Whether you create your own extensions or use SQL Developer out of the box, you are taking advantage of the product's extensibility when you use the features. In this section, we'll consider the additional external extensions that are available, and how you can work with them.
You can add or remove Java extensions using the Extensions preferences. Oracle TimesTen, Migrations, and the version control support are all extensions designed and shipped with the product. You can see these extensions listed in the Extensions node.
You can add new Java extensions using the Check for Updates facility. There are a number of options, which are listed next:
- Check for Updates—Use the Update Center
- Check for Updates—Install from Local File
In the first instance, developers outside of Oracle who have created a Java extension can approach Oracle to have these included in the Check for Updates facility. If you want to use these extensions, then invoke the wizard, select Search Update Centers, and include the Third Party SQL Developer Extensions. The third party database drivers are also included in this selection.
If you have a Java extension internally, you can also add a link to your own update center by selecting Add and then providing the URL of the location of your file.
Using the Check for Updates wizard, you can install Java extensions that you or someone else has developed and provided you with the file. For example, your own icon image bundle. Here, select Install From Local File and browse to locate the zipped bundle.
All of your additional Java extensions are listed together with the shipped extensions in Preferences | Extensions. In the following screenshot, the JTDS JDBC driver is one that was added using the Check for Updates facility:
It doesn't matter whether these are shipped extensions or ones that you have added using Check for Updates, you can remove any of them by deselecting the extension in the list and restarting SQL Developer.
Delete the link to the XML file to remove any of the XML extensions that you created, and include in the User Defined Extensions preference.
If you are adding or removing extensions, whether Java or XML, you need to restart SQL Developer for the changes to take effect.
The real advantage of the extensible environment is that you only need a few members in the team to create the extensions, whether they are Java or XML, and then share these within the group. To share extensions, you can store them on a shared file server or on a hosted web server. In either case, any changes made to the XML files will be reflected in your product the next time you start it.