Oracle SQL*Plus: The Definitive Guide, 2nd Edition

Name

SET BUFFER

Synopsis

The SET BUFFER setting switches to another buffer for editing purposes.

Syntax

SET BUF[FER] {buffer_name | SQL}

Parameters

SET BUF[FER]

Is the command, which may be abbreviated SET BUF.

buffer_name

Is the name of the buffer you want to edit. You can create any name you like. If the named buffer doesn't exist, SQL*Plus will create it for you.

SQL

Switches you to the SQL buffer. This is the default setting. The SQL buffer is the one used when you type in a SQL statement at the command prompt and is the only buffer from which you can execute a SQL statement (or PL/SQL block).

Examples

Changing the buffer has limited use because you can execute a statement only from the SQL buffer. The GET, SAVE, and EDIT commands work, as do all the editing commands. The following example shows a second buffer being used to edit a statement that exists in a text file without disturbing the statement currently in the SQL buffer:

SQL> SHOW BUFFER
buffer SQL
SQL> SELECT * FROM employee
  2
SQL> L
  1* SELECT * FROM employee
SQL> SET BUFFER project
SQL> L
No lines in PROJECT buffer.
SQL> GET c:\a\project.sql
  1* SELECT * FROM project
SQL> I
  2  WHERE project_budget > 1000000
  3
SQL> SAVE c:\a\project.sql REPLACE
Wrote file c:\a\project.sql
SQL> SET BUFFER SQL
SQL> L
  1* SELECT * FROM employee
SQL>

As you can see, using a second buffer made it possible to edit the SQL statement in the project.sql file without disturbing the statement currently in the SQL buffer. You could do the same thing more ...