We will configure the SQL Explorer Plug-in & connect to the database. I will be using MySql server. It will be almost the same for all the databases. If you have not yet installed the plug-in please see my post on Installing Eclipse SQL Explorer Plug-in.

• From the eclipse menu, select window->preferences
• In the preference dialog box, select the SQL Explorer node.
• Select the JDBC Drivers node.
• Select the Driver you want to configure. We will configure MySQL Driver. So select the MySQL Driver & click edit on the right hand side.
• Select the “extra class path” tab in the change dialog box.
• Add the MySQL Connector jar file by clicking on add button. You can download the connectors from MySQL site. You can download it directly from here.
• Once you added the jar file click on List Drivers on the right hand side. You can see all the loaded drivers. Select the one appropriate to you.
• Enter the URL of your MySQL Server in the Example URL text box. Something like this “jdbc:mysql://localhost:3306/test”. Here “test” is the database name & enter the url without quotes.
• Click ok to finish the installation of the driver. You should be able to see a green tick mark for the driver we just installed.

Now we will connect to the database.

• From the eclipse menu, select window->Open Perspective->other.
• In the Open Perspective dialog box select SQL Explorer & click ok.
• Eclipse will be switched to SQL Explorer perspective.

For installing SQL Explorer plug-in in eclipse 3.4 go to this updated post Installing Eclipse Explorer Plug-in in Eclipse Ganymede (Eclipse 3.4).

Today I am going to show you how to install SQL Explorer plug-in in eclipse.

There are two ways to install.

1. Download the distribution
   file and unzip it into your Eclipse installation.
2. Use the Eclipse Update
   Manager.

Installing using the Eclipse Update Manager

• From the Eclipse menu,
  select Help->Software Update->Find and Install. You will be
  displayed with a Install/Update dialog box.
• Select Search for new
  features to install radio button & click next.
• Click on the New Remote
  Site on the right hand side of the Install dialog box
• Enter the name as “SQL
  Explorer” & “http://eclipsesql.sourceforge.net/” (without quotes) for
  the url in the New Update Site dialog box and click ok.
• Select the SQL Explorer
  site in the Install dialog box and click finish.
• Once the search is
  finished, it will present with the features to install.
• Select the features you
  want to install. In this case select SQL Explorer branch & click next.
• Accept the license
  agreement & click next.
• Select the install location
  where you want to install this plug-in. By default it will be installed
  into the eclipse plug-in directory. If you want to add another location
  click on the change location button on the lower right hand corner and
  specify the directory where you want to install. Once you are finished
  with the selections click on finish button.