Your operating system may have one or more text editors that you can use to write scripts. You can run your operating system's default text editor without leaving the SQL*Plus command-line by entering the EDIT command.

You can use the SQL*Plus DEFINE command to define the variable, _EDITOR, to hold the name of your preferred text editor. For example, to define the editor used by EDIT to be vi, enter the following command:

DEFINE _EDITOR = vi

You can include an editor definition in your user or site profile so that it is always enabled when you start SQL*Plus. See SQL*Plus Configuration, and the DEFINE and EDIT commands for more information.

To create a script with a text editor, enter EDIT followed by the name of the file to edit or create, for example:

EDIT SALES

EDIT adds the filename extension .SQL to the name unless you specify the file extension. When you save the script with the text editor, it is saved back into the same file. EDIT lets you create or modify scripts.

You must include a semicolon at the end of each SQL command and a slash (/) on a line by itself after each PL/SQL block in the file. You can include multiple SQL commands and PL/SQL blocks in a script.

The SQL buffer contains the last SQL or PL/SQL command. Any editing command other than LIST and DEL affects only a single line in the buffer. This line is called the current line. It is marked with an asterisk when you list the current command or block.

SELECT EMPLOYEE_ID, LAST_NAME, JOB_ID, SALARY
  2  FROM EMP_DETAILS_VIEW
  3* WHERE SALARY>12000

Notice that the semicolon you entered at the end of the SELECT command is not listed. This semicolon is necessary to indicate the end of the command when you enter it, but it is not part of the SQL command and SQL*Plus does not store it in the SQL buffer.

The SQL*Plus CHANGE command enables you to edit the current line. Various actions determine which line is the current line:

• LIST a given line to make it the current line.

• When you LIST or RUN the command in the buffer, the last line of the command becomes the current line. (Note, that using the slash (/) command to run the command in the buffer does not affect the current line.)

• If you get an error, the error line automatically becomes the current line.

SELECT EMPLOYEE_ID, LAST_NAME, JO_ID, SALARY
                               *
ERROR at line 1:
ORA-00904: invalid column name

Examine the error message; it indicates an invalid column name in line 1 of the query. The asterisk shows the point of error—the mis-typed column JOB_ID.

Instead of re-entering the entire command, you can correct the mistake by editing the command in the buffer. The line containing the error is now the current line. Use the CHANGE command to correct the mistake. This command has three parts, separated by slashes or any other non-alphanumeric character:

• the word CHANGE or the letter C

• the sequence of characters you want to change

• the replacement sequence of characters

The CHANGE command finds the first occurrence in the current line of the character sequence to be changed and changes it to the new sequence. You do not need to use the CHANGE command to re-enter an entire line.

1* SELECT EMPLOYEE_ID, FIRST_NAME, JOB_ID, SALARY

Now that you have corrected the error, you can use the RUN command to run the command again:

RUN

SQL*Plus correctly displays the query and its result:

  1  SELECT EMPLOYEE_ID, LAST_NAME, JOB_ID, SALARY
  2  FROM EMP_DETAILS_VIEW
  3* WHERE JOB_ID='SA_MAN'

EMPLOYEE_ID LAST_NAME                 JOB_ID     MONTHLY SALARY
----------- ------------------------- ---------- --------------
        145 Russell                   SA_MAN            $14,000
        146 Partners                  SA_MAN            $13,500
        147 Errazuriz                 SA_MAN            $12,000
        148 Cambrault                 SA_MAN            $11,000
        149 Zlotkey                   SA_MAN            $10,500

Note that the column SALARY retains the format you gave it in Example 4-4. (If you have left SQL*Plus and started again since performing Example 4-4 the column has reverted to its original format.)

See CHANGE for information about the significance of case in a CHANGE command and on using wildcards to specify blocks of text in a CHANGE command.

To add text to the end of a line in the buffer, use the APPEND command.

To insert a new line after the current line, use the INPUT command.

