gqlplus is a UNIX front-end program for Oracle's command-line utility sqlplus. gqlplus is functionally nearly identical to sqlplus, with the addition of command-line editing, history, table-name and optional column-name completion. The editing is similar to tcsh and bash shells.
GQLPLUS comes in 3 forms: A tar.gz of archived code, a deb package and an RPM package.
To unpack gqlplus tar.gz, download the tar/compressed file gqlplus-n.nn.tar.gz and type:
$ gunzip -c gqlplus-n.nn.tar.gz | tar xvf -
$ cd gqlplus-n.nn
To unpack the gqlplus-n.nn-n.src.rpm type:
$ rpm -ihv gqlplus-n.nn-n.src.rpm
You can then build it by running:
$ rpmbuild -ba /path/to/spec/files/gqlplus.spec
NOTE: this requires the rpm-build package to be installed.
The executable is called `gqlplus'. Prebuilt executables are provided for RPM based Linux distros. One can also extract the contents of this RPM by issuing:
$ rpm2cpio gqlplus-n.n-n.%{_arch}.rpm | cpio -idmv
gqlplus-n.n-n.%{_arch}.src.rpm is also available.
To build gqlplus for another UNIX-like platform, type:
$ ./configure
$ make
The executable gqlplus will be built in the current directory.
gqlplus uses the GNU Readline Library to achieve its functionality. Version 4.3 of the library is provided with gqlplus, therefore the distribution is self-contained (it does not depend on readline being installed on the system).
To invoke the program, type
$ gqlplus
at the command line. You can also use any of the sqlplus command line arguments.
Being a front-end for sqlplus, gqlplus needs the sqlplus executable to run. gqlplus looks for the full path to the sqlplus binary in $SQLPLUS_BIN first, then for a binary called 'sqlplus' in $PATH, followed by $ORACLE_HOME/bin, followed by the local directory.
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SQLPLUS_BIN: This is meant to support Oracle instantclient installations on 64bit that do not call the binary sqlplus but rather sqlplus64.
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EMACS_MODE: If setted, gqlplus is assumed to be launched from Emacs. Emacs maps Ctrl-G to send SIGINT (instead of Ctrl-C). So, during Emacs editing session we don't want to pass to it sqlplus because it disrupts its' operation and does not make sense since that is not the interrupt we want to catch.
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TMPDIR, TEMPDIR and TEMP: GQLPlus respects these ENV vars as pointers to a temporary directory. If not set, defaults to /tmp.
To get help on using gqlplus, as well as version number, type
$ gqlplus -h
Usage is nearly identical to sqlplus, with the following additions:
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cursor keys may be used to invoke and navigate previous gqlplus (sqlplus) commands. The command-line editing is identical to bash shell. By default, it uses Emacs key bindings; if you wish to use vi commands, create a file containing the following line:
set editing-mode vi
Name the file .inputrc and put it in your home directory. Note that if you use vi key bindings, you will be placed in the INSERT mode after invoking a previous command using the up-arrow cursor key; press Escape key to leave that mode and move around the line using vi commands. See GNU Readline Library documentation for more details.
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gqlplus completes table and column names, similar to the way that bash and tcsh complete filenames (i.e., using a TAB key). In order to accomplish this, gqlplus has to read descriptions of all tables and views available to the current user, at startup. This processing may be somewhat lengthy (20, 30 seconds, perhaps even a few minutes for large databases). If this is found to be inconvenient, use the '-dc' (`disable completion') command-line argument to disable the column name completion feature (table name completion is always enabled since it does not cause a noticeable delay at startup).
To interrupt a hanging gqlplus, use SIGQUIT signal (Ctrl-\ on most terminals).
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from within gqlplus, use '--!h' to display command history, and '--!r' to rescan tables (for the purpose of updating table- and column-name completion).
- Ctrl-C during a long query sometimes breaks synchronization between gqlplus and sqlplus, causing the messages to show up with delay. Restart the program to reset synchronization.
The following functionality cannot be implemented, to the best of my knowledge, with a reasonable effort:
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running a SQL script which redefines the prompt
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gqlplus hangs if started with the /nolog command-line switch in the presence of login.sql file which redefines the prompt
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ACCEPT command without a prompt is not fully supported. Therefore, if you use ACCEPT command, use a prompt.
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gqlplus hangs if glogin.sql and/or login.sql files contain the
pause' orset pause on' statements.This issue reported by Mathias Weyland.
gqlplus is licensed under the GNU General Public License. See file LICENSE for details.
gqlplus is written and maintained by Ljubomir J. Buturovic of San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California and Jess Portnoy.
For all comments and problem reports drop a line: