DuckDB has enhanced its user experience with the introduction of a new web-based user interface in the v1.2.1 release. This addition brings graphical interaction capabilities to the analytical database system, making it more accessible to users who prefer visual interfaces over command-line operations.
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Azure Data Studio is Being Retired: Microsoft Recommends Transitioning to Visual Studio Code
As an Azure Data Studio user, I was surprised when an alert popped up informing me that Azure Data Studio (ADS) is being retired on February 28, 2026. The message included a link to Microsoft’s recent announcement.
Microsoft now recommends we transition to Visual Studio Code (VS Code) instead.
Continue reading2 Ways to Check the Compatibility Level in Oracle (SQLcl & SQL*Plus)
Here are two ways you can use SQLcl or SQL*Plus to check your Oracle Database compatibility level.
Continue reading2 Ways to Format your Query Results in SQLcl (Oracle)
When using SQLcl to run queries against Oracle Database, you can specify the output of the query results using the following two options:
- The
SET SQLFORMATcommand - Add a comment shortcut to your query
SQLcl Formatting Options (Oracle)
When using SQLcl to query Oracle Database, you can use the SET SQLFORMAT command to determine the format of the results.
You can also use inline comments to specify the format from directly within your query.
Continue readingHow to Export Query Results to a CSV File in SQL Developer (Oracle)
You can do this to export your query results to a CSV file when using SQL Developer to query Oracle Database.
Continue readingHow to Install Windows 10 on an M1 Mac for Free
In 2020, Apple introduced Mac computers with Apple silicon, with the first chip being the Apple M1.
This was a major change, and it affected many third party applications to the point where they simply don’t run on the M1 Mac.
One application that doesn’t run on M1 Macs is VirtualBox. Prior to the M1 Mac, we could use VirtualBox to install Windows on our Mac. VirtualBox is a free virtualisation application that enables you to install virtual machines (with other operating systems) on your Mac.
Fortunately, there’s a free alternative to VirtualBox – UTM.
Continue readingSET SQLBLANKLINES: How to Allow Blank Lines in SQLcl & SQL*Plus
If you’re trying to run a multi-line query in SQLcl or SQL*Plus, and you keep getting an error such as “Unknown Command”, but running it in SQL Developer causes no such error, maybe this post will help.
By default, SQLcl and SQL*Plus don’t allow blank lines in SQL statements. However, you can change this with the SET SQLBLANKLINES command.
SET NULL: Specify a String to Return Whenever a Null Value Occurs in SQLcl / SQL*Plus
SQLcl and SQL*Plus are command line interfaces for working with Oracle Database.
By default, they return an empty string whenever null occurs as a result of a SQL SELECT statement.
However, you can use SET NULL to specify a different string to be returned. Here I specified that the string null should be returned.
How to Configure Syntax Highlighting in SQLcl
Starting with SQLcl version 21.2, we can now configure SQLcl for syntax highlighting.
That means that the code you write in SQLcl can be color coded, based on the syntax highlighting rules you apply.
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