Introduction
============

SQLPython is a command-line interface to Oracle databases.  It is intended as an alternative to Oracle's
SQL\*Plus.  For the most part, it can be used the same way SQL\*Plus would be used; this documentation
focuses on the places where SQLPython differs.

SQLPython was created by `Luca Canali <http://canali.web.cern.ch/canali/>`_ at CERN.  Most new development
has been done by `Catherine Devlin <http://catherinedevlin.blogspot.com/>`_.

SQLPython is based on the Python standard library's 
`cmd <http://docs.python.org/library/cmd.html#module-cmd>`_ module, and on an extension 
to it called `cmd2 <http://pypi.python.org/pypi/cmd2>`_.  SQLPython also draws considerable
inspiration from two Perl-based open-source SQL clients, 
`Senora <http://senora.sourceforge.net/>`_ and `YASQL <http://sourceforge.net/projects/yasql>`_.

SQLPython is currently only compatible with Oracle databases.  Expanding it to other RDBMS is a dream
for "one fine day".  Call it "SQLPython 3000".