Toad World

That’s right, folks – you heard it here first! Please welcome the newest addition to the Toad family: Toad Extension for ECLIPSE!

For many years, we’ve heard this request: “when will you create a Toad that runs in Eclipse?” An increasing number of you – the loyal Toad users – are working with Java in Eclipse and we want to make your database development experience in Eclipse a lot easier. We believe that as Oracle assumes the stewardship of Java, there will be even more interest in Oracle as the database of choice for enterprise Java development. And at Quest, we believe that having choices makes the world a better place – for everyone. So given the huge popularity of Eclipse among Java developers, there’s no better place for this new Toad to stretch its legs!

Toad Extension for Eclipse is currently in beta and will later be released as freeware. It’s open for anyone to try! Let’s take a moment and take a walk through the newest addition to the Toad family!

A new perspective!
Once you install Toad Extension for Eclipse, you can find it under the Window > Open Perspective > Other menu. With that open, let’s take a look around.

A new perspective - Toad in Eclipse

1. After opening the perspective, you’ll need to create a new connection to Oracle. You can do that from the Connections window by clicking on the “New Connection” button on the left.
2. To create a new package/function/procedure (etc), use the Stored Procedure Editor. To write a query, use the SQL Worksheet. If you want to browse an object (i.e.: view the data in a table or see the DDL for an object), use the Open Describe Objects button.
3. The Schema Browser shows you all of the objects in your schema and can be filtered to help you find specific items.
4. The tabbed document area is where all of your windows will open. Note that there are tabs within each new document which give you more detail.
5. The outline view will help you traverse large sections of code
6. DBMS Output and SQL Monitor windows can be docked to the lower section of the screen. Use them to view output and to see the queries that are running behind the scenes.
7. Both the DBMS Output window and the SQL Monitor window have an on/off switch (the light bulb). By default, it is turned off.
8. PL/Doc is similar to Java Doc and useful for viewing object details such as columns, data types and column/table comments.
9. For those of you using Team Foundation Server to manage source code and work items, you can install Team Explorer Everywhere from http://www.microsoft.com/visualstudio/en-us/products/2010-editions/team-explorer-everywhere

An Open Future
Toad for Oracle was (and is!) developed through close interaction with end-users; over time has become the most popular database development IDE for Oracle. Here we are – over 10 years later – and nothing has changed! We want to hear what you have to say about Toad Extension for Eclipse! What do you want to see in Toad Extension for Eclipse? How can we make it better – for you!? We will be listening closely and we will release often to respond quickly to your requests. The future is open! Where do you want to go?

Let’s hear it!

–The Toad Team