ALL SQL - Commands

Eng.
Sameh Bakkar
Overview of SQL*Plus
You can use the SQL*Plus program in conjunction with the SQL database language and its
procedural language extension, PL/SQL. The SQL database language allows you to store and
retrieve data in Oracle. PL/SQL allows you to link several SQL commands through procedural
logic.
SQL*Plus enables you to manipulate SQL commands and PL/SQL blocks, and to perform many
additional tasks as well. Through SQL*Plus, you can
• enter, edit, store, retrieve, and run SQL commands and PL/SQL blocks
• format, perform calculations on, store, and print query results in the form of reports
• list column definitions for any table
• access and copy data between SQL databases
• send messages to and accept responses from an end user
• perform database administration
Basic Concepts
The following definitions explain concepts central to SQL*Plus:
command An instruction you give SQL*Plus or Oracle.

block A group of SQL and PL/SQL commands related to one another through procedural
logic.
table The basic unit of storage in Oracle.
query A SQL command (specifically, a SQL SELECT command) that retrieves information
from one or more tables.
query The data retrieved by a query.
results
report Query results formatted by you through SQL*Plus commands.
Who Can Use SQL*Plus ?
The SQL*Plus, SQL, and PL/SQL command languages are powerful enough to serve the needs of
users with some database experience, yet straightforward enough for new users who are just
learning to work with Oracle.
The design of the SQL*Plus command language makes it easy to use. For example, to give a
column labelled ENAME in the database the clearer heading "Employee", you might enter the
following command:
COLUMN ENAME HEADING EMPLOYEE
Similarly, to list the column definitions for a table called EMP, you might enter this command:
DESCRIBE EMP
1
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
Other Ways of Working with Oracle
Oracle tools for Network Computing Architecture help developers to productively and
economically build, manage and deploy high-performance and robust enterprise applications for
Network Computing.
JDeveloper Suite a 3GL development tool for building component based, server-centric
applications in Java
Oracle Enterprise an integrated and flexible set of tools for building enterprise-class database
Developer Suite applications for client/server and the web
Oracle Application a tool which enables database access through web browsers and the
Server Internet
Oracle Designer a set of client/server design tools for database applications
Oracle Developer a set of client/server and web development tools
Oracle Discoverer a set of end-user query tools
Oracle Programmer a set of 3GL programming language interfaces
Oracle Reports a publishing and reporting solution to disseminate dynamic information
across corporate intranets or on the Internet
Oracle Workflow a complete workflow management system that supports business process
definition and automation
Oracle Express a powerful OnLine Analytical Processing (OLAP) server, tools, and pre-
built applications for financial, and sales and marketing analysis
Oracle Media Objects a development tool for object-oriented multimedia applications
Oracle Mobile Agents a tool for applications using mobile and/or detached clients
What You Need to Run SQL*Plus

To run SQL*Plus, you need hardware, software, operating system specific information, a username
and password, and access to one or more tables.
Hardware and Software
Oracle and SQL*Plus can run on many different kinds of computers. Your computer's operating
system manages the computer's resources and mediates between the computer hardware and
programs such as SQL*Plus. Different computers use different operating systems. For information
about your computer's operating system, see the documentation provided with the computer.
Before you can begin using SQL*Plus, both Oracle and SQL*Plus must be installed on your
computer. Note that in order to take full advantage of the enhancements in SQL*Plus release 8.1.5,
you must have Oracle8i. For a list of SQL*Plus release 8.1.5 enhancements, see Appendix B.
If you have multiple users on your computer, your organization should have a Database
Administrator (called a DBA) who supervises the use of Oracle.
2
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
The DBA is responsible for installing Oracle and SQL*Plus on your system. If you are acting as
DBA, see the instructions for installing Oracle and SQL*Plus in the Oracle installation and user's
manual(s) provided for your operating system.
Information Specific to Your Operating System
A few aspects of Oracle and SQL*Plus differ from one type of host computer and operating system
to another. These topics are discussed in the Oracle installation and user's manual(s), published in a
separate version for each host computer and operating system that SQL*Plus supports.
Keep a copy of your Oracle installation and user's manual(s) available for reference as you work
through this Guide. When necessary, this Guide will refer you to your installation and user's
manual(s).
Username and Password
When you start SQL*Plus, you will need a username that identifies you as an authorized Oracle
user and a password that proves you are the legitimate owner of your username. See the
PASSWORD command in Chapter 8 for details on how to change your password. The
demonstration username, SCOTT, and password, TIGER, may be set up on your system during the
installation procedure. In this case, you can use the Oracle username SCOTT and password TIGER
with the EMP and DEPT tables (Figure 1-1 and Figure 1-2).
Multi-User Systems
If several people share your computer's operating system, your DBA can set up your SQL*Plus
username and password. You will also need a system username and password to gain admittance to
the operating system. These may or may not be the same ones you use with SQL*Plus.
Single-User Systems
If only one person at a time uses your computer, you may be expected to perform the DBAs
functions for yourself. In that case, you can use the Oracle username SCOTT and password TIGER.
If you want to define your own username and password, see the Oracle8i SQL Reference.
Access to Sample Tables
Each table in the database is "owned" by a particular user. You may wish to have your own copies
of the sample tables to use as you try the examples in this Guide. To get your own copies of the
tables, see your DBA or run the Oracle-supplied command file named DEMOBLD (you run this file
from your operating system, not from SQL*Plus).
When you have no more use for the sample tables, remove them by running another Oracle-
supplied command file named DEMODROP. For instructions on how to run DEMOBLD and
DEMODROP, see the Oracle installation and user's manual(s) provided for your operating system.
3
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
SQL Commands
@ Runs the specified command file.
@@ Runs a command file.
/ Executes the SQL command or PL/SQL block.
ACCEPT Reads a line of input and stores it in a given user variable.
APPEND Adds specified text to the end of the current line in the buffer.
ARCHIVE LOG Starts or stops the automatic archiving of online redo log files,
manually (explicitly) archives specified redo log files, or displays
information about redo log files.
ATTRIBUTE Specifies display characteristics for a given attribute of an Object
Type column, and lists the current display characteristics for a single
attribute or all attributes.
BREAK Specifies where and how formatting will change in a report, or lists the
current break definition.
BTITLE Places and formats a specified title at the bottom of each report page,
or lists the current BTITLE definition.
CHANGE Changes text on the current line in the buffer.
CLEAR Resets or erases the current clause or setting for the specified option,
such as BREAKS or COLUMNS.
COLUMN Specifies display characteristics for a given column, or lists the current
display characteristics for a single column or for all columns.
COMPUTE Calculates and prints summary lines, using various standard
computations, on subsets of selected rows, or lists all COMPUTE
definitions.
CONNECT Connects a given username to Oracle.
COPY Copies data from a query to a table in a local or remote database.
DEFINE Specifies a user variable and assigns it a CHAR value, or lists the
value and variable type of a single variable or all variables.
DEL Deletes one or more lines of the buffer.
4
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
DESCRIBE Lists the column definitions for the specified table, view, or synonym
or the specifications for the specified function or procedure.
DISCONNECT Commits pending changes to the database and logs the current
username off Oracle, but does not exit SQL*Plus.
EDIT Invokes a host operating system text editor on the contents of the
specified file or on the contents of the buffer.
EXECUTE Executes a single PL/SQL statement.
EXIT Terminates SQL*Plus and returns control to the operating system.
GET Loads a host operating system file into the SQL buffer.
HELP Accesses the SQL*Plus help system.
HOST Executes a host operating system command without leaving

SQL*Plus.
INPUT Adds one or more new lines after the current line in the buffer.
LIST Lists one or more lines of the SQL buffer.
PASSWORD Allows a password to be changed without echoing the password on an

input device.
PAUSE Displays an empty line followed by a line containing text, then waits
for the user to press [Return], or displays two empty lines and waits
for the user's response.
PRINT Displays the current value of a bind variable.
PROMPT Sends the specified message or a blank line to the user's screen.
RECOVER Performs media recovery on one or more table spaces, one or more
data files, or the entire database.
REMARK Begins a comment in a command file.
REPFOOTER Places and formats a specified report footer at the bottom of each
report, or lists the current REPFOOTER definition.
REPHEADER Places and formats a specified report header at the top of each report,
or lists the current REPHEADER definition.
5
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
RUN Lists and executes the SQL command or PL/SQL block currently
stored in the SQL buffer.
SAVE Saves the contents of the SQL buffer in a host operating system file (a
command file).
SET Sets a system variable to alter the SQL*Plus environment for your
current session.
SHOW Shows the value of a SQL*Plus system variable or the current
SQL*Plus environment.
SHUTDOWN Shuts down a currently running Oracle instance, optionally closing
and dismounting the database.
SPOOL Stores query results in an operating system file and, optionally, sends
the file to a printer.
START Executes the contents of the specified command file.
STARTUP Starts an Oracle instance with several options, including mounting and
opening a database.
STORE Saves attributes of the current SQL*Plus environment in a host
operating system file (a command file).
TIMING Records timing data for an elapsed period of time, lists the current
timer's title and timing data, or lists the number of active timers.
TTITLE Places and formats a specified title at the top of each report page, or
lists the current TTITLE definition.
UNDEFINE Deletes one or more user variables that you defined either explicitly
(with the DEFINE command) or implicitly (with an argument to the
START command).
VARIABLE Declares a bind variable that can be referenced in PL/SQL.
WHENEVER Exits SQL*Plus if an operating system command generates an error.

OSERROR
WHENEVER Exits SQL*Plus if a SQL command or PL/SQL block generates an

SQLERROR error.
6
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
@ ("at" sign)
Purpose
Runs the specified command file.
Syntax
@ file_name[.ext] [arg...]
Terms and Clauses
Refer to the following list for a description of each term or clause:

file_name[.ext]
Represents the command file you wish to run. If you omit ext,
SQL*Plus assumes the default command-file extension (normally
SQL). For information on changing the default extension, see the
SUFFIX variable of the SET command in this chapter.
When you enter @ file_name.ext, SQL*Plus searches for a file with

the filename and extension you specify in the current default
directory. If SQL*Plus does not find such a file, SQL*Plus will
search a system-dependent path to find the file. Some operating
systems may not support the path search. Consult the Oracle
installation and user's manual(s) provided for your operating system
for specific information related to your operating system
environment.
arg...
Represent data items you wish to pass to parameters in the

command file. If you enter one or more arguments, SQL*Plus
substitutes the values into the parameters (&1, &2, and so forth) in
the command file. The first argument replaces each occurrence of
&1, the second replaces each occurrence of &2, and so forth.
The @ command DEFINEs the parameters with the values of the

arguments; if you run the command file again in this session, you
can enter new arguments or omit the arguments to use the current
values.
7
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
For more information on using parameters, refer to the subsection

"Passing Parameters through the START Command" under "Writing
Interactive Commands" in Chapter 3.
Usage Notes
You can include in a command file any command you would normally enter
interactively (typically, SQL, SQL*Plus commands, or PL/SQL blocks).
An EXIT or QUIT command used in a command file terminates SQL*Plus.
The @ command functions similarly to START.
If the START command is disabled (see "Disabling SQL*Plus, SQL, and

PL/SQL Commands" in Appendix E), this will also disable the @ command.
See START in this chapter for information on the START command.
SQL*Plus removes the SQLTERMINATOR (a semicolon by default) before

the @ command is issued. A workaround for this is to add another
SQLTERMINATOR. See the SQLTERMINATOR variable of the SET
command in this chapter for more information.
Examples
To run a command file named PRINTRPT with the extension SQL, enter
SQL> @PRINTRPT
To run a command file named WKRPT with the extension QRY, enter
SQL> @WKRPT.QRY
@@ (double "at" sign)

Purpose
Runs a command file. This command is identical to the @ ("at" sign) command
except that it looks for the specified command file in the same path as the command
file from which it was called.
Syntax
@@ file_name[.ext]
8
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
Terms and Clauses
Refer to the following for a description of the term or clause:

file_name[.ext]
Represents the nested command file you wish to run. If you omit ext,
SQL*Plus assumes the default command-file extension (normally SQL).
For information on changing the default extension, see the SUFFIX
variable of the SET command in this chapter.
When you enter @@file_name.ext from within a command file,

SQL*Plus runs file_name.ext from the same directory as the command
file. When you enter @@file_name.ext interactively, SQL*Plus runs
file_name.ext from the current working directory. If SQL*Plus does not
find such a file, SQL*Plus searches a system-dependent path to find the
file. Some operating systems may not support the path search. Consult
the Oracle installation and user's manual(s) provided for your operating
system for specific information related to your operating system
environment.
Usage Notes
You can include in a command file any command you would normally enter
interactively (typically, SQL or SQL*Plus commands).
An EXIT or QUIT command used in a command file terminates SQL*Plus.
The @@ command functions similarly to START.
If the START command is disabled, this will also disable the @@ command. For
more information, see the START command later in this chapter.
SQL*Plus removes the SQLTERMINATOR (a semicolon by default) before the @@

command is issued. A workaround for this is to add another SQLTERMINATOR.
See the SQLTERMINATOR variable of the SET command in this chapter for more
information.
Example
Suppose that you have the following command file named PRINTRPT:
SELECT * FROM EMP
@EMPRPT
@@ WKRPT
9
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
When you START PRINTRPT and it reaches the @ command, it looks for the
command file named EMPRPT in the current working directory and runs it. When
PRINTRPT reaches the @@ command, it looks for the command file named
WKRPT in the same path as PRINTRPT and runs it.
/ (slash)
Purpose
Executes the SQL command or PL/SQL block currently stored in the SQL buffer.
Syntax
/
Usage Notes
You can enter a slash (/) at the command prompt or at a line number prompt of a
multi-line command.
The slash command functions similarly to RUN, but does not list the command in the
buffer on your screen.
Executing a SQL command or PL/SQL block using the slash command will not cause
the current line number in the SQL buffer to change unless the command in the buffer
contains an error. In that case, SQL*Plus changes the current line number to the
number of the line containing the error.
Example
To see the SQL command(s) you will execute, you can list the contents of the buffer:
SQL> LIST
1* SELECT ENAME, JOB FROM EMP WHERE ENAME = 'JAMES'
Enter a slash (/) at the command prompt to execute the command in the buffer:
SQL> /
For the above query, SQL*Plus displays the following output:
ENAME JOB
---------- ---------
JAMES CLERK
10
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
ACCEPT
Purpose
Reads a line of input and stores it in a given user variable.
Syntax
ACC[EPT] variable [NUM[BER]|CHAR|DATE] [FOR[MAT] format]
[DEF[AULT] default] [PROMPT text|NOPR[OMPT]] [HIDE]
Terms and Clauses

variable
Represents the name of the variable in which you wish to store a value.
If variable does not exist, SQL*Plus creates it.
NUM[BER]
Makes the datatype of variable the datatype NUMBER. If the reply does
not match the datatype, ACCEPT gives an error message and prompts
again.
CHAR
Makes the datatype of variable the datatype CHAR. The maximum

CHAR length limit is 240 bytes. If a multi-byte character set is used, one
CHAR may be more than one byte in size.
DATE
Makes reply a valid DATE format. If the reply is not a valid DATE
format, ACCEPT gives an error message and prompts again. The
datatype is CHAR.
FOR[MAT]
Specifies the input format for the reply. If the reply does not match the
specified format, ACCEPT gives an error message and prompts again
for a reply. The format element must be a text constant such as A10 or
9.999. See the COLUMN command in this chapter for a complete list of
format elements.
Oracle date formats such as "dd/mm/yy" are valid when the datatype is
DATE. DATE without a specified format defaults to the Oracle
11
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
NLS_DATE_FORMAT of the current session. See the Oracle8i

Administrator's Guide and the Oracle8i SQL Reference for information
on Oracle date formats.
DEF[AULT]
Sets the default value if a reply is not given. The reply must be in the
specified format if defined.
PROMPT text
Displays text on-screen before accepting the value of variable from the
user.
NOPR[OMPT]
Skips a line and waits for input without displaying a prompt.

