Although, I have years of experience with the SQL language itself, I have very little experience using any of Oracle's SQL-based software products. I just installed Oracle's SQL Developer client application, version 12c, today on my Windows 10 machine.
Can I jump straight into creating databases using the SQL Developer or do I need to install some other Oracle RDBMS software application that the SQL Developer client would interact with?
IIRC, when using Microsoft's SQL Server Management Studio, you could actually create databases and then query them all in the same application. So, if my initial perceptions are correct, this is very different from the Oracle RDBMS ecosystem.
Although,now that I think about it a bit more, this may just be because I had already installed Microsoft SQL Server in one form or another prior to the installation or use of SSMS on Windows. Or more correctly stated, Microsoft's SQL Server was installed automatically for me as a part of a larger installation of a software application that would depend on it. For instance, I think Microsoft's Visual Studio IDE would cause the installation of Microsoft's SQL Server as a dependency requirement So, this may have simply created the illusion of the SSMS software being more complete than in Oracle's RDBMS ecosystem.
I also noticed that Oracle's SQL Developer is dependent on JDK so I downloaded and installed that version after I realized my first mistake. JDK ! = JRE.
Anyhow, can someone please help me understand if my initial perceptions are correct here? Do I need to install more Oracle software? And what software would that be? I don't need anything over-the-top. I just want enough functionality to practice and learn Oracle's implementation of SQL on a single computer at my home running Windows 10 so that I can pass the 1Z0-071 certification exam.
Thanks for reading!