs:

• Results. Click the Results tab to see the results from the last successfully executed SQL command. Click DBMS Output at the bottom of the displayed results to display lines of DBMS output. This control only appears when there is DBMS output to display. Click Download to export results to a comma-delimited file on your local file system. See "Viewing Results".

• Explain. Click the Explain tab to examine the execution plan used by the optimizer for statements that make changes to the database. Objects in the output are linked to the Object Browser. Click the linked object to view its properties in the Object Browser. See "Using Explain Plan".

• Describe. Enter Describe object_name and click Run to display column definitions for a table or view, or specifications for a function or procedure in the Describe tab. Select links in the Describe results to write that information into the command editor. For example, click a table name to add owner.table, click a column name to add the column name, click a procedure or function name to add the object call with parameters, or click a package name to add the package call.

• Saved SQL. Click the Saved SQL tab to display a list of all SQL commands saved in the current workspace. Click the command title to load it into the command editor. See "Using Saved Commands"

• History. Click the History tab to list your recently executed commands. Your last 200 executed commands are saved. See "Using SQL Command History".

Using the Command Editor

You use the command editor in SQL Commands to execute SQL commands within Application Express.

Topics in this section include:

• Running a SQL Command

• About Transactions in SQL Commands

• About Unsupported SQL*Plus Commands

• About Command Termination

• Using Bind Variables

Running a SQL Command

To execute a SQL Command:

1. On the Workspace home page, click SQL Workshop and then SQL Commands.

   The SQL Commands page appears.

2. Enter the SQL command you want to run in the command editor.

3. Click Run (Ctrl+Enter) to execute the command.

   Tip:

   To execute a specific statement, select the statement you want to run and click Run.

   The results appear in the Results pane.

4. To export the resulting report as a comma-delimited file (.csv) file, click the Download link.

About Transactions in SQL Commands

To disable transactional SQL commands in SQL Commands, check the Autocommit check box. Attempting to use any transactional SQL commands such as COMMIT or ROLLBACK when transactional mode is disabled returns an error message.

To enable transactional SQL commands, clear the Autocommit check box. Oracle Application Express verifies that the necessary system resources are available before entering the transactional mode. If resources are unavailable, an error message is displayed.

Transactional mode is a stateful transaction mode where you can, for example, perform an update, select data for review, and COMMIT or ROLLBACK changes. It is implemented using DBMS_JOBS.

Consider the following behavior in transactional mode:

• Actions are not committed to the database until you enter an explicit COMMIT command.

• Exiting SQL Commands terminates and rolls back the current transaction.

• A session timeout terminates and rolls back the current transaction.

  Note that the Environment Setting, SQL Commands Maximum Inactivity in minutes, sets the time before an inactive session times out. The default timeout is 60 minutes. See "Configuring SQL Workshop" in Oracle Application Express Administration Guide.

• The CSV Export option is not available.

About Unsupported SQL*Plus Commands

SQL Commands does not support SQL*Plus commands. If you attempt to enter a SQL Command Line command such as SET ECHO or DEFINE in SQL Commands, an error message displays.

About Command Termination

You can terminate a command in SQL Commands using a semicolon (;), a slash (/), or with nothing. Consider the following valid alternatives:

SELECT * from emp;

SELECT * from emp
/

SELECT * from emp

The first example demonstrates the use of a semicolon (;), the second example demonstrates using a slash (/), and the final example demonstrates a command with no termination.

Using Bind Variables

Bind variables are supported. You are prompted to enter values for bind variables during command execution. Bind variables are prefixed with a colon.

For example

SELECT * from emp where deptno = :dept

In earlier versions of Oracle Application Express, you could check your Workspace ID by running the command:

SELECT :WORKSPACE_ID FROM dual

In this release, run the following SQL command to check your Workspace ID:

SELECT v('WORKSPACE_ID') FROM dual

Saving a SQL Command

You can save commands you enter in SQL Commands.

