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Tnsnames.ora is a SQL*Net/Oracle Network Manager configuration file that describes databases and how to connect to them. The file contains the connection name, protocol, address, network port, and instance name. The tnsnames.ora file translates the Oracle Net service alias in the connection string to a network address, protocol, service, and instance name.

The tnsnames.ora plain text file is located on both the client and the server. Typically, this file is located under the oracle_homenetworkadmin directory.

You can make changes to the file using any text editor. On Windows, you can use notepad.exe, on *NIX systems — vi. Let’s look at an example of a simple tnsnames.ora file that describes one Oracle service alias.

de_mun_sap12 =
(DESCRIPTION =
(ADDRESS_LIST =
(ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(Host = de-mun-sap12.theitbros.com])(Port = 1522))
)
(CONNECT_DATA =
(SERVICE_NAME = de_mun_sap12)
)
)

This file describes one alias de_mun_sap12 that a user can use to connect to an Oracle database.

Hint. The tnsnames.ora file is syntax sensitive. Always check the correctness of new settings when making changes to this file.

In some cases, when you specified the correct settings in the tnsnames.ora file and checked the correctness of the connection using tnsping, SQL Developer does not list available db connections.

Note. If you have installed the Oracle client software and configured connections in tnsnames.ora, Oracle SQL Developer automatically populates the Connections navigator pane. The alias list contains net service names defined in tnsnames.ora.

By default, Oracle SQL Developer looks for the tnsnames.ora file in the oracle_home /network/admin/tnsnames.ora folder, as well in the following registry keys:

Hint. On Windows, you can use the system and local versions of the tnsnames.ora file. The system version is located in the oracle_home/network/admin/tnsnames.ora. The local version of the tnsnames.ora file may be located in the current working directory from which the application is running. Those, you can have multiple local tnsnames.ora files in different directories from which you run your application (although this is not recommended).

If the list of connections is empty, then SQL Developer didn’t find the tnsnames.ora file in the specified directories. You can specify the path to the tnsnames.ora file manually.

1. Start SQL Developer and go to Tools > Preferences;
   
2. In the Preferences option, expand the Database component, click on Advanced, and under the “Tnsnames Directory”, browse to the folder where your tnsnames.ora file is located;
   
3. Restart SQL Developer;
4. Now in SQL Developer select Connections and click New Connection;
5. Select the TNS connection type from the drop-down list;
   
6. And you are done! Now all network aliases from tnsnames.ora will appear in the list of available connections.

READ ALSORename a Computer with SQL Server InstanceAuthorRecent PostsBrian JacksonBrian Jackson started this blog in 2011. Brian has a huge passion for WordPress and technology for over a decade. Brian enjoys blogging, movies, and hiking.Latest posts by Brian Jackson (see all)

Note:

This guide assumes that you plan to download SQL Developer and run it as a freestanding tool.

For information about operating system versions supported for Oracle JDK 8, see http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/certconfig-2095354.html.

If you plan to use SQL Developer as part of an Oracle Database release installation, see the Oracle Database installation documentation. Starting with Oracle Database Release 19c, SQL Developer is no longer available with Oracle Database.

Please read the information in this chapter before you install Oracle SQL Developer. This chapter contains the following major sections:

1.1 SQL Developer System Recommendations

This section describes the recommended minimum values for CPU, memory, display, disk storage, and other resources on the supported systems.

Note:

SQL Developer requires JDK 8 or 9, which you can download from:

Table 1-1 Recommendations for Windows Systems

Resource	Recommended Minimum Value
Operating System	Windows Server 2008 Windows Server 2012 Windows 7 Windows 8 Windows 10
CPU Type and Speed	Pentium IV 2 GHz MHz or faster
Memory	2 GB RAM
Display	65536 colors, set to at least 1024 X 768 resolution
Hard Drive Space	500 MB if you already have JDK 8 110 MB if you do not have JDK 8
Java SDK	JDK 8 or 9 for Windows, available at: http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/index.html.

