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Oracle Database Tools - colledge graduate work [message #461614] Sat, 19 June 2010 18:44 Go to next message
FiZor
Messages: 8
Registered: June 2010
Location: Croatia, Zagreb
Junior Member

Tool you prefer?[ 13 votes ]
1. SQL Developer 4 / 31%
2. TOAD 6 / 46%
3. NAVICAT 0 / 0%
4. Some other 1 / 8%
5. PL/SQL Developer 2 / 15%

Greetings colleagues,

I need help about theme mentioned in title.
Concrete, i am elaborating SQL Developer, PremiumSoft´s NAVICAT and QuestSoftware TOAD. Point of my graduate work is to compare these three tools, highlight their individual benefits and lacks, bugs.
So, i opened post here because i want to make little research, because most of you worked with that tools, you are using them daily based, as I do it to, but, i want that my final conclusion is based on more then one(mine) oppinion, and results that i get here would be a reference for conclusion.
Anyone who wants to help me, by posting his/her oppinion simply say few words about tools that are mentioned in this post. What you find important to highlight, your preference of some tool, short review, bugs that you found during your work etc.
I will be very gratefull for your help, and surely, this post, thread, would be a reference in my work. Many thanks to you all, in advance!

Best regards,

Filip

[LF added "PL/SQL Developer"]

[Updated on: Thu, 24 June 2010 15:24] by Moderator

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Re: Oracle Database Tools - colledge graduate work [message #461655 is a reply to message #461614] Sun, 20 June 2010 09:20 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Littlefoot
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A basic tool one should use to access an Oracle database is SQL*Plus. It is command-line oriented, not fancy at all, but it forces you to actually LEARN things.

GUI tools you mentioned do the same as SQL*Plus, wrapped into a nice colorful paper. We saw many people (ab)using these tools, not really knowing what they were doing, clicking here and clicking there, getting lost in a jungle of different menus and options.

I use TOAD. I don't know all its secrets; for me, it is a tool that helps viewing database objects (tables, views, procedures, ...) and their contents in a formatted manner, easily switching from one to another (which is a gread advantage when compared to SQL*Plus). Then, there's an Editor. I don't use much of its formatting capabilities as I "learnt" how to format code I write manually, back then in SQL*Plus. Executing scripts, procedures, seeing the result, explain plan works fine. Sometimes DBMS_OUTPUT tab acts awkward, not always wanting to display what it was supposed to (so yes, I think it might be some kind of a bug).

SQL Developer is something like TOAD's lightweight version. What I miss is more than one Editor window; sometimes it is nice to visually compare results of two (or more) different queries. When there's only one result at a time, that is not possible.
However, one of its major advantages is that it is free. Regarding that fact, SQL Developer is really great. I didn't use it much, though, so I can't speak of its (dis)advantages.

I noticed that TOAD and SQL Developer don't use the same keyboard shortcuts for the same actions. For example, executing a script: <Shift + F9> vs. <Ctrl + Enter> is confusing. What tool am I using now? Which switch in my brain should I turn on? It would be better if vendors used some kind of a standard, but that's probably not going to happen very soon.

I never used any other tool.
Re: Oracle Database Tools - colledge graduate work [message #461659 is a reply to message #461655] Sun, 20 June 2010 11:34 Go to previous messageGo to next message
FiZor
Messages: 8
Registered: June 2010
Location: Croatia, Zagreb
Junior Member
Great, thank you very much for very nice elaborate.
I used all three of them, and NAVICAT is quite simple, nice interface and also, with only several options, good for administering little systems.
SQL Developer has great interface, mostly has everyting developer needs to have from tools, but, is is quite buggy, slow GUI, and also terrible error reporting system. Also, very often after compiling code, there are no visible results. Also something i saw, also quite irritating is surely when i want to make, write procedure, function or package under object "procedure", "function" or "package" what are standard elemnts of oracle shema systems often it simply dont want to compile scrypt, showing errors but, syntax is OK, and if that the same code i simply copy/paste to new datasheet and compile, everything goes without problem. Also, SQL Developer is crashing very often.
TOAD is tool with whome i dont have so much experience, but what i found out until now it is a monster comparing with these two.
No matter on my oppinion, I would be very happy if other users would provide some information about their experiences, thoughts, reviews of tools.
Thank you very much!
Re: Oracle Database Tools - colledge graduate work [message #461946 is a reply to message #461659] Tue, 22 June 2010 03:47 Go to previous messageGo to next message
tahpush
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In the past I would defiantly have placed my vote on TOAD.
They add new features all the time, and it's a powerful tool, but I think that the quality of the product has suffered.

