Getting Started

Toad is an industry-standard tool for application development. Using Toad, developers can build, test, and debug PL/SQL packages, procedures, triggers, and functions. TOAD users can create and edit database objects such as tables, views, indexes, constraints, and users. TOAD.s SQL Editor provides an easy and efficient way to write and test scripts and queries, and its powerful data grids provide an easy way to view and edit Oracle data. Use Toad to

• Create, browse, or alter objects (tables, views, indexes, etc.) including Oracle8 TYPE objects
• Graphically build, execute, and tune queries
• Edit and Debug PL/SQL and profile "stored procedures" including functions, packages, and triggers
• Search for objects
• Find and fix database problems with constraints, triggers, extents, indexes, and grants Toad utilizes direct Oracle OCI calls for full access to the Oracle API.

• Toad is supported on Windows NT 4.0, 2000, XP, and 2003 clients
• 75 MB of disk space
• We recommend at least 512 MB of RAM
• CD-ROM drive or internet connection (for install only)
• A VGA monitor with a resolution of 1024x768 is recommended

• Toad supports the major Oracle server versions: 7.3.4, 8.0.6, 8.1.7, 9i, 9r2, 10g and 11g
• Toad requires the Oracle client version to equal or exceed the Oracle server version in order for all functionality to work properly
• In order to use the Toad Profiler, you must have Oracle 8.1 or higher, with Oracle's DBMS_PROFILER package installed
• For the debugger to work, you must have the Oracle package DBMS_DEBUG on your database
• TOAD does not support databases with a Unicode character set such as UTF8 or AL16UTF16 until Toad release 10. Click for details of Unicode support in Toad 10.

• Toad works with Excel 2000 and higher. Import and export are not supported with Excel 97.

Toad for Oracle is available in several editions that range from basic querying and reporting functionality, to development and editing, to optimization, and finally advanced administration capabilities.

ALL Toad for Oracle Editions and Suites also come with Toad for Data Analysts – a dedicated querying and reporting tool which supports multiple database platforms and data sources.

To purchase or trial any of these products, contact Quest Sales or visit quest.com.

Toad® for Oracle Base Edition offers a wide range of features for building and maintaining database programs, including PL/SQL, SQL, scripts and Java, plus a rich, integrated debugging suite for PL/SQL that incorporates conditional breakpoints and helps to set watches on variables using Smart Watches. It also enables SQL*Plus, external application and Java source debugging. Toad for Oracle Base Edition also includes a built-in PL/SQL and SQL knowledge base and a Database Administration knowledge base – called Knowledge Xpert.

You can:

• Visually create queries and execute them
• Debug and profile code
• Construct and manage database objects
• Share project assets such as templates, scripts, and code snippets, with other team members using Project Manager
• Record workflow steps and play them back later with Automation Designer

Toad for Oracle also has its own team collaboration utility called Team Coding (with optional version control system integration). Team Coding works with the Editor to control code access. You can even profile your PL/SQL code to find performance bottlenecks and check for code coverage. In addition, Toad for Oracle Base Edition allows you to perform Schema Compare; however, it doesn't generate synchronization scripts (this feature is found in the Toad for Oracle DB Admin Module).

Toad® for Oracle Professional Edition includes all of the features in Toad for Oracle, plus a comprehensive code review tool called CodeXpert and a data generator for creating test data for one or multiple tables.

CodeXpert automates code quality reviews to make the review process objective and consistent. By incorporating rules from experts such Steven Feuerstein, you have a virtual expert at your fingertips to advise you on your code. And, CodeXpert generates a quality and performance scorecard for your code.

Toad® for Oracle Xpert Edition includes all of the features in Toad for Oracle Professional, plus integrated SQL performance tuning through the SQL and SQL Optimizer add-on component . This utility automatically identifies the SQL statements in the application code that may perform poorly in production. It then rewrites SQL for you and offers alternate implementations to improve performance.

Toad for Oracle Xpert can also generate virtual indexes and provide advice on the impact of changes to improve the performance of a set of SQL statements.

Download Toad for Oracle Xpert Trial

Toad® Development Suite for Oracle extends the capabilities of Toad and ensures application success by addressing four key areas of Oracle database development: Code Maintenance, Code Quality, Application Performance and Team Collaboration as well as enabling developers to improve productivity.

This suite comprises Toad for Oracle Xpert (incl SQL Optimizer), Quest Code Tester for Oracle and Benchmark Factory® for Databases. It helps you focus on the following key areas to deploy the best possible code to production:

• Assure code quality and functional accuracy to reduce the risk of costly bugs and meet required service levels
• Assure performance and make code fast to reduce the risk of slow response time and business interruptions
• Assure maintainability and enable a better understanding of database code to reduce the risk of time consuming code changes and additional development cycles
• Promoting collaboration enables you and your team to share assets, templates, scripts and code snippets to ensure consistency and establish standards, reducing project rework
• Productivity improvements help you meet development milestones through task automation and scheduling

Learn More about the Toad Development Suite for Oracle

Download Toad Development Suite for Oracle Trial

Toad® DBA Suite for Oracle extends the capabilities of Toad and empowers DBAs to simplify and automate common database administration tasks and become more proactive in solving database-related performance issues. It addresses three key areas of Oracle database administration: Maintenance, Performance Management and Change Management as well as enabling DBAs to improve roductivity.