HIDE
Suppresses the display as you type the reply.
To display or reference variables, use the DEFINE command. See the DEFINE
Examples
To display the prompt "Password: ", place the reply in a CHAR variable named
PSWD, and suppress the display, enter
SQL> ACCEPT pswd CHAR PROMPT 'Password: ' HIDE
To display the prompt "Enter weekly salary: " and place the reply in a NUMBER
variable named SALARY with a default of 000.0, enter
SQL> ACCEPT salary NUMBER FORMAT '999.99' DEFAULT '000.0' -
> PROMPT 'Enter weekly salary: '
To display the prompt "Enter date hired: " and place the reply in a DATE variable
named HIRED with the format "dd/mm/yy" and a default of "01/01/94", enter
SQL> ACCEPT hired DATE FORMAT 'dd/mm/yy' DEFAULT '01/01/94'-
> PROMPT 'Enter date hired: '
To display the prompt "Enter employee lastname: " and place the reply in a CHAR
variable named LASTNAME, enter
12
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
SQL> ACCEPT lastname CHAR FORMAT 'A20' -

> PROMPT 'Enter employee lastname: '
APPEND
Purpose
Adds specified text to the end of the current line in the SQL buffer.
Syntax
A[PPEND] text
Terms and Clauses

text
Represents the text you wish to append. If you wish to separate text from
the preceding characters with a space, enter two spaces between
APPEND and text.
To APPEND text that ends with a semicolon, end the command with two
semicolons (SQL*Plus interprets a single semicolon as an optional
command terminator).
Examples
To append a space and the column name DEPT to the second line of the buffer, make
that line the current line by listing the line as follows:
SQL> 2
2* FROM EMP,
Now enter APPEND:

SQL> APPEND DEPT
SQL> 2
2* FROM EMP, DEPT
Notice the double space between APPEND and DEPT. The first space separates
APPEND from the characters to be appended; the second space becomes the first
appended character.
13
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
To append a semicolon to the line, enter

SQL> APPEND ;;
SQL*Plus appends the first semicolon to the line and interprets the second as the
terminator for the APPEND command.
ARCHIVE LOG
Purpose
Starts or stops automatic archiving of online redo log files, manually (explicitly)
archives specified redo log files, or displays information about redo log files.
Syntax
ARCHIVE LOG {LIST|STOP}|{START|NEXT|ALL|integer} [TO destination]
Terms and Clauses

LIST
Requests a display that shows the range of redo log files to be archived,
the current log file group's sequence number, and the current archive
destination (specified by either the optional command text or by the
initialization parameter LOG_ARCHIVE_DEST).
If you are using both ARCHIVELOG mode and automatic archiving, the
display might appear like:
SQL> ARCHIVE LOG LIST
Database log mode Archive Mode

Automatic archival Enabled
Archive destination /vobs/oracle/dbs/arch
Oldest online log sequence 221
Next log sequence to archive 222
Current log sequence 222
Since the log sequence number of the current log group and the next log
group to archive are the same, automatic archival has archived all log
groups up to the current one.
14
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
If you are using ARCHIVELOG but have disabled automatic archiving,

the last three lines might look like:
Oldest online log sequence 222
Next log sequence to archive 222
Current log sequence 225
If you are using NOARCHIVELOG mode, the "next log sequence to

archive" line is suppressed.
The log sequence increments every time the Log Writer begins to write
to another redo log file group; it does not indicate the number of logs
being used. Every time an online redo log file group is reused, the
contents are assigned a new log sequence number.
STOP
Disables automatic archival. If the instance is still in ARCHIVELOG

mode and all redo log file groups fill, database operation is suspended
until a redo log file is archived (for example, until you enter the
command ARCHIVE LOG NEXT or ARCHIVE LOG ALL).
START
Enables automatic archiving. Starts the background process ARCH,

which performs automatic archiving as required. If ARCH is started and
a filename is supplied, the filename becomes the new default archive
destination.
ARCH automatically starts on instance startup if the initialization

parameter LOG_ARCHIVE_START is set to TRUE.
NEXT
Manually archives the next online redo log file group that has been
filled, but not yet archived.
ALL
Manually archives all filled, but not yet archived, online log file groups.
integer
Causes archival of the online redo log file group with log sequence
number n. You can specify any redo log file group that is still online. An
error occurs if the log file cannot be found online or the sequence
15
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
number is not valid. This option can be used to rearchive a log file
group.
destination
Specifies the destination device or directory in an operating system.

Specification of archive destination devices is installation-specific; see
your platform-specific Oracle documentation for examples of specifying
archive destinations. On many operating systems, multiple log files can
be spooled to the same tape.
If not specified in the command line, the archive destination is derived

from the initialization parameter LOG_ARCHIVE_DEST. The
command ARCHIVE LOG START destination causes the specified
device or directory to become the new default archive destination for all
future automatic or manual archives. A destination specified with any
other option is a temporary destination that is in effect only for the
current (manual) archive. It does not change the default archive
destination for subsequent automatic archives.
For information about specifying archive destinations, see your

platform-specific Oracle documentation.
Usage Notes
You must be connected to an open Oracle database as SYSOPER, or SYSDBA. For

information about connecting to the database, see the CONNECT command.
If an online redo log file group fills and none are available for reuse, database
operation is suspended. The condition can be resolved by archiving a log file group.
For information about specifying archive destinations, see your platform-specific

Oracle documentation.
Note: :
This command applies only to the current instance. To specify

archiving for a different instance or for all instances in a Parallel
Server, use the SQL command ALTER SYSTEM. For more
information about using SQL commands, see the Oracle8i SQL
Reference.
Examples
16
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
To start up the archiver process and begin automatic archiving, using the archive
destination specified in LOG_ARCHIVE_DEST, enter
SQL> ARCHIVE LOG START
To stop automatic archiving, enter

SQL> ARCHIVE LOG STOP
To archive the log file group with the sequence number 1001 to the destination
specified, enter
SQL> ARCHIVE LOG 1001 '/vobs/oracle/dbs/arch'
'arch' specifies the prefix of the filename on the destination device; the remainder of
the filename is dependent on the initialization parameter
LOG_ARCHIVE_FORMAT, which specifies the filename format for archived redo
log files.
ATTRIBUTE
Purpose
Specifies display characteristics for a given attribute of an Object Type column, such
as format for NUMBER data.
Also lists the current display characteristics for a single attribute or all attributes.
Syntax
ATTRIBUTE [type_name.attribute_name [option ...]]
where option represents one of the following clauses:

ALI[AS] alias
CLE[AR]
FOR[MAT] format
LIKE {type_name.attribute_name|alias}
ON|OFF
Terms and Clauses
17
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
Enter ATTRIBUTE followed by type_name.attribute_name and no other clauses to

list the current display characteristics for only the specified attribute. Enter
ATTRIBUTE with no clauses to list all current attribute display characteristics.

type_name.attribute_name
Identifies the data item (typically the name of an attribute) within the set
of attributes for a given object of Object Type, type_name.
If you select objects of the same Object Type, an ATTRIBUTE

command for that type_name.attribute_name will apply to all such
objects you reference in that session.
ALI[AS] alias
Assigns a specified alias to a type_name.attribute_name, which can be

used to refer to the type_name.attribute_name in other ATTRIBUTE
commands.
CLE[AR]
Resets the display characteristics for the attribute_name. The format

specification must be a text constant such as A10 or $9,999--not a
variable.
FOR[MAT] format
Specifies the display format of the column. The format specification

must be a text constant such as A10 or $9,999--not a variable.
LIKE {type_name.attribute_name|alias}
Copies the display characteristics of another attribute. LIKE copies only

characteristics not defined by another clause in the current ATTRIBUTE
command.
ON|OFF
Controls the status of display characteristics for a column. OFF disables

the characteristics for an attribute without affecting the characteristics'
definition. ON reinstates the characteristics.
Usage Notes
You can enter any number of ATTRIBUTE commands for one or more attributes. All
attribute characteristics set for each attribute remain in effect for the remainder of the
18
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
session, until you turn the attribute OFF, or until you use the CLEAR COLUMN
command. Thus, the ATTRIBUTE commands you enter can control an attribute's
display characteristics for multiple SQL SELECT commands.
When you enter multiple ATTRIBUTE commands for the same attribute, SQL*Plus
applies their clauses collectively. If several ATTRIBUTE commands apply the same
clause to the same attribute, the last one entered will control the output.
Examples
To make the ENAME attribute of the Object Type EMP_TYPE 20 characters wide,
enter
SQL> ATTRIBUTE EMP_TYPE.ENAME FORMAT A20
To format the SAL attribute of the Object Type EMP_TYPE so that it shows millions
of dollars, rounds to cents, uses commas to separate thousands, and displays $0.00
when a value is zero, enter
SQL> ATTRIBUTE EMP_TYPE.SAL FORMAT $9,999,990.99
BREAK
Purpose
Specifies where and how formatting will change in a report, such as
• suppressing display of duplicate values for a given column

• skipping a line each time a given column value changes
• printing COMPUTEd figures each time a given column value changes or at the
end of the report (see also the COMPUTE command)
Also lists the current BREAK definition.
Syntax
BRE[AK] [ON report_element [action [action]]] ...
19
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
where:
report_element Requires the following syntax:
{column|expr|ROW|REPORT}
action Requires the following syntax:

[SKI[P] n|[SKI[P]]
PAGE][NODUP[LICATES]|DUP[LICATES]]
Terms and Clauses

ON column [action [action]]
When you include action(s), specifies action(s) for SQL*Plus to take

whenever a break occurs in the specified column (called the break
column). (column cannot have a table or view appended to it. To achieve
this, you can alias the column in the SQL statement.) A break is one of
three events:
o a change in the value of a column or expression

o the output of a row
o the end of a report
When you omit action(s), BREAK ON column suppresses printing of

duplicate values in column and marks a place in the report where
SQL*Plus will perform the computation you specify in a corresponding
COMPUTE command.
You can specify ON column one or more times. If you specify multiple
ON clauses, as in
SQL> BREAK ON DEPTNO SKIP PAGE ON JOB -
> SKIP 1 ON SAL SKIP 1
the first ON clause represents the outermost break (in this case, ON
DEPTNO) and the last ON clause represents the innermost break (in this
case, ON SAL). SQL*Plus searches each row of output for the specified
break(s), starting with the outermost break and proceeding--in the order
20
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
you enter the clauses--to the innermost. In the example, SQL*Plus

searches for a change in the value of DEPTNO, then JOB, then SAL.
Next, SQL*Plus executes actions beginning with the action specified for
the innermost break and proceeding in reverse order toward the
outermost break (in this case, from SKIP 1 for ON SAL toward SKIP
PAGE for ON DEPTNO). SQL*Plus executes each action up to and
including the action specified for the first occurring break encountered in
the initial search.
If, for example, in a given row the value of JOB changes--but the values
of DEPTNO and SAL remain the same--SQL*Plus skips two lines
before printing the row (one as a result of SKIP 1 in the ON SAL clause
and one as a result of SKIP 1 in the ON JOB clause).
Whenever you use ON column, you should also use an ORDER BY

clause in the SQL SELECT command. Typically, the columns used in
the BREAK command should appear in the same order in the ORDER
BY clause (although all columns specified in the ORDER BY clause
need not appear in the BREAK command). This prevents breaks from
occurring at meaningless points in the report.
The following SELECT command produces meaningful results:

SQL> SELECT DEPTNO, JOB, SAL, ENAME
2 FROM EMP
3 ORDER BY DEPTNO, JOB, SAL, ENAME;
All rows with the same DEPTNO print together on one page, and within
that page all rows with the same JOB print in groups. Within each group
of jobs, those jobs with the same SAL print in groups. Breaks in
ENAME cause no action because ENAME does not appear in the
BREAK command.
ON expr [action [action]]

when the value of the expression changes.
When you omit action(s), BREAK ON expr suppresses printing of

duplicate values of expr and marks a place in the report where SQL*Plus
will perform the computation you specify in a corresponding
COMPUTE command.
You can use an expression involving one or more table columns or an

alias assigned to a report column in a SQL SELECT or SQL*Plus
21
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
COLUMN command. If you use an expression in a BREAK command,

you must enter expr exactly as it appears in the SELECT command. If
the expression in the SELECT command is a+b, for example, you cannot
use b+a or (a+b) in a BREAK command to refer to the expression in the
SELECT command.
The information given above for ON column also applies to ON expr.

