SQL Developer Preferences |
You can customize many aspects of the SQL Developer interface and environment by modifying SQL Developer preferences according to your preferences and needs. To modify SQL Developer preferences, select Tools, then Preferences.
Information about SQL Developer preferences is stored under the directory for user-specific information. For information about the location of this information, see SQL Developer User Information Directory.
Most preferences are self-explanatory, and this topic explains only those whose meaning and implications are not obvious. Some preferences involve slight or performance or system resource trade-offs (for example, enabling a feature that adds execution time), and other preferences involve only personal aesthetic taste. The preferences are grouped in the following categories.
The Environment pane contains options that affect the startup and overall behavior and appearance of SQL Developer. You can specify that certain operations be performed automatically at specified times, with the trade-off usually being the extra time for the operation as opposed to the possibility of problems if the operation is not performed automatically (for example, if you forget to perform it when you should).
The undo level (number of previous operations that can be undone) and navigation level (number of open files) values involve slight increases or decreases system resource usage for higher or lower values.
Automatically Reload Externally Modified Files: If this option is checked, any files open in SQL Developer that have been modified by an external application are updated when you switch back to SQL Developer, overwriting any changes that you might have made. If this option is not checked, changes that you make in SQL Developer overwrite any changes that might have been made by external applications.
Silently Reload When File Is Unmodified: If this option is checked, you are not asked if you want to reload files that have been modified externally but not in SQL Developer. If this option is not checked, you are asked if you want to reload each file that has been modified externally, regardless of whether it has been modified in SQL Developer,
Environment: Dockable Windows
The Dockable Windows pane configures the behavior of dockable windows and the shapes of the four docking areas of SQL Developer: top, bottom, left, and right.
Dockable Windows Always on Top: If this option is checked, dockable windows always remain visible in front of other windows.
Windows Layout: Click the corner arrows to lengthen or shorten the shape of each docking area.
Environment: Local History
The Local History pane controls whether information about editing operations on files opened within SQL Developer is kept. If local history is enabled, you can specify how long information is retained and the maximum number of revisions for each file.
Environment: Log
The Log pane configures the colors of certain types of log messages and the saving of log messages to log files.
Save Logs to File: If this option is checked, all output to the Messages - Log window is saved to log files, where the file name reflects the operation and a timestamp. You are also asked to specify a Log Directory; and if the specified directory does not already exist, it is created. Note that is you save log information to files, the number of these files can become large.
Maximum Log Lines: The maximum number of lines to store in each log file.
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The Accelerators pane enables you to customize the accelerator key mappings for SQL Developer.
Category: Select All or a specific category, to control which actions are displayed.
Actions: The actions for the selected category. When you select an action, any existing accelerator key mappings are displayed.
Accelerators: Any existing key mappings for the selected action. To remove an existing key mapping, select it and click Remove.
New Accelerator: The new accelerator key to be associated with the action. Press and hold the desired modifier key, then press the other key. For example, to associate Ctrl+J with an action, press and hold the Ctrl key, then press the j key. If any actions are currently associated with that accelerator key, they are listed in the Current Assignment field.
Load Preset: Enables you to load a set of predefined key mappings for certain systems and external editing applications. If you load any preset key mappings that conflict with changes that you have made, your changes are overwritten.
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The Code Editor pane contains general options that affect the appearance and behavior of SQL Developer when you edit functions, procedures, and packages.
Code Editor: Bookmarks
The Bookmarks pane contains options that determine the persistence and search behavior for bookmarks that you create when using the code editor.
Code Editor: Caret Behavior
The Caret Behavior pane contains options that determine the shape, color, and blinking characteristics of the caret (cursor) in the code editor
The Code Insight pane contains options for the logical completion (autocomplete options) of keywords and names while you are coding in the SQL Worksheet.
When you press Ctrl+Space, code insight provides a context-sensitive popup window that can help you select parameter names. Completion insight provides you with a list of possible completions at the insertion point that you can use to auto-complete code you are editing. This list is based on the code context at the insertion point. To exit code insight at any time, press Esc.
You can enable or disable both completion and parameter insight, as well as set the time delay for the popup windows.
Code Editor: Code Insight: Completion
The Code Insight: Completion pane contains options for refining the behavior when matching items are found. For more information, see the explanation for Code Editor: Code Insight.
Code Editor: Display
The Display pane contains general options for the appearance and behavior of the code editor.
Text Anti-Aliasing allows smooth-edged characters where possible.
Code Folding Margin allows program blocks in procedures and functions to be expanded and collapsed in the display.
Visible Right Margin renders a right margin that you can set to control the length of lines of code.
Automatic Brace Matching controls the highlighting of opening parentheses and brackets and of blocks when a closing parenthesis or bracket is typed.
Code Editor: Find Options
The Find Options pane determines which options are used by default at SQL Developer startup for find or find and replace operations. You can choose whether to use the options in effect from the last SQL Developer session or to use specified options.
Code Editor: Fonts
The Fonts pane specifies text font options for the code editor.
Display Only Fixed-Width Fonts: If this option is checked, the display of available font names is restricted to fonts where all characters have the same width. (Fixed-width fonts are contrasted with proportional-width fonts.)
Code Editor: Line Gutter
The Line Gutter pane specifies options for the line gutter (left margin of the code editor).
Show Line Numbers: If this option is checked, lines are numbered.
Enable Line Selection by Click-Dragging: If this option is checked, you can select consecutive lines in the editor by clicking in the gutter and dragging the cursor without releasing the mouse button.
