Oracle SQL Developer 3.0: Release Notes

Date: March 2011

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1. New Features in SQL Developer 3.0
2. Before You Start
3. Support
4. Feedback
5. General Comments
6. Known Issues
7. Bugs Fixed

New Features in SQL Developer 3.0

Oracle SQL Developer 3.0 introduces the following key functionality:

• Data Miner: A new SQL Developer extension, Oracle Data Miner is the graphical user interface for Oracle Data Mining, an option to the Oracle Database Enterprise Edition. Oracle Data Mining provides in-database functionality that enables users to discover patterns and relationships hidden in their data to predict customer behavior, identify key factors, find new clusters and their profiles, anticipate and combat churn, detect anomalous behavior and solve a wide range of data-driven problems. For more information, visit Oracle Data Miner on OTN.
• Data Modeler: SQL Developer Data Modeler 3.0 is now fully integrated, providing read and write access for designing and developing data models. The readme.html for SQL Developer Data Modeler 3.0 can be found in the SQL Developer installation in the folder \sqldeveloper\sqldeveloper\extensions\oracle.datamodeler.
• Exporting and Importing: The Importing and Exporting wizards have been updated to support a wider range of choices. During the early adopter release cycle Export was renamed to Unload and Import to Load. Following user feedback, we have reverted to the original terms of Import and Export. You'll find these on the Tools > Database Export menu, and Export... on the context menus for Tables and Views and on Data Grids. Import Data is available on table context menus.
• Database Navigator: Users can now manage Database Configuration files, Resource consumption, Security for profiles, roles and users, and manage Storage files such as control files, datafiles, archive and redo logs, rollback segments and tablespaces.
• DBMS Scheduler: The Scheduler enables you to control when and where various computing tasks take place in the enterprise environment. The Scheduler helps you effectively manage and plan these tasks. Scheduler objects include: programs, schedules, jobs and job classes, destinations, chains and credentials are now added to the Connections Navigator. A graphical editor called the Scheduler Design Editor can be used to create and run scheduler objects.
• SQL Tuning: SQL Tuning Advisor analyzes high-volume SQL statement and offers tuning recommendations. A Diff Tool for Explain Plans compares selected Explain Plan or Autotrace results for any SQL statements.
• Query Builder: Visual SQL Query Builder with an object drag and drop feature from the connection navigator to the Query Builder view. SQL Worksheet and Query Builder view are tightly integrated. Switch between Worksheet (text) and Query Builder (visual) views at any time.
• Spatial Data Management: Spatial Data Management provides a SQL schema and functions that facilitate the storage, retrieval, update, and query of collections of spatial features in an Oracle database.
• Schema Browser: The Schema Browser supports fast client-side name based filtering for narrowing the list of objects displayed.
• Migrations: SQL Developer 3.0 brings a number of new features that support the migration from non-Oracle to the Oracle Database. A significant change is the concept of the Migration Project, a new navigator that holds all the servers in a project all together, which means that users can run several projects together, but report centrally on any one of them at any time with detailed information. The Enterprise Capture allows the user to point at a server and capture all the databases in that server. A number of different estimation reports provide detail on the high level object and error summaries, detailed errors and detailed comparison between source objects, capture and converted objects and the new Oracle objects. The Copy to Oracle feature allows users to copy tables and procedures from third parties into an Oracle schema, without a migration repository. See Getting Started for setting up and starting a database migration.

For a comprehensive list of new features, refer to the 3.0 New Features page on OTN.

