RE: Re: SQL Developer vs toad for oracle

Off the top of my head, things I would be lost without if I couldn't use TOAD are (in no particular order):

F4 - I love that I can F4 from just about anywhere in TOAD to get more details, including the explain plan, text windows displaying contents of blobs, etc.
Script manager
Templates & Auto-Replace
Searching in the Option dialog to find the option I'm trying to set - seriously, that is so brilliant I can't believe everyone isn't putting that into their programs
The Grids - the ability to customize columns, do sums, view long fields, group, sort, find, filter, etc.
Syntax highlighting - especially via the link to the DB for the object name highlighting
The Navigator on the editor
DBMS output window
Explain Plan
Make Code/Strip Code - the new menu buttons for this on the Editor are used probably more than anything else for me right now
QSR
Formatter - I really like neat, readable code but like being able to be lazy so I don't have to keep it that way myself
Code Folding - actually, I would like it more if the hints for defining sections would work - they've been broken for a while
Right-click - Output Statements - Make Output Statement
Right-click - Action Console
Insert to table from Excel/Text/Access
Split Editor
Bookmarks
Comment/Uncomment block
Session Browser
Schema Browser
App Designer
Syntax Checking on the fly - sometimes it is faster to see a squiggly red line than the fact my semi-colon ended up getting typed as a colon
Positioning of the cursor exactly where the problem in my SQL is when I use F9 to run it
Positioning of the cursor on the PL/SQL line that is wrong when I compile - plus the list of other errors in the Messages tab that I can click on to bring me to their position in my script

The list could be much longer if I took a few more minutes more but I need to go home.  Being a developer, most of my items are ones that live in the Editor.  And because I am so familiar with TOAD because I've used it for so many years, for me to switch to another SQL editing tool would probably slow me down significantly.  Yes, I could learn it, but the initial cost would be a lot and with the loss of the features that I use every day, could cost my employer having to replace me as I go to another company where I can use TOAD.  :)

Sure, I can cut the grass with a cheap lawn mower with dull blades, but I can cut it so much faster and it ends up so much healthier when I cut it with a good mower with nice sharp blades, right?

Phyllis

From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Richard Squires
Sent: Tuesday, January 17, 2012 5:19 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [toad] Re: SQL Developer vs toad for oracle



Message from: R Squires


It's a tough call, we've recently had the same discussions and its hard to quantify the benefit TOAD provides from a development perspective.  I'd say the main differentiator between the two is the Schema Browser, this saves so much time when looking up objects etc, SQL Developer still doesn't have anything like this (it's on their feature request list though so hopefully....).

If cost is an issue, and it was for us, you can get PLQSL Developer for a fraction of what TOAD costs and it was used by the majority of PLSQL developers who preferred it over TOAD for writing their PLSQL (even when they had a choice between TOAD and PLSQL Developer).

Me though, I've always preferred TOAD, I can't imagine how long it would take me to do my daily work using the other tools - and that's the hard bit to quantify when management are asking for dollar figures about productivity.



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Historical Messages


Author: Richard Squires
Date: Tue Jan 17 14:18:36 PST 2012
It's a tough call, we've recently had the same discussions and its hard to quantify the benefit TOAD provides from a development perspective.  I'd say the main differentiator between the two is the Schema Browser, this saves so much time when looking up objects etc, SQL Developer still doesn't have anything like this (it's on their feature request list though so hopefully....).

If cost is an issue, and it was for us, you can get PLQSL Developer for a fraction of what TOAD costs and it was used by the majority of PLSQL developers who preferred it over TOAD for writing their PLSQL (even when they had a choice between TOAD and PLSQL Developer).

Me though, I've always preferred TOAD, I can't imagine how long it would take me to do my daily work using the other tools - and that's the hard bit to quantify when management are asking for dollar figures about productivity.


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Author: Simoneau, Roger
Date: Tue Jan 17 12:52:03 PST 2012
>> a certain group of consultants are pushing for SQL Developer Easy answer: so let them while leaving everyone else alone! I know, that doesn't help. Unfortunately I can't help much. We've had Toad removed from our use and are on SQL Developer now as well. With the little work I've actually done in coding (lots of work elsewhere the last 2 years) I've had little exposure to SQL Developer. I can tell you that with the time it takes to start up, I've defaulted back to the SQL Plus + Text Editor method. Mainly I've had to do quick lookups in the database and I've got what I need done in SQL Plus before SQL Developer loads. Roger S.
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Author: madavis_us_375
Date: Tue Jan 17 12:52:03 PST 2012
I have a client site where the customer is thinking of switching from Toad for Oracle Suite to SQL Developer because SQL Developer has all the tools needed. Before I  could argue that schema diff were one reason to stay with TOAD but now SQL Developer has it and the tool is free. What are some of the strongest cases to use to persuade my client to stay with TOAD. I am partial too, I love the tools but a certain group of consultants are pushing for SQL Developer.

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