How To Turn On Line Numbers in SQL Developer

Jul 8, 2015 · 2 min read · sql ·

In this article, I'll show you what line numbers are in SQL Developer and how to turn this setting on.

What Are Line Numbers in SQL Developer?

Line numbers are numbers that are next to each line in the Code Editor. They indicate which line of code you're working on.

They are helpful for developers for many reasons:

They let you see how many lines of code you've written
They help with debugging errors, as error messages usually refer to a line number (related: debugging tips from 32 Tips on How to Improve Programming Skills)
They let you refer to a specific line from another place (e.g. when talking to another developer)

By default, the line numbers are turned off in SQL Developer. Many IDEs have them on by default. I much prefer to have them on, and I'm sure you do too.

Let's take a look at how to toggle the SQL Developer show line numbers setting.

How To Turn On SQL Developer Line Numbers

So, the first step is to go to Tools > Preferences.

The Preferences window is now shown.

Then, click on the + next to Code Editor to expand that section.

Then, click on Line Gutter.

The Show Line Numbers option is then shown.

SQL Developer - Show Line Numbers option

If you check this, the line numbers will appear in your code.

Possible Values

So, the Line Numbers setting can be changed to:

Checked: Line numbers are shown in the Code Editor window
Unchecked: Default. Line numbers are not shown in the Code Editor window.

If you're wondering how to turn on SQL Developer line numbers, then this is how it's done, and this is the impact. It's one of the more helpful features in SQL Developer.