This suite comprises Toad for Oracle Xpert (inc SQL Optimizer), Toad Data Modeler, Benchmark Factory® for Databases and Spotlight on Oracle (Standard Edition). It helps you focus on the following key areas to maximize your effectiveness as a DBA:

• Assure Maintenance through better database visibility combined with task simplification and automated reporting
• Assure Performance through accurate diagnosis and efficient resolution of performance problems due to inefficient code or inappropriate database configuration
• Assure Change through understanding the impact of changes together with on-time deployments to reduce the risk of production downtime affecting the bottom line
• Productivity improvements reduce the DBAs workload through ease-of-use, better workflow, automation, consistency and accuracy enabling the DBA to become much more pro-active and focus on longer-term task

Learn More about the Toad DBA Suite for Oracle

Download Toad DBA Suite for Oracle Trial

Toad® for Oracle DB Admin Module helps maintain database health and stability. It ensures the best possible efficiency and performance while minimizing the impact of changes to your database environment.

The DB Admin Module not only automates administration and reporting tasks, but it also provides a workflow that moves easily from one task to another. The Toad for Oracle DB Admin Module facilitates database administration tasks with a powerful browser-based view of performance information across multiple database instances, right down to the user session level. Administrators can quickly:

• Generate synchronization scripts, and compare and synchronize database schemas
• Perform tablespace management and roll back segment maintenance
• Schedule batch jobs and mine Redo Logs
• Import or export Oracle operations and manage user sessions
• Execute a multi-point health check to ensure the viability of your database instances

Please contact Quest Software for product and pricing information in any of the following ways

Quest Software, Inc.
Corporate Headquarters
5 Polaris Way
Aliso Viejo, CA 92656

• Telephone: (949) 754-8000
• Fax: (949) 754-8999
• Email: info [at] quest [dot] com
• Web: http://www.quest.com

Quest Support is available to customers who have purchased the commercial version of Toad and have a valid maintenance contract.

Please note: Freeware customers and customers without maintenance contracts will be unable to contact Quest for Support.

Visit SupportLink (http://support.quest.com)

Quest Support provides around the clock coverage with our web self-service. Quickly find:

• Thousands of solutions (KB articles/documents)
• Download patches and upgrades
• Seek help from a Support engineer,
• Log, update, and check the status of your ongoing case.

View the Global Support Guide (http://support.quest.com/pdfs/Global Support Guide.pdf) for a detailed explanation of support programs, online services, contact information and policy and procedures.

If you are in Canada or the US, use Quest's easy to use eStore at www.quest.com.
If you are outside the US, contact a local rep in your area http://www.quest.com/company/contact-us.asp
You can also buy Toad from any of our legitimate resellers. http://www.quest.com/company/international-distributors.asp
There is also a freeware version (with limitations) that you can download from http://www.toadsoft.com/lic_agree.html

Use these links to discover the new feature set for each Toad for Oracle release, all the way back to version 8.0

Version 8.0

Version 8.5

Version 8.6

Version 9.0

Version 9.1

Version 9.5

Version 9.6

Version 9.7

A lot of times people ask "What are the minimum database privilege requirements necessary to use Toad?"

Now that's a fairly loaded question - since it all depends on your job, Toad usage, and DBA's viewpoint on grants.

For developers to "see" all stored PL/SQL code across schemas using the fewest steps (i.e. the quick & dirty route):

1. Grant them their basic database access rights - for example, the Oracle supplied roles for CONNECT and RESOURCE

2. Grant them SELECT on DBA_OBJECTS and DBA_SOURCE, they'll be able to see all of the procedures/packages/functions

Yes - see the Toad world blog located at http://www.toadworld.com/Community/Blogs/tabid/67/EntryID/312/Default.aspx

Yes. The Toad QA team has been testing Toad on two virtual PC software applications for the Macintosh computer. We are happy to announce that we can officially certify Toad for Oracle on Parallels Desktop and VMware Fusion for MAC with just a few caveats.

Toad for Oracle v. 9.7 was tested with:

• Parallels Desktop version 3.0
• VMWare Fusion version 2.0

While Toad works well on both of these platforms, the following issues were discovered:

• Regular FTP Connection - does not connect from within Toad, but does connect from the command line. This is a Toad component issue, and will be remedied in coming releases of Toad.
• Auto-detect paths for Oracle utilities (Options > executables) - does not detect paths. However, you can still browse for the correct location.

• JDWP Debugger - does not debug on either platform. The error "Canvas does not allow drawing" is displayed. This appears to be an issue with how Java is integrated on the virtual platform.
• RExec (from Network Utilities) - does not connect. This appears to be a platform specific issue, as RExec cannot be called from the command line either.
• Unix Monitor - takes you through the FTP connection screen as usual, but the connection status never displays, and the graphs do not populate.

The short answer is as follows:

If your database is:

• Oracle 9i >= Toad 9.0
• Oracle 10g >= Toad 9.6
• Oracle 11g >= Toad 9.7

Here is a detailed road map of Toad vs. Oracle versions: