# Setting SQL Development Preferences

You can set orientation, export encoding, affordance in hover, if to continue when an error occurs, and label decorations SQL preferences.

1. Select Window > Preferences from the main menu bar.

   The Preferences dialog opens.

2. Expand SQL Development in the left pane and select Execute Plan View Options.

   The Execute Plan View Options dialog appears in the right pane.

3. In the SQL Execution Plan View Orientation section, select either Vertical orientation or Horizontal orientation .

   Horizontal orientation is the default.

4. In the Export Encoding section, select either Default (Cp1252) or Other and select the encoding you want to use from the drop-down list.
5. Select General in the left pane.

   The General dialog appears in the right pane displaying settings for database development tooling.

6. To disable Show affordance in hover on how to make it sticky, select the check box.

   Show affordance in hover on how to make it sticky is selected by default.

7. Select Always, Never, or Prompt in the Whether to continue when error occurs during SQL execution section.

   Prompt is the default.

8. Select Label Decorations in the left pane.

   The Label Decorations dialog appears in the right pane allowing you to specify the display format for columns in the explorer.

9. In the Text section, click Add Variables to add a variable to the default column format.

   The Add Variables dialog opens.

10. Select the variable or variables that you want to add and click OK.

    The added variable appear in the Column format field and an example appears in the Example field.

11. Click OK.

    The Preferences dialog closes.

Related reference
Database Development Preferences