ON ROW [action [action]]

when a SQL SELECT command returns a row. The ROW break
becomes the innermost break regardless of where you specify it in the
BREAK command. You should always specify an action when you
BREAK on a row.
ON REPORT [action]
Marks a place in the report where SQL*Plus will perform the

computation you specify in a corresponding COMPUTE command. Use
BREAK ON REPORT in conjunction with COMPUTE to print grand
totals or other "grand" computed values.
The REPORT break becomes the outermost break regardless of where

you specify it in the BREAK command.
Note that SQL*Plus will not skip a page at the end of a report, so you
cannot use BREAK ON REPORT SKIP PAGE.
Refer to the following list for a description of each action:

SKI[P] n
Skips n lines before printing the row where the break occurred.
[SKI[P]] PAGE
Skips the number of lines that are defined to be a page before printing
the row where the break occurred. The number of lines per page can be
set via the PAGESIZE clause of the SET command. Note that
PAGESIZE only changes the number of lines that SQL*Plus considers
to be a page. Therefore, SKIP PAGE may not always cause a physical
page break, unless you have also specified NEWPAGE 0. Note also that
if there is a break after the last row of data to be printed in a report,
SQL*Plus will not skip the page.
NODUP[LICATES]
22
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
Prints blanks rather than the value of a break column when the value is a
duplicate of the column's value in the preceding row.
DUP[LICATES]
Prints the value of a break column in every selected row.
Enter BREAK with no clauses to list the current break definition.
Usage Notes
Each new BREAK command you enter replaces the preceding one.
To remove the BREAK command, use CLEAR BREAKS.
Example
To produce a report that prints duplicate job values, prints the average of SAL and
inserts one blank line when the value of JOB changes, and additionally prints the sum
of SAL and inserts another blank line when the value of DEPTNO changes, you
could enter the following commands. (The example selects departments 10 and 30
and the jobs of clerk and salesman only.)
SQL> BREAK ON DEPTNO SKIP 1 ON JOB SKIP 1 DUPLICATES
SQL> COMPUTE SUM OF SAL ON DEPTNO
SQL> COMPUTE AVG OF SAL ON JOB
SQL> SELECT DEPTNO, JOB, ENAME, SAL FROM EMP
2 WHERE JOB IN ('CLERK', 'SALESMAN')
3 AND DEPTNO IN (10, 30)
4 ORDER BY DEPTNO, JOB;
The following output results:

DEPTNO JOB ENAME SAL
--------- --------- ---------- ---------
10 CLERK MILLER 1300
********* ---------
avg 1300
********** ----------
sum 1300
30 CLERK JAMES 1045

********* ----------
avg 1045
SALESMAN ALLEN 1760

SALESMAN MARTIN 1375
SALESMAN TURNER 1650
23
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
SALESMAN WARD 1375

********* ----------
avg 1540
********** ----------
sum 7205
BTITLE
Purpose
Places and formats a specified title at the bottom of each report page or lists the
current BTITLE definition.
For a description of the old form of BTITLE, see Appendix F.
Syntax
BTI[TLE] [printspec [text|variable] ...]|[OFF|ON]
Terms and Clauses
Refer to the TTITLE command for additional information on terms and clauses in the
BTITLE command syntax.
Enter BTITLE with no clauses to list the current BTITLE definition.
Usage Notes
If you do not enter a printspec clause before the first occurrence of text, BTITLE left
justifies the text. SQL*Plus interprets BTITLE in the new form if a valid printspec
clause (LEFT, SKIP, COL, and so on) immediately follows the command name.
Examples
To set a bottom title with CORPORATE PLANNING DEPARTMENT on the left

and a date on the right, enter
SQL> BTITLE LEFT 'CORPORATE PLANNING DEPARTMENT' -
> RIGHT '23 Nov 1998'
To set a bottom title with CONFIDENTIAL in column 50, followed by six spaces
and a date, enter
SQL> BTITLE COL 50 'CONFIDENTIAL' TAB 6 '23 Nov 1998'
24
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
CHANGE
Purpose
Changes the first occurrence of text on the current line in the buffer.
Syntax
C[HANGE] sepchar old [sepchar [new [sepchar]]]
Terms and Clauses

sepchar
Represents any non-alphanumeric character such as "/" or "!". Use a

sepchar that does not appear in old or new. You can omit the space
between CHANGE and the first sepchar.
old
Represents the text you wish to change. CHANGE ignores case in

searching for old. For example,
CHANGE /aq/aw
will find the first occurrence of "aq", "AQ", "aQ", or "Aq" and change it
to "aw". SQL*Plus inserts the new text exactly as you specify it.
If old is prefixed with "...", it matches everything up to and including the

first occurrence of old. If it is suffixed with "...", it matches the first
occurrence of old and everything that follows on that line. If it contains
an embedded "...", it matches everything from the preceding part of old
through the following part of old.
new
Represents the text with which you wish to replace old. If you omit new
and, optionally, the second and third sepchars, CHANGE deletes old
from the current line of the buffer.
Usage Notes
25
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
CHANGE changes the first occurrence of the existing specified text on the current
line of the buffer to the new specified text. The current line is marked with an asterisk
(*) in the LIST output.
You can also use CHANGE to modify a line in the buffer that has generated an
Oracle error. SQL*Plus sets the buffer's current line to the line containing the error so
that you can make modifications.
To reenter an entire line, you can type the line number followed by the new contents
of the line. If you specify a line number larger than the number of lines in the buffer
and follow the number with text, SQL*Plus adds the text in a new line at the end of
the buffer. If you specify zero ("0") for the line number and follow the zero with text,
SQL*Plus inserts the line at the beginning of the buffer (that line becomes line 1).
Examples
Assume the current line of the buffer contains the following text:
4* WHERE JOB IS IN ('CLERK','SECRETARY','RECEPTIONIST')
Enter the following command:

SQL> C /RECEPTIONIST/GUARD/
The text in the buffer changes as follows:

4* WHERE JOB IS IN ('CLERK','SECRETARY','GUARD')
Or enter the following command:

SQL> C /'CLERK',.../'CLERK')/
The original line changes to

4* WHERE JOB IS IN ('CLERK')
Or enter the following command:

SQL> C /(...)/('COOK','BUTLER')/
The original line changes to

4* WHERE JOB IS IN ('COOK','BUTLER')
26
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
You can replace the contents of an entire line using the line number. This entry
SQL> 2 FROM EMP e1
causes the second line of the buffer to be replaced with

FROM EMP e1
Note that entering a line number followed by a string will replace the line regardless
of what text follows the line number. For example,
SQL> 2 c/old/new/
will change the second line of the buffer to be

2* c/old/new/
CLEAR
Purpose
Resets or erases the current value or setting for the specified option.
Syntax
CL[EAR] option ...

BRE[AKS]
BUFF[ER]
COL[UMNS]
COMP[UTES]
SCR[EEN]
SQL
TIMI[NG]
Terms and Clauses

BRE[AKS]
27
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
Removes the break definition set by the BREAK command.

BUFF[ER]
Clears text from the buffer. CLEAR BUFFER has the same effect as
CLEAR SQL, unless you are using multiple buffers (see the SET
BUFFER command in Appendix F).
COL[UMNS]
Resets column display attributes set by the COLUMN command to

default settings for all columns. To reset display attributes for a single
column, use the CLEAR clause of the COLUMN command. CLEAR
COLUMNS also clears the ATTRIBUTEs for that column.
COMP[UTES]
Removes all COMPUTE definitions set by the COMPUTE command.

SCR[EEN]
Clears your screen.

SQL
Clears the text from SQL buffer. CLEAR SQL has the same effect as
CLEAR BUFFER, unless you are using multiple buffers (see the SET
BUFFER command in Appendix F).
TIMI[NG]
Deletes all timers created by the TIMING command.
Example
To clear breaks, enter

SQL> CLEAR BREAKS
To clear column definitions, enter

SQL> CLEAR COLUMNS
COLUMN
Purpose
28
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
Specifies display attributes for a given column, such as
• text for the column heading

• alignment of the column heading
• format for NUMBER data
• wrapping of column data
Also lists the current display attributes for a single column or all columns.
Syntax
COL[UMN] [{column|expr} [option ...]]
ALI[AS] alias
CLE[AR]
FOLD_A[FTER]
FOLD_B[EFORE]
FOR[MAT] format
HEA[DING] text
JUS[TIFY] {L[EFT]|C[ENTER]|C[ENTRE]|R[IGHT]}
LIKE {expr|alias}
NEWL[INE]
NEW_V[ALUE] variable
NOPRI[NT]|PRI[NT]
NUL[L] text
OLD_V[ALUE] variable
ON|OFF
WRA[PPED]|WOR[D_WRAPPED]|TRU[NCATED]
Terms and Clauses
Enter COLUMN followed by column or expr and no other clauses to list the current display
attributes for only the specified column or expression. Enter COLUMN with no clauses to list all
current column display attributes.
{column|expr}
Identifies the data item (typically, the name of a column) in a SQL SELECT
command to which the column command refers. If you use an expression in a
COLUMN command, you must enter expr exactly as it appears in the SELECT
command. If the expression in the SELECT command is a+b, for example, you
cannot use b+a or (a+b) in a COLUMN command to refer to the expression in the
SELECT command.
If you select columns with the same name from different tables, a COLUMN
command for that column name will apply to both columns. That is, a COLUMN
command for the column ENAME applies to all columns named ENAME that you
reference in this session. COLUMN ignores table name prefixes in SELECT
commands. Also, spaces are ignored unless the name is placed in double quotes.
29
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
To format the columns differently, assign a unique alias to each column within the
SELECT command itself (do not use the ALIAS clause of the COLUMN command)
and enter a COLUMN command for each column's alias.
ALI[AS] alias
Assigns a specified alias to a column, which can be used to refer to the column in
BREAK, COMPUTE, and other COLUMN commands.
CLE[AR]
Resets the display attributes for the column to default values.
To reset the attributes for all columns, use the CLEAR COLUMNS command.
CLEAR COLUMNS also clears the ATTRIBUTEs for that column.
FOLD_A[FTER]
Inserts a carriage return after the column heading and after each row in the column.
SQL*Plus does not insert an extra carriage return after the last column in the
SELECT list.
FOLD_B[EFORE]
Inserts a carriage return before the column heading and before each row of the
column. SQL*Plus does not insert an extra carriage return before the first column in
the SELECT list.
FOR[MAT] format
Specifies the display format of the column. The format specification must be a text
constant such as A10 or $9,999--not a variable.
Character Columns The default width of CHAR, NCHAR, VARCHAR2

(VARCHAR) and NVARCHAR2 (NCHAR VARYING) columns is the width of the
column in the database. SQL*Plus formats these datatypes left-justified. If a value
does not fit within the column width, SQL*Plus wraps or truncates the character
string depending on the setting of SET WRAP.
A LONG, CLOB or NCLOB column's width defaults to the value of SET

LONGCHUNKSIZE or SET LONG, whichever one is smaller.
To change the width of a datatype to n, use FORMAT An. (A stands for

alphanumeric.) If you specify a width shorter than the column heading, SQL*Plus
truncates the heading. If you specify a width for a LONG, CLOB, or NCLOB
column, SQL*Plus uses the LONGCHUNKSIZE or the specified width, whichever
is smaller, as the column width.
DATE Columns The default width and format of unformatted DATE columns in
SQL*Plus is derived from the NLS parameters in effect. Otherwise, the default width
is A9. In Oracle8, the NLS parameters may be set in your database parameter file or
may be environment variables or an equivalent platform-specific mechanism. They
30
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
may also be specified for each session with the ALTER SESSION command. (See
the documentation for Oracle8i for a complete description of the NLS parameters).
You can change the format of any DATE column using the SQL function
TO_CHAR in your SQL SELECT statement. You may also wish to use an explicit
COLUMN FORMAT command to adjust the column width.
When you use SQL functions like TO_CHAR, Oracle automatically allows for a
very wide column.
To change the width of a DATE column to n, use the COLUMN command with
FORMAT An. If you specify a width shorter than the column heading, the heading is
truncated.
NUMBER Columns To change a NUMBER column's width, use FORMAT

followed by an element as specified in Table 8-1.
Table 8-1 Number Formats

Element Example(s) Description
9 9999 Number of "9"s specifies number of significant digits returned. Blanks
are displayed for leading zeroes. A zero (0) is displayed for a value of
zero.
0 0999 Displays a leading zero or a value of zero in this position as 0.
9990
$ $9999 Prefixes value with dollar sign.
B B9999 Displays a zero value as blank, regardless of "0"s in the format model.
MI 9999MI Displays "-" after a negative value. For a positive value, a trailing space
is displayed.
S S9999 Returns "+" for positive values and "-" for negative values in this
position.
PR 9999PR Displays a negative value in <angle brackets>. For a positive value, a
leading and trailing space is displayed.
D 99D99 Displays the decimal character in this position, separating the integral
and fractional parts of a number.
G 9G999 Displays the group separator in this position.
C C999 Displays the ISO currency symbol in this position.
L L999 Displays the local currency symbol in this position.
, 9,999 Displays a comma in this position.

(comma)
31
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
. (period) 99.99 Displays a period (decimal point) in this position, separating the integral
and fractional parts of a number.
V 999V99 Multiplies value by 10n , where n is the number of "9"s after the "V".
EEEE 9.999EEEE Displays value in scientific notation (format must contain exactly four
"E"s).
RN or rn RN Displays upper- or lowercase Roman numerals. Value can be an integer
between 1 and 3999.
DATE DATE Displays value as a date in MM/DD/YY format; used to format
NUMBER columns that represent Julian dates.
The MI and PR format elements can only appear in the last position of a
number format model. The S format element can only appear in the first or
last position.
If a number format model does not contain the MI, S or PR format elements,
negative return values automatically contain a leading negative sign and
positive values automatically contain a leading space.
A number format model can contain only a single decimal character (D) or
period (.), but it can contain multiple group separators (G) or commas (,). A
group separator or comma cannot appear to the right of a decimal character
or period in a number format model.
SQL*Plus formats NUMBER data right-justified. A NUMBER column's

width equals the width of the heading or the width of the FORMAT plus one
space for the sign, whichever is greater. If you do not explicitly use
FORMAT, then the column's width will always be at least the value of SET
NUMWIDTH.
SQL*Plus may round your NUMBER data to fit your format or field width.
If a value cannot fit within the column width, SQL*Plus indicates overflow
by displaying a pound sign (#) in place of each digit the width allows.
If a positive value is extremely large and a numeric overflow occurs when

rounding a number, then the infinity sign (~) replaces the value. Likewise, if
a negative value is extremely small and a numeric overflow occurs when
rounding a number, then the negative infinity sign replaces the value (-~).
HEA[DING] text
Defines a column heading. If you do not use a HEADING clause, the column's
heading defaults to column or expr. If text contains blanks or punctuation characters,
you must enclose it with single or double quotes. Each occurrence of the HEADSEP
character (by default, "|") begins a new line.
For example,
32
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
COLUMN ENAME HEADING 'Employee |Name'
would produce a two-line column heading. See the HEADSEP variable of the SET
command in this chapter for information on changing the HEADSEP character.
JUS[TIFY] {L[EFT]|C[ENTER]|C[ENTRE]|R[IGHT]}
Aligns the heading. If you do not use a JUSTIFY clause, headings for NUMBER
columns default to RIGHT and headings for other column types default to LEFT.
LIKE {expr|alias}
Copies the display attributes of another column or expression (whose attributes you
have already defined with another COLUMN command). LIKE copies only
attributes not defined by another clause in the current COLUMN command.
NEWL[INE]
Starts a new line before displaying the column's value. NEWLINE has the same
effect as FOLD_BEFORE.
NEW_V[ALUE] variable
Specifies a variable to hold a column value. You can reference the variable in
TTITLE commands. Use NEW_VALUE to display column values or the date in the
top title. You must include the column in a BREAK command with the SKIP PAGE
action. The variable name cannot contain a pound sign (#).
NEW_VALUE is useful for master/detail reports in which there is a new master