Table 1-2 Recommendations for Linux Systems

Resource	Recommended Minimum Value
Operating System	Oracle Linux 5.5 Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.5 SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10 SP2 Ubuntu Linux 10.04
CPU Type and Speed	Pentium IV 2 GHz or faster
Memory	2 GB RAM
Display	65536 colors, set to at least 1024 X 768 resolution
Hard Drive Space	110 MB
Java SDK	JDK 8 or 9 for Linux, available at: http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/index.html

Table 1-3 Recommendations for Mac OS X Systems

Resource	Recommended Minimum Value
Operating System	Apple Mac OS X Version 10.8.3
CPU Type and Speed	Dual 1.25 GHz G4/G5 (1 GHz G4 minimum)
Memory	2 GB RAM
Display	'Thousands' of colors
Hard Drive Space	110 MB
Java SDK	JDK 8 or 9

1.2 Installing and Starting SQL Developer

This section contains subsections with instructions for installing SQL Developer on all supported systems.

SQL Developer does not require an installer. To install SQL Developer, you will need an unzip tool. You can download a free, cross-platform unzip tool, Info-Zip, available at http://www.info-zip.org/.

Note:

Do not install SQL Developer into any existing ORACLE_HOME. You will not be able to uninstall it using Oracle Universal Installer.

Also, do not install SQL Developer into an existing sqldeveloper folder or directory. Either delete the existing sqldeveloper folder or directory first, or ensure that the new SQL Developer version is installed into a different location.

Note:

If you are using a prerelease (Early Adopter) version of SQL Developer, and if you want to be able to continue to use this prerelease version after installing the official release kit, you must unzip the official release kit into a different directory than the one used for the prerelease version.

If Oracle Database (Release 11 or later) is also installed, a version of SQL Developer is also included and is accessible through the menu system under Oracle. This version of SQL Developer is separate from any SQL Developer kit that you download and unzip on your own, so do not confuse the two, and do not unzip a kit over the SQL Developer files that are included with Oracle Database. Suggestion: Create a shortcut for the SQL Developer executable file that you install, and always use it to start SQL Developer.

Note:

Starting with Oracle Database Release 19c, SQL Developer is no longer available with Oracle Database.

Before you install SQL Developer, look at the remaining sections of this guide to see if you need to know or do anything else first.

The steps for installing SQL Developer depend on whether or not you will be using it on a Windows system that does not have Java SDK (JDK) release 7 or later installed:

• For a Windows system with JDK release 8 or later installed, follow the instructions in Windows Systems.

• For all other systems (Linux and Mac OS X systems, and Windows systems with no JDK release 8 or later installed), follow the instructions in Linux and Mac OS X Systems.

1.2.1 Windows Systems

If a Windows 64-bit SQL Developer file that includes JDK 8 is available, you can download and install that on a Windows 64-bit system, and SQL Developer will use the embedded JDK that is provided.

However, if you want to use a JDK on your Windows 64-bit system, you can install the JDK (if it is not already installed) and the Windows 32/64-bit SQL Developer file, and SQL Developer will use the JDK that is installed on your system. The bit level (32-bit or 64-bit) of the JDK that you install will determine if SQL Developer runs as a 32-bit or 64-bit application.

Note:

Do not install SQL Developer into an existing sqldeveloper folder. Either delete the existing sqldeveloper folder first, or ensure that the new SQL Developer version is installed into a different location.

To install on a Windows system, follow these steps:

1. Go to the Oracle Technology Network page for SQL Developer at http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/developer-tools/sql-developer/.

2. If you do not need or want to install a suitable Java Development Kit (JDK 8 or 9), go to step 3. Otherwise, download and install the JDK as follows:

   1. On the Java SE Development Kit 8 Downloads page (http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/jdk8-downloads-2133151.html), in the table of Java SE Development Kits, accept the Oracle Binary Code License Agreement for Java SE.

   2. Click the link for the download that you need (for example, the Windows x64 link for a Windows 64-bit system).

   3. Save the file anywhere on your system (such as a 'temp' folder).

   4. Install the JDK (for example, on Windows, double-click the .exe file name and follow the displayed instructions).

3. On the Oracle Technology Network page for SQL Developer at http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/developer-tools/sql-developer/, click the Downloads tab (next to Overview).

