SQL Developer Quick Tip – Leading Comma Formatting

Some folks find this hard to read

SELECT a,
       b,
       c,
       d,
       e
FROM TABLE;

If your computed column code or column names are very long, they’ll often trail off the edge of the viewable screen. If you’re missing a comma somewhere, you’re bound to run up against an ORA-. You want to know right away WHERE you’re missing the separator.

I covered this ‘debate’ earlier in ‘Trailing or Leading Commmas.’ If you would like to get your code to FORMAT with leading commas in SQL Developer, here’s how to do it.

before_commas_formatting — Commas come first!

Open the SQL Developer Preferences
Expand the Database Page
Select SQL Formatting – Oracle Formatting
Hit the ‘Edit’ button
Under ‘Line Breaks’, toggle ‘Before Comma’
Format your code, and voila!

But Wait, How Do I Invoke the Formatter?

Mouse-right-click in the worksheet or Ctrl+F7

When in doubt, right-click :) — When in doubt, right-click 🙂

SELECT name 'Parameter'
,
  VALUE 'Value'
,
  update_comment 'Comment'
,
  DECODE(TYPE,1,'Boolean',2,' String',3,'Integer',4,'Parameter file',5,'Reserved',6,'Big integer') 'Type'
,
  description 'Description'
,
  DECODE(ISDEFAULT,'TRUE','No','FALSE','Yes') 'Modified'
,
  DECODE(isinstance_modifiable,'TRUE','Yes','No') 'Dynamic'
,
  DECODE(ISBASIC,'TRUE','Yes','No') 'Basic'
FROM V$SYSTEM_PARAMETER Paramter
WHERE name LIKE '%process%'
ORDER BY 1;