record for each page. For master/detail reporting, you must also include the column
in the ORDER BY clause. See the example at the end of this command description.
For information on displaying a column value in the bottom title, see COLUMN
OLD_VALUE. For more information on referencing variables in titles, see the
TTITLE command later in this chapter. For information on formatting and valid
format models, see the COLUMN FORMAT command.
NOPRI[NT]|PRI[NT]
Controls the printing of the column (the column heading and all the selected values).
NOPRINT turns the printing of the column off. PRINT turns the printing of the
column on.
NUL[L] text
Controls the text SQL*Plus displays for null values in the given column. The default
is a white space. SET NULL controls the text displayed for all null values for all
columns, unless overridden for a specific column by the NULL clause of the
COLUMN command. When a NULL value is SELECTed, a variable's type will
always become CHAR so the SET NULL text can be stored in it.
OLD_V[ALUE] variable
33
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
Specifies a variable to hold a column value. You can reference the variable in
BTITLE commands. Use OLD_VALUE to display column values in the bottom title.
You must include the column in a BREAK command with the SKIP PAGE action.
OLD_VALUE is useful for master/detail reports in which there is a new master

record for each page. For master/detail reporting, you must also include the column
in the ORDER BY clause.
For information on displaying a column value in the top title, see COLUMN
NEW_VALUE. For more information on referencing variables in titles, see the
TTITLE command later in this chapter.
ON|OFF
Controls the status of display attributes for a column. OFF disables the attributes for
a column without affecting the attributes' definition. ON reinstates the attributes.
WRA[PPED]|WOR[D_WRAPPED]|TRU[NCATED]
Specifies how SQL*Plus will treat a datatype or DATE string that is too wide for a
column. WRAPPED wraps the string within the column bounds, beginning new lines
when required. When WORD_WRAP is enabled, SQL*Plus left justifies each new
line, skipping all leading whitespace (for example, returns, newline characters, tabs
and spaces), including embedded newline characters. Embedded whitespace not on a
line boundary is not skipped. TRUNCATED truncates the string at the end of the
first line of display.
Usage Notes
You can enter any number of COLUMN commands for one or more
columns. All column attributes set for each column remain in effect for the
remainder of the session, until you turn the column OFF, or until you use the
CLEAR COLUMN command. Thus, the COLUMN commands you enter can
control a column's display attributes for multiple SQL SELECT commands.
When you enter multiple COLUMN commands for the same column, SQL*Plus applies their
clauses collectively. If several COLUMN commands apply the same clause to the same column, the
last one entered will control the output.
Examples
To make the ENAME column 20 characters wide and display EMPLOYEE NAME on two lines at
the top, enter
SQL> COLUMN ENAME FORMAT A20 HEADING 'EMPLOYEE |NAME'
To format the SAL column so that it shows millions of dollars, rounds to cents, uses commas to
separate thousands, and displays $0.00 when a value is zero, you would enter
SQL> COLUMN SAL FORMAT $9,999,990.99
34
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
To assign the alias NET to a column containing a long expression, to display the result in a dollar
format, and to display <NULL> for null values, you might enter
SQL> COLUMN SAL+COMM+BONUS-EXPENSES-INS-TAX ALIAS NET

SQL> COLUMN NET FORMAT $9,999,999.99 NULL '<NULL>'
Note that the example divides this column specification into two commands. The first defines the
alias NET, and the second uses NET to define the format.
Also note that in the first command you must enter the expression exactly as you entered it (or will
enter it) in the SELECT command. Otherwise, SQL*Plus cannot match the COLUMN command to
the appropriate column.
To wrap long values in a column named REMARKS, you can enter
SQL> COLUMN REMARKS FORMAT A20 WRAP
For example:
CUSTOMER DATE QUANTITY REMARKS

---------- --------- -------- --------------------
123 25-AUG-86 144 This order must be s
hipped by air freigh
t to ORD
If you replace WRAP with WORD_WRAP, REMARKS looks like this:

---------- --------- -------- ---------------------
123 25-AUG-86 144 This order must be
shipped by air freight
to ORD
If you specify TRUNCATE, REMARKS looks like this:

---------- --------- -------- --------------------
123 25-AUG-86 144 This order must be s
In order to print the current date and the name of each job in the top title, enter the following. (For
details on creating a date variable, see "Displaying the Current Date in Titles" under "Defining Page
and Report Titles and Dimensions" in Chapter 4.)
SQL> COLUMN JOB NOPRINT NEW_VALUE JOBVAR

SQL> COLUMN TODAY NOPRINT NEW_VALUE DATEVAR
SQL> BREAK ON JOB SKIP PAGE ON TODAY
SQL> TTITLE CENTER 'Job Report' RIGHT DATEVAR SKIP 2 -
> LEFT 'Job: ' JOBVAR SKIP 2
SQL> SELECT TO_CHAR(SYSDATE, 'MM/DD/YY') TODAY,
2 ENAME, JOB, MGR, HIREDATE, SAL, DEPTNO
3 FROM EMP WHERE JOB IN ('CLERK', 'SALESMAN')
4 ORDER BY JOB, ENAME;
35
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
Your two page report would look similar to the following report, with "Job Report" centered within
your current linesize:
Job Report 11/23/98

Job: CLERK
ENAME MGR HIREDATE SAL DEPTNO

---------- ------- --------- ----------- ----------
ADAMS 7788 14-JAN-87 1100 20
JAMES 7698 03-DEC-81 950 30
MILLER 7782 23-JAN-82 1300 10
SMITH 7902 17-DEC-80 800 20
Job Report 11/23/98

Job: CLERK
ENAME MGR HIREDATE SAL DEPTNO

---------- ------- --------- ----------- ----------
ALLEN 7698 20-JAN-81 1600 30
MARTIN 7698 03-DEC-81 950 30
MILLER 7782 23-JAN-82 1300 10
SMITH 7902 17-DEC-80 800 20
To change the default format of DATE columns to 'YYYY-MM-DD', you can enter
SQL> ALTER SESSION SET NLS_DATE_FORMAT = 'YYYY-MM-DD';
Session altered
To display the change, enter a SELECT statement, such as:
SQL> SELECT HIREDATE

2 FROM EMP
3 WHERE EMPNO = 7839;
HIREDATE
----------
1981-11-17
See the Oracle8i SQL Reference for information on the ALTER SESSION command.
Note that in a SELECT statement, some SQL calculations or functions, such as TO_CHAR, may
cause a column to be very wide. In such cases, use the FORMAT option to alter the column width.
36
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
COMPUTE
Purpose
Calculates and prints summary lines, using various standard computations, on subsets of selected
rows, or lists all COMPUTE definitions. (For details on how to create summaries, see "Clarifying
Your Report with Spacing and Summary Lines" in Chapter 4.)
Syntax
COMP[UTE] [function [LAB[EL] text] ...

OF {expr|column|alias} ...
ON {expr|column|alias|REPORT|ROW} ...]
Terms and Clauses
function ...
Represents one of the functions listed in Table 8-2. If you specify more than one
function, use spaces to separate the functions.
Table 8-2 COMPUTE Functions

Function Computes Applies to Datatypes
AVG Average of non-null NUMBER
values
COU[NT] Count of non-null values all types
MAX[IMUM] Maximum value NUMBER, CHAR, NCHAR, VARCHAR2 (VARCHAR),

NVARCHAR2 (NCHAR VARYING)
MIN[IMUM] Minimum value NUMBER, CHAR, NCHAR, VARCHAR2 (VARCHAR),
NVARCHAR2 (NCHAR VARYING)
NUM[BER] Count of rows all types
STD Standard deviation of NUMBER

non-null values
SUM Sum of non-null values NUMBER
VAR[IANCE] Variance of non-null NUMBER

values
LAB[EL] text
Defines the label to be printed for the computed value. If no LABEL clause is
used, text defaults to the unabbreviated function keyword. If text contains
spaces or punctuation, you must enclose it with single quotes. The label
37
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
prints left justified and truncates to the column width or linesize, whichever
is smaller. The maximum length of a label is 500 characters.
The label for the computed value appears in the break column specified. To
suppress the label, use the NOPRINT option of the COLUMN command on
the break column.
If you repeat a function in a COMPUTE command, SQL*Plus issues a

warning and uses the first occurrence of the function.
With ON REPORT and ON ROW computations, the label appears in the first
column listed in the SELECT statement. The label can be suppressed by
using a NOPRINT column first in the SELECT statement. When you
compute a function of the first column in the SELECT statement ON
REPORT or ON ROW, then the computed value appears in the first column
and the label is not displayed. To see the label, select a dummy column first
in the SELECT list.
OF {expr|column|alias} ...
In the OF clause, you can refer to an expression or function reference in the SELECT
statement by placing the expression or function reference in double quotes. Column
names and aliases do not need quotes.
ON {expr|column|alias|REPORT|ROW} ...
Specifies the event SQL*Plus will use as a break. (column cannot have a table or
view appended to it. To achieve this, you can alias the column in the SQL
statement.) COMPUTE prints the computed value and restarts the computation when
the event occurs (that is, when the value of the expression changes, a new ROW is
fetched, or the end of the report is reached).
If multiple COMPUTE commands reference the same column in the ON clause, only
the last COMPUTE command applies.
To reference a SQL SELECT expression or function reference in an ON clause,

place the expression or function reference in quotes. Column names and aliases do
not need quotes.
Enter COMPUTE without clauses to list all COMPUTE definitions.
Usage Notes
In order for the computations to occur, the following conditions must all be true:
• One or more of the expressions, columns, or column aliases you reference in the OF clause
must also be in the SELECT command.
• The expression, column, or column alias you reference in the ON clause must occur in the
SELECT command and in the most recent BREAK command.
• If you reference either ROW or REPORT in the ON clause, also reference ROW or
REPORT in the most recent BREAK command.
38
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
To remove all COMPUTE definitions, use the CLEAR COMPUTES command.
Examples
To subtotal the salary for the "clerk", "analyst", and "salesman" job classifications with a compute
label of "TOTAL", enter
SQL> BREAK ON JOB SKIP 1

SQL> COMPUTE SUM LABEL 'TOTAL' OF SAL ON JOB
SQL> SELECT JOB, ENAME, SAL
2 FROM EMP
3 WHERE JOB IN ('CLERK', 'ANALYST', 'SALESMAN')
4 ORDER BY JOB, SAL;
JOB ENAME SAL

--------- ---------- ----------
ANALYST SCOTT 3000
FORD 3000
********* ----------
TOTAL 6000
CLERK SMITH 800

JAMES 950
ADAMS 1100
MILLER 1300
********* ----------
TOTAL 4150
SALESMAN WARD 1250

MARTIN 1250
TURNER 1500
ALLEN 1600
********* ----------
TOTAL 5600
To calculate the total of salaries less than 1,000 on a report, enter
SQL> COMPUTE SUM OF SAL ON REPORT

SQL> BREAK ON REPORT
SQL> COLUMN DUMMY HEADING ''
SQL> SELECT ' ' DUMMY, SAL, EMPNO
2 FROM EMP
3 WHERE SAL < 1000
4 ORDER BY SAL;
SAL EMPNO
--- ---------- -----------
800 7369
950 7900
----------
sum 5350
39
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
To compute the average and maximum salary for the accounting and sales departments, enter
SQL> BREAK ON DNAME SKIP 1

SQL> COMPUTE AVG LABEL 'Dept Average' -
> MAX LABEL 'Dept Maximum' -
> OF SAL ON DNAME
SQL> SELECT DNAME, ENAME, SAL
2 FROM DEPT, EMP
3 WHERE DEPT.DEPTNO = EMP.DEPTNO
4 AND DNAME IN ('ACCOUNTING', 'SALES')
5 ORDER BY DNAME;
DNAME ENAME SAL

-------------- ---------- ----------
ACCOUNTING CLARK 2450
KING 5000
MILLER 1300
************** ----------
Dept Average 2916.66667
Dept Maximum 5000
SALES ALLEN 1600

WARD 1250
JAMES 950
TURNER 1500
MARTIN 1250
BLAKE 2850
************** ----------
Dept Average 1566.66667
Dept Maximum 2850
To compute the sum of salaries for departments 10 and 20 without printing the compute label:
SQL> COLUMN DUMMY NOPRINT

SQL> COMPUTE SUM OF SAL ON DUMMY
SQL> BREAK ON DUMMY SKIP 1
SQL> SELECT DEPTNO DUMMY, DEPTNO, ENAME, SAL
2 FROM EMP
3 WHERE DEPTNO <= 20
4 ORDER BY DEPTNO;
SQL*Plus displays the following output:
DEPTNO ENAME SAL
---------- ---------- ----------
10 KING 5000
10 CLARK 2450
10 MILLER 1300
----------
8750
20 JONES 2975
20 FORD 3000
20 SMITH 800
20 SCOTT 3000
20 ADAMS 1100
----------
10875
40
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
If, instead, you do not want to print the label, only the salary total at the end of the report:
SQL> COLUMN DUMMY NOPRINT

SQL> COMPUTE SUM OF SAL ON DUMMY
SQL> BREAK ON DUMMY
SQL> SELECT NULL DUMMY, DEPTNO, ENAME, SAL
2 FROM EMP
3 WHERE DEPTNO <= 20
4 ORDER BY DEPTNO;
SQL*Plus displays the following output:
DEPTNO ENAME SAL

---------- ---------- ----------
10 KING 5000
10 CLARK 2450
10 MILLER 1300
20 JONES 2975
20 FORD 3000
20 SMITH 800
20 SCOTT 3000
20 ADAMS 1100
----------
19625
CONNECT
Purpose
Connects a given username to Oracle.
Syntax
CONN[ECT] [[logon] [AS [SYSOPER|SYSDBA]]]
where logon requires the following syntax:
username[/password][@net_service_name]|/
Terms and Clauses
username[/password]
Represent the username and password with which you wish to connect to Oracle. If
you omit username and password, SQL*Plus prompts you for them. If you enter a
slash (/) or simply enter [Return] to the prompt for username, SQL*Plus logs you in
using a default logon (see "/" below).
If you omit only password, SQL*Plus prompts you for password. When prompting,
SQL*Plus does not display password on your terminal screen. See the PASSWORD
command in this chapter for information about changing your password.
41
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
net_service_name
Consists of a Net8 connection string. The exact syntax depends upon the Net8
communications protocol your Oracle installation uses. For more information, refer
to the Net8 manual appropriate for your protocol or contact your DBA. SQL*Plus
does not prompt for a service name, but uses your default database if you do not
include a specification.
Represents a default logon using operating system authentication. You cannot enter a
net_service_name if you use a default logon. In a default logon, SQL*Plus typically
attempts to log you in using the username OPS$name, where name is your operating
system username. See the Oracle8i Administrator's Guide for information about
operating system authentication.
AS [SYSOPER|SYSDBA]
The AS clause allows privileged connections by users who have been granted
SYSOPER or SYSDBA system privileges.
Usage Notes
CONNECT commits the current transaction to the database, disconnects the current username from
Oracle, and reconnects with the specified username.
If you log on or connect as a user whose account has expired, SQL*Plus prompts you to change
your password before you can connect.
If an account is locked, a message is displayed and connection into that account (as that user) is not
permitted until the account is unlocked by your DBA.
For more information about user account management, refer to the CREATE and ALTER USER
commands, and the CREATE PROFILE command in the Oracle8i SQL Reference.
Examples
To connect across Net8 using username SCOTT and password TIGER to the database known by the
Net8 alias as FLEETDB, enter
SQL> CONNECT SCOTT/TIGER@FLEETDB
To connect using username SCOTT, letting SQL*Plus prompt you for the password, enter
SQL> CONNECT SCOTT
For more information about setting up your password file, refer to the Oracle8i Administrator's
Guide.
To use a password file to connect to an instance on the current node as a privileged user named
SCOTT with the password TIGER, enter
42
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
SQL> CONNECT SCOTT/TIGER AS SYSDBA
Note, that your default schema is now SYS, not SCOTT.
COPY
Purpose
Copies the data from a query to a table in a local or remote database.
Syntax
COPY {FROM username[/password]@net_service_name|