4. Read and accept the license agreement.

5. Follow the instructions for downloading and installing SQL Developer.

If you are asked to enter the full pathname for the JDK, click Browse and find it. For example, on a Windows system the path might have a name similar to C:Program FilesJavajdk1.8.0_51.

1. Unzip the SQL Developer file into a folder (directory) of your choice, which will be referred to as <sqldeveloper_install>. Ensure that the Use folder names option is checked when unzipping the file.

   Unzipping the SQL Developer file causes a folder named sqldeveloper to be created under the <sqldeveloper_install> folder. For example, if you unzip the file into C:, the folder C:sqldeveloper is created, along with several subfolders under it.

2. To start SQL Developer, go to <sqldeveloper_install>sqldeveloper, and double-click sqldeveloper.exe. On Linux systems, type sh sqldeveloper.sh.

If you are asked to enter the full pathname for the JDK, click Browse and find java.exe. For example, the path might have a name similar to C:Program FilesJavajdk1.8.0_51.

After SQL Developer starts, you can connect to any database by right-clicking the Connections node in the Connections Navigator and selecting New Connection. Alternatively, if you have any exported connections (see Migrating Information from Previous Releases or Uninstalling SQL Developer), you can import these connections and use them.

You can learn about SQL Developer by clicking Help, then Table of Contents, and reading the help topics under SQL Developer Concepts and Usage.

1.2.2 Linux and Mac OS X Systems

SQL Developer requires that JDK 8 or 9 be installed on the system. If you need to install a JDK, go to http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/jdk8-downloads-2133151.html.

Note:

Do not install SQL Developer into an existing sqldeveloper directory. Either delete the existing sqldeveloper directory first, or ensure that the new SQL Developer version is installed into a different location.

Note:

On Macintosh systems, a native Macintosh application in the form sqldeveloperxxx.tar.gz is provided. When it is expanded, it appears as a Macintosh application that can be put into the applications folder. If you choose to expand this file, it will replace any older sqldeveloper applications in that folder.

To install and start SQL Developer, follow these steps:

1. Unzip the SQL Developer kit into a directory (folder) of your choice. (Ensure that the Use folder names option is checked when unzipping the kit.) This directory location will be referred to as <sqldeveloper_install>.

   Unzipping the SQL Developer kit causes a directory named sqldeveloper to be created under the <sqldeveloper_install> directory. It also causes many files and directories to be placed in and under that directory.

2. To start SQL Developer, go to the sqldeveloper directory under the <sqldeveloper_install> directory, and run sh sqldeveloper.sh.

After SQL Developer starts, you can connect to any database by right-clicking the Connections node in the Connections Navigator and selecting New Connection. Alternatively, if you have any exported connections (see Migrating Information from Previous Releases or Uninstalling SQL Developer), you can import these connections and use them.

You can learn about SQL Developer by clicking Help, then Table of Contents, and reading the help topics under SQL Developer Concepts and Usage.

1.3 Migrating User Settings from a Previous Release

The first time you start SQL Developer after installing it or after adding any extensions, you are asked if you want to migrate your user settings from a previous release. (This occurs regardless of whether there was a previous release on your system.)

If you choose not to migrate your user settings and then later want to do so, go to the SQL Developer user preferences location, which is C:Users<user name>AppDataRoamingSQL Developersystemn.n.n.n.n for Windows and ~/.sqldeveloper/systemn.n.n.n.n for Linux or Mac, and delete the system.n.n.n.n folder. Then restart SQL Developer, and you will be asked about migrating settings from the previous release.

These settings refer to database connections, reports, and certain SQL Developer user preferences that you set in a previous version by clicking Tools and then Preferences. However, some user preferences are not saved, and you must respecify these using the new release.

To migrate user settings from a previous SQL Developer release:

1. Unzip the kit for the current release so as to create a new sqldeveloper directory.
2. When you start the SQL Developer current release, click Yes when asked if you want to migrate settings from a previous release.
3. In the dialog box that is displayed, you can accept the default option to migrate the settings from the most recent SQL Developer installation. Or, if you want to migrate the settings from an earlier installation, you can click to show all builds and then select the desired one.

