SQLPlus is the primary command-line interface to your Oracle database. You use SQLPlus to start up and shut down the database, set database initialization parameters, create and manage users, create and alter database objects (such as tables and indexes), insert and update data, run SQL queries, and more.
Before you can submit SQL statements and commands, you must connect to the database. With SQLPlus, you can connect locally or remotely. Connecting locally means connecting to an Oracle database running on the same computer on which you are running SQLPlus. Connecting remotely means connecting over a network to an Oracle database that is running on a remote computer. Such a database is referred to as a remote database. The SQL*Plus executable on the local computer is provided by a full Oracle Database installation, an Oracle Client installation, or an Instant Client installation.
