SQL

Oracle makes provisions for you to utilize your favorite text editor to edit the statement created in "afiedt.buf," the file into which SQL*PLUS stores the most recently executed SQL statement. You simply type edit (abbreviated "ed"). This action causes Oracle to bring up the SQL statement in "afiedt.buf" into the operating system's default text editor.

To change the text editor, issue the define_editor='your editor' statement from the SQL*PLUS prompt. Try to use a text editor rather than the Command Line editor.

Go to MS-DOS and change the directory to the oracle folder.

Login to "sqlplus" as "oracle/learning"

Get the dept file.

Your default editor is notepad. Use the "ed" command, to call notepad. On notepad, you can modify the query. Then close the window and click on Yes to replace the changes to the buffer.

Notice that when you use the �ed� command in the sqlplus, your defined editor will bring the last SQL statement from Oracle buffer. Now, you should be able to modify the SQL statement. After you modify your query, you can save and exit from the defined editor. By default that is NOTEPAD.

Remember that when you bring your SQL statement into your editor the �;� character will be disappeared and instead a �/� character will be replaced. Leave the SQL statement with �/� character and don�t enter �;� character at the end of your SQL statement.

Also, you should not work in the defined editor one SQL statement at a time. You can not have multiple SQL statements.

If you want to use multiple SQL statements or to write your SQL script, you may want to open your own independent editor from the SQLPLUS tool.

And the technique you may want to use is to open the notepad as an independent tool.

To open the dept script from the oracle directory, open notepad as a separate window and then open the "dept" file from the "oracle" folder.

Add a column heading. Change the statement to query only the department number 10.

Save the file. Save the file at the oracle folder.

Get the "dept" file.

Notice that the changes are in the buffer, run the query.

Use the �Start� command to run the query.

Use the @ sign to run the file.

No department number this time.

Q: How do you use the notepad editor?

Q: What is afiedt.buf?

Q: How do you change your text editor in the SQLPLUS tool?

Q: What does the ed command in the SQLPLUS tool?

Q: Can you have multiple SQL statements in the afiedt.buf file?

Q: How do you use the notepad editor as an independent tool in the SQLPLUS utility?

Q: How do you execute or run a SQL script?