Related Topics

1.4 Migrating Information from Previous Releases

If you have used a previous release of SQL Developer, you may want to preserve database connections that you have been using. To preserve database connections, save your existing database connections in an XML file. To save the connections, right-click the Connections node in the Connections Navigator and select Export Connections. After you complete the installation described in this guide, you can use those connections by right-clicking the Connections node in the Connections Navigator and selecting Import Connections.

If you want to use any user-defined reports or the SQL history from a previous version, see Location of User-Related Information for information about where these are located. If you have user-defined reports and SQL history from Release 1.0, they are modified by any later SQL Developer release to a format that is different from and incompatible with Release 1.0.

To migrate the SQL Developer preferences (specified by clicking Tools and then Preferences) from a previous release, ensure that the previous installation of the software is available in the same system.

Note:

If you want to uninstall your prerelease version of SQL Developer before installing this release, see Uninstalling SQL Developer.

1.5 Location of User-Related Information

SQL Developer stores user-related information in several places, with the specific location depending on the operating system and certain environment specifications. User-related information includes user-defined reports, user-defined snippets, SQL Worksheet history, code templates, and SQL Developer user preferences. In most cases, your user-related information is stored outside the SQL Developer installation directory hierarchy, so that it is preserved if you delete that directory and install a new version.

The user-related information is stored in or under the IDE_USER_DIR environment variable location, if defined; otherwise as indicated in Table 1-4, which shows the typical default locations (under a directory or in a file) for specific types of resources on different operating systems. (Note the period in the name of any directory named .sqldeveloper.)

Table 1-4 Default Locations for User-Related Information

Resource Type	System (Windows, Linux, or Mac OS X)
User-defined reports	Windows: C:Users<user-name>AppDataRoamingSQL DeveloperUserReports.xml Linux or Mac OS X: ~/.sqldeveloper/UserReports.xml
User-defined snippets	Windows: C:Users<user-name>AppDataRoamingSQL DeveloperUserSnippets.xml Linux: ~/.sqldeveloper/UserSnippets.xml Mac OS X: /Users/<Your user>/Library/Application Support/ SQLDeveloper/UserSnippets.xml
SQL history	Windows: C:Users<user-name>AppDataRoamingSQL DeveloperSqlHistory.xml Linux: ~/.sqldeveloper/SqlHistory.xml Mac OS X: /Users/<Your user>/Library/Application Support/ SQLDeveloper/ SqlHistory.xml
Code templates	Windows: C:Users<user-name>AppDataRoamingSQL Developer CodeTemplate.xml Linux: ~/.sqldeveloper/CodeTemplate.xml Mac OS X: /Users/<Your user>/Library/Application Support/ SQLDeveloper/ CodeTemplate.xml
SQL Developer user preferences	Windows: C:Users<user-name>AppDataRoamingSQL Developersystemn.n.n.n.n Linux or Mac OS X: ~/.sqldeveloper/systemn.n.n.n.n

If you want to prevent other users from accessing your user-specific SQL Developer information, you must ensure that the appropriate permissions are set on the directory where that information is stored or on a directory above it in the path hierarchy. For example, on a Windows system you may want to ensure that the SQL Developer folder and the <user-name>AppDataSQL Developer folder under Users are not sharable; and on a Linux or Mac OS X system you may want to ensure that the ~/.sqldeveloper directory is not world-readable.

1.6 Database Certification for SQL Developer (Oracle and Third-Party)

This section describes Oracle and non-Oracle (third-party) databases that are certified for use with SQL Developer.

Table 1-5 lists the Oracle database certifications.

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Table 1-5 Oracle Database Certification for SQL Developer

Product	Releases
Oracle Database	Oracle10g Oracle11g Oracle12c
Oracle Database Express Edition	Release 11.2

SQL Developer can be used to view metadata and data of several non-Oracle (third-party) databases. Table 1-6 lists the third-party database certifications.

