Print text in Oracle SQL Developer SQL Worksheet window

Question

I am using Oracle SQL (in SQLDeveloper, using the SQL Worksheet). I would like to print a statement before my select, such as

PRINT 'Querying Table1';
SELECT * from Table1;

What do I use to Print / show text output? It's not Print, because that gives me the error: Bind Variable Table1 is NOT DECLARED. DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE is an unknown command. (Obviously, I'm an inexperienced SQLDeveloper and Oracle user. There must be some synonym for Print, but I'm having trouble finding help on it without knowing what it is.)

Solution 1

for simple comments:

set serveroutput on format wrapped;
begin
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put_line('simple comment');
end;
/

-- do something

begin
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put_line('second simple comment');
end;
/

you should get:

anonymous block completed
simple comment

anonymous block completed
second simple comment

if you want to print out the results of variables, here's another example:

set serveroutput on format wrapped;
declare
a_comment VARCHAR2(200) :='first comment';
begin
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put_line(a_comment);
end;

/

-- do something


declare
a_comment VARCHAR2(200) :='comment';
begin
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put_line(a_comment || 2);
end;

your output should be:

anonymous block completed
first comment

anonymous block completed
comment2

Solution 2

PROMPT text to print

Note: must use Run as Script (F5) not Run Statement (Ctl + Enter)

Solution 3

You could set echo to on:

set echo on
REM Querying table
select * from dual;

In SQLDeveloper, hit F5 to run as a script.

Solution 4

The main answer left out a step for new installs where one has to open up the dbms output window.

Then the script I used:

dbms_output.put_line('Start');

---

Another script:

set serveroutput on format wrapped;
begin
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put_line('jabberwocky');
end;

Solution 5

You could put your text in a select statement such as...

SELECT 'Querying Table1' FROM dual;

View more solutions

Comments

[geographika]

First line set serveroutput on format wraped; should be set serveroutput on format WRAPPED;

[dwjohnston]

I can't get this to work. set serveroutput on format word_wrapped; begin dbms_output.put_line('hello world'); end; select * from dual Gives me: select * from dual; Error report: ORA-06550: line 7, column 1: PLS-00103: Encountered the symbol "SELECT" 06550. 00000 - "line %s, column %s:\n%s" *Cause: Usually a PL/SQL compilation error. *Action

[thursdaysgeek]

I had accepted this as an answer, but I see another answer has a lot more points, so I changed my accept to that. However, this did work for me, and it's a good answer.

[Bruno Ranschaert]

In newer versions of SQL Developer you first have to open the DBMS Output window using the topleven menu bar: View > Dbms Output.

[David Mann]

could've but the screen shot and no text, would have been a +1 haha

[sunlover3]

This is so useful. Thanks!

[Pascal R.]

Works for me with Run Statement (Ctl + Enter) too.