Explain plan parses a query and records the plan that Oracle devises to execute it.
By examining this plan, you can find out if Oracle is picking the right indexes and joining your tables in the most efficient manner. It is not necessary to execute the command to view the explain plan.
Parent topic: Using SQL Commands
From the SQL Commands page, enter or load the command whose plan you want to view and click the Explain tab.
To view the Explain Plan:
Parent topic: Using Explain Plan