Table 1-6 Non-Oracle (Third-Party) Database Certification for SQL Developer

Database	Releases	Notes
IBM DB2	DB2 UDB DB2 8.x DB2 9.x	For any DB2 release: db2jcc.jar and db2jcc_license_cu.jar files required; available from IBM.
Microsoft SQL Server	SQL Server 7 SQL Server 2000 SQL Server 2005 SQL Server 2008	For any Microsoft SQL Server release: JDBC driver jtds-1.2.jar required; included in jtds-1.2-dist.zip available from sourceforge.net; also available through Help, Check for Updates.
MySQL	MySQL 3.x MySQL 4.x MySQL 5.x	For any MySQL release: JDBC driver required. For MySQL 5.x: mysql-connector-java-5.0.4-bin.jar, which is included in mysql-connector-java-5.0.4.zip; also available through Help, Check for Updates. (Do not use the latest MySQL driver 5.1.)
Sybase Adaptive Server	Sybase 12 Sybase 15	For any Sybase Adaptive Server release: JDBC driver jtds-1.2.jar required; included in jtds-1.2-dist.zip available from sourceforge.net; also available through Help, Check for Updates.
Teradata	Teradata 12 Teradata 13	JDBC driver files tdgssconfig.jar and terajdbc4.jar required; included (along with a readme.txt file) in the TeraJDBC__indep_indep.12.00.00.110.zip or TeraJDBC__indep_indep.12.00.00.110.tar download.

Note:

If you need to use SQL Developer to migrate a Microsoft Access database. use the previous version of SQL Developer (4.0.3) and the 32-bit version of the Java 7 JDK.

For information about creating and using connections to third-party databases, see the information about database connections in the SQL Developer online help or Oracle SQL Developer User's Guide.

1.7 Advanced Security for JDBC Connection to the Database

You are encouraged to use Oracle Advanced Security to secure a JDBC connection to the database. Both the JDBC OCI and the JDBC Thin drivers support at least some of the Oracle Advanced Security features. If you are using the OCI driver, you can set relevant parameters in the same way that you would in any Oracle client setting. The JDBC Thin driver supports the Oracle Advanced Security features through a set of Java classes included with the JDBC classes in a Java Archive (JAR) file and supports security parameter settings through Java properties objects.

For more information about using Oracle Advanced Security, see Oracle Database JDBC Developer's Guide.

1.8 Finding SQL Developer Accessibility Information

For the latest configuration information or for information on addressing accessibility and assistive technology issues, see the Oracle Accessibility FAQ at http://www.oracle.com/us/corporate/accessibility/faqs/.

Also, check the SQL Developer release notes (readme.txt file) to see if there are any currently known issues regarding accessibility.

1.9 Using a Screen Reader and Java Access Bridge with SQL Developer

Note:

Unless otherwise indicated, the information is this section also applies to Data Modeler and Data Miner.

To make the best use of our accessibility features, Oracle Corporation recommends the following minimum configuration:

• Windows XP, Windows Vista

• Java 7 Update 6

  Java 7 Update 6 includes the Java Access Bridge. However, if you are using Java J2SE 1.6.0_24 or higher but before Java 7 Update 6, you must manually install Java Access Bridge 2.0.2 after you install the screen reader (if it is not already installed). Download Java Access Bridge for Windows version 2.0.2. The file you will download is accessbridge-2_0_2-fcs-bin-b06.zip. It is available from: http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/tech/index-jsp-136191.html (Refer to the Java Access Bridge documentation available from this website for more information about installation and the Java Access Bridge.)

• JAWS 12.0.522

Follow these steps to set up a screen reader and Java Access Bridge.

1. Install the screen reader, if it is not already installed.

   Refer to the documentation for your screen reader for more information about installation.

2. Install SQL Developer.

3. If you are using Java J2SE 1.6.0_24 or higher but before Java 7 Update 6, go to If You Need to Install Java Access Bridge and follow the instructions there.

4. Start your screen reader.

5. Start SQL Developer by running the file sqldeveloper.exe located in the folder <sqldev_home>sqldevelopersqldevbin.

The preceding steps assume you are running Windows and using a Windows-based screen reader. A console window that contains error information (if any) will open first and then the main SQL Developer window will appear, after SQL Developer has started. Any messages that appear will not affect the functionality of SQL Developer.

