Re: editing in sql*plus

Gerhard Moeller wrote:
>
> Hi, the line editing in sql*plus is awksome. sql*plus supports the
> edit command but that's about it. Arrowkeys do not work, a history is
> not supported. Beeing like that, any to-date shell is far ahead in its
> editing capabilities.
>
> Am I missing something? Can the arrowkeys and history be enabled for
> SQL*Plus?
>
> (System rdbms 7.3.2 on dec alpha osf 3.2)

Nope.

HOWEVER, you can set the "editor" variable to allow SQL*Plus to save the current buffer and invoke your favorite editor when you issue the "edit" command (actually, on some systems it reads the shell's $EDITOR variable). No history, though.

If you are a GNU EMACS fan, there is a "sqlplus" mode (written by sombody at Oracle) that allows you to run SQL*Plus from within EMACS and gives you full history, abbrevs, some context-sensitive editing of straight SQL, etc. No, I don't know off-hand where you can get it but round up the usual suspects.

-- 
Bill Meahan  wmeahan_at_ford.com
Ford Motor Company -- End User Support - North America
Not an official statement of Ford Motor Company or anyone else
except the author.