• Platform Support
  • Oracle SQL Developer 3.0 is available for Windows XP , Vista (including 64-bit), Windows 7 (including 64-bit), and Windows Server 2008, Linux or Mac OS X. (See Certification)
  • When running SQL Developer 3.0 on the MAC, we recommend staying on the MAC Look and Feel.
• JDK Support
  • Oracle SQL Developer 3.0 release is shipped with JDK 1.6.0_11. You can use the embedded JDK or connect to any installed JDK 1.6.0_11 or above.
• 64-Bit Windows Support
  • There is a separate download for the 64-bit environment. Download the full 64-bit install and unzip into a new, empty directory as described for other platforms. Execute the sqldeveloper.exe. You need to download and install the 64-bit JDK for your platform.
• Installing or Upgrading
  • The Check for Updates option to upgrade between releases of SQL Developer is not supported. This utility is provided to install third party extensions, this includes the third party drivers required for migrations and to add additional version control extensions.
  • All new releases of SQL Developer require a full installation. Download and unzip the file into an empty folder. Ensure the "Use folder names" checkbox is checked when unzipping the file.
• Migrating from Previous Releases
  After you have installed the product you are asked if you want to migrate from a previous release. This migrates previously set preferences and connections created:
  • By default the Confirm Import Preferences dialog that is displayed selects the latest installation. Select Yes to migrate the settings from that release or click the Show All Installations button to browse to an earlier installation. You can migrate settings from SQL Developer 1.2.1 and above. If you are migrating from a release earlier than SQL Developer 1.5.x:
    • Select the magnifying glass to browse to the sqldeveloper\sqldeveloper\system folder
    • Click Select. This closes the browse dialog.
    • Note: the selection is not added to the list displayed in the Confirm Import Preferences dialog.
    • Click Yes, to migrate the Connections and settings from the selected release.
    • Note: If you are using Oracle SQL Developer 1.1.3 as part of the Oracle Database 11gR1 installation, search for the [ORACLE_HOME] \product\11.1.0\db_1\sqldeveloper\sqldeveloper\system folder
  • NOTE: If you install a release later than 1.1.3, this does not replace the menu item in your Start Programs list. You can add your own menu option here or a shortcut on the desktop.
• User Defined Reports, Snippets and SQL History
  • User-defined reports, SQL History and user-defined snippets files are located in the \Documents and Settings\<your_user>\Application Data\SQL Developer folder. These are also migrated.
• Folders
  • If you created folders in release 1.5.1 or above, these are automatically included in the migration. If you choose not to migrate your settings between releases, then you can import your old connections. This does not include folders.
• JDBC Drivers
  • The JDBC drivers shipped are Oracle Database 11g Release 1. To connect to earlier version of the database using the Thick Driver, you need to install an 11g client. i.e. not required for the Basic Connection.
• Debug Log Window
  • This is now set off by default. If you want to see the SQL Developer debug log window information by default, then include the line IncludeConfFile sqldeveloper-debug.conf in the sqldeveloper.conf file.
  • To start up the debug log window in the product while you are working, enter "setloglevel oracle.dbtools ALL" in the SQL Worksheet. This will stay on while you are working, but won't reopen the log window if you stop and restart the product.
• Third Party Databases
  • SQL Developer supports IBM DB2 UDB LUW , Microsoft SQL Server and Microsoft Access, MySQL, Sybase Adaptive Server and Teradata. See Supported Platforms for details on all third party database releases supported.
  • You will not see any third party tabs in the connections dialog until you have installed the drivers. Read this Getting Started document to show you how.
  • You can also download and include the third-party database drivers manually. See the existing documentation for that on OTN. Alternatively you can use Check for Updates to setup these drivers.
  • Do not use the latest MySQL driver 5.1. Use the 5.0.x drivers for MySQL.
• TimesTen and In-Memory Database Cache
  • Before you can use SQL Developer to connect to TimesTen:
    • Install TimesTen 11.2.1.4.0 or greater release of the server or client on the same machine as SQL Developer.
    • On Linux systems, source the shell script TimesTen_install_dir/bin/ttenv.csh or TimesTen_install_dir/bin/ttenv.sh to set up the TimesTen environment variables before launching SQL Developer. On Windows, use the TimesTen_install_dir\bin\ttenv.bat script.
    • Make sure the CLASSPATH environment variable is pointing to the TimesTen JDBC driver (TimesTen_install_dir/lib/ttjdbc6.jar).
    • Read these more detailed release notes on TimesTen.
• Table Filters
  • The list of tables displayed includes generated tables, AQ's and others not previously included in the list. By default there is a filter on the Tables node to exclude objects from the recycle bin.
• Code Templates
  • Code templates and snippets are now included in the code insight drop down list. To see the code for these, just start typing the code, in each case, and the rest of the code entry displays in the code insight. There is no longer a key sequence for Code Templates. There is an entry in the Preferences > Shortcut Keys list for Code Template. You can add a key sequence of your own choosing.
• Version Control
  • Subversion is installed by default with SQL Developer 3.0. To install CVS, Perforce and Serena Dimensions, please use Help > Check for Updates.
• Subversion
  • If you create a local Subversion repository, ensure there are no spaces in the path.
• CVS
  • If you use a local repository. You must use an external CVS client and set the CVS versioning properties to point to the external client.
• Fonts
  • The font setting for the Code Editor now also increases the font size for the script output window and all data grids. This is in addition to increasing the font size for the SQL Worksheet and PL/SQL Code Editors. Select Tools | Preferences | Code Editor | Fonts and set the font size.
• Data Miner
  • Oracle Data Miner requires Oracle Database 11g Release 2 (11.2.0.1) or higher. More information can be found in the Data Miner Release Notes.

• You are supported by Oracle Support under your current database Support license for SQL Developer production releases. Log SQL Developer bugs and issues using My Oracle Support for the product.

Feedback

There are a number of different forums supporting the features in SQL Developer. When using the forums, be sure to use clear subject lines to initiate a thread and try to avoid using old, unrelated threads for a new issue.

• You can discuss features on the Oracle SQL Developer forum
• For all Data Mining related queries, please use the Data Mining forum
• For all TimesTen related queries, please use the TimesTen forum forum
• For all Data Modeler related queries, please use the Data Modeler forum
• For all Database Migration related queries, please use the Migrations forum

• Features not yet supported in this release can be added to the Feature Requests section on the Oracle SQL Developer Exchange.
• Please review current certification status for platform and database certification queries.
• Support for TimesTen In-Memory Database is included in SQL Developer 3.0. You will not see the TimesTen Connection node unless you have TimesTen installed and configured (see TimesTen section above).
• Support for TimesTen In-Memory Database includes support for Oracle In-Memory Database Cache and TimesTen In-Memory Database Release 11.2.1.4 and later.
• If you did not migrate your connections from a previous release, you can import them afterwards. Invoke the earlier release of SQL Developer, export the required connections and import them in the new release.
• Expired password: When a password expires, an error message is raised to alter the user. To reset the password, right-click the connection and select Reset Password.

• Review Known Issues

• Review Bugs Fixed