To save a SQL command:

1. On the Workspace home page, click SQL Workshop and then SQL Commands.

   The SQL Commands page appears.

2. Enter the command in the command editor.

3. Click Save to save the command.

   You are prompted to enter a name and description for the command.

4. Click Save, or click Cancel to return to the command editor without saving.

   The saved command is listed in the display area.

Copying a Command

To copy a SQL command:

1. On the Workspace home page, click SQL Workshop and then SQL Commands.

   The SQL Commands page appears.

2. Click the Saved SQL tab.

   The Saved SQL list of commands appears in the display pane.

3. Click the title of the command to load it into the command editor

4. Click Save to save the command.

5. Enter a name for the command in the Name field and click Save.

   The command is copied to the new name.

Using Saved Commands

You can access the commands you save and commands saved by other users in the same workspace. You can also access SQL commands you and other users of the same workspace saved from the Query Builder.

Topics in this section include:

• Accessing Saved Commands

• About the Saved SQL Pane

About the Saved SQL Pane

The Saved SQL pane displays a list of all commands saved under the current workspace. The list displays commands saved from SQL Commands and SQL commands saved from Query Builder. Saved SQL commands must have unique names in the current workspace. The same name cannot be used in the Query Builder and SQL Commands.

Each command entry shows the owner name, the command name, the first characters of the SQL command, a description if it exists, who last updated the command and when.

On the Saved SQL pane you can:

• Show commands by owner. Make a selection from the Owner list to specify the user whose commands you want to display. To view all scripts select -All Users-.

• Search for a command. Enter a command name or partial name, or enter a code snippet in the Find field and click Go. To view all scripts, leave the Find field blank and click Go. You control how many rows display by making a selection from the Rows list.

• Set the Number of Output Rows. Make a selection from the Display list to specify the number of Saved SQL commands to display simultaneously.

• Delete a command. Click the check box associated with each command you want to delete, and click Delete Checked.

• Sort commands. Click a column heading to sort the listed commands by that column.

Using SQL Command History

Commands you have executed are stored in the command history regardless of whether you explicitly save them. You use SQL Command History to access commands you have executed in SQL Commands.

Topics in this section include:

• Accessing a Command from Command History

• About the History Pane

About the History Pane

The History pane displays a list of commands you have executed.

Each history entry shows the time the command was last executed, the first characters of the command, and the schema in which it was executed.

On the History pane you can:

• Load a command. Click the partial command displayed in the SQL column to load the command into the command editor. When the command loads, it also sets the schema in which it was last executed.

• Sort by time. Click the Time column heading to sort the command history by least recent or most recent.

Viewing Results

When you execute a SQL command, the results are displayed. The results of the last executed command are available until you execute another SQL command, or leave SQL Commands.

Topics in this section include:

• Accessing the Results Pane

• About the Results Pane

About the Results Pane

The Results pane displays SQL command results as HTML formatted table. The number of rows returned appears after the output, and the time taken. DBMS output appears as plain text after the HTML formatted results.

On the Results pane you can:

• Display DBMS output. Click DBMS Output at the bottom of the displayed results to display lines of DBMS output. This control only appears when there is DBMS output to display.

• Export results. Click CSV Export to export results to a comma-delimited file on your local file system. You are prompted to enter a name and directory for the file.

Using Explain Plan

You can view the explain plan the Oracle Optimizer uses to run your SQL command. It is not necessary to execute the command to view the explain plan.

Topics in this section include:

• Viewing an Explain Plan

• About Explain Plan Pane

About Explain Plan Pane

The Explain Plan pane shows the plan used by the Oracle Optimizer to run your SQL command. It typically displays the Query Plan, Index Columns and Table Columns used.

On the Explain Plan pane you can:

• View object definitions. Click the object name in Query Plan to display the object definition in the Object Browser.

• View index definitions. Click the index name in Table Columns to display the index definition in the Object Browser.