Easy-to-use development environment for MySQL
Toad for MySQL is a handy, free Windows program, that belongs to the category Development software with subcategory Database.
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Summary
Toad Software Free Download
When I first started using TOAD, about 18 months ago, I thought that it was a handy GUI tool that gave me a better development environment than the standard Oracle front-ends did. Now, however, I consider TOAD to be an irreplaceable tool in my daily work as a database consultant. Although I come from a command line background, and still prefer to use UNIX to windows any day of the week, I find more and more that I am at a loss without TOAD.
TOAD provides so much functionality that it is difficult to summarize into a short review of this nature. It provides a development environment with hooks into Oracle's debugger and code profiler. It provides DBA utilities such as SGA tracing and system monitoring. It provides useful utilities such as ftp and telnet so that you do not have to leave your development environment to manage files. It can monitor your database or server and send you e-mail alerts if things go wrong.
TOAD has grown from a nice-to-have to an essential product. If you do not have TOAD yet, get it. Usefulness to DBA |
Usefulness to developers |
Functionality, how much does it do |
User interface, intuitive/friendly |
Software quality, integrity, robustness |
Documentation quality and scope |
Technical support availability |
Value for money |
Ease of integration with other tools and systems |
Overall rating |
History
TOAD was originally written by an Oracle developer in order to make his own life easier. He called it 'Tool for Oracle Application Developers', TOAD for short. The tool was so useful that he made it available first as shareware and later as freeware, and distributed it freely over the Internet. As the user base grew, so did the effort of maintenance and development. In order to be able to devote sufficient resources to the project, the author joined Quest Software, where the application has continued to mature and develop.
This updated review is based on the current production release of the commercial version, release 7.3. There is also still a freeware version available, (release 6.3) but this has more limited functionality. (See http://www.toadsoft.com for features not in the free version.)
Supported Operating Systems and Versions
TOAD runs on all 32-bit Windows platforms, including Windows 95, 98, NT, 2000 and XP. Hardware requirements are such that if you can run the operating system, TOAD will probably run. Your need Oracle 32-bit SQL*Net and Oracle version 7.3.4 or later. Unfortunately there is no support for any non-Microsoft environment
Installation
Installation of the product is very straightforward. The only issue that needs to be resolved is the type of installation that is required, server or client. The installation does not put shared files all over the system, but keeps all the files that form part of the package in the specified directory. This makes maintenance much easier. It is necessary to have the Oracle client (or at least the networking components) installed before using TOAD.
What it does
TOAD makes daily life with Oracle less painful. In the Oracle world, friendly user interfaces have never been over abundant. TOAD addresses this gap in the Oracle tool-set by providing a first-rate user environment. There are three main components to the TOAD interface - a Database Browser, a SQL Editor and a PL/SQL Procedure Editor. To aid the process of developing SQL, there is also a SQL Modeller window, which provides a graphical drag-and-drop environment for generating SQL code, based on a relationship diagram. For the DBA there is also a wealth of functionality in the application. There are wizard interfaces into some of Oracle's own tools, such as Import and SQL*Loader, as well as tools to help manage almost every aspect of the database - from creating a new database, through creating and cloning users to monitoring sessions and the SGA.
Problems Solved
This product does not so much solve problems as change the way in which one works. There is no excuse for spending hours writing and debugging SQL and PL/SQL by hand using SQL*Plus and Notepad when TOAD provides everything that is expected from a modern development environment.
TOAD does not let you do much that you could not do directly through the standard Oracle tools, but it does provide a single environment where you are able to do those things a lot faster and with far fewer mistakes. It also presents the information in a graphical manner where this is appropriate, giving a quick visual indication of the state of things. With the introduction of some of the newer features, such as the FTP interface, there is little reason now to go outside of TOAD for anything.
Who should use it?
Anyone who has to interact directly with an Oracle database should seriously consider using TOAD. This tool started life as product to make life easier for its original author. As the user community has grown and requested enhancements, these have been included into the product. As a result TOAD now includes the features that Oracle users require, rather than simply those that are easy to code or related to the current set of buzzwords. The product has so many features that it will be useful to users at all levels. For developers there are the obvious features such as the PL/SQL debugger and SQL Editor. For Data Administrators there is the Database Browser and for DBAs there is a whole range of utilities, from a 'New Database' wizard to SGA optimisation.
