Describe
The Oracle DESCRIBE command reports the attributes, methods and arguments of an object type. The SQL Navigator Describe command works with more objects than does the SQL*Plus version of the command. You can describe not only procedures, functions, packages, synonyms, and object types, but also tables, indexes, clusters and objects.
To open the Describe window
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| DB Navigator | Right click the object in DB Navigator and select Describe. |
| Project Manager | Right click the object in Project Manager and select Describe. |
| Code Editor | Right click the object in Code Editor and select Describe Object at Cursor. |
| Shortcut | Ctrl+F3 |
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TIP: To keep the existing Describe window open while opening additional Describe windows, click the Pin toolbar icon in the Describe window. Set the default pin behavior in View | Preferences | General | User Interface.
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Tips to use the Describe window
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A quick way to construct a SELECT statement |
To drag column names into the Select statement
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Describe Command or Auto Describe Tool
Use either the Describe command or the Auto Describe Tool to describe an object
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Auto Describe Tool |
Automatically see a description of any object you select. A dockable Describe window opens and stays on top of the application window. As you select various objects you will automatically see a description of the selected object in the Auto Describe window. |
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Object | Describe |
Click the Describe command on the Object menu whenever needed. It opens a describe window for a single selected object and will not update automatically when you select another object. |