TO username[/password]@net_service_name|
FROM username[/password]@net_service_name
TO username[/password]@net_service_name}
{APPEND|CREATE|INSERT|REPLACE} destination_table
[(column, column, column ...)] USING query
Terms and Clauses
username[/password]
Represent the Oracle username/password you wish to COPY FROM and TO. In the
FROM clause, username/password identifies the source of the data; in the TO
clause, username/password identifies the destination. If you do not specify password
in either the FROM clause or the TO clause, SQL*Plus will prompt you for it.
SQL*Plus suppresses the display of your response to these prompts.
net_service_name
Consists of a Net8 connection string. You must include a net_service_name clause in

the COPY command. In the FROM clause, net_service_name represents the database
at the source; in the TO clause, net_service_name represents the database at the
destination. The exact syntax depends upon the Net8 communications protocol your
Oracle installation uses. For more information, refer to the Net8 manual appropriate
for your protocol or contact your DBA.
destination_table
Represents the table you wish to create or to which you wish to add data.
(column, column, column, ...)
Specifies the names of the columns in destination_table. You must enclose a name
in double quotes if it contains lowercase letters or blanks.
If you specify columns, the number of columns must equal the number of columns
selected by the query. If you do not specify any columns, the copied columns will
43
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
have the same names in the destination table as they had in the source if COPY
creates destination_table.
USING query
Specifies a SQL query (SELECT command) determining which rows and columns
COPY copies.
FROM username [/password] @net_service_name
Specifies the username, password, and database that contains the data to be copied. If
you omit the FROM clause, the source defaults to the database to which SQL*Plus is
connected (that is, the database that other commands address). You must include a
FROM clause to specify a source database other than the default.
TO username[/password] @net_service_name
Specifies the database containing the destination table. If you omit the TO clause, the
destination defaults to the database to which SQL*Plus is connected (that is, the
database that other commands address). You must include a TO clause to specify a
destination database other than the default.
APPEND
Inserts the rows from query into destination_table if the table exists. If
destination_table does not exist, COPY creates it.
CREATE
Inserts the rows from query into destination_table after first creating the table. If
destination_table already exists, COPY returns an error.
INSERT
Inserts the rows from query into destination_table. If destination_table does not
exist, COPY returns an error. When using INSERT, the USING query must select
one column for each column in the destination_table.
REPLACE
Replaces destination_table and its contents with the rows from query. If
destination_table does not exist, COPY creates it. Otherwise, COPY drops the
existing table and replaces it with a table containing the copied data.
Usage Notes
To enable the copying of data between Oracle and non-Oracle databases, NUMBER columns are
changed to DECIMAL columns in the destination table. Hence, if you are copying between Oracle
databases, a NUMBER column with no precision will be changed to a DECIMAL(38) column.
When copying between Oracle databases, you should use SQL commands (CREATE TABLE AS
and INSERT) or you should ensure that your columns have a precision specified.
44
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
The SQL*Plus SET variable LONG limits the length of LONG columns that you copy. If any
LONG columns contain data longer than the value of LONG, COPY truncates the data.
SQL*Plus performs a commit at the end of each successful COPY. If you set the SQL*Plus SET
variable COPYCOMMIT to a positive value n, SQL*Plus performs a commit after copying every n
batches of records. The SQL*Plus SET variable ARRAYSIZE determines the size of a batch.
Some operating environments require that service names be placed in double quotes.
Examples
The following command copies the entire EMP table to a table named WESTEMP. Note that the
tables are located in two different databases. If WESTEMP already exists, SQL*Plus replaces the
table and its contents. The columns in WESTEMP have the same names as the columns in the
source table, EMP.
SQL> COPY FROM SCOTT/TIGER@HQ TO JOHN/CHROME@WEST -

> REPLACE WESTEMP -
> USING SELECT * FROM EMP
The following command copies selected records from EMP to the database to which SQL*Plus is
connected. SQL*Plus creates SALESMEN through the copy. SQL*Plus copies only the columns
EMPNO and ENAME, and at the destination names them EMPNO and SALESMAN.
SQL> COPY FROM SCOTT/TIGER@HQ -

> CREATE SALESMEN (EMPNO,SALESMAN) -
> USING SELECT EMPNO, ENAME FROM EMP -
> WHERE JOB='SALESMAN'
DEFINE
Purpose
Specifies a user variable and assigns it a CHAR value, or lists the value and variable type of a single
variable or all variables.
Syntax
DEF[INE] [variable]|[variable = text]
Terms and Clauses
variable
Represents the user variable whose value you wish to assign or list.
text
Represents the CHAR value you wish to assign to variable. Enclose text in single
quotes if it contains punctuation or blanks.
45
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
variable = text
Defines (names) a user variable and assigns it a CHAR value.
Enter DEFINE followed by variable to list the value and type of variable. Enter DEFINE with no
clauses to list the values and types of all user variables.
Usage Notes
DEFINEd variables retain their values until one of the following events occurs:
• you enter a new DEFINE command referencing the variable

• you enter an UNDEFINE command referencing the variable
• you enter an ACCEPT command referencing the variable
• you reference the variable in the NEW_VALUE or OLD_VALUE clause of the COLUMN
command and reference the column in a subsequent SQL SELECT command
• you EXIT SQL*Plus
Whenever you run a stored query or command file, SQL*Plus substitutes the value of variable for
each substitution variable referencing variable (in the form &variable or &&variable). SQL*Plus
will not prompt you for the value of variable in this session until you UNDEFINE variable.
Note that you can use DEFINE to define the variable, _EDITOR, which establishes the host system
editor invoked by the SQL*Plus EDIT command.
If you continue the value of a DEFINEd variable on multiple lines (using the SQL*Plus command
continuation character), SQL*Plus replaces each continuation character and carriage return you
enter with a space in the resulting variable. For example, SQL*Plus interprets
SQL> DEFINE TEXT = 'ONE-

> TWO-
> THREE'
as
SQL> DEFINE TEXT = 'ONE TWO THREE'
Examples
To assign the value MANAGER to the variable POS, type:
SQL> DEFINE POS = MANAGER
If you execute a command that contains a reference to &POS, SQL*Plus will substitute the value
MANAGER for &POS and will not prompt you for a POS value.
To assign the CHAR value 20 to the variable DEPTNO, type:
SQL> DEFINE DEPTNO = 20
46
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
Even though you enter the number 20, SQL*Plus assigns a CHAR value to DEPTNO consisting of
two characters, 2 and 0.
To list the definition of DEPTNO, enter
SQL> DEFINE DEPTNO

DEFINE DEPTNO = "20" (CHAR)
This result shows that the value of DEPTNO is 20.
DEL
Purpose
Deletes one or more lines of the buffer.
Syntax
DEL [n|n m|n *|n LAST|*|* n|* LAST|LAST]
Terms and Clauses
n Deletes line n.
n m Deletes lines n through m.
n * Deletes line n through the current line.
n LAST Deletes line n through the last line.
* Deletes the current line.
* n Deletes the current line through line n.
* LAST Deletes the current line through the last line.
LAST Deletes the last line.
Enter DEL with no clauses to delete the current line of the buffer.
Usage Notes
47
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
DEL makes the following line of the buffer (if any) the current line. You can enter DEL several
times to delete several consecutive lines.
Note:
DEL is a SQL*Plus command and DELETE is a SQL command. For more

information about the SQL DELETE command, see the Oracle8i SQL
Reference.
Examples
Assume the SQL buffer contains the following query:
1 SELECT ENAME, DEPTNO

2 FROM EMP
3 WHERE JOB = 'SALESMAN'
4* ORDER BY DEPTNO
To make the line containing the WHERE clause the current line, you could enter
SQL> LIST 3
3* WHERE JOB = 'SALESMAN'
followed by
SQL> DEL
The SQL buffer now contains the following lines:

2 FROM EMP
3* ORDER BY DEPTNO
To delete the second line of the buffer, enter
SQL> DEL 2
The SQL buffer now contains the following lines:

2* ORDER BY DEPTNO
48
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
DESCRIBE
Purpose
Lists the column definitions for the specified table, view, or synonym or the specifications for the
specified function or procedure.
Syntax
DESC[RIBE] {[schema.]object[@net_service_name]}
Terms and Clauses
schema
Represents the schema where the object resides. If you omit schema, SQL*Plus
assumes you own object.
object
Represents the table, view, type, procedure, function, package or synonym you wish
to describe.
@net_service_name
Consists of the database link name corresponding to the database where object
exists. For more information on which privileges allow access to another table in a
different schema, refer to the Oracle8i SQL Reference.
Usage Notes
The description for tables, views, types and synonyms contains the following information:
• each column's name

• whether or not null values are allowed (NULL or NOT NULL) for each column
• datatype of columns, for example, NUMBER, CHAR, VARCHAR2 (VARCHAR), LONG,
DATE, RAW, LONGRAW, or ROWID
• precision of columns (and scale, if any, for a numeric column)
When you do a DESCRIBE, VARCHAR columns are returned with a type of VARCHAR2.
The DESCRIBE command allows you to describe objects recursively to the depth level set in the
SET DESCRIBE command. You can also display the line number and indentation of the attribute or
column name when an object contains multiple object types. For more information, see the SET
command later in this chapter.
To control the width of the data displayed, use the SET LINESIZE command. For more
information, see the SET command later in this chapter.
The description for functions and procedures contains the following information:
49
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
• the type of PL/SQL object (function or procedure)

• the name of the function or procedure
• the type of value returned (for functions)
• the argument names, types, whether they are input or output, and default values, if any
Examples
To describe the table EMP, enter
SQL> DESCRIBE EMP
SQL*Plus lists the following information:
Name Null? Type

------------------------------ -------- ------------
EMPNO NOT NULL NUMBER(4)
ENAME CHAR(10)
JOB JOB(9)
MGR NUMBER(4)
HIREDATE DATE
SAL NUMBER(7,2)
COMM NUMBER(7,2)
DEPTNO NUMBER(2)
To describe a procedure called CUSTOMER_LOOKUP, enter
SQL> DESCRIBE customer_lookup
PROCEDURE customer_lookup
Argument Name Type In/Out Default?
---------------------- -------- -------- ---------
CUST_ID NUMBER IN
CUST_NAME VARCHAR2 OUT
To create and describe the package APACK that contains the procedures aproc and bproc, enter
SQL> CREATE PACKAGE apack AS

2 PROCEDURE aproc(P1 CHAR, P2 NUMBER);
3 PROCEDURE bproc(P1 CHAR, P2 NUMBER);
4 END apack;
5 /
SQL> DESCRIBE apack
PROCEDURE aproc
---------------------- -------- -------- ---------
P1 CHAR IN
P2 NUMBER IN
PROCEDURE bproc
50
Eng. Sameh Bakkar

---------------------- -------- -------- ---------
P1 CHAR IN
P2 NUMBER IN
To create and describe the object type ADDRESS that contains the attributes STREET and CITY,
enter
SQL> CREATE TYPE ADDRESS AS OBJECT

2 ( STREET VARCHAR2(20),
3 CITY VARCHAR2(20)
4 );
5 /
SQL> DESCRIBE address
Name Null? Type

------------------------------ -------- ------------
STREET VARCHAR2(20)
CITY VARCHAR2(20)
To create and describe the object type EMPLOYEE that contains the attributes ENAME,
EMPADDR, JOB and SAL, enter
SQL> CREATE TYPE EMPLOYEE AS OBJECT

2 ( ENAME VARCHAR2(30),
3 EMPADDR ADDRESS,
4 JOB VARCHAR2(20),
5 SAL NUMBER(7,2)
6 );
7 /
SQL> DESCRIBE employee
Name Null? Type

------------------------------ -------- ------------
ENAME VARCHAR2(30)
EMPADDR ADDRESS
JOB VARCHAR2(20)
SAL NUMBER(7,2)
To create and describe the object type addr_type as a table of the object type ADDRESS, enter
SQL> CREATE TYPE addr_type IS TABLE OF ADDRESS;

2 /
SQL> DESCRIBE addr_type
addr_type TABLE OF ADDRESS

Name Null? Type
51
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
------------------------------ -------- ------------

STREET VARCHAR2(20)
CITY VARCHAR2(20)
To create and describe the object type addr_varray as a varray of the object type ADDRESS, enter
SQL> CREATE TYPE addr_varray AS VARRAY(10) OF ADDRESS;

2 /
SQL> DESCRIBE addr_varray
addr_varray VARRAY(10) OF ADDRESS

Name Null? Type
------------------------------ -------- ------------
STREET VARCHAR2(20)
CITY VARCHAR2(20)
To create and describe the table dept_emp that contains the columns DEPTNO, PERSON and LOC,
enter
SQL> CREATE TABLE dept_emp

2 ( DEPTNO NUMBER,
3 PERSON EMPLOYEE,
4 LOC NUMBER
5 );
6 /
SQL> DESCRIBE dept_emp
Name Null? Type

------------------------------ -------- ------------
DEPTNO NUMBER
PERSON EMPLOYEE
LOC NUMBER
To create and describe the object type rational that contains the attributes NUMERATOR and
DENOMINATOR, and the METHOD rational_order, enter
SQL> CREATE OR REPLACE TYPE rational AS OBJECT

2 ( NUMERATOR NUMBER,
3 DENOMINATOR NUMBER,
4 MAP MEMBER FUNCTION rational_order -
> RETURN DOUBLE PRECISION,
5 PRAGMA RESTRICT_REFERENCES
6 (rational_order, RNDS, WNDS, RNPS, WNPS) );
7 /
SQL> CREATE OR REPLACE TYPE BODY rational AS OBJECT
2 MAP MEMBER FUNCTION rational_order -
> RETURN DOUBLE PRECISION IS
3 BEGIN
4 RETURN NUMERATOR/DENOMINATOR;
5 END;
6 END;
52
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
7 /
SQL> DESCRIBE rational
Name Null? Type