Competitive products
See the comparison table, which compares TOAD and other SQL development toolsRapidSQL - Embarcadero ( Orafaq review )
SQLNavigator - Quest ( Orafaq review )
SQL Programmer 2001 for Oracle - BMC (recently purchased from Sylvain Faust) ( Orafaq review )
ManageIT SQL-Station - CA (Computer Associates)
Expediter/SQL - Compuware
PL/SQL Developer - Allround Automation ( Orafaq review )
Procedure Builder - Oracle (part of Developer package)
Golden, PL Edit, GoldView, GoldLoad - Benthic Software (shareware)
EZSQL - John Dorlon( Orafaq review )
Keeptool (Hora, ER-Diagrammer, PL/SQL-Debugger)
Procedit - OraSoft (one of the only options for Linux, under LGPL)
KORA (by Ullrich Wagner, the other alternative for Linux)
Detailed review
It is impossible to describe all the features of TOAD in this article. Instead, I will show how the tool can help in almost every step of a development project. Before starting your development you will need a database to develop against. The 'New Database' wizard will help here, creating a set of scripts that can be run to create a database of a given size and specification. TOAD supports creating databases on both UNIX and Windows servers.
After creating the database, it is necessary to build the schema. This can be done by extracting a schema definition from an existing production database using the 'Generate Schema Script' window. The resulting script can be run against the new database to create the development schema.
To populate the schema, either use Oracle's own EXP and IMP utilities (through the wizard front end of TOAD to extract the data) or use TOAD's own ability to extract the data into a set of INSERT statements. If the production database is too large for transferring completely, use the 'Data Subset' wizard to extract a subset of the data while retaining the referential integrity defined on the data.
It is now possible to start the development. There are tools for building new database objects, as well as for modifying existing ones. There is a SQL Modeller for generating SQL from a graphical drag-and-drop environment. There is a SQL Editor for editing SQL by hand. There is a Database Browser for investigating the database structure as well as allowing the user to directly edit the data in the tables. There is a PL/SQL Procedure Editor for developing, debugging and profiling PL/SQL code. There is also simple access to a well laid out Explain Plan window, and with the Xpert Tuning option, also access to a robust performance-tuning environment.
Any questions that need answering during the development cycle can be looked up in the integrated Knowledge Xpert for PL/SQL or Knowledge Xpert for Oracle Administration. Although this is an extra cost option it is very useful, holding information and tips from some of the leading Oracle experts.
Once the SQL code has been written, tested and tuned, it needs to be incorporated into the front-end development language of your choice. With a single mouse click, the SQL can be wrapped in syntactically correct code for a number of development languages, including Delphi and VB. TOAD interfaces with a number of Source Code Control systems, ensuring that changes are implemented in a controlled manner.
The sizes of any new tables created can be estimated through a simple window that calculates average sizes for data in the table.The schema changes that have been made during the development can be identified using the 'Compare Schemas' window. This will not only list the changes that have been made, but will also generate a SQL script to make the updates on the production database.
While this is going on, the DBA is able to monitor the Production database, with alerts being sent via e-mail whenever a configured threshold is crossed. Regular health checks can also be scheduled on multiple databases. The DBA also has all the necessary tools to monitor capacity usage on the database, and even to monitor the UNIX server on which the database is running.
There are so many other tools and features that the only way you will get a true feel for the product is to download a trial version and give it a go. Adobe photoshop album 2.0 starter edition.
Shortcomings
There are a few limitations in TOAD as it currently stands. It does not support all of the latest Oracle functionality for example ANSI join syntax, or some of the lesser-used functionality such as clusters (Tables can be added to clusters which exist, but there is no create cluster dialog). Java stored code editing is also still on the futures list, and I have not managed to find a way of testing a database link (other than through the SQL Edit window).Cost and where to buy
Download a 30 day free trial of TOAD here
The TOAD Standard Edition costs $795, plus $530 for the Debugger module including 12 months maintenance and support.
