| The TOAD world has expanded significantly since its humble freeware beginnings. And at times it can be a bit confusing as to what's available. Essentially, TOAD has configurations and optional add-ons. That's it. TOAD configurations are simply the predefined marketing bundles for various levels of product functionality, whereas add-ons are features or products that can be bundled with a TOAD configuration for an additional cost. But people interpret the terms "add-ons" and "configurations" as being synonymous, so confusion can result. It's sort of like buying a new automobile. TOAD configurations are much like factory special packages, whereas TOAD add-ons are more like the individual options that can be chosen separate from or along with the factory special packages. Quest Software currently offers TOAD in the following predefined configurations (note that these have been known to change/ evolve over time or for special marketing promotions): -
TOAD Freeware ” Free, limited-functionality version of TOAD for use by up to five users within an organization. It expires (times out) every 60 days and can be downloaded for no charge at www.toadsoft.com/lic_agree.html. Note that Quest Software offers no support or documentation for the freeware product. -
TOAD Standard Edition ” The premier PL/SQL development and database management tool. It includes Formatter Plus for PL/SQL, which provides expert code formatting, syntax checking, reviews, code profiling, and best practice recommendations. -
TOAD Professional Edition ” Includes all the features of TOAD Standard Edition, plus a seamlessly integrated PL/SQL debugger. The debugger provides developers with state-of-the-art features, including simple breakpoints, conditional breakpoints, variable watching, variable setting, call stacks, and much more. -
TOAD Xpert Edition ” Includes all the features of TOAD Professional Edition, plus integration with SQLab Xpert tuning functionality. SQLab Xpert provides a world-class SQL tuning workbench with automatic tuning and database structural advice, elevating any DBA or developer to the status of SQL tuning guru. -
TOAD Suite ” Includes all the features of TOAD Xpert Edition, plus the additional Quest Software products of Data Factory, Benchmark Factory for Oracle, and QDesigner Physical Architect. Essentially this configuration is just TOAD Xpert Edition with some external add-on products bundled in as well. Quest Software currently offers the following TOAD add-ons (note that these also have been known to change as new modules emerge or additional products become formally integrated with TOAD): -
Formatter Plus for PL/SQL ” Provides expert code formatting, syntax checking, reviews, profiling, and best practice recommendations. -
PL/SQL Debugger ” Provides developers with state-of-the-art features, including simple breakpoints, conditional breakpoints, variable watching, variable setting, call stacks, and much more. -
Knowledge Xpert for PL/SQL ” Provides a treasure chest of world-class PL/SQL knowledge, expertise, and best practices at your fingertips. Includes online documentation, sample scripts, and the PL/Vision code library with over a thousand useful functions and procedures. -
Knowledge Xpert for Oracle Administration ” Provides a treasure chest of world-class DBA knowledge, expertise, and best practices. Includes online documentation, sample scripts, and utilities for database analysis and reverse-engineering . -
Quest DBA Module for TOAD ” Adds numerous additional menus , windows , and utilities to TOAD for performing DBA related and privileged tasks . Elevates TOAD from primarily a developer's tool to a complete DBA's management console, on a par with Oracle Enterprise Manager (OEM). -
Benchmark Factory ” Provides customizable, industry-standard benchmark test construction and execution for load-testing your databases. Helps you to find your bottlenecks and design flaws before deployment and going live. -
Data Factory ” Provides intelligent , synthetic data generation for easily populating test and development databases. Allows developers and QA personnel to focus on the application's functional correctness and adherence to business requirements. -
SQLab Xpert Tuning ” Provides a world-class SQL tuning workbench with automatic tuning and database structural advice, elevating any DBA or developer to the status of SQL tuning guru. -
QDesigner ” Provides world-class ERD-based, physical data modeling. QDesigner can completely forward- and reverse-engineer database designs, with support for over 30 popular database platforms. In this chapter, we briefly show some of the many add-ons for TOAD, but we do not cover all of the capabilities of these programs. If you find something of interest in this chapter, go to the Quest Web site or call a Quest sales rep for more information. |
