Oracle Express and Displaying Better Error Output?

Question

I recently installed Oracle Express 10g and I would like to make the DBMS app output better error codes (in this case, I guess the DBMS is "Application Express 2.1?"). Is there any way, for example, to output more precise error codes that will help me pinpoint where exactly a given problem arises?
A perfect example:
I just tried to run the following query against the database:
INSERT INTO ct_employee (ename, deptno, sal, mgr, job, hiredate, comm)
VALUES('Debbie Howe', 20, 30000, 122, 'Clerk', 17-Dec-80, '');
After clicking "Run", the following error message was displayed:
ORA-00984: column not allowed here
As you can see, there's no "arrows" pointing to where a given value might have been nosedived, nothing indicating where a column might be getting ignored or even anything explaining which value in general... Nothing. Only some obscure error code proceeded by Kafkaesque common sense (ironic).
So again, if anyone has an idea regarding how to somehow enable better error messages or the like, I would really appreciate it.

Answer 1

I wasn't using SQL*Plus...
What I was trying to do here out of all this was install Oracle to my actual computer so that I could start practicing SQL on my own without having to log into any development or production environments.
I installed SQL Express (completely free after registering to the Oracle website and logging into it with your provided e-mail address) for my main SQL / PL/SQL processing engine and after I did this, I then began using the "Application Express" to practice my SQL. Well, it turned out that it wasn't really doing what I needed it to (i.e. - various commands wouldn't output what I expected or multi-commands wouldn't work, etc.)
This made me eventually realize that what I had on my localhost, in terms of database, would suffice, but in terms of DBMS (in layman's, you're editor for SQL code, if you will) would not work. This led me to download SQL*Plus. The rest is history!
Steps to creating a basic localhost:
1.) Download Oracle Express (prepare for a big download). Install. If you get any error messages, chances are they're the same ones I had during installation. I never paid much heed to them and to this day, experience no problems. Just click through them...
2.) Download and install SQL*Plus. Again, expect a hefty download. The good thing about this, though, is that you only need to extract the main file and run the EXE in it. There's no installation involved.
3.) If you're using localhost for your database stuff, set everything up in your EXE first-run by entering the following:
Connection Name: "localhost"
Username: <username>
Password: <password>
(You can choose to save your password, too.)
I think everything else is already set, but in the event that it isn't, your hostname will be "localhost" and your port number will be "1521" (in most cases--this might be different in some office or work setting. In such an event, get with your systems geek.) Lastly, your SID will probably be "xe" and after you set all this up, you should press "Connect".
Then you're golden. :.)