Question

I have an Oracle query which works fine when I use the command window but does not in an SQL window.

I use Pl/SQL Developer so the command window is like the DOS window.

The query is as follows:

SELECT EMPLOYEE_ID, FIRST_NAME, &&COLS 
FROM EMPLOYEE
ORDER BY &COLS;

So is the error prompted by PL/SQL Developer? Should I use another tool rather than PL/SQL Developer?

Answer 1

The variable substition using the ampersand is a mechanism that’s neither part of SQL nor of PL/SQL. It’s an extension of SQLplus. The same extension are implemented by Oracle’s SQL Developer.

As far as I know, these extension are not implemented by Allround Automations’ PL/SQL Developer.