------------------------------ -------- ------------
NUMERATOR NUMBER
DENOMINATOR NUMBER
METHOD
------
MAP MEMBER FUNCTION RATIONAL_ORDER RETURNS NUMBER
To describe the object emp_object and then format the output using the SET DESCRIBE command,
first enter
SQL> desc emp_object
Name Null Type

----------------------------------------- -------- ----------------------------
EMPLOYEE RECUR_PERSON
DEPT RECUR_DEPARTMENT
START_DATE DATE
POSITION VARCHAR2(1)
SAL RECUR_SALARY
To format the DESCRIBE output use the SET command as follows:
SQL> set linesize 80

SQL> set desc depth 2
SQL> set desc indent on
SQL> set desc line off
To display the settings for the object, use the SHOW command as follows:
SQL> show desc

describe DEPTH 2 LINENUM OFF INDENT ON
Name Null Type

----------------------------------------- -------- ----------------------------
NAME VARCHAR2(20)
ADDR RECUR_ADDRESS
ADDR1 RECUR_ADDRESS1
DOB DATE
GENDER VARCHAR2(10)
53
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
DEPTNO NUMBER
DEPT_NAME VARCHAR2(20)
LOCATION VARCHAR2(20)
START_DATE DATE
SAL RECUR_SALARY
ANNUAL_SAL NUMBER(10,2)
EMP_TYPE VARCHAR2(1)
COMM NUMBER(10,2)
PENALTY_RATE NUMBER(5,2)
For more information on using the CREATE TYPE command, see your Oracle8i SQL Reference.
For information about using the SET DESCRIBE and SHOW DESCRIBE commands, see the SET
and SHOW commands later in this chapter.
DISCONNECT
Purpose
Commits pending changes to the database and logs the current username out of Oracle, but does not
exit SQL*Plus.
Syntax
DISC[ONNECT]
Usage Notes
Use DISCONNECT within a command file to prevent user access to the database when you want to
log the user out of Oracle but have the user remain in SQL*Plus. Use EXIT or QUIT to log out of
Oracle and return control to your host computer's operating system.
Example
Your command file might begin with a CONNECT command and end with a DISCONNECT, as
shown below.
SQL> GET MYFILE

1 CONNECT ...
.
.
.
.
15* DISCONNECT
54
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
EDIT
Purpose
Invokes a host operating system text editor on the contents of the specified file or on the contents of
the buffer.
Syntax
ED[IT] [file_name[.ext]]
Terms and Clauses
file_name[.ext]
Represents the file you wish to edit (typically a command file).
Enter EDIT with no filename to edit the contents of the SQL buffer with the host operating system
text editor.
Usage Notes
If you omit the file extension, SQL*Plus assumes the default command-file extension (normally
SQL). For information on changing the default extension, see the SUFFIX variable of the SET
command in this chapter.
If you specify a filename, SQL*Plus searches for the file in the current working directory. If
SQL*Plus cannot find the file in the current working directory, it creates a file with the specified
name.
The user variable, _EDITOR, contains the name of the text editor invoked by EDIT. You can
change the text editor by changing the value of _EDITOR. See DEFINE for information about
changing the value of a user variable. If _EDITOR is undefined, EDIT attempts to invoke the
default host operating system editor.
EDIT alone places the contents of the SQL buffer in a file by default named AFIEDT.BUF (in your
current working directory) and invokes the text editor on the contents of the file. If the file
AFIEDT.BUF already exists, it is overwritten with the contents of the buffer. You can change the
default filename by using the SET EDITFILE command. For more information about setting a
default filename for the EDIT command, see the EDITFILE variable of the SET command in this
chapter.
Note:
The default file, AFIEDT.BUF, may have a different name on some operating
systems.
55
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
If you do not specify a filename and the buffer is empty, EDIT returns an error message.
To leave the editing session and return to SQL*Plus, terminate the editing session in the way
customary for the text editor. When you leave the editor, SQL*Plus loads the contents of the file
into the buffer.
Example
To edit the file REPORT with the extension SQL using your host operating system text editor, enter
SQL> EDIT REPORT
EXECUTE
Purpose
Executes a single PL/SQL statement. The EXECUTE command is often useful when you want to
execute a PL/SQL statement that references a stored procedure. For more information on PL/SQL,
see your PL/SQL User's Guide and Reference.
Syntax
EXEC[UTE] statement
Terms and Clauses
statement
Represents a PL/SQL statement.
Usage Notes
If your EXECUTE command cannot fit on one line because of the PL/SQL statement, use the
SQL*Plus continuation character (a hyphen) as shown in the example below.
The length of the command and the PL/SQL statement cannot exceed the length defined by SET
LINESIZE.
Examples
The following EXECUTE command assigns a value to a bind variable:
SQL> EXECUTE :n := 1
The following EXECUTE command runs a PL/SQL statement that references a stored procedure:
SQL> EXECUTE -
> :ID := EMP_MANAGEMENT.HIRE('BLAKE','MANAGER','KING',2990,'SALES')
56
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
Note that the value returned by the stored procedure is being placed in a bind variable, :ID. For
information on how to create a bind variable, see the VARIABLE command in this chapter.
EXIT
Purpose
Terminates SQL*Plus and returns control to the operating system.
Syntax
{EXIT|QUIT} [SUCCESS|FAILURE|WARNING|n|variable|:BindVariable] [COMMIT|ROLLBACK]
Terms and Clauses
{EXIT|QUIT}
Can be used interchangeably (QUIT is a synonym for EXIT).
SUCCESS
Exits normally.
FAILURE
Exits with a return code indicating failure.
WARNING
Exits with a return code indicating warning.
COMMIT
Saves pending changes to the database before exiting.
Represents an integer you specify as the return code.
variable
57
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
Represents a user-defined or system variable (but not a bind variable), such as

SQL.SQLCODE. EXIT variable exits with the value of variable as the return code.
:BindVariable
Represents a variable created in SQL*Plus with the VARIABLE command, and then
referenced in PL/SQL, or other subprograms. :BindVariable exits the subprogram
and returns you to SQL*Plus.
ROLLBACK
Executes a ROLLBACK statement and abandons pending changes to the database

before exiting.
EXIT with no clauses commits and exits with a value of SUCCESS.
Usage Notes
EXIT allows you to specify an operating system return code. This allows you to run SQL*Plus
command files in batch mode and to detect programmatically the occurrence of an unexpected
event. The manner of detection is operating-system specific. See the Oracle installation and user's
manual(s) provided for your operating system for details.
The key words SUCCESS, WARNING, and FAILURE represent operating-system dependent
values. On some systems, WARNING and FAILURE may be indistinguishable.
Note:
SUCCESS, FAILURE, and WARNING are not reserved words.
The range of operating system return codes is also restricted on some operating systems. This limits
the portability of EXIT n and EXIT variable between platforms. For example, on UNIX there is
only one byte of storage for return codes; therefore, the range for return codes is limited to zero to
255.
If you make a syntax error in the EXIT options or use a non-numeric variable, SQL*Plus performs
an EXIT FAILURE COMMIT.
For information on exiting conditionally, see the WHENEVER SQLERROR and WHENEVER
OSERROR commands later in this chapter.
Example
The following example commits all uncommitted transactions and returns the error code of the last
executed SQL command or PL/SQL block:
SQL> EXIT SQL.SQLCODE
58
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
The location of the return code depends on your system. Consult your DBA for information
concerning how your operating system retrieves data from a program. See the TTITLE command in
this chapter for more information on SQL.SQLCODE.
GET
Purpose
Loads a host operating system file into the SQL buffer.
Syntax
GET file_name[.ext] [LIS[T]|NOL[IST]]
Terms and Clauses
file_name[.ext]
Represents the file you wish to load (typically a command file).
LIS[T]
Lists the contents of the file.
NOL[IST]
Suppresses the listing.
Usage Note
If you do not specify a file extension, SQL*Plus assumes the default command-file extension
(normally SQL). For information on changing the default extension, see the SUFFIX variable of the
SET command in this chapter.
If part of the filename you are specifying contains the word list or the word file, you need to put the
name in double quotes.
SQL*Plus searches for the file in the current working directory.
The operating system file should contain a single SQL statement or PL/SQL block. The statement
should not be terminated with a semicolon.
If a SQL*Plus command or more than one SQL statement or PL/SQL block is loaded into the SQL
buffer from an operating system file, an error occurs when the RUN or slash (/) command is used to
execute the buffer.
59
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
The GET command can be used to load files created with the SAVE command. See the SAVE
Example
To load a file called YEARENDRPT with the extension SQL into the buffer, enter
SQL> GET YEARENDRPT
HELP
Purpose
Accesses the SQL*Plus help system.
Syntax
HELP [topic]
Terms and Clauses
topic
Represents a SQL*Plus help topic, for example, COLUMN.
Enter HELP without topic to get help on the help system.
Usage Notes
You can only enter one topic after HELP. You can abbreviate the topic (for example, COL for
COLUMN). However, if you enter only an abbreviated topic and the abbreviation is ambiguous,
SQL*Plus displays help for all topics that match the abbreviation. For example, if you enter
SQL> HELP EX
SQL*Plus displays the syntax for the EXECUTE command followed by the syntax for the EXIT
command.
If you get a response indicating that help is not available, consult your database administrator.
Example
To see a list of SQL*Plus commands, enter
SQL> HELP INDEX
60
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
HOST
Purpose
Executes a host operating system command without leaving SQL*Plus.
Syntax
HO[ST] [command]
Terms and Clauses
command
Represents a host operating system command.
Enter HOST without command to display an operating system prompt. You can then enter multiple
operating system commands. For information on returning to SQL*Plus, refer to the Oracle
installation and user's manual(s) provided for your operating system.
Usage Notes
With some operating systems, you can use a "$" (VMS), "!" (UNIX), or another character instead of
HOST. See the Oracle installation and user's manual(s) provided for your operating system for
details.
You may not have access to the HOST command, depending on your operating system. See the
Oracle installation and user's manual(s) provided for your operating system or ask your DBA for
more information.
SQL*Plus removes the SQLTERMINATOR (a semicolon by default) before the HOST command
is issued. A workaround for this is to add another SQLTERMINATOR. See the
SQLTERMINATOR variable of the SET command in this chapter for more information on the
SQLTERMINATOR.
Example
To execute an operating system command, ls *.sql, enter
SQL> HOST ls *.sql
INPUT
Purpose
Adds one or more new lines of text after the current line in the buffer.
Syntax
61
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
I[NPUT] [text]
Terms and Clauses
text
Represents the text you wish to add. To add a single line, enter the text of the line
after the command INPUT, separating the text from the command with a space. To
begin the line with one or more spaces, enter two or more spaces between INPUT
and the first non-blank character of text.
To add several lines, enter INPUT with no text. INPUT prompts you for each line. To leave INPUT,
enter a null (empty) line.
Usage Notes
If you enter a line number at the command prompt larger than the number of lines in the buffer, and
follow the number with text, SQL*Plus adds the text in a new line at the end of the buffer. If you
specify zero (0) for the line number and follow the zero with text, then SQL*Plus inserts the line at
the beginning of the buffer (that line becomes line 1).
Examples
Assume the SQL buffer contains the following command:
1 SELECT ENAME, DEPTNO, SAL, COMM

2 FROM EMP
To add an ORDER BY clause to the query, enter
SQL> LIST 2
2* FROM EMP
SQL> INPUT ORDER BY ENAME
LIST 2 ensures that line 2 is the current line. INPUT adds a new line containing the ORDER BY
clause after the current line. The SQL buffer now contains the following lines:

2 FROM EMP
3* ORDER BY ENAME
To add a two-line WHERE clause, enter
SQL> LIST 2
2* FROM EMP
SQL> INPUT
4 AND COMM 500
5
62
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
INPUT prompts you for new lines until you enter an empty line. The SQL buffer now contains the
following lines:

2 FROM EMP
4 AND COMM 500
5 ORDER BY ENAME
LIST
Purpose
Lists one or more lines of the SQL buffer.
Syntax
L[IST] [n|n m|n *|n LAST|*|* n|* LAST|LAST]
Terms and Clauses
n Lists line n.
n m Lists lines n through m.
n * Lists line n through the current line.
n LAST Lists line n through the last line.
* Lists the current line.
* n Lists the current line through line n.
* LAST Lists the current line through the last line.
LAST Lists the last line.
Enter LIST with no clauses to list all lines.
Usage Notes
The last line listed becomes the new current line (marked by an asterisk).
Example
To list the contents of the buffer, enter
63
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
SQL> LIST
You will see a listing of all lines in the buffer, similar to the following example:
1 SELECT ENAME, DEPTNO, JOB

2 FROM EMP
3 WHERE JOB = 'CLERK'
4* ORDER BY DEPTNO
The asterisk indicates that line 4 is the current line.
To list the second line only, enter
SQL> LIST 2
You will then see this:
2* FROM EMP
To list the current line (now line 2) to the last line, enter
SQL> LIST * LAST
You will then see this:
2 FROM EMP
3 WHERE JOB = 'CLERK'
4* ORDER BY DEPTNO
PASSWORD
Purpose
Allows you to change a password without echoing the password on an input device.
Syntax
PASSW[ORD] [username]
Terms and Clauses
Refer to the following for a description of the clause or term:
username
Specifies the user. If you do not specify a username, username defaults to the current
user.
64
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
Usage Notes
To change the password of another user, you must have been granted the appropriate privilege.
For more information about changing your password, see the CONNECT command in this chapter.
Example
Suppose you are logged on as scott/tiger, and want to change the password to tigertiger
SQL> passw
Changing password for scott
Old password: tiger
New password: tigertiger
Retype new password: tigertiger
Password changed
Suppose you are logged on as a DBA, and want to change the password for user usera (currently
identified by passa) to passusera
SQL> passw usera

Changing password for usera
New password: passusera
Retype new password: passusera
Password changed
PAUSE
Purpose
Displays an empty line followed by a line containing text, then waits for the user to press [Return],
or displays two empty lines and waits for the user's response.
Syntax
PAU[SE] [text]
Terms and Clauses
text
Represents the text you wish to display.
Enter PAUSE followed by no text to display two empty lines.
Usage Notes
Because PAUSE always waits for the user's response, it is best to use a message that tells the user
explicitly to press [Return].
65
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
PAUSE reads input from the terminal (if a terminal is available) even when you have designated the
source of the command input as a file.
For information on pausing between pages of a report, see the PAUSE variable of the SET
command later in this chapter.
Example
To print "Adjust paper and press RETURN to continue." and to have SQL*Plus wait for the user to
press [Return], you might include the following PAUSE command in a command file:
SET PAUSE OFF