SQL Developer is free and its getting better for every version, still a bit buggy, especially when it comes to error reporting. On the other hand I have reported at least 20 bugs to Quest over the years.
Re: Oracle Database Tools - colledge graduate work [message #461951 is a reply to message #461946] Tue, 22 June 2010 04:02 Go to previous messageGo to next message
FiZor
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Registered: June 2010
Location: Croatia, Zagreb
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Huh, that is quite a number. I have experience with NAVICAT and SQL Developer, but TOAD is the tool I am familiarizing with right now. I must say, first, and quite irritating issue is GUI. Everything is rasterized. I must say, SQL Developer has really the best GUI, very intuitive. Thanks for reply!
Re: Oracle Database Tools - colledge graduate work [message #461969 is a reply to message #461951] Tue, 22 June 2010 05:08 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Littlefoot
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FiZor
(In TOAD), Everything is rasterized

What does that mean?
Re: Oracle Database Tools - colledge graduate work [message #462085 is a reply to message #461969] Tue, 22 June 2010 12:59 Go to previous messageGo to next message
FiZor
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Graphic interface look pretty poor, sure, until person gets use to it. For starters it is quite difficult to cope with that GUI. Smile
Re: Oracle Database Tools - colledge graduate work [message #462115 is a reply to message #462085] Tue, 22 June 2010 14:53 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Littlefoot
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Quote:

Graphic interface look pretty poor

OK then, which one looks "pretty rich" and why? Could you post some screenshots and emphasize differences you find crucial so that we could also compare them (and, eventually, get the point)?
Re: Oracle Database Tools - colledge graduate work [message #462126 is a reply to message #462115] Tue, 22 June 2010 17:25 Go to previous messageGo to next message
FiZor
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Registered: June 2010
Location: Croatia, Zagreb
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I don´t know why are you so hostile Smile, or I am just interpreting your words wrong. Maybe I described it little bit clumsy. TOAD has less eye-friendy interface, but principles are the same as they are on SQL developer, and that are docked windows, tab system, etc.
Question was for those people who had expirience with tools that I mentioned, point isnt in comenting just graphic interface, because that isnt so much important, maybe for starters, ppl who arent experienced with DB tools, but for ppl who work with them daily based important are elements like stability, performance, error reporting system etc., so I want some thought of users on that theme.
Re: Oracle Database Tools - colledge graduate work [message #462172 is a reply to message #462126] Wed, 23 June 2010 01:43 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Littlefoot
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Hostile? Not exactly (at least, it wasn't my intention). I apologize.

I just can't imagine what would that "rasterized pretty poor GUI" be. As you are comparing different tools, I supposed that there must be (at least one) of them that looks "pretty" if compared to TOAD. So, I was hoping that you could provide evidence and explain what makes the difference.

As far as I'm concerned, no problem - it is your graduate work and, if you are happy with conclusions you made, cool.
Re: Oracle Database Tools - colledge graduate work [message #462174 is a reply to message #462126] Wed, 23 June 2010 01:43 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Frank
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Not sure if this is in any way affiliated to NaviCAT. Typically this tool is not amongst the top three GUI-based (Oracle) tools (In fact, I never even heard of it before).
Allround Automation's PL/SQL-Developer however is, but it is missing from your list.
Re: Oracle Database Tools - colledge graduate work [message #462190 is a reply to message #462172] Wed, 23 June 2010 02:31 Go to previous messageGo to next message
FiZor
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Registered: June 2010
Location: Croatia, Zagreb
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Littlefoot wrote on Wed, 23 June 2010 08:43
Hostile? Not exactly (at least, it wasn't my intention). I apologize.

