In this third part of a seven-part article series on using Oracle SQL Developer, you'll learn how to navigate through database objects, and how to view the column definitions for a table. This article is excerpted from chapter two of the book Murach's Oracle SQL and PL/SQL, written by Joel Murach (Murach; ISBN: 1890774502).
How to navigate through the database objects
Figure 2-5 shows how to navigate through the database objects that are available to the user that corresponds with the current database connection. These database objects include tables, views, indexes, and so on. For this chapter, however, you can focus on the tables. Later in this book, you’ll learn more about views, indexes, and other database objects.
When you expand a connection for the first time in a session, you must enter the password for the username in the Connection Information dialog box. In this figure, for example, I clicked on the plus sign (+) to the left of the node for the AP connection. Then, SQL Developer prompted me for the password for the user named AP. When I entered the correct password, SQL Developer expanded the AP connection and displayed a SQL Worksheet window for the AP connection.
Once you expand a connection, you can navigate through the objects that are available for the user that corresponds to the connection. To do that, you can click on the plus (+) and minus (-) signs to the left of each node to expand or collapse the node. In this figure, for example, I expanded the Tables node to view all of the tables available to the AP user.
To work with a node or an object, you can right-click on the object to display a context-sensitive menu. Then, you can select a command from the resulting menu. For example, you can right-click on the node for the AP connection to display a list of commands for working with that connection.
The Connection Information dialog box
The tables available to the AP user
Description
Each connection provides access to the database objects that are available to the user that corresponds with the connection. These database objects include tables, views, and so on.
Before you can expand a connection for the first time in a session, you must enter the correct password for the connection. Once you enter a password for a connection, you can navigate through the nodes for the database objects. You can also use the SQL Worksheet window to enter and run SQL statements.
To navigate through the database objects for a connection, click on the plus (+) and minus (-) signs to the left of each node to expand or collapse the node.
To work with a node or an object, right-click on the node or object and select a command from the resulting menu.
--------------------------------------------
Figure 2-5 How to navigate through the database objects
