HenPlus is a SQL shell written in Java that works for any database
that offers JDBC support. So
basically any database. Why do we need this ? Any database comes with some
shell, but all of them have missing features (and several shells are simply
unusable).
And if you work with several
databases at once (if you are a developer, then you do this all the time),
switching between these tools is tedious.

This is where HenPlus steps in. It supports:

• Any JDBC aware database.


• Has context sensitive command line completion for commands
  and tables / columns / variables within SQL-commands.


• Multiple open connection-sessions can be handled in parallel. You can just
  switch between them. So you can be connected to different databases to
  experiment with the same statement in all of them, for example.
  
  All JDBC-Urls of opened sessions are stored for
  later command line completion in the connect command.


• Command line history just like in the bash (with cursor-up/down, CTRL-R,
  ...)
  


• A describe command for database tables, that work all
  JDBC-Drivers that unveil the appropriate MetaData (Oracle, PostgreSQL,
  MySQL, DB2...)


• supports variables that are expanded like shell variables
  with $VARIABLENAME or ${VARIABLENAME} (with completion of their names,
  just like in bash)


• loading files


• supports several built-in commands (start, @,
  @@, spool) and
  syntax from the Oracle SQL-plus utility (like the single '/' on a line
  to close a statement). Most Oracle SQL-plus scripts will run directly, so
  its simple to switch to HenPlus. Except if you can't stand, that your
  life will become much simpler, then ;-)


• allows a per-project storage of the commandline history,
  variables, plugins and connections.
  
• allows to add your own plugins that behave just like the built-in
  commands.


• Is provided as Free Software. You are free to modify, copy, share and sell this software under the GNU Public License