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Introducing SQL*Plus

This chapter provides introductory information to help you get started with SQL*Plus.

Specific topics discussed are:

• Overview
  
  
• Basic Concepts
  
  
• Obtaining Online Help

Overview

You can use SQL*Plus with SQL (Structured Query Language) and its procedural language extension, PL/SQL. These database languages allow you to store and retrieve data in Oracle databases. PL/SQL enables you to link several SQL commands through procedural logic.

SQL*Plus enables you to manipulate SQL commands and PL/SQL blocks, and to perform many additional tasks. With SQL*Plus, you can:

• Enter, edit, store, retrieve, and run SQL commands and PL/SQL blocks.
  
  
• Format, perform calculations on, store, and print query results in the form of reports.
  
  
• List column definitions for any table.
  
  
• Send messages to and accept responses from an end user.
  
  
• Perform database administration.

The following three user interfaces and a user interface extension are available for SQL*Plus on Windows:

• Command-line User Interface.

  For information about command-line behavior specific to Windows, see Chapter 3, "Using SQL*Plus"

• iSQL*Plus User Interface.

  For information about the iSQL*Plus User Interface, see the SQL*Plus User's Guide and Reference.

• iSQL*Plus Extension for Windows (Windows only).

  For information about the iSQL*Plus Extension for Windows, see Chapter 3, "Using SQL*Plus"

• Graphical User Interface (Windows only).

  The SQL*Plus for Windows Graphical User Interface (GUI) will be desupported in future releases of SQL*Plus. The browser-based iSQL*Plus User Interface will replace the SQL*Plus for Windows GUI. The SQL*Plus for Windows command-line (DOS) interface will continue to be supported. For information about the Windows GUI, see Chapter 3, "Using SQL*Plus".

Basic Concepts

The following definitions explain concepts central to SQL*Plus:

Concept	Definition
command	An instruction you give to an operating system, or software such as SQL*Plus or Oracle, to perform a particular task.
SQL command	A command to execute SQL statements.
SQL*Plus command	A command to execute SQL*Plus statements.
block	In PL/SQL, a group of SQL and PL/SQL commands related to each other through procedural logic.
table	The basic unit of storage in Oracle.
query	A read only SQL SELECT command that retrieves information from one or more tables.
query results	The data retrieved by a query.
report	Query results formatted by you through SQL*Plus commands.
SQL buffer	A buffer which stores the last SQL command or PL/SQL block that you entered in SQL*Plus.
screen buffer	A buffer to store the data in the SQL*Plus application window.

For definitions of other concepts that are relevant to SQL*Plus, see the glossary in the SQL*Plus User's Guide and Reference.

Obtaining Online Help

Online help for SQL*Plus is available from the SQL*Plus command-line during a session. The SQL*Plus help tables must be created and populated by the database administrator. See "Installing SQL*Plus Command-line Help" for information about installing SQL*Plus online help.

iSQL*Plus online help and SQL*Plus command-line help are available from the iSQL*Plus user interface, see the SQL*Plus User's Guide and Reference.