Difference between ALTER DATABASE RECOVER & RECOVER DATABASE

Do you know the difference between below two commands/methods of recovery..?
You may get confused over these two commands.


1.ALTER DATABASE RECOVER;


2.RECOVER DATABASE;
   or
   RECOVER DATABASE UNTIL CANCEL; 


Both above commands are intend to achieve same task..but only difference is..


(1)Use ALTER DATABASE if you want to do the recoverying step by step, manually , issuing each and every single command to recover the database.


(2)Use the SQLPLUS  'RECOVER' command to have sqlplus automate the steps in (1) for you. 


RECOVER is not even a SQL command, rather it is a SQLPlus command.It is an automated command to do the normal recovery steps.


Oracle Corporation recommends that you use the SQL*Plus RECOVER statement.