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Oracle SQL Developer Released

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the more-tools-that-try-to-write-code-for-you dept.

Zeno Group for Oracle writes to tell us that Oracle just announced the availability of their new, free, database development tool, 'Oracle SQL Developer.' From the article: "Designed for Oracle Database developers, Oracle SQL Developer simplifies development cycles and reduces the need to buy third-party tools for developing and debugging SQL and PL/SQL code. [...] Oracle SQL Developer offers a robust set of features to assist database developers perform tasks such as object browsing and creation, running SQL statements and SQL scripts, editing and debugging PL/SQL code, and viewing and updating data. It provides an extensive set of pre-built reports and also allows developers to build custom reports related to their development projects."

39 of 47 comments (clear)

  1. Will the.... by Suhas · · Score: 3, Funny

    ...TOAD croak?

    1. Re:Will the.... by geekoid · · Score: 1

      I knew people would leap to use that pun.

      --
      The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
  2. Toad Killer by bungo · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I've used it a fair bit (it was called Raptor when it was in beta, and has been out for a while).

    The most interesting thing about it is that it's actually a TOAD killer. TOAD has been around for years, and still does slightly more than Oracle's product, but has about 95% of the market. This is sort of like a MS practise of cloning a better product, realasing it for free to kill off the competition.

    Anyway, I hope TOAD dies, and not just becuase I'm a DBA and hate stopping developers and non-developers causing problems in my databases, but the makers of TOAD hired the developer of TORA ( a open source TOAD clone) and killed it off - and noone else seemed to have the time/ability to carry on developing TOAD.

    --
    "The best part? I became an ordained minister while not wearing pants." -- CleverNickName
    1. Re:Toad Killer by thedletterman · · Score: 2, Interesting

      It's interesting to hear this thing is actually a TOAD killer. I wouldn't have imagined. I also can't imagine Oracle releasing a product that didn't have a uber-bloated $40,000 licensing price tag on it... so I guess this is a new shift. I wonder how long it will remain free.

      --
      Any fool can criticise, condemn, and complain, and most fools do. - Benjamin Franklin
    2. Re:Toad Killer by M1FCJ · · Score: 3, Interesting
      Well, would't it benefit Oracle's sales figures if Oracle managed to shift a couple of more overpriced CPU licences out just because more programmers and DBAs work with Oracle in an easier way? I would have thought a couple of $millions earned from the licencing would cover the marketing costs.

      Oracle hands out lots of free utilities with their apps, they are just included with the package.

      What annoys me is the lack availability of a cross-platform, cross-database system. TORA has a SQLServer plugin. DbVisualiser is Java and works with all JDBC compliant databases but is not really a RDBMS tool and it is commercial as well.

    3. Re:Toad Killer by Saanvik · · Score: 2, Insightful
      Well, let's see, JDeveloper, which this is based on, has been free for what, 5 years?

      Look, the Oracle database can be very expensive. You want a high performance database with high quality support, you're going to pay for it. That said, automatically associating Oracle with high priced software is stupid.

      I'm not trying to say that Oracle is being altruistic. Free tools that only work with the Oracle database help keep the Oracle database the market leader, but assuming that Oracle hasn't learned from IBM (Eclispe, anyone?) is asinine.

    4. Re:Toad Killer by Ed+Avis · · Score: 2, Informative

      Bah. I use yasql for everything. Who needs a GUI anyway?

      --
      -- Ed Avis ed@membled.com
    5. Re:Toad Killer by killjoe · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Oracle price list from www.oracle.com.

      1) $0.00: Oracle 10g express edition. Limited to 4G databases, will only use 1G ram, only uses one processor.
      2) $5,000 pre processor: Oracle standard edition one. Up to two processors.
      3) $15,000 per processor: Oracle standard edition. Up to four processors.
      4) $40,000 per processor: Oracle enterprise edition. No limits.

      These prices are just below what MS charges for SQL server of similar capabilites except for enterprise edition which has features SQL server does not have.

      The prices are also a little less then what IBM is charging for DB/2.

      why would anybody pay these prices? Well if you have to ask....

      I know there is going to a ton of OMG oracle costs 40,000 posts here so I wanted to put the actual prices before the FUDsters got any further.

      When the open source databases get replication and clustering capabilities of oracle I expect the prices to drop even more. Right now there is no reliable, asyncronous, multi master, shared nothing, merge replication over unreliable links in the open source world. Maybe slony2 will pull it off.

      Has anybody messed with replication on ingres? How is that?

      --
      evil is as evil does
    6. Re:Toad Killer by dogsbestfriend · · Score: 5, Informative

      > TORA Is alive and well - tora.sourceforge.net - its now completely gpl'ed and binary builds are available for windows and a number of linux distributions Disclaimer: I'm one of the 'new' maintainers of TORA:)

    7. Re:Toad Killer by Aceticon · · Score: 1

      For pricing, Oracle considers dual Core CPUs as 2 processors - thus the typical Intel (compatible) server with one CPU that you can get nowadays will actually require TWO licenses for the Oracle database (just try getting a real server - thus not a white brand PC with an AthlonFX in it - with a single core CPU to see what i mean).

