Oracle SQL Developer isn’t the sexiest choice of SQL GUIs, but it works and I use it anyway to connect to Oracle databases at work. Besides, PostgreSQL GUI app choices are pretty underwhelming; the best ones are all JDBC clients anyway, and I already have one of those. So here’s how you use SQL Developer as a PostgreSQL database GUI.

  • Download PostgreSQL JDBC 4.1 driver and put it somewhere.
  • In the SQL Developer Preferences Menu, navigate to Database » Third Party JDBC Drivers. Click Add Entry and select postgresql-9.3-1100.jdbc41.jar. Click OK.
  • When you add a new connection, the bottom half of the dialog should now have Oracle and PostgreSQL tabs. You can connect, but only to your user database. Choose Database looks like it should work, but clicking it gives this helpful error:

Failure -Select the Connection Name / User Name / Password

  • Put something–anything!–in the Connection Name field, and your username in the Username field. Click Choose Database again:

oraclicious

Now you can connect and query away as usual, even Migrate to Oracle with a simple right click in the connection browser if you dare.