PAUSE Adjust paper and press RETURN to continue.
SELECT ...
PRINT
Purpose
Displays the current value of bind variables. For more information on bind variables, see your
PL/SQL User's Guide and Reference.
Syntax
PRI[NT] [variable ...]
Terms and Clauses
variable ...
Represents the names of the bind variables whose values you wish to display.
Enter PRINT with no variables to print all bind variables.
Usage Notes
Bind variables are created using the VARIABLE command. For more information and examples,
see the VARIABLE command in this chapter.
You can control the formatting of the PRINT output just as you would query output. For more
information, see the formatting techniques described in Chapter 4.
To automatically display bind variables referenced in a successful PL/SQL block or used in an

EXECUTE command, use the AUTOPRINT clause of the SET command. For more information,
see the SET command in this chapter.
Example
The following example illustrates a PRINT command:

66
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
SQL> VARIABLE n NUMBER

SQL> BEGIN
2 :n := 1;
3 END;
SQL> PRINT n
N
----------
1
PROMPT
Purpose
Sends the specified message or a blank line to the user's screen.
Syntax
PRO[MPT] [text]
Terms and Clauses
text
Represents the text of the message you wish to display. If you omit text, PROMPT
displays a blank line on the user's screen.
Usage Notes
You can use this command in command files to give information to the user.
Example
The following example shows the use of PROMPT in conjunction with ACCEPT in a command file
called ASKFORDEPT. ASKFORDEPT contains the following SQL*Plus and SQL commands:
PROMPT
PROMPT Please enter a valid department
PROMPT For example: 10, 20, 30, 40
ACCEPT NEWDEPT NUMBER PROMPT 'DEPT:> '
SELECT DNAME FROM DEPT
WHERE DEPTNO = &NEWDEPT
Assume you run the file using START or @:
SQL> @ASKFORDEPT
SQL*Plus displays the following prompts:
Please enter a valid department
67
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
For example: 10, 20, 30, 40

DEPT:>
You can enter a department number at the prompt DEPT:>. By default, SQL*Plus lists the line
containing &NEWDEPT before and after substitution, and then displays the department name
corresponding to the number entered at the DEPT:> prompt.
RECOVER
Purpose
Performs media recovery on one or more tablespaces, one or more datafiles, or the entire database.
Syntax
RECOVER [AUTOMATIC][FROM location]

{[STANDBY] DATABASE [UNTIL options][USING BACKUP CONTROLFILE]
|TABLESPACE {tablespace [, tablespace ...]}
|DATAFILE {datafilename [, datafilename ...]}
|STANDBY {TABLESPACE tablespace [,tablespace ...]
|DATAFILE datafilename [, datafilename ...]} UNTIL CONTROLFILE
|LOGFILE filename
|CONTINUE [DEFAULT]
|CANCEL}
[PARALLEL clause]
where options requires the following syntax:
{CANCEL|CHANGE integer|TIME date}
and where clause requires the following syntax:
{PARALLEL ([DEGREE {integer|DEFAULT}|INSTANCES {integer|DEFAULT}]...)

|NOPARALLEL}
Terms and Clauses
Refer to the following list for a description of each term and clause:
AUTOMATIC
Automatically generates the name of the next archived redo log file needed to
continue the recovery operation. Oracle uses the LOG_ARCHIVE_DEST (or
LOG_ARCHIVE_DEST_1) and LOG_ARCHIVE_FORMAT parameters (or their
defaults) to generate the target redo log filename. If the file is found, the redo
contained in that file is applied. If the file is not found, Oracle prompts you for a
filename, displaying the generated filename as a suggestion.
If you specify neither AUTOMATIC nor LOGFILE, Oracle prompts you for a
filename, displaying the generated filename as a suggestion. You can then accept the
68
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
generated filename or replace it with a fully qualified filename. If you know the
archived filename differs from what Oracle would generate, you can save time by
using the LOGFILE clause.
FROM location
Specifies the location from which the archived redo log file group is read. The value
of location must be a fully specified file location following the conventions of your
operating system. If you omit this parameter, Oracle assumes the archived redo log
file group is in the location specified by the initialization parameter
LOG_ARCHIVE_DEST or LOG_ARCHIVE_DEST_1.
STANDBY
Recovers the standby database using the control file and archived redo log files
copied from the primary database. The standby database must be mounted but not
open.
DATABASE
Recovers the entire database.
UNTIL CANCEL
Specifies an incomplete, cancel-based recovery. Recovery proceeds by prompting

you with the suggested filenames of archived redo log files, and recovery completes
when you specify CANCEL instead of a filename.
UNTIL CHANGE integer
Specifies an incomplete, change-based recovery. integer is the number of the System

Change Number (SCN) following the last change you wish to recover. For example,
if you want to restore your database up to the transaction with an SCN of 9, you
would specify UNTIL CHANGE 10.
UNTIL TIME date
Specifies an incomplete, time-based recovery. Use single quotes, and the following
format:
'YYYY-MM-DD:HH24:MI:SS'
USING BACKUP CONTROLFILE
Specifies that a backup of the control file be used instead of the current control file.
TABLESPACE tablespace
Recovers a particular tablespace. tablespace is the name of a tablespace in the

current database. You may recover up to 16 tablespaces in one statement.
DATAFILE datafilename
Recovers a particular datafile. You can specify any number of datafiles.
69
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
STANDBY {TABLESPACE tablespace [, tablespace ...]
[DATAFILE datafilename [, datafilename ...]}
Reconstructs a lost or damaged datafile or tablespace in the standby database

using archived redo log files copied from the primary database and a control
file.
UNTIL CONTROLFILE
Specifies that the recovery of an old standby datafile or tablespace uses the current
standby database control file.
LOGFILE filename
Continues media recovery by applying the specified redo log file.
CONTINUE [DEFAULT]
Continues multi-instance recovery after it has been interrupted to disable a thread.
Continues recovery using the redo log file that Oracle would automatically generate
if no other logfile were specified. This option is equivalent to specifying
AUTOMATIC, except that Oracle does not prompt for a filename.
CANCEL
Terminates cancel-based recovery.
PARALLEL DEGREE integer
Specifies the number of recovery processes used to apply redo entries to datafiles on
each instance. An integer specified for DEGREE overrides the initialization
parameter RECOVERY_PARALLELISM.
PARALLEL DEGREE DEFAULT
Indicates that twice the number of datafiles being recovered is the number of
recovery processes to use.
PARALLEL INSTANCES integer
Specifies the number of instances to use for parallel recovery.
The number of recovery processes specified with DEGREE is used on each instance.
Thus, the total number of recovery processes is the integer specified with DEGREE
multiplied by the integer specified with INSTANCES. INSTANCES is only
pertinent for the Oracle Parallel Server.
PARALLEL INSTANCES DEFAULT
INSTANCES DEFAULT or not including the INSTANCES keyword causes has

operating system-specific consequences. For more information about the default
70
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
behavior of the INSTANCES DEFAULT specification, see the Oracle8i Parallel

Server Concepts and Administration manual.
NOPARALLEL
Specifies that recovery is to proceed serially. Note that a specification of

PARALLEL(DEGREE 1 INSTANCES 1) is equivalent to specifying the
NOPARALLEL keyword.
The PARALLEL keyword overrides the RECOVERY_PARALLELISM initialization parameter.

The number specified with the PARALLEL keyword is the number of recovery processes used to
apply redo entries to datafiles. For more information about the PARALLEL keyword see the
Oracle8i Parallel Server Concepts and Administration manual.
Usage Notes
Note, you must be connected to Oracle as SYSOPER, or SYSDBA. You cannot use the RECOVER
command when connected via the multi-threaded server.
To perform media recovery on an entire database (all tablespaces), the database must be mounted
EXCLUSIVE and closed.
To perform media recovery on a tablespace, the database must be mounted and open, and the
tablespace must be offline.
To perform media recovery on a datafile, the database can remain open and mounted with the
damaged datafiles offline (unless the file is part of the SYSTEM tablespace).
Before using the RECOVER command you must have restored copies of the damaged datafile(s)
from a previous backup. Be sure you can access all archived and online redo log files dating back to
when that backup was made.
When another log file is required during recovery, a prompt suggests the names of files that are
needed. The name is derived from the values specified in the initialization parameters
LOG_ARCHIVE_DEST and LOG_ARCHIVE_FORMAT. You should restore copies of the
archived redo log files needed for recovery to the destination specified in LOG_ARCHIVE_DEST,
if necessary. You can override the initialization parameters by setting the LOGSOURCE variable
with the SET LOGSOURCE command.
During recovery you can accept the suggested log name by pressing return, cancel recovery by
entering CANCEL instead of a log name, or enter AUTO at the prompt for automatic file selection
without further prompting.
If you have enabled autorecovery (that is, SET AUTORECOVERY ON), recovery proceeds
without prompting you with filenames. Status messages are displayed when each log file is applied.
When normal media recovery is done, a completion status is returned.
For more information on recovery and the RECOVER command, see the Oracle8i Administrator's
Guide, and the Oracle8i Backup and Recovery guide.
Examples
71
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
To recover the entire database, enter
SQL> RECOVER DATABASE
To recover the database until a specified time, enter
SQL> RECOVER DATABASE UNTIL TIME 23-NOV-98:04:32:00
To recover the two tablespaces ts_one and ts_two from the database, enter
SQL> RECOVER TABLESPACE ts_one, ts_two
To recover the datafile data1.db from the database, enter
SQL> RECOVER DATAFILE 'data1.db'
REMARK
Purpose
Begins a comment in a command file. SQL*Plus does not interpret the comment as a command.
Syntax
REM[ARK]
Usage Notes
The REMARK command must appear at the beginning of a line, and the comment ends at the end
of the line. A line cannot contain both a comment and a command.
For details on entering comments in command files using the SQL comment delimiters, /* ... */, or
the ANSI/ISO comment delimiter, - - ..., refer to "Placing Comments in Command Files" in
Chapter 3.
Example
The following command file contains some typical comments:
REM COMPUTE uses BREAK ON REPORT to break on end of table

BREAK ON REPORT
COMPUTE SUM OF "DEPARTMENT 10" "DEPARTMENT 20" -
"DEPARTMENT 30" "TOTAL BY JOB" ON REPORT
REM Each column displays the sums of salaries by job for
REM one of the departments 10, 20, 30.
SELECT JOB,
SUM( DECODE( DEPTNO, 10, SAL, 0)) "DEPARTMENT 10",
SUM(SAL) "TOTAL BY JOB"
72
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
FROM EMP
GROUP BY JOB
REPFOOTER
Purpose
Places and formats a specified report footer at the bottom of each report, or lists the current
REPFOOTER definition.
Syntax
REPF[OOTER] [PAGE] [printspec [text|variable] ...]|[OFF|ON]
Terms and Clauses
Refer to the REPHEADER command for additional information on terms and clauses in the
REPFOOTER command syntax.
Enter REPFOOTER with no clauses to list the current REPFOOTER definition.
Usage Notes
If you do not enter a printspec clause before the text or variables, REPFOOTER left justifies the
text or variables.
You can use any number of constants and variables in a printspec. SQL*Plus displays the constants
and variables in the order you specify them, positioning and formatting each constant or variable as
specified by the printspec clauses that precede it.
Note:
If SET EMBEDDED is ON, the report footer is suppressed.
Example
To define "END EMPLOYEE LISTING REPORT" as a report footer on a separate page and to
center it, enter:
SQL> REPFOOTER PAGE CENTER 'END EMPLOYEE LISTING REPORT'

SQL> TTITLE RIGHT 'Page: ' FORMAT 999 SQL.PNO
SQL> SELECT ENAME, SAL
2 FROM EMP
3 WHERE SAL > 2000;
73
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
Page: 1
ENAME SAL
---------- ----------
JONES 2975
BLAKE 2850
CLARK 2450
SCOTT 3000
KING 5000
FORD 3000
Page: 2
END EMPLOYEE LISTING REPORT
To suppress the report footer without changing its definition, enter
SQL> REPFOOTER OFF
REPHEADER
Purpose
Places and formats a specified report header at the top of each report, or lists the current
REPHEADER definition.
Syntax
REPH[EADER] [PAGE] [printspec [text|variable] ...]|[OFF|ON]
where printspec represents one or more of the following clauses used to place and format the text:
COL n
S[KIP] [n]
TAB n
LE[FT]
CE[NTER]
R[IGHT]
BOLD
FORMAT text
Terms and Clauses
Refer to the following list for a description of each term or clause. These terms and clauses also
apply to the REPFOOTER command.
PAGE
Begins a new page after printing the specified report header or before printing the
specified report footer.
text
Represents the report header or footer text. Enter text in single quotes if you want to
place more than one word on a single line. The default is NULL.
74
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
variable
Represents a user variable or any of the following system-maintained values:
o SQL.LNO (current line number)

o SQL.PNO (current page number)
o SQL.RELEASE (current Oracle release number)
o SQL.CODE (current error code)
o SQL.USER (current username)
To print one of these values, reference the appropriate variable in the report header
or footer. You can format variable with the FORMAT clause.
OFF
Turns the report header or footer off (suppresses its display) without affecting
its definition.
COL n
Indents to column n of the current line (backward if column n has been

passed). "Column" in this context means print position, not table column.
S[KIP] [n]
Skips to the start of a new line n times; if you omit n, one time; if you enter
zero for n, backward to the start of the current line.
TAB n
Skips forward n columns (backward if you enter a negative value for n).
"Column" in this context means print position, not table column.
LE[FT] CE[NTER] R[IGHT]
Left-align, center, and right-align data on the current line respectively.