      This has caused problems with many hardware upgrade paths where getting a new machine for an existing system means doubling the licensing costs for Oracle.

      Plainly, your listed Oracle prices thus do not fully reflect reality.

    8. Re:Toad Killer by fimbulvetr · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I only have one thing to say to you, and that is Thanks. I've been using it. I love it.

      I just want you to know that I'd rather saw my hands off with a wooden comb and use the bloody stumps to control tora than ever consider using this shitpile of bloated, oracle developed Java. If any of you have ever used Oracle's Java apps, I'm sure you won't find this much different. I can use tora freely, no bullshit java breakage, no insanely slow X windows forwarding, no god awful shitbox ugly interface, and most importantly:

      Oracle builds this pile of crap so they can show their potentential customers "Look, we have a gui too!", whereas people like the tora developers build it so they can use it.

    9. Re:Toad Killer by Tyger · · Score: 1

      But I would counter with Oracle does not just run on x86. You can run Oracle on Solaris, AIX, HP-UX, and so on.

    10. Re:Toad Killer by Forbman · · Score: 1

      What annoys me is the lack availability of a cross-platform, cross-database system.

      Well, part of is it they (Oracle, MySQL, PostGres, DB2/Ingres, SQL Server, et al) are all different enough each in their own annoying little ways that it does not really seem possible to do. Add to this now that for some of them, you can write stored proc code in different languages besides the legacy language (i.e., Pl/SQL ->Java, T-SQL->C#/CLR langs), and it really does seem to be of Tower of Babel proportions.

      As much as Oracle's admins tools blow, compare them to SQL Server Enterprise Manager, and they work great. SQL Server Query Analyzer is more useful than SQL Server Enterprise Manager.

    11. Re:Toad Killer by killjoe · · Score: 1

      Most people who run Oracle run it on solaris or some other Nix. There is no reason to limit yourself to intel chips dual core or otherwise.

      Also the prices listed on their web site are list prices. Anybody who has bought oracle can tell you there is much room to negotiate in those prices.

      --
      evil is as evil does
    12. Re:Toad Killer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      This changed recently, there is now a "fudge factor" for multicore CPU:s. För Intel/AMD that factor is 0.5. One license per CPU in reality.

    13. Re:Toad Killer by geekoid · · Score: 1

      I find enterprise manager to be far easier, more stable, and inuitive then oracles admin tools.

      --
      The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
    14. Re:Toad Killer by jwarnick · · Score: 1

      >>4) $40,000 per processor: Oracle enterprise edition. No limits.
      This is MSRP. Who pays sticker price?
      A good negotiator can get Oracle Enterprise for about $10K per CPU.

      Big database shops don't run their Oracle on x86. Solaris on Sparc is very common, attached to SAN such as EMC Symmetrix. HP-UX is still a good Oracle host, though it has a foot in the grave in terms of new OS features.

    15. Re:Toad Killer by genus+babbage · · Score: 1
      I've not used PL/SQL Developer on *nix, so I have no idea about the "insanely slow X windows forwarding", however it runs fine on windows, and your comments make it sound like you've not tried it yet; I have no interest in persuading you to do so, but I think you should at least consider that your position is slightly irrational.

      Personally I have to dissagree with your assessment of the interface; I find it quite clean and friendly; TOAD, for example, is extermely cluttered and the sea of options hinder rather than help.

      I have no idea as to Oracle's motives in developing it, however if you'd spent any time on the beta boards it was pretty clear that the team doing the work wanted to make the best tool they could; I didn't always agree with their choices, but it doesn't mean they were wrong.

      My main issues with it in general are the speed of its development and release; this can be seen in the minor bugs and useability issues that you don't see in a more mature product (though I've not used the offical production release yet, maybe they had a good run of minor bug fixes :p). I still use TOAD for a lot of my work, but I'm looking forward to when we move to SQL/Developer, as it is far better suited to my own needs, which are more development rather than DBA oriented.

  3. It is as if... by 2674 · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...millions of toads suddenly croaked out in terror, and then, suddenly, silence.

  4. Not really news ... by Sonic+McTails · · Score: 3, Informative

    Oracle had free developer versions for ages, it's just that they now have better developer tools, and that itself is old news. Oracle been doing this for the better part of a month. As for TOAD, it's price tag is so rediciously high for small-scale developers or those using the free edition of Oracle for deployment, so here's hoping the toad will just croak.

    --
    This signature was left intentionally blank.
  5. PL/SQL Developer by VitaminB52 · · Score: 3, Informative

    SQL Developer is nice and free (as in beer), yet not as nice as PL/SQL Developer (by Allround Automations), which is almost free.
    I've installed both tools; PL/SQL Developer has more features and is snappier than SQL Developer, at about 1/5th of the download and install size of SQL Developer.

    1. Re:PL/SQL Developer by kiwioddBall · · Score: 1

      Amen to that. I am a big fan of PL/SQL Developer, and recommended it over TOAD at our site a few years ago and we've never looked back. I'll still be looking at this Oracle product though to see how good it is, but its got a hard act to follow.

