Using Snippets to Insert Code Fragments

Snippets are code fragments, such as SQL functions, Optimizer hints, and miscellaneous PL/SQL programming techniques. Some snippets are just syntax, and others are examples. You can insert and edit snippets when you are using the SQL Worksheet or creating or editing a PL/SQL function or procedure.

To display snippets, from the View menu, select Snippets. In the snippets window (on the right side), use the drop-down to select a group (such as Aggregate Functions or Character Functions). In most cases, the fragments in each group do not represent all available objects in that logical grouping, or all formats and options of each fragment shown. For complete and detailed information, see the Oracle Database documentation.

A Snippets button is placed in the right window margin, so that you can display the snippets window if it becomes hidden.

To insert a snippet into your code in a SQL Worksheet or in a PL/SQL function or procedure, drag the snippet from the snippets window and drop it into the desired place in your code; then edit the syntax so that the SQL function is valid in the current context. To see a brief description of a SQL function in a tooltip, hold the pointer over the function name.

For example, you could type SELECT and then drag CONCAT(char1, char2) from the Character Functions group. Then, edit the CONCAT function syntax and type the rest of the statement, such as in the following:

SELECT CONCAT(title, ' is a book in the library.') FROM books;