8
votes

I've used and loved Toad for years, but I switched jobs and loaded Toad 10 and it's a disaster. Besides what I consider numerous look-and-feel degradations, I'm getting access violations out the wazoo, and it's not playing nice with Windows 7:

Despite many hours with Quest support and the fact that I'm using an evaluation copy and they should be motivated by cash, they have not been able to resolve the basic issues of being able to log onto our databases, when SQLDeveloper has no problem.

Should I just bite the bullet and learn SQLDeveloper?

4
  • 1
    If SQLDeveloper works and the manufacturer of Toad can't make things work, then, yes, it's probably time to move on. Jun 29, 2010 at 21:00
  • 1
    While researching alternate tools, you might find these StackOverflow questions helpful: Alternatives to Toad, What do you use to write and edit stored procedures in Oracle, SQL Query tools
    – DOK
    Jul 3, 2010 at 15:36
  • I will add that I have found Quest support a touch tardy and lacking. May not quite be what you are looking for but could you run toad in XP mode under windows 7 possibly?
    – user35213
    Aug 12, 2010 at 12:53
  • Tim, I think it's mainly the permissions in my Windows 7 user directories, which Toad and Oracle insist on installing themselves in. So I'm not sure XP mode would help, but I might give it a try.
    – orbfish
    Aug 13, 2010 at 15:30

2 Answers 2

3
votes

I have used Toad since 2001, (maybe version 7.3) and keep it high as my favorite tool for oracle related work. I'm no DBA, but a developer. The biggest change, I think, came with version 9, when they left behind the old code base (i think it was developed in Delphi, or C++. ), and started writing on .NET Naturally, lot's of bugs and crashes in the early 9.xx versions. After some time, most of them were fixed, stable version came, and the process of "enriching" continued. On version 10.xx I saw some substantials changes in the look-and-feel. different data grids, different filtering, different editor. Along came new signs of un-stableness. I installed v.10.5 and deinstalled it after 2 days.

I'm happy with the 9.75 version, which is pretty stable, and very rich in features (70% of which I dubt I use), thank you very much. I'll wait one more year for 10.x to mature, and maybe then, if I have time, I'll give it another try. That's my advice. Keep using 9.7x and you'll be just fine, if you dont want to learn some new tool to do the same (or, less work).

On the other hand, I bet my (whatever), that 95% of Oracle DBA's and PL/SQL developers of this world, would be perfectly able to do their everyday job with Oracle's SQL Developer, and do not need all those advanced features that Toad has, and SQLDev doesn't. (this I write it for whoever has not used any of the two. People that are used to toad, maybe wont like to learn another). anyway, sqldev thelei polla psomia akoma gia na ginei toad sti thesi tou toad :)


The truth is that every year Quest keeps adding features and functionality, and eye candy, and has balloned a very useful admin/dev tool to a humongus suite. The case is similar to Microsoft Office: 95% of the people that used MsOffice 95 to do a set of X things, uses today MsOffice 2007 to do the same things, at the same speed (although using CPU's a thousand times more powerful than 1995). And half of them are ready to order Office 2010, because they "need" it!!

That's the fate of succesful commercial retail software. It does not matter how good, or stable, or snappy, and bug-free is a specific version. When it completes its commercial lifecycle, a new version must be produced, to keep the ball moving.

1
  • Thanks for the info on version differences. I don't think they'll let me buy 9.75, but I might look around.
    – orbfish
    Aug 13, 2010 at 15:29
0
votes

It looks like Quest Software is consolidating some of their product lines.

I've noticed that some of their older software packages are not mentioned frequently on the website, while several of their main products are gaining in prominence.

For example, Quest used to have a wider range of monitoring products. But many of these have been deprecated in favor of Foglight (or perhaps re-branded as Foglight). That's not necessarily a problem-- Quest should do what they do best.

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