1.9.1 If You Need to Install Java Access Bridge

If you are using Java J2SE 1.6.0_24 or later but before Java 7 Update 6, you must manually install Java Access Bridge 2.0.2 after you install the screen reader (if it is not already installed).

1. Download Java Access Bridge for Windows version 2.0.2. The file you will download is accessbridge-2_0_2-fcs-bin-b06.zip. It is available from: http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/tech/index-jsp-136191.html.

   Refer to the Java Access Bridge documentation available from this website for more information about installation and the Java Access Bridge.

2. Extract (unzip) the contents to a folder, for example, accessbridge_home.
3. Install Java Access Bridge by running Install.exe from the <accessbridge_home>installer folder.

   The installer first checks the JDK version for compatibility, then the Available Java virtual machines dialog displays.

4. Click Search Disks. Then select to search only the drive that contains the SQL Developer build and the JDK version in the program files directory (if it exists).

   The search process can take a long time on a large disk with many instances of JDK or SQL Developer, or when searching multiple disks. However, unless you complete an exhaustive search of your disk, Access Bridge will not be optimally configured, and will not be correctly installed to all of the Java VMs on your system. After selecting the disk to search, click Search.

5. Confirm that you want to install the Java Access Bridge into each of the Java virtual machines displayed in the dialog, by clicking Install in All.
6. Click OK when you see the Installation Completed message.
7. Confirm that the following files have been installed in the WinntSystem32 directory (or the equivalent Windows XP or Vista directory), or copy them from <accessbridge_home>installerfiles because they must be in the system path in order to work with SQL Developer:

   Note that the system directory is required in the PATH system variable.

   Note:

   In the remaining steps in this section, if you are using the SQL Developer kit that does not include a JDK (that is, if the kit file name ends in -no-jre-zip), replace <sqldev_home> with <jdev_home>.

8. Confirm that the following files have been installed in the <sqldev_home>jdkjrelibext directory, or copy them from <accessbridge_home>installerfiles:

   Note:

   For Data Modeler, for this step and any remaining steps in this section that refer to <sqldev_home>, replace <sqldev_home> with <datamodeler_home>.

9. Confirm that the file accessibility.properties has been installed in the <sqldev_home>jdkjrelib directory, or copy it from <accessbridge_home>installerfiles.
10. Start your screen reader.
11. Start SQL Developer by running the file sqldeveloper.exe located in the folder <sqldev_home>sqldevelopersqldevbin.

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1.10 Uninstalling SQL Developer

Before you uninstall SQL Developer, if you plan to install SQL Developer (the same or an updated version) later, you may want to save your existing database connections; and if so, see Migrating Information from Previous Releases before uninstalling.

To uninstall SQL Developer, remove the entire SQL Developer installation directory (that is, the directory named sqldeveloper and all directories and files under it in the hierarchy).

If you also want to remove all user-specific SQL Developer information, you should also delete the directory under which that information is stored (that is, the SQL Developer user information directory). For the location of this directory, see Location of User-Related Information.

If you have created a shortcut for SQL Developer, and if you do not plan to install SQL Developer into the same location again, you should remove that shortcut or modify the shortcut properties to reflect the new location.

1.11 SQL Developer Documentation

SQL Developer provides user documentation in the Oracle SQL Developer User's Guide and in the online help. To see the help, click the Help menu, or click the Help button or press the F1 key in relevant contexts while you are using SQL Developer.

1.12 Oracle on the Web

Sql Developer Tool

Oracle provides a number of resources on the web. These are some sites you may find helpful:

Sql Developer Tool Download

• SQL Developer home page (OTN): http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/developer-tools/sql-developer/

• SQL Developer discussion forum (OTN): https://community.oracle.com/community/database/developer-tools/sql_developer

• Oracle Technology Network (OTN): http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/index.html

• PL/SQL page on OTN: http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/database/features/plsql/

• Oracle Accessibility Program: http://www.oracle.com/us/corporate/accessibility/

• Oracle Corporate site: http://www.oracle.com/