PL/SQL Setting Up a Development Environment

Summary: in this tutorial, we will show you step by step how to download and install Oracle Database for learning and practicing PL/SQL programming in your system.

Download and install Oracle Database

First, you need go to the Oracle office website and download the Oracle Database. We are going to download Oracle Database 11g Release 2 on Microsoft Windows (x64).

Second, unzip the downloaded files into a folder e.g., C:\setup\Oracle as follows:

Oracle Installation folder

Third, double click the setup.exe file to start installing Oracle database. You need to follow the steps as described in the following section:

Step 1.

In this step, you can provide your email to get the updated information on security issues from Oracle.

install oracle step 1

Step 2.

There are three options in this step as shown in the screenshot. Choose the first one to create and configure the database and click Next button.

install oracle step 2

Step 3.

If you are installing Oracle database in your laptop or desktop, choose the first option, otherwise, choose the second one and click the Next button.

install oracle step 3

Step 4.

This step allows you to enter full database installation folders. You can change the Oracle base folder e.g., c:\app\zentut, other folders be changed accordingly. After that click Next button to go to the next step.

install oracle step 4

Step 5.

In this step, Oracle will perform prerequisite checks before installing Oracle database component.

install oracle step 5

Step 6.

This step shows you summary information of the previous steps. Click the finish button to start installing Oracle database.

install oracle step 6

Step 7.

This step copies the files to the corresponding folder and installs the Oracle components and services. It takes few minutes to finish so please be patient.

install oracle step 7

After complete, the installer displays a database Configuration Assistant dialog, click on the Password Management… button to setup the passwords for different users.

We need to unlock the SYS, SYSTEM and HR users and set their corresponding passwords.
install oracle step 7 - DB config assistant

install oracle step 7 - DB config assistant - SYS users
install oracle step 7 - DB config assistant - HR user

Step 8.

Once the installation process is done, you can click the button to close the installer.

install oracle step 8

Verify the installation

If everything is fine, you will see the Oracle folder as follows:
Oracle Folder

First, launch the SQL Plus that is a command line interface tool which you can use to interact with Oracle databases.

Second, enter username and password that you have set in the installation process. we enter HR user and its corresponding password.

SQL plus

Third, enter the following statement:

SELECT * FROM dual;Code language: SQL (Structured Query Language) (sql)

If you see the output as shown in the following screenshot, it means you have installed Oracle database successfully and start learning PL/SQL programming.

Select from dual table

In this tutorial, we have shown you step by step how to install Oracle database and verify the installation using SQL Plus. We hope that you got everything right at the first time. If this is not the case, please review each step one more time and make the appropriate correction if necessary.