SQL*Plus is a command-line program that you use to submit SQL and PL/SQL statements to an Oracle database. You can submit statements interactively or as SQL*Plus scripts. SQL*Plus is installed with the database and is located in your ORACLE_HOME/bin directory.
You can start SQL*Plus from the command line, or on Microsoft Windows, from the Start menu.
When SQL*Plus loads, it issues the SQL prompt, which looks like this:
SQL>
At the SQL prompt, you can enter statements that perform administrative tasks such as shutting down the database or creating a new user, or you can query, insert, update, and delete data.
You can enter a single SQL statement on multiple lines. You must end each statement with a semicolon (;). For most statements, you can rerun a statement by entering a slash (/) on a line by itself.