To insert a line before line 1, enter a zero ("0") and follow the zero with text. SQL*Plus inserts the line at the beginning of the buffer and all lines are renumbered starting at 1.

0 SELECT EMPLOYEE_ID

4

Enter the new line. Then press Return.

4 ORDER BY SALARY

SQL*Plus prompts you again for a new line:

5

Press Return again to indicate that you will not enter any more lines, and then use RUN to verify and re-run the query.

  1  SELECT EMPLOYEE_ID, LAST_NAME, JOB_ID, SALARY
  2  FROM EMP_DETAILS_VIEW
  3  WHERE JOB_ID='SA_MAN'
  4* ORDER BY SALARY

EMPLOYEE_ID LAST_NAME                 JOB_ID     MONTHLY SALARY
----------- ------------------------- ---------- --------------
        149 Zlotkey                   SA_MAN            $10,500
        148 Cambrault                 SA_MAN            $11,000
        147 Errazuriz                 SA_MAN            $12,000
        146 Partners                  SA_MAN            $13,500
        145 Russell                   SA_MAN            $14,000

Use the DEL command to delete lines in the buffer. Enter DEL specifying the line numbers you want to delete.

Suppose you want to delete the current line to the last line inclusive. Use the DEL command as shown.

DEL * LAST

DEL makes the following line of the buffer (if any) the current line.

See DEL for more information.

Use the REMARK command on a line by itself in a script, followed by comments on the same line. To continue the comments on additional lines, enter additional REMARK commands. Do not place a REMARK command between different lines of a single SQL command.

REMARK Commission Report;
REMARK to be run monthly.;
COLUMN LAST_NAME HEADING 'LAST_NAME';
COLUMN SALARY HEADING 'MONTHLY SALARY' FORMAT $99,999;
COLUMN COMMISSION_PCT HEADING 'COMMISSION %' FORMAT 90.90;
REMARK Includes only salesmen;
SELECT LAST_NAME, SALARY, COMMISSION_PCT
FROM EMP_DETAILS_VIEW
WHERE JOB_ID='SA_MAN';

Enter the SQL comment delimiters, /*...*/, on separate lines in your script, on the same line as a SQL command, or on a line in a PL/SQL block.

You must enter a space after the slash-asterisk(/*) beginning a comment.

The comments can span multiple lines, but cannot be nested within one another:

/* Commission Report
 to be run monthly. */
COLUMN LAST_NAME HEADING 'LAST_NAME';
COLUMN SALARY HEADING 'MONTHLY SALARY' FORMAT $99,999;
COLUMN COMMISSION_PCT HEADING 'COMMISSION %' FORMAT 90.90;
REMARK Includes only salesmen;
SELECT LAST_NAME, SALARY, COMMISSION_PCT
FROM EMP_DETAILS_VIEW
/* Include only salesmen.*/
WHERE JOB_ID='SA_MAN'; 

You can use ANSI/ISO "- -" style comments within SQL statements, PL/SQL blocks, or SQL*Plus commands. Since there is no ending delimiter, the comment cannot span multiple lines.

For PL/SQL and SQL, enter the comment after a command on a line, or on a line by itself:

-- Commissions report to be run monthly
DECLARE --block for reporting monthly sales

For SQL*Plus commands, you can only include "- -" style comments if they are on a line by themselves. For example, these comments are legal:

-- set maximum width for LONG to 777
SET LONG 777

This comment is illegal:

SET LONG 777 -- set maximum width for LONG to 777

If you enter the following SQL*Plus command, SQL*Plus interprets it as a comment and does not execute the command:

-- SET LONG 777

To run a script as you start SQL*Plus, use one of the following options:

• Follow the SQLPLUS command with your username, a slash, a space, @, and the name of the file:

  SQLPLUS HR @SALES

  SQL*Plus starts, prompts for your password and runs the script.

• Include your username as the first line of the file. Follow the SQLPLUS command with @ and the filename. SQL*Plus starts, prompts for your password and runs the file.