If you require some of the more advanced features (such as the DBA module or the integrated Knowledge Xperts), they are available as extra cost options. There are also discounted bundles for the most common options. Details of this as well as the current prices and ordering details can be obtained from Quest Software. Contact them at www.quest.com or telephone them at one of the following numbers:
- Quest Software USA:949 754 8000
- Quest Software UK:+44 1628 601000
- Quest Software Germany:+49-211-770967-0
- Quest Software Australia:+61 3 9811 8000
About the Author
Andrew Deighton has been working with Oracle databases for over 10 years. He is a senior database consultant at Phaldor IT Solutions. He has presented papers at several Oracle User Group meetings, and also provides training in Oracle DBA and Development topics. He can be contacted at [email protected] He has no connection with Quest Software, apart from being a user of TOAD.Can you write reviews and articles like this one? Why not become an editor or reviewer for the Oracle FAQ? Find out how you can make money, get noticed and advance your career click here
Original author(s) | Jim McDaniel |
---|---|
Developer(s) | Quest Software |
Written in | Various (depending on the database used) |
Type | Database management tools |
License | Proprietary |
Website | https://www.quest.com/toad/ |
Toad is a database management toolset from Quest Software that database developers, database administrators, and data analysts use to manage both relational and non-relational databases using SQL. There are Toad products for developers and DBAs, which run on Oracle, SQL Server, IBM DB2 (LUW & z/OS), SAP and MySQL, as well as, a Toad product for data preparation, which supports most data platforms. Toad solutions enable data professionals to automate processes, minimize risks, and cut project delivery timelines.[promotional language]
History[edit]
Jim McDaniel (aka 'TOADman'), a practicing Oracle DBA, originally designed Toad for his own use in the mid-1990s.[1] He called it Tool for Oracle Application Developers: 'TOAD' for short. McDaniel made the tool available to others first as shareware and later as freeware, distributing it freely over the Internet.
As the user base grew, so did the effort of maintenance and development. Finally, McDaniel realized that he could no longer dedicate substantial amounts of time to the growing quantity of software enhancement requests.
Quest Software, established in 1987, acquired TOAD in October 1998.[2] Quest Software was acquired by Dell in 2012 to form Dell Software.[3][4] In June 2016, Dell announced the sale of their software division, including the Quest business, to Francisco Partners and Elliott Management Corporation.[5] On October 31, 2016, the sale was finalized. On November 1, 2016, the sale of Dell Software to Francisco Partners and Elliott Management was completed, and the company re-launched as Quest Software.[6] Toad products are currently part of the Quest Software portfolio.
Features[edit]
- Connection Manager - Allow users to connect natively to the vendor’s database whether on-premise or DBaaS.
- Browser - Allow users to browse all the different database/schema objects and their properties effective management.
- Editor - A way to create and maintain scripts and database code with debugging and integration with source control.
- Unit Testing (Oracle) - Ensures code is functionally tested before it is released into production.
- Static code review (Oracle) - Ensures code meets required quality level using a rules-based system.
- SQL Optimization - Provides developers with a way to tune and optimize SQL statements and database code without relying on a DBA. Advanced optimization enables DBAs to tune SQL effectively in production.
- Scalability testing and database workload replay - Ensures that database code and SQL will scale properly before it gets released into production.
Books[edit]
- Toad Pocket Reference for Oracle plsql 1st Edition by Jim McDaniel and Patrick McGrath, O'Reilly, 2002 (ISBN0596003374, ISBN978-0-596-00337-1)
- Toad Pocket Reference for Oracle 2nd Edition by Jeff Smith, Bert Scalzo, and Patrick McGrath, O'Reilly, 2005 (ISBN0596009712, ISBN978-0-596-00971-7)
- TOAD Handbook by Bert Scalzo and Dan Hotka, Sams, 2003 (ISBN0672324865, ISBN978-0-672-32486-4)
- TOAD Handbook 2nd Edition by Bert Scalzo and Dan Hotka, Addison-Wesley Professional, 2009 (ISBN0321649109, ISBN978-0-321-64910-2).
References[edit]
- ^Scalzo, Bert; Hotka, Dan (February 2003). Toad Handbook. Developer's Library. Jim McDaniel. Sams Publishing. p. xiv. ISBN978-0-672-32486-4. Retrieved 2013-10-23.
I've been working on TOAD now for more than six years. Or has it been seven?
- ^'Quest Software's Acquisitions'. Dell Inc. Archived from the original on 2012-02-03. Retrieved 2013-03-05.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
- ^'Dell to Acquire Quest Software'. www.businesswire.com. Retrieved 2017-11-30.
- ^'Quest Software, its Toad tool leaping over to Dell'. SearchOracle. Retrieved 2017-12-06.
- ^Miller, Ron. 'Confirmed: Dell sells software division to Francisco Partners and Elliott Management'. TechCrunch. Retrieved 2017-11-30.
- ^'Quest Launches as an Independent Software Company Backed by Francisco Partners and Elliott Management'. www.businesswire.com. Retrieved 2017-11-30.
External links[edit]
- Quest Software Toad company website
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