title: Using Semicolons in Oracle SQL Statements
body: <p><em>Disclaimer: I just started work on a new contract, which forced me to switch from MSSQL to Oracle. So I am a complete newcomer to Oracle and probably bring many bad MSSQL practices with me. Okay, on to the question...</em></p>
  
  <p>According to <a href="https://stackoverflow.com/questions/182534/how-long-does-it-take-to-become-reasonably-proficient-in-orcle-given-sql-server/183657#183657">an answer in this thread</a>, semicolons are bad and should be avoided. I realized this firsthand after spending hours trying to figure out why my queries were running so terribly slow in SQL Developer. After removing the semicolon from the end of a complex query, it finished in a matter of seconds (compared to me just giving up on it after several minutes, which was the case before removing the semicolon). This behavior startled me, and a Google search didn't turn up much as to when and why I should or should not use semicolons in my SQL statements. Can anyone clear this up with a brief explanation?</p>
  
  <p>And if you have any links to online resources for poor developers moving from MSSQL to Oracle, then I'd greatly appreciate it!</p>
  
  <p>Thanks!</p>