Hi.
I have a requirement to develop an Oracle stored procedure in Toad DP.
I am struggling to find the usual support tools that exist in standard Toad and SQL Developer for writing and debugging PL/SQL. For example if the proc fails to compile I can see the error but no indication which line caused the error. Not very useful.
Am I missing an extension or do i need to switch on a setting somewhere for this type of development?
Urgent help required.
All replies appreciated.
Hey Asif. The concept of Toad Data Point was created to aid business/data Analysts, not Dev or DBAs. So, you won't find some of what you're looking for in TDP... Toad for Oracle is the product that caters to developers and DBAs, and you would be able to debug, profile, and performance tune your PL/SQL objects with ease there. TDP does not have debugging of PL/SQL, for example, because that is a very uncommon use case for data analysts.
That said, TDP does allow for creating/modifying stored packages/procs/functions, and can even highlight the line item/s where (compile) issues are occurring (see snap below) but you're right... there's no way (that I know of) to get TDP to point to the offending line of code from the corresponding error message, like Toad/Oracle can.
Hi Gary
Thanx for your response.
Thats a shame because I did expect TDP to fully support the basic TOAD functionality that TOAD is renowned for and then build on top of that.
I have been using TDP in a Data Migration setting and its has been very good at connecting to the different data sources. However, I now have a requirement for a stored proc and the support is abysmal. In fact the error highlightedin your screenshot is actually from the editor which is capable of detecting syntax errors. If you have a logical error such as an incorrect table name in a cursor the editor will not detect it. The compiler will issue an error message in the bottom window but there will be nothing in the top window to show where it is. Very poor considering that its bread and butter functionality for the cheaper standard TOAD. How much effort is involved in displaying a line number as part of the error message?
What is someone in my situation expected to do now? I cant ask my employer to buy standard TOAD having paid for the premium version. I could soldier on with TDP and take years to develop the proc or switch to the free SQL Developer.
I am sure that the Dev team has already noted your request to consider for future enhancement (to highlight the offending code line corresponding to the error message).
Toad products have always been built by offering capabilities that go deep for specific personas, and by database. TDP is the exception in that it allows connections to many different data sources, but still focused on the Analyst persona.
I also have been "soldiering along" with Toad Data Point since the beginning of May. I joined a new company (for me) and this is the tool which was proudly given to me by my new boss as a "treat" to use instead of PL/SQL Developer, which I have years and years of experience with (and was happy with). I have been operating under the assumption that I am missing flags or extensions also, because I have friends in the industry that "swear by" Toad, but none which have experience with Toad Data Point.
I am sure my new Boss assumed that Toad Data Point was/is also an enhanced version of Toad, and when I ask him questions about functionality (as I assumed he and others in the company have been using it), the responses have been more or less "you must not know the tool yet". Now, at least, I have a "blurb" I can send him (if I can find a way to do so without making him feel embarrassed for listening to whoever reeled him in for the purchase for our DevOps (primarily development and field support/special projects) group.
I do not know who/how my boss was shown this new tool, but it is apparent to me that SOMEONE needs to do a better job of comparing the capabilities of the tools (does Quest HAVE the "standard" side-by-side comparison of tool capabilities?), because obviously the message is not getting across accurately to those doing the research and purchasing decisions.
I am absolutely CERTAIN that my boss would have made the decision to use "regular" Toad or PL/SQL Developer rather than Data Point for the purposes of our organization.
Thank you, Asif, for asking the question that I have been wanting to ask, but since I have no experience with Toad "regular", and like UNIX is "VI/Vim or Emacs", for Oracle it is "Toad or PL/SQL Developer", and I thought I was going to have the opportunity to learn "the other one".
Now I have to try to find a way to get my license back for PL/SQL Developer and give up the one for TDP without making my boss feel like a chump.
Hi PDanielson
My main requirement was Data Migration and TDP is very well suited to that with its ability to connect to a multitude of data sources and the in built MYSQL DB Is a big bonus. I have used TOAD heavily in the past. In those days it was a single product which was targeted exclusively at developers but was under threat from Oracle Raptor (which went on to become SQL Developer).
So when we sat down with the Quest salesman and presented our data migration and analysis requirements he suggested TDP. I naively assumed that regular TOAD's bread and butter features would be included since that is what TDP is based on. After all TOAD stands for Tool for Oracle Developers and TDP is a premium offering. Your Quest salesperson should have spotted that you are a development shop and advised accordingly.
I have always been a big fan of TOAD and always spent time at their stand at the annual Oracle User Group Conferences. I was just staggered that something as simple as the line number of the error was not reported. Whoever made that decision should be fired. The debugger should be configurable and switched off if required.
I have now got my company to install SQL Developer on my laptop alongside TDP. I now have TDP on one screen and SQL Developer on the other. SQL developer is free so you shouldn't need a licence. I certainly didn't need one. Alternatively you could try and get TDP exchanged for regular TOAD.
All the best
Hi Asif,
Toad Data Point is a completely different product than Toad for Oracle. Toad for Oracle has always been meant for developers/administrators and is based on Delphi.
Toad Data Point is meant for analysts and shares the same base with Toad for DB2, Toad for SAP Solutions and Toad for SQL Server. This family of products is .NET based.
Hi Dan
Thanx for the insight into the development platforms for the TOAD products.
However, I doubt if most users will appreciate or care about the development platform. What they will care about is that if its says TOAD in the name then it should provide all the basic TOAD features, and then the additional features that they pay for.
Maybe Quest need to look at the naming strategy to avoid confusion and frustration. Or is it deliberate, because the name 'TOAD' is what sells this product. If that is the case then please make it fully functional as per customer expectations and the sales strategy. Why risk customer loyalty over features that you can easily deliver and have built your reputation on?