    2. Re:PL/SQL Developer by jma05 · · Score: 1

      How is it almost free? Web site says it costs $180 after a 30 day trial. I am less concerned about download size. That said, I am yet to look at either. I did use their freeware QueryReporter earlier.

    3. Re:PL/SQL Developer by Baki · · Score: 1

      We've been using pl/sql developer for 5 years. I like it, but I could also live with oracle sql developer.

      A problem with pl/sql developer has been partitioned tables (hardly supported).

      I think for sql and ddl, the oracle tool is better.
      For pl/sql development and debugging, pl/sql deverloper seems better. However nowadays we hardly use pl/sql anymore, I think our group will move to sql deverloper and not renew our service contract for pl/sql developer.

    4. Re:PL/SQL Developer by Baki · · Score: 1

      Hmm, I have to reply to myself. After trying it out some more I did find some drawbacks and limitations. I think we'll stick to pl/sql deverloper after all.

    5. Re:PL/SQL Developer by VitaminB52 · · Score: 1
      How is it almost free? Web site says it costs $180 ...

      $180 is peanuts for corporate users - for them $180 is 'almost free'. I've been at a Y2K project where we needed a Y2K scanning tool. I found a tool which had raving reviews, and our manager instantly bought 3 licenses at $20,000.- each.
      Hiring a good Oracle specialist starts at about $80 / hour, so a time saving tool like PL/SQL Developer for only $180 / license is negligible for corporations.

    6. Re:PL/SQL Developer by jma05 · · Score: 1

      Ah! But you are assuming an audience. Now that Oracle XE is available, it is not just the high paying corporates that use Oracle. I just installed XE because of the free license and since 4GB is adequate for many of my apps. Since I am a student now and my projects are Academic, I would think twice about $180 and that's approximately what other DBA tools for other databases cost.

      http://www.sqlmanager.net/

  6. Working link... by Chatsubo · · Score: 1

    http://www.oracle.com/corporate/press/2006_mar/031 306-sql-developer-finalsite.html Linking to the the actual site of the company, imagine that!

    --
    > no, yes, maybe (tagging beta)
    1. Re:Working link... by patrickjolliffe · · Score: 2, Informative

      Even better, here is the link to the product download page: http://www.oracle.com/technology/products/database /sql_developer/index.html

  7. Good lord, what were the charges? by spud603 · · Score: 1

    And where was he/she being held? I hope it wasn't guantánamo.

    1. Re:Good lord, what were the charges? by geekoid · · Score: 1

      The fact that they were released implies it wasn't guantánamo.

      --
      The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
  8. How does it compare to TOra? by zdburke · · Score: 1

    I once used TOAD a lot, but I've been using TOra for years. How does Oracle's tool compare?

  9. Oracle SQL Developer Released by Davorama · · Score: 1

    It'a about time they let him go. I was beginning to wonder if they ever would.

    --

    Davo -- Free speech, free software, AND free beer.

    1. Re:Oracle SQL Developer Released by Kris_B_04 · · Score: 1

      Poor dude, do you think he will be able to function in today's world?

      --
      Remember when Windows were washed, mice were trapped and UNIX guarded the harem?
    2. Re:Oracle SQL Developer Released by Davorama · · Score: 1

      After all that time in the basement at MySQL HQ he'll be suffering from a bad case of Stockholm syndrome, that's for sure.

      Rimshot please...

      --

      Davo -- Free speech, free software, AND free beer.

    3. Re:Oracle SQL Developer Released by geekoid · · Score: 1

      If it is like the other Oracle tools, then....no.

      --
      The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
  10. From Prison? by ecorona · · Score: 1

    Anyone else think that the article's title meant an Oracle SQL developer was released... from prison?

  11. Also keep in mind... by Ayanami+Rei · · Score: 2, Informative

    ... Oracle licenses by the seat as well. 20 seat license (unlimited SMP/cluster deployment) is the minimum, and that's only $18-22k depending on options.

    And for all intents and purposes, anyone can deploy Oracle anywhere, for free. So long as you're using it for personal or development use (and most Slashdotters would fit that category). There is no built in licensing or limits except for the Express edition. Not even a serial number to type in during the installer (like SQL Server).

    So, if you need Oracle. Get it. You can work out the cost issues later with the powers that be when you actually "go production" (if that ever happens).

    --
    THIS THING CAN TURN ON A DIME, MACROSSZERO STYLE ALSO FUCK BETA, ~NYORON
  12. How much of Toad? by dlc3007 · · Score: 1
    Most of the comments have concerned Toad and the effect that this release will have on it. Since I haven't gotten my grubby, little hands on Oracle's product yet, I had a question about how much of a Toad-killer this really is.

    It seems obvious that it will do the same thing as Toad's basic front-end does, but there's more to Toad. What about the procedure editor in Toad? Is there something like that in Oracle's? The other question is the SQLab tie-in from Quest. I use that as a one-step tuning destination when dealing with other people's reports. Anything like that?

    Without all the parts, I'm not sure that this will be supplanting the collection of Quest software that I'm currently using.