Murach's Oracle SQL and PL/SQL
Chapter 2, How to use Oracle SQL Developer and other tools
This chapter from Murach's Oracle SQL and PL/SQL explains how to work with Oracle SQL Developer and other tools. In this section, learn how to work with an Oracle database, including how to start and stop the Oracle database and use the database homepage -- important skills to know before working with Oracle SQL Developer.
Table of contents:
How to work with an Oracle database home page
How to use SQL*Plus in Oracle
How to use SQL Developer to work with an Oracle database
How to view and edit table column definitions
How to use SQL Developer to run SQL statements
How to use the Oracle Database SQL Reference manual

Since Oracle Database 11g Express Edition has not been released as of
press time for this book, this topic uses Oracle Database 10g Express Edition to
illustrate the skills for working with the Oracle Database. However, when the
Express Edition of 11g becomes available, you should be able to use similar
techniques to work with that version of the Oracle Database.
How to start and stop the database service
If you installed the Express Edition of the Oracle Database on your computer
as described in appendix A, the database service starts automatically
when you start your computer. This piece of software is often referred to as the
database server, or the database engine. It receives SQL statements that are
passed to it, processes them, and returns the results.
The database listener also starts automatically when you start your computer.
This piece of software listens for requests from remote clients and returns
the results to them.
From time to time, however, you may want to stop the database. If, for
example, you aren't going to be using the database and you want to free the
resources on your computer, you can stop the database. Or, if the port that is
being used by the Oracle Database conflicts with another program, you can stop
the database. Then, when you want to work with the database again, you can
start it.
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| For more on this book |
| This chapter is excerpted from the book, Murach's Oracle SQL and PL/SQL, authored by Joel Murach, published by Mike Murach & Associates, Inc., August, 2008. ISBN: 978-1-890774-50-9. |
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The easiest way to stop the database service is to use the Stop Database
command that's available from the Windows Start menu as described in figure
2-1. When you select this item on a Windows system, a DOS window will be
displayed that indicates that the Oracle service is stopping. Then, the DOS
window will display a message when the Oracle service has successfully
stopped. Although this doesn't stop the database listener, the database listener
won't be able to return any results unless the database service is running.
When you're running the Oracle Database on your own computer for
training purposes, you can stop the database whenever you want. However, if a
database is running in a production environment, you should make sure that all
users are logged off and that no applications are using the database before you
stop the database.
The easiest way to start the database service and listener is to use the Start
Database command that's available from the Windows Start menu. When you
select this command on a Windows system, a DOS window will be displayed
that indicates the status of the Oracle listener and service.
How to stop the database
Start --> All Programs --> Oracle Database 10g Express Edition --> Stop Database
The DOS window that's displayed when the database is being stopped

How to start the database
Start --> All Programs --> Oracle Database 10g Express Edition --> Start Database
The DOS window that's displayed when the database is started

Figure 2-1 How to start and stop the database service
Description
- After you install the Oracle Database, the database service and database listener
start automatically each time you start your computer. The database service can also
referred to as the database server or the database engine.
- To stop or start the database server and listener, you can use the commands that are
available from the Windows Start menu.
- When Oracle Database 11g Express Edition becomes available, you should be able
use a similar technique to stop and start that version of the Oracle Database.
How to use the database homepage
Figure 2-2 shows how to use a web-based tool known as the Database
Home Page to work with an Oracle database. This tool is installed when you
install the Oracle Database as described in appendix A, and it's useful for
handling some tasks. In particular, it provides a way to create a new user for the
database.
To begin, you can start the Database Home Page by selecting the Go To
Database Home Page command from the Windows Start menu. Then, you can
log in as the system user. If you followed the advice of appendix A, that means
you'll use "system" as the username and "system" as the password.
After you've logged in, you can use the Create User command and the
resulting web page to create a new user. When you create a new user, you
provide a username and a password. You can also limit the types of tasks that
the user will be able to do. In chapter 12, you can learn more about this. But for
now, you don't need to restrict any of the user's privileges when you create a
new user.
You can get a feel for the functionality that's available from the Database
Home Page by browsing through its Administration, Browser, SQL, and Utilities
menus. If you do that, you'll see that you can use this tool to accomplish a
wide range of tasks. For most tasks, though, it's easier to use the SQL Developer
tool that's described later in this chapter.
The Database Home Page
Figure 2-2 How to use the Database Home Page 
Figure 2-2 How to use the Database Home Page
How to start the Database Home Page
- From the Windows Start menu, select All Programs -->Oracle Database 10g Express
Edition --> Go To Database Home Page. Then, use the Database Login page to log in.
How to use the Database Home Page to create a user for a database
- Log in as the system user, select the Administration --> Database Users -->Create User
command, and use the resulting web page to create the user.
Description
- The Database Home Page is a web-based tool that's installed with the Oracle Database.
You can use it to work with an Oracle Database.
- After you log in, you can use the Administration, Browser, SQL, and Utilities menus to
work with the database.
- For most tasks, it's easier to use the SQL Developer tool that's described later in this
chapter.
Download the chapter "How to use
Oracle SQL Developer and other tools" in PDF form.
Continue to the next section: How to use SQL*Plus in Oracle