Export Query Results to CSV with SQL Developer

One of the most universal data interchange formats in the world is the CSV file. Data professionals use CSV’s without a thought. Equally, those not even in the ‘data field’ use CSV’s on a daily basis. Do you have the SQL query results for that report and need to share them in CSV format? Using the Oracle SQL Developer IDE, it is a breeze…


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There are times as an SQL Professional you have to go deep in the thick of it to get that data and those insights out of the database. Providing information from data is part of our jobs. Taking it a step further, oftentimes others’ in the workflow need that same data and those same insights to do their best work. And what is one of the most understood and easiest ways to share data?

The CSV file.

If you are working with the Oracle database and using SQL Developer, the IDE has an easy-to-use interface for exporting data. You can export query results to various formats however, in this post, we will look at saving them to a CSV file.

Export Query Results to CSV

For the examples in this post I am using this fictitious FRIENDS table and data:

SELECT * FROM FRIENDS;

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Step 1: Query Results for export

Right-click anywhere on the query results you wish to save to a CSV file and choose Export as shown in the following screenshot:

Export menu in Oracle SQL Developer

Once Export is clicked, an Export Wizard dialogue opens (shown in the next section).

Step 2: Configure export options

Follow these steps in the opened Export Wizard:

  • Select csv from the list of choices in the Format: dropdown.
  • Use the Browse button and choose a destination to save the CSV file to. Also, name the file at this step as well and it is shown in the File: section.
  • Click the Next button to proceed to the 2nd dialogue interface.
Oracle SQL Developer Export Wizard Step 1.

(Note: I mostly leave all other settings to their defaults here. One thing you may do differently is un select the Header checkbox if you do not want a header row of column names in the exported CSV file.)


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Step 3: Finish export and view CSV file

All that is left to do is review the individual steps of the provided Export Summary (if desired) and click the Finish button.

Export Wizard Step 2 – Finish

Opening up the saved friend_export.csv file in LibreOffice, we can see the same query results from SQL Developer now saved into a CSV file.

Query results exported to CSV file.

How simple is that?

As always, if you have any questions or see any mistakes in the code, please let me know via the comments. Constructive comments help me provide accurate blog posts and are much appreciated.


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Similar blog posts and tutorials covering CSVs

I have written several other blog posts covering various SQL implementations’ and their IDE’s/GUI’s steps to either import or export CSV data. For more great content, check them out from the list below!


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Josh Otwell has a passion to study and grow as a SQL Developer and blogger. Other favorite activities find him with his nose buried in a good book, article, or the Linux command line. Among those, he shares a love of tabletop RPG games, reading fantasy novels, and spending time with his wife and two daughters.

Disclaimer: The examples presented in this post are hypothetical ideas of how to achieve similar types of results. They are not the utmost best solution(s). The majority, if not all, of the examples provided, are performed on a personal development/learning workstation environment and should not be considered production quality or ready. Your particular goals and needs may vary. Use those practices that best benefit your needs and goals. Opinions are my own.

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