I just can't imagine what would that "rasterized pretty poor GUI" be. As you are comparing different tools, I supposed that there must be (at least one) of them that looks "pretty" if compared to TOAD. So, I was hoping that you could provide evidence and explain what makes the difference.

As far as I'm concerned, no problem - it is your graduate work and, if you are happy with conclusions you made, cool.

No problem, sry because i interpreted it incorrectly. Smile
Conclusion are far then finished, first stage after review of tools is testing their performance.
SQL Developer is for me is best looking tool, interface is very nice. Now when i familiarized with TOAD, he also look good Smile.
On first sight, TOAD look terifying but now everything is ok, because until now I had experience with SQL Developer and TOAD.

Frank, i will surely take your suggestion, possibly take Automation´s PL/SQL Developer instead NAVICAT.
I know for NAVICAT for quite long and I must say the tool is ok, but I was very dissapointed when i saw in last version that NAVICAT doesn´t recognize elsif in syntax. Thank you very much!
Re: Oracle Database Tools - colledge graduate work [message #462255 is a reply to message #462190] Wed, 23 June 2010 05:25 Go to previous messageGo to next message
cookiemonster
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PL/SQL developer is definitely worth considering - it's what I use.
It's similar to both TOAD and SQL Developer, but it's cheaper than TOAD and less buggy than SQL Developer.
It's also got more features than sql developer.

Personally I'd dismiss any tool that doesn't recognize ELSIF out of hand, it's hardly a new feature.
Re: Oracle Database Tools - colledge graduate work [message #462374 is a reply to message #462255] Wed, 23 June 2010 15:31 Go to previous messageGo to next message
FiZor
Messages: 8
Registered: June 2010
Location: Croatia, Zagreb
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i definitely agree with you, I will do that in my work, and NAVICAT just mention like others. Thanks!
Re: Oracle Database Tools - colledge graduate work [message #462497 is a reply to message #461614] Thu, 24 June 2010 08:59 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Kaeluan
Messages: 179
Registered: May 2005
Location: Montreal, Quebec
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Hi,

I am working with PL/SQL Developper since many year and I think it`s the best tool a programmer can use. In the past I tried SQL Developper and I find it too slow and with too many bug.
I also tried Toad. Toad is working great too but cost a lot. I think Toad can be really usefull for DBA since it contain some module for performance diagnostic and Tuning that can be really helpfull. But for a programmer PL/SQL Developper contain some basic Tuning and performance tools that are just Ok.

I don`t know about other tool, but PL/SQL Developper also provide an API that allow you to develop your own plugin if you know a little bit of Delphi, Visual C++ or C#.


Kaeluan
Re: Oracle Database Tools - colledge graduate work [message #462499 is a reply to message #462497] Thu, 24 June 2010 09:42 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Frank
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Registered: March 2000
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Kaeluan wrote on Thu, 24 June 2010 15:59
I am working with PL/SQL Developper since many year and I think it`s the best tool a programmer can use.

This is the problem with polls like this. Most people I know think the tool they work with at this moment is the best, simply because they are used to it.
10 years or so ago, I did everything in TOAD. I thought it was the best tool ever. Then, for a new assignment I was forced to work with PL/SQL Developer. HATED it. Now, after working with it for years, I LOVE it.
Had a quick look at TOAD some months ago, and did not like it a bit.
Bottomline: the tool you are used to is the best tool, simply because you know your way in that tool and every other tool takes time to get used to.
icon14.gif  Re: Oracle Database Tools - colledge graduate work [message #462513 is a reply to message #462499] Thu, 24 June 2010 11:43 Go to previous messageGo to next message
FiZor
Messages: 8
Registered: June 2010
Location: Croatia, Zagreb
Junior Member
Very good point Frank.
With this poll i wanted to get most objective grade as situation allows. All of you have plenty of experience with mentioned tools, and all you said are very precious informations.

[Updated on: Thu, 24 June 2010 11:44]

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Re: Oracle Database Tools - colledge graduate work [message #462535 is a reply to message #462513] Thu, 24 June 2010 15:24 Go to previous message
Littlefoot
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Registered: June 2005
Location: Croatia, Europe
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I added "PL/SQL Developer" to the poll so - you who find it the best tool ever can now vote for it.
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