Oracle SQL Developer Released

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."

Comments

Will the....

[Suhas]

...TOAD croak?

Toad Killer

[bungo]

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.

Re:Toad Killer

[thedletterman]

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.

Re:Toad Killer

[M1FCJ]

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.

Re:Toad Killer

[Saanvik]

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.

Re:Toad Killer

[Ed Avis]

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

Re:Toad Killer

[killjoe]

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?

Re:Toad Killer

[dogsbestfriend]

> 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:)

Re:Toad Killer

[fimbulvetr]

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.

Re:Toad Killer

[Anonymous Coward]

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.

It is as if...

[2674]

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

Not really news ...

[Sonic McTails]

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.

PL/SQL Developer

[VitaminB52]

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.

Re:Working link...

[patrickjolliffe]

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

Also keep in mind...

[Ayanami Rei]

... 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).