EXPLAIN PLAN Syntax:
--------------------
EXPLAIN PLAN SET STATEMENT_ID='descriptor' FOR 
   statement
INTO table schema@dblink
;


SQLPLUS Auto Trace
------------------
SQL*Plus 3.2 introduced the AUTOTRACE command that allows you to automatically get the EXPLAIN PLAN execution path and 
other vital  statistics for any statement that you run. Unlike the EXPLAIN PLAN, you actually need to run the statement. 
If you key in the statement, you will have the count of rows returned as well as the execution path and statistics. 

SET AUTOTRACE ON;
     

Example
-------
See ExplainDel.sql 


-- Create the 7.3 plan_table, check on your O/S for the explain plan of your specific product
-- unix
@?/rdbms/admin/utlxplan
create table PLAN_TABLE (
        statement_id    varchar2(30),
        timestamp       date,
        remarks         varchar2(80),
        operation       varchar2(30),
        options         varchar2(30),
        object_node     varchar2(128),
        object_owner    varchar2(30),
        object_name     varchar2(30),
        object_instance numeric,
        object_type     varchar2(30),
        optimizer       varchar2(255),
        search_columns  number,
        id              numeric,
        parent_id       numeric,
        position        numeric,
        cost            numeric,
        cardinality     numeric,
        bytes           numeric,
        other_tag       varchar2(255),
        partition_start varchar2(255),
        partition_stop  varchar2(255),
        partition_id    numeric,
        other           long);

-- NT
@i:\orant\rdbms73\admin\utlxplan.sql

Which is:
   create table PLAN_TABLE (
        statement_id    varchar2(30),
        timestamp       date,
        remarks         varchar2(80),
        operation       varchar2(30),
        options         varchar2(30),
        object_node     varchar2(128),
        object_owner    varchar2(30),
        object_name     varchar2(30),
        object_instance numeric,
        object_type     varchar2(30),
        optimizer       varchar2(255),
        search_columns  number,
        id              numeric,
        parent_id       numeric,
        position        numeric,
        cost            numeric,
        cardinality     numeric,
        bytes           numeric,
        other_tag       varchar2(255),
        partition_start varchar2(255),
        partition_stop  varchar2(255),
        partition_id    numeric,
        other           long);