Code Editor: Printing
The Printing pane specifies options for printing the contents of the code editor. The Preview pane sample display changes as you select and deselect options.
Code Editor: Printing HTML
The Printing HTML pane specifies options for printing HTML files from the code editor.
Code Editor: Syntax Colors
The Syntax Colors pane specifies colors for different kinds of syntax elements.
Code Editor: Undo Behavior
The Undo Behavior pane specifies options for the behavior of undo operations (Ctrl+Z, or Edit, then Undo). Only consecutive edits of the same type are considered; for example, inserting characters and deleting characters are two different types of operation.
Allow Navigation-Only Changes to be Undoable: If this option is checked, navigation actions with the keyboard or mouse can be undone. If this option is not checked, navigation actions cannot be undone, and only actual changes to the text can be undone.
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The Database Connections pane sets connection properties.
Autocommit in SQL Worksheet: If this option is checked, a commit operation is automatically performed after each INSERT, UPDATE, or DELETE statement executed using the SQL Worksheet. If this option is not checked, a commit operation is not performed until you execute a COMMIT statement.
Validate date and time default values: If this option is checked, date and time validation is used when you open tables.
SQL*Plus Executable: The Windows path or Linux xterm command for the SQL*Plus executable. If there is no $ORACLE_HOME on your system, there is no SQL*Plus executable, and you cannot use SQL*Plus with SQL Developer; however, you can still use many SQL*Plus commands in the SQL Worksheet (see Using the SQL Worksheet, and especially SQL*Plus Statements Supported and Not Supported in SQL Worksheet).
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The Debugger pane contains general options for the SQL Developer debugger. Other panes contain additional specific kinds of debugger options.
Debugger: Breakpoints
The Breakpoints pane sets the columns to appear in the Breakpoints pane and the scope of each breakpoint.
Debugger: Breakpoints: Default Actions
The Breakpoints: Default Actions pane sets defaults for actions to occur at breakpoints. These actions are the same as on the Actions tab in the Create/Edit Breakpoint dialog box.
Debugger: Data
The Data pane enables you to control the columns to appear in the debugger Data pane and aspects of how the data is displayed.
Debugger: Inspector
The Inspector pane enables you to control the columns to appear in the debugger Inspector pane and aspects of how the data is displayed.
Debugger: Smart Data
The Smart Data pane enables you to control the columns to appear in the debugger Smart Data pane and aspects of how the data is displayed.
Debugger: Stack
The Stack pane enables you to control the columns to appear in the debugger Stack pane and other options.
Debugger: Watches
The Watches pane enables you to control the columns to appear in the debugger Watches pane and aspects of how the data is displayed.
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The Documentation pane provides options for the display of SQL Developer online help.
Display in Window: If this option is checked, help is displayed in a separate window. If this option is not checked, help is displayed in a pane in the SQL Developer User Interface.
Show Tabs: Controls which tabs appear in the Help Center pane (Table of Contents, Index, Full Text Search).
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The Extensions pane determines which optional extensions SQL Developer uses when it starts. (SQL Developer also uses some mandatory extensions, which users cannot remove or disable.) If you change any settings, you must exit SQL Developer and restart it for the new settings to take effect.
Extensions to Use: Controls the specific optional extensions to use at startup.
Check for Updates: Checks for any updates to the selected optional extensions, as well as any mandatory extensions.
Automatically Check for Updates: If this option is checked, SQL Developer automatically checks for any updates to the selected optional extensions and any mandatory extensions at startup.
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The File Types pane determines which file types and extensions will be opened by default by SQL Developer. The display shows each file extension, the associated file type, and a check mark if files with that extension are to be opened by SQL Developer be default, such as when a user double-clicks the file name.
Details area at bottom: You can modify the file type, content type (text or binary), and whether to open files of this extension automatically by SQL Developer.
To have files of a specific extension be opened by default by SQL Developer, click the file extension in the list, then check Open with SQL Developer in the Details area. This overrides any previous application association that may have been in effect for that file extension.
To add a file extension, click Add and specify the file extension (including the period). After adding the extension, you can modify its associated information by selecting it and using the Details area.
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Configure File Type Associations (dialog box)
The Global Ignore List pane identifies files and file types that SQL Developer will not use in any processing.
New Filter: Enter a file name (for example, abc.txt) or a wildcard (*) and file type (for example, *.txt) to identify a specific file or all files of a specified type to be ignored; then click Add to add it to the list.
To remove an item from the list, select it and click Remove.
To restore the default global ignore list, click Restore Defaults.
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The PL/SQL Compiler pane controls the display of informational, severe, and performance-related messages. (The ALL field overrides any individual specifications for the other fields.) For each field, you can specify any of the following:
No entry (blank): Use any value specified for ALL; and if none is specified, use the Oracle default.
Enable: Enable the display of all messages of this category.
Disable: Disable the display of all messages of this category.
Error: Enable the display of only error messages of this category.
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The Proxy pane controls whether of not to use an HTTP proxy server. If you enable the use of an HTTP proxy server, you must specify the host name and port number, and any exception strings for addresses not to be accessed through the proxy server.
If the proxy server requires authentication, specify the user name and password.
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The SQL Formatter pane controls how statements in the SQL Worksheet are formatted when you click Format SQL. The options include whether to insert space characters or tab characters when you press the Tab key (and how many characters), uppercase or lowercase for keywords and identifiers, whether to preserve or eliminate empty lines, and whether comparable items should be placed or the same line (if there is room) or on separate lines.
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