			OSQL
	      ORACLE Visual SQL Query Tool

---------------------------------------------------------------
	   Copyright (c) 1996 - POSC
	  Dan R. Schenck (schenck@posc.org)
---------------------------------------------------------------


CONTENTS
-----------

		%%hyperhelp_link "INTRODUCTION" Osql.intro Intro%%

		%%hyperhelp_link "COMMAND LINE OPTIONS" Osql.intro Opt%%

		%%hyperhelp_link "ENVIRONMENT VARIABLE SETTINGS" Osql.intro Env%%

		%%hyperhelp_link "GENERAL TOOL LAYOUT" Osql.intro Layout%%

		%%hyperhelp_link "PL/SQL TOOL LAYOUT" Osql.plsql%%

		%%hyperhelp_link "EXCEPTIONAL CONDITIONS" Osql.intro Execpt%%

%%hyperhelp_mark Intro%%
INTRODUCTION
----------------

Osql is a tool for executing interactive SQL queries against an
ORACLE database.

In addition to allowing the entry of adhoc SQL commands, Osql
has knowledge of ORACLE database objects such as tables, views,
indexes and procedures.  Information about these objects can be
displayed by choosing items from the %%
hyperhelp_link "Objects" Osql.menu Objects%% button of the
%%hyperhelp_link "menu bar" Osql.menu%%.

%%hyperhelp_mark Opt%%
COMMAND LINE OPTIONS
--------------------------

Osql has the following optional command line arguments:

	-u userid	Userid to log in to ORACLE with.  If
			a userid is given, the correct password
			must also be given.  Otherwise, an
			incorrect login will result and a login
			window will be presented for correct
			userid/password entry.

	-p password	Password to log in to ORACLE with.  Not
			valid without corresponding -u
			argument.

	-i inputfile	File name of SQL commands to execute
			after initial log in.

%%hyperhelp_mark Env%%
ENVIRONMENT VARIABLE SETTINGS
-------------------------------------

Osql always links to the ORACLE instance pointed to by the
TWO_TASK environment variable. If TWO_TASK is not set, osql
cannot connect to ORACLE.

%%hyperhelp_mark Layout%%
GENERAL TOOL LAYOUT
-------------------------

LOGIN WINDOW

If the -u and -p command line arguments are omitted or are
incorrect, the user will be presented with a login window
requesting a userid and password.  Hitting the <Tab> key 
in the userid field changes input focus to the password
field.

A login will be attempted if the user hits <Return> in the
password field or presses the "Ok" button.

The login process may be canceled with the "Cancel" button.

MAIN APPLICATION WINDOW

  -Title Bar-
  The main application window is titled "OSQL to [TWO_TASK]
  as [userid]", where:

	[TWO_TASK]	=	Value of TWO_TASK environ-
				ment variable.

	[userid]		=	Userid that is connected to
				the ORACLE server.

  -Menu Bar-
  The main window has a %%
  hyperhelp_link "menu bar" Osql.menu%% with the following menu
  buttons:

	%%hyperhelp_link " File " Osql.menu File%%

	%%hyperhelp_link " Props " Osql.menu Props%%

	%%hyperhelp_link " DB Options " Osql.menu Options%%

	%%hyperhelp_link " Objects " Osql.menu Objects%%

	%%hyperhelp_link " Help " Osql.menu Help%%

  -Button Bar-
  The next frame of the main window has an "Execute SQL" button
  that, when pressed, causes the text in the SQL statement text
  entry area to be executed.  Each execution of a SQL statement
  causes the creation of a %%
  hyperhelp_link "Results Window" Osql.results%% which holds the output
  returned from the ORACLE server.

  If a SQL file has been loaded or saved using the menu options,
  the name of the current save file is shown to the right of the
  "Execute SQL" button.

  -SQL Text Entry Area-
  The bottom area of the window is a text entry area for entering
  SQL statements.  Statements may be typed into the entry area or
  they may be loaded from a file by using the "Load" option of the
  %%
  hyperhelp_link "File" Osql.menu File%% menu or by typing in the first word of the entry area a valid 
  file name immediately preceded by "@" (e.g. @my_query.sql), 
  then executing the query.

  Text is always word wrapped for a pleasing display, but newlines
  are not automatically inserted as words are wrapped.

  Text may contain SQLPlus comments and commands which will
  be ignored on execution.  An exception is the presence of
  a substitution variable, which is designated by any number
  of leading ampersands (i.e. - &low_val).  Upon execution,
  the user will be prompted for the value of any substitution
  variables in the SQL text.  To use an ampersand in the SQL
  statement, escape it with a backslash.  

  Special %%
  hyperhelp_link "key bindings" Osql.bindings%% are available to assist in editing and
  submitting SQL text for execution, as well as moving backward
  and forward through a history list of previously executed
  queries.  The heading of the text entry area shows what the
  number of the current query is and how many queries are in
  the buffer.

  Text in the SQL text entry area may be saved to a file using the
  "Save" option of the %%
  hyperhelp_link "File" Osql.menu File%% menu.

%%hyperhelp_mark Execpt%%
EXCEPTIONAL CONDITIONS
-------------------------

Errors returned from ORACLE are displayed in a message window
that may be dismissed with an "OK" button.  The error messages
are also written to stderr.


If more than 5,000 lines or 5,000,000 characters will be returned
to the user by an ORACLE query, the output will not be displayed
in the normal manner and the user will be given the option of
storing the unformatted results into a file.

