Oracle SQL*Plus: The Definitive Guide

Preface 1. Introduction to SQL*Plus What Is SQL*Plus? History of SQL*Plus Why Master SQL*Plus? Creating and Loading the Sample Tables 2. Command-Line SQL*Plus Starting Command-Line SQL*Plus; Starting Windows SQL*Plus Some Basic SQL*Plus Commands Running SQL Queries Working With PL/SQL The SQL Buffer Line Editing Executing the Statement in the Buffer Saving and Retrieving the Buffer The EDIT Command Executing a Script; The Working Directory 3. Browser-Based SQL*Plus Starting iSQL*Plus Executing SQL*Plus Commands Running SQL Queries; Working with PL/SQL Executing Scripts iSQL*Plus Command History 4. A Lightning SQL Tutorial Data Manipulation Statements Transactions The Concept of Null Table Joins; Sorting Query Results Grouping and Summarizing Subqueries; Unions To Learn More 5. Generating Reports with SQL*Plus; Following a Methodology Saving Your Work Designing a Simple Report Master/Detail Reports 6. Creating HTML Reports; Getting the Data into an HTML Table Generating the Entire Page; Another Approach to Headers Master/Detail Reports in HTML; 7. Advanced Reports Totals and Subtotals Getting the Current Date into a Header Report Headers and Footers Formatting Object Columns Summary Reports Taking Advantage of Unions; 8. Writing SQL*Plus Scripts Why Write Scripts? Using Substitution Variables Prompting for Values Cleaning Up the Display Executing a Script Controlling Variable Substitution; Commenting Your Scripts Resetting Your SQL*Plus Environment; Scripting Issues with iSQL*Plus 9. Extracting and Loading Data; Types of Output Files Limitations of SQL*Plus Extracting the Data An Excel-Specific HTML Hack Reloading the Data 10. Exploring Your Database The DESCRIBE Command Oracle's Data Dictionary Views Tables Table Constraints Indexes; Triggers Synonyms Table Security Scripting the Data Dictionary; Using SQL to Write SQL The Master Key 11. Advanced Scripting; Bind Variables Branching in SQL*Plus Looping in SQL*Plus; Validating and Parsing User Input Error Handling Returning Values to Unix 12. Tuning and Timing Using SQL*Plus Timers; Using EXPLAIN PLANstatements Using AUTOTRACE Improving on EXPLAIN PLAN Results Where to Find More Tuning Information; 13. The Product User Profile What Is the Product User Profile?; Using the Product User Profile 14. Customizing Your SQL*Plus Environment SQL*Plus Settings You Can Control The Site and User Profiles Environment Variables That Affect SQL*Plus Windows GUI SQL*Plus iSQL*Plus User Preferences A. SQL*Plus Command Reference B. SQL*Plus Format Elements Index