We are currently evaluating Oracle SQL Developer for VS Code as a replacement for Benthic Software SQL Explorer across our organization.
One feature that our users frequently rely on in Benthic is the ability to work in a "Read-Only" mode. This provides a safe environment for users to explore schemas, inspect data, write and execute SELECT statements, and learn the database structure without worrying about accidentally modifying data.
We are evaluating this tool for approximately 100 users across our organization, and the availability of a Read-Only mode would significantly facilitate migration from our current tooling.
At the moment, SQL Developer for VS Code does not appear to provide an equivalent capability.
We would like to request a Read-Only (or Safe Exploration) mode for SQL Worksheets and database connections.
Possible behavior could include:
-
Allow execution of SELECT statements.
-
Allow metadata browsing and object inspection.
-
Optionally allow EXPLAIN PLAN and other non-destructive operations.
-
Prevent execution of DML statements:
- INSERT
- UPDATE
- DELETE
- MERGE
-
Optionally prevent DDL statements:
- CREATE
- ALTER
- DROP
- TRUNCATE
-
Display a visible indicator that the current worksheet or connection is operating in Read-Only mode.
-
Provide a per-connection setting so administrators can distribute predefined read-only connections.
Business benefits:
- Increased confidence for new and occasional users.
- Reduced risk of accidental changes in shared environments.
- Easier adoption of SQL Developer for VS Code in organizations migrating from other database tools.
- Improved support for reporting, analytics, and production-read access use cases.
This feature would be particularly valuable for enterprise environments where many users require database visibility but do not routinely perform write operations.
Thank you for considering this enhancement.
We are currently evaluating Oracle SQL Developer for VS Code as a replacement for Benthic Software SQL Explorer across our organization.
One feature that our users frequently rely on in Benthic is the ability to work in a "Read-Only" mode. This provides a safe environment for users to explore schemas, inspect data, write and execute SELECT statements, and learn the database structure without worrying about accidentally modifying data.
We are evaluating this tool for approximately 100 users across our organization, and the availability of a Read-Only mode would significantly facilitate migration from our current tooling.
At the moment, SQL Developer for VS Code does not appear to provide an equivalent capability.
We would like to request a Read-Only (or Safe Exploration) mode for SQL Worksheets and database connections.
Possible behavior could include:
Allow execution of SELECT statements.
Allow metadata browsing and object inspection.
Optionally allow EXPLAIN PLAN and other non-destructive operations.
Prevent execution of DML statements:
Optionally prevent DDL statements:
Display a visible indicator that the current worksheet or connection is operating in Read-Only mode.
Provide a per-connection setting so administrators can distribute predefined read-only connections.
Business benefits:
This feature would be particularly valuable for enterprise environments where many users require database visibility but do not routinely perform write operations.
Thank you for considering this enhancement.