Oracle's recently released free database development
tool is already among the top three downloads on Oracle's website,
according to the firm.
The attraction of SQL Developer - formerly Project Raptor - is
that it has a graphical interface, making database development much
easier, Oracle said.
SQL Developer is a graphical version of SQL Plus, a command line
SQL and PL/SQL language interface that ships with the Oracle
database. It allows users to browse database objects, run SQL
statements and SQL scripts, and edit PL/SQL statements.
The tool also features pre-built reports and allows developers
to build custom reports related to their projects. It has a code
formatter and code snippets, helping programmers to reduce the
amount of coding they have to do.
SQL Developer can connect to any Oracle Database from version
9.2.0.1 and later, and runs on Windows, Linux and Mac OSX.
Ken Jacobs, vice-president of product strategy, server
technologies division at Oracle, said, "With a few clicks you can
easily create and debug stored procedures, and test SQL statements
and view optimiser plans. SQL Developer is small, fast, and fun,
and perhaps best of all, it is free."
Oracle said SQL Developer was the third most popular download on
its technology network web portal, behind Oracle Enterprise Edition
10g and XE, the company's free database.
"Anything you can do to make the developer's life easier and
more productive is a good thing," said Rob Hailstone, research
director at analyst firm IDC.