Table of Contents

    SQLPlus: Oracle's Command-Line Interface

    SQLPlus: Oracle's Command-Line Interface

    SQL*Plus is the most basic Oracle Database utility, with a basic command-line interface, commonly used by users, administrators, and programmers.

    Command types

    SQL*Plus understands five categories of text:

    1. SQL statements
    2. PL/SQL blocks
    3. SQL*Plus internal commands, for example:
      • environment control commands such as SET
      • environment monitoring commands such as SHOW
    4. Comments
    5. External commands prefixed by the ! char

    Scripts can include all of these components.

    An Oracle programmer in the appropriately configured software environment can launch SQL*Plus, for example, by entering:

    
    $ sqlplus scott/tiger
    

    where the Oracle user scott has the password tiger. SQL*Plus then presents a prompt with the default form of:

    SQL>

    Interactive use can then start by entering a SQL statement (terminated by a semicolon), a PL/SQL block, or another command. For example:

    SQL> select 'Hello world' as example from dual;
    
    EXAMPLE
    --------------------------------
    Hello world