Re: Has anyone used the QuestSqlPlus Toad tool from Toadsoft?

jim wrote:
>
> "James M. Mann" <james.mann_at_yale.edu> wrote in message
> news:6q6nmuso6r871pvrfhkl8ddus3ctq4c2p9_at_4ax.com...
> >
> > I have used TOAD from Quest for a couple of years now.
> > I believe that only SQL statements are allowed;
> > SQL*Plus statements are not.
> > I think the only exception is the DESCRIBE statement
>
> We now support subscripts, break, most of the set statements, sum, scan
> echo, feedback, trace, SELECT, format, headings, and much more.
>
> Toadman

With respect to all the TOAD developers and users, I find that my best interface to Oracle is SQL*Plus. I am a Senior DBA with many years of experience and would not touch TOAD or anything like it. Why? Because with tools like these the code behind your database actions are hidden. Yes, yes, I know, developers do not have to create tables, constraints, indexes, etc. -- that is the DBA's job. Well my developers can't seem to be able to create, compile, and execute a package without TOAD. I believe that this will, over the long haul hurt their career development. Those developers who rely on GUI development tools will have a hard time making the transition to DBA if they cannot code sql, PL/sql, and ddl in text. The developers do not even know where to find information about indexes, tables, constraints, etc. without using TOAD. They frequently come to me with questions that TOAD cannot answer and with a few key strokes I have an answer for them. Developers need to learn the database and tools that come between them and the raw database actually become a hindrance to effective application development and career development.

Finally, it turns out that for our developers to be able to view production procs they have to have create any procedure permission in the database or be logged in as the schema owner. It seems that TOAD will not let users see code that they do not have permission to compile. I do not need to hear about config management and etc. -- that is an ongoing battle that I am slowly winning.

Well that's my $.02.

-- 
Andrew Allen
Livonia, MI
E- Mailto:ajalle_at_ameritech.net
** against fools, the gods themselves contend in vain.