SQL*Plus aligns following data items as a group, up to the end of the
printspec or the next LEFT, CENTER, RIGHT, or COL command. CENTER
and RIGHT use the SET LINESIZE value to calculate the position of the data
item that follows.
BOLD
Prints data in bold print. SQL*Plus represents bold print on your terminal by
repeating the data on three consecutive lines. On some operating systems,
SQL*Plus may instruct your printer to print bolded text on three consecutive
lines, instead of bold.
FORMAT text
Specifies a format model that determines the format of following data items,
up to the next FORMAT clause or the end of the command. The format
75
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
model must be a text constant such as A10 or $999. See COLUMN

FORMAT for more information on formatting and valid format models.
If the datatype of the format model does not match the datatype of a given
data item, the FORMAT clause has no effect on that item.
If no appropriate FORMAT model precedes a given data item, SQL*Plus

prints NUMBER values according to the format specified by SET
NUMFORMAT or, if you have not used SET NUMFORMAT, the default
format. SQL*Plus prints DATE values according to the default format.
Refer to the FORMAT clause of the COLUMN command in this chapter for
more information on default formats.
Enter REPHEADER with no clauses to list the current REPHEADER definition.
Usage Notes
If you do not enter a printspec clause before the text or variables, REPHEADER left
justifies the text or variables.
You can use any number of constants and variables in a printspec. SQL*Plus displays the
constants and variables in the order you specify them, positioning and formatting each
constant or variable as specified by the printspec clauses that precede it.
Example
To define "EMPLOYEE LISTING REPORT" as a report header on a separate page, and to

center it, enter:
SQL> REPHEADER PAGE CENTER 'EMPLOYEE LISTING REPORT'

SQL> TTITLE RIGHT 'Page: ' FORMAT 999 SQL.PNO
SQL> SELECT ENAME, SAL
2 FROM EMP
3 WHERE SAL > 2000;
Page: 1
EMPLOYEE LISTING REPORT
Page: 2
ENAME SAL
---------- ----------
JONES 2975
BLAKE 2850
CLARK 2450
SCOTT 3000
KING 5000
FORD 3000
6 rows selected.
To suppress the report header without changing its definition, enter:
SQL> REPHEADER OFF
76
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
RUN
Purpose
Lists and executes the SQL command or PL/SQL block currently stored in the SQL buffer.
Syntax
R[UN]
Usage Notes
RUN causes the last line of the SQL buffer to become the current line.
The slash command (/) functions similarly to RUN, but does not list the command in the SQL
buffer on your screen.
Example
Assume the SQL buffer contains the following query:
SELECT DEPTNO FROM DEPT
To RUN the query, enter
SQL> RUN
1* SELECT DEPTNO FROM DEPT
DEPTNO
----------
10
20
30
40
SAVE
Purpose
Saves the contents of the SQL buffer in a host operating system file (a command file).
Syntax
SAV[E] file_name[.ext] [CRE[ATE]|REP[LACE]|APP[END]]
Terms and Clauses
77
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
file_name[.ext]
Specifies the command file in which you wish to save the buffer's contents.
REP[LACE]
Replaces the contents of an existing file. If the file does not exist, REPLACE creates
the file.
APP[END]
Adds the contents of the buffer to the end of the file you specify.
Usage Notes
If you do not specify an extension, SQL*Plus assumes the default command-file extension
(normally SQL). For information on changing this default extension, see the SUFFIX variable of
the SET command in this chapter.
If you wish to SAVE a file under a name identical to a SAVE command clause (CREATE,
REPLACE, or APPEND), you must specify a file extension.
When you SAVE the contents of the SQL buffer, SAVE adds a line containing a slash (/) to the end
of the file.
If the filename you specify is the word file, you need to put the name in single quotes.
Examples
To save the contents of the buffer in a file named DEPTSALRPT with the extension SQL, enter
SQL> SAVE DEPTSALRPT
To save the contents of the buffer in a file named DEPTSALRPT with the extension OLD, enter
SQL> SAVE DEPTSALRPT.OLD
SET
Purpose
Sets a system variable to alter the SQL*Plus environment for your current session, such as
• the display width for NUMBER data

• the display width for LONG data
• enabling or disabling the printing of column headings
• the number of lines per page
78
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
Syntax
SET system_variable value
where system_variable value represents a system variable followed by a value, as shown below:
APPI[NFO]{ON|OFF|text}
ARRAY[SIZE] {15|n}
AUTO[COMMIT] {OFF|ON|IMM[EDIATE]|n}
AUTOP[RINT] {OFF|ON}
AUTORECOVERY {ON|OFF]
AUTOT[RACE] {OFF|ON|TRACE[ONLY]} [EXP[LAIN]] [STAT[ISTICS]]
BLO[CKTERMINATOR] {.|c}
CMDS[EP] {;|c|OFF|ON}
COLSEP {_|text}
COM[PATIBILITY] {V7|V8|NATIVE}
CON[CAT] {.|c|OFF|ON}
COPYC[OMMIT] {0|n}
COPYTYPECHECK {OFF|ON}
DEF[INE] {'&'|c|OFF|ON}
DESCRIBE [DEPTH {1|n|ALL}][LINENUM {ON|OFF}][INDENT {ON|OFF}]
ECHO {OFF|ON}
EDITF[ILE] file_name[.ext]
EMB[EDDED] {OFF|ON}
ESC[APE] {\|c|OFF|ON}
FEED[BACK] {6|n|OFF|ON}
FLAGGER {OFF|ENTRY|INTERMED[IATE]|FULL}
FLU[SH] {OFF|ON}
HEA[DING] {OFF|ON}
HEADS[EP] {||c|OFF|ON}
INSTANCE [instance_path|LOCAL]
LIN[ESIZE] {80|n}
LOBOF[FSET] {n|1}
LOGSOURCE [pathname]
LONG {80|n}
LONGC[HUNKSIZE] {80|n}
NEWP[AGE] {1|n|NONE}
NULL text
NUMF[ORMAT] format
NUM[WIDTH] {10|n}
PAGES[IZE] {24|n}
PAU[SE] {OFF|ON|text}
RECSEP {WR[APPED]|EA[CH]|OFF}
RECSEPCHAR {_|c}
SERVEROUT[PUT] {OFF|ON} [SIZE n] [FOR[MAT] {WRA[PPED]|
WOR[D_WRAPPED]|TRU[NCATED]}]
SHIFT[INOUT] {VIS[IBLE]|INV[ISIBLE]}
SHOW[MODE] {OFF|ON}
SQLBL[ANKLINES] {ON|OFF}
SQLC[ASE] {MIX[ED]|LO[WER]|UP[PER]}
SQLCO[NTINUE] {> |text}
SQLN[UMBER] {OFF|ON}
SQLPRE[FIX] {#|c}
SQLP[ROMPT] {SQL>|text}
SQLT[ERMINATOR] {;|c|OFF|ON}
SUF[FIX] {SQL|text}
TAB {OFF|ON}
TERM[OUT] {OFF|ON}
TI[ME] {OFF|ON}
TIMI[NG] {OFF|ON}
TRIM[OUT] {OFF|ON}
TRIMS[POOL] {ON|OFF}
79
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
UND[ERLINE] {-|c|ON|OFF}
VER[IFY] {OFF|ON}
WRA[P] {OFF|ON}
Terms and Clauses
Refer to the following list for a description of each term, clause, or system variable:
APPI[NFO]{ON|OFF|text}
Sets automatic registering of command files through the

DBMS_APPLICATION_INFO package. This enables the performance and resource
usage of each command file to be monitored by your DBA. The registered name
appears in the MODULE column of the V$SESSION and V$SQLAREA virtual
tables. You can also read the registered name using the
DBMS_APPLICATION_INFO.READ_MODULE procedure.
ON registers command files invoked by the @, @@ or START commands. OFF

disables registering of command files. Instead, the current value of text is registered.
Text specifies the text to register when no command file is being run or when
APPINFO is OFF. The default for text is "SQL*Plus". If you enter multiple words
for text, you must enclose them in quotes. The maximum length for text is limited by
the DBMS_APPLICATION_INFO package.
The registered name has the format nn@xfilename where: nn is the depth level of
command file; x is '<' when the command file name is truncated, otherwise, it is
blank; and filename is the command file name, possibly truncated to the length
allowed by the DBMS_APPLICATION_INFO package interface.
Note:
To use this feature, you must have access to the DBMS_APPLICATION_INFO

package. Run DBMSUTIL.SQL (this name may vary depending on your
operating system) as SYS to create the DBMS_APPLICATION_INFO
package. DBMSUTIL.SQL is part of the Oracle8 database server product.
For more information on the DBMS_APPLICATION_INFO package, see the

Oracle8i Tuning manual.
ARRAY[SIZE] {15|n}
Sets the number of rows--called a batch--that SQL*Plus will fetch from the database
at one time. Valid values are 1 to 5000. A large value increases the efficiency of
queries and subqueries that fetch many rows, but requires more memory. Values
over approximately 100 provide little added performance. ARRAYSIZE has no
effect on the results of SQL*Plus operations other than increasing efficiency.
80
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
AUTO[COMMIT]{OFF|ON|IMM[EDIATE]|n}
Controls when Oracle commits pending changes to the database. ON commits

pending changes to the database after Oracle executes each successful INSERT,
UPDATE, or DELETE command or PL/SQL block. OFF suppresses automatic
committing so that you must commit changes manually (for example, with the SQL
command COMMIT). IMMEDIATE functions in the same manner as the ON
option. n commits pending changes to the database after Oracle executes n
successful SQL INSERT, UPDATE, or DELETE commands or PL/SQL blocks. n
cannot be less than zero or greater than 2,000,000,000. The statement counter is reset
to zero after successful completion of
o n INSERT, UPDATE or DELETE commands or PL/SQL blocks

o a commit
o a rollback
o a SET AUTOCOMMIT command
Note:
For this feature, a PL/SQL block is considered one transaction, regardless of the
actual number of SQL commands contained within it.
AUTOP[RINT] {OFF|ON}
Sets the automatic PRINTing of bind variables. ON or OFF controls whether

SQL*Plus automatically displays bind variables (referenced in a successful PL/SQL
block or used in an EXECUTE command). For more information about displaying
bind variables, see the PRINT command in this chapter.
AUTORECOVERY [ON|OFF]
ON sets the RECOVER command to automatically apply the default filenames of

archived redo log files needed during recovery. No interaction is needed when
AUTORECOVERY is set to ON, provided the necessary files are in the expected
locations with the expected names. The filenames used when AUTORECOVERY is
ON are derived from the values of the initialization parameters
LOG_ARCHIVE_DEST and LOG_ARCHIVE_FORMAT.
OFF, the default option, requires that you enter the filenames manually or accept the
suggested default filename given.
AUTOT[RACE] {OFF|ON|TRACE[ONLY]} [EXP[LAIN]] [STAT[ISTICS]]
Displays a report on the execution of successful SQL DML statements (SELECT,

INSERT, UPDATE or DELETE). The report can include execution statistics and the
query execution path.
81
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
OFF does not display a trace report. ON displays a trace report. TRACEONLY
displays a trace report, but does not print query data, if any. EXPLAIN shows the
query execution path by performing an EXPLAIN PLAN. STATISTICS displays
SQL statement statistics.
Using ON or TRACEONLY with no explicit options defaults to EXPLAIN

STATISTICS.
The TRACEONLY option may be useful to suppress the query data of large queries.
If STATISTICS is specified, SQL*Plus still fetches the query data from the server,
however, the data is not displayed.
The AUTOTRACE report is printed after the statement has successfully completed.
Information about Execution Plans and the statistics is documented in the Oracle8i
Tuning manual.
When SQL*Plus produces a STATISTICS report, a second connection to the

database is automatically created. This connection is closed when the STATISTICS
option is set to OFF, or you log out of SQL*Plus.
The formatting of your AUTOTRACE report may vary depending on the version of
the server to which you are connected and the configuration of the server.
AUTOTRACE is not available when FIPS flagging is enabled.
See "Tracing Statements" in Chapter 3 for more information on AUTOTRACE.
BLO[CKTERMINATOR] {.|c}
Sets the non-alphanumeric character used to end PL/SQL blocks to c. To execute the
block, you must issue a RUN or / (slash) command.
CMDS[EP] {;|c|OFF|ON}
Sets the non-alphanumeric character used to separate multiple SQL*Plus commands

entered on one line to c. ON or OFF controls whether you can enter multiple
commands on a line; ON automatically sets the command separator character to a
semicolon (;).
COLSEP { |text}
Sets the text to be printed between SELECTed columns. If the COLSEP variable
contains blanks or punctuation characters, you must enclose it with single quotes.
The default value for text is a single space.
In multi-line rows, the column separator does not print between columns that begin
on different lines. The column separator does not appear on blank lines produced by
BREAK ... SKIP n and does not overwrite the record separator. See SET RECSEP in
this chapter for more information.
COM[PATIBILITY]{V7|V8|NATIVE}
82
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
Specifies the version of Oracle to which you are currently connected. Set
COMPATIBILITY to V7 for Oracle7, or V8 for Oracle8 and Oracle8i. Set
COMPATIBILITY to NATIVE if you wish the database to determine the setting (for
example, if connected to Oracle8 or Oracle8i, compatibility would default to V8).
COMPATIBILITY must be correctly set for the version of Oracle to which you are
connected; otherwise, you will be unable to run any SQL commands. Note that you
can set COMPATIBILITY to V7 when connected to Oracle8i. This enables you to
run Oracle7 SQL against Oracle8i.
CON[CAT] {.|c|OFF|ON}
Sets the character you can use to terminate a substitution variable reference if you
wish to immediately follow the variable with a character that SQL*Plus would
otherwise interpret as a part of the substitution variable name. SQL*Plus resets the
value of CONCAT to a period when you switch CONCAT on.
COPYC[OMMIT] {0|n}
Controls the number of batches after which the COPY command commits changes to
the database. COPY commits rows to the destination database each time it copies n
row batches. Valid values are zero to 5000. You can set the size of a batch with the
ARRAYSIZE variable. If you set COPYCOMMIT to zero, COPY performs a
commit only at the end of a copy operation.
COPYTYPECHECK {OFF|ON}
Sets the suppression of the comparison of datatypes while inserting or appending to

tables with the COPY command. This is to facilitate copying to DB2, which requires
that a CHAR be copied to a DB2 DATE.
DEF[INE] {&|c|OFF|ON}
Sets the character used to prefix substitution variables to c. ON or OFF controls

whether SQL*Plus will scan commands for substitution variables and replace them
with their values. ON changes the value of c back to the default '&', not the most
recently used character. The setting of DEFINE to OFF overrides the setting of the
SCAN variable. For more information on the SCAN variable, see the SET SCAN
command in Appendix F.
DESCRIBE [DEPTH {1|n|ALL}][LINENUM {ON|OFF}][INDENT {ON|OFF}]
Sets the depth of the level to which you can recursively describe an object. The valid
range of the DEPTH clause is from 1 to 50. If you SET DESCRIBE DEPTH ALL,
then the depth will be set to 50, which is the maximum level allowed. You can also
display the line number and indentation of the attribute or column name when an
object contains multiple object types. Use the SET LINESIZE command to control
the width of the data displayed.
For more information about describing objects, see the DESCRIBE command earlier
in this chapter.
ECHO {OFF|ON}
83
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
Controls whether the START command lists each command in a command file as
the command is executed. ON lists the commands; OFF suppresses the listing.
EDITF[ILE] file_name[.ext]
Sets the default filename for the EDIT command. For more information about the
EDIT command, see EDIT in this chapter.
You can include a path and/or file extension. For information on changing the
default extension, see the SUFFIX variable of this command. The default filename
and maximum filename length are operating system specific.
EMB[EDDED] {OFF|ON}
Controls where on a page each report begins. OFF forces each report to start at the
top of a new page. ON allows a report to begin anywhere on a page. Set
EMBEDDED to ON when you want a report to begin printing immediately
following the end of the previously run report.
ESC[APE] {\|c|OFF|ON}
Defines the character you enter as the escape character. OFF undefines the escape
character. ON enables the escape character. ON changes the value of c back to the
default "\".
You can use the escape character before the substitution character (set through SET
DEFINE) to indicate that SQL*Plus should treat the substitution character as an
ordinary character rather than as a request for variable substitution.
FEED[BACK] {6|n|OFF|ON}
Displays the number of records returned by a query when a query selects at least n
records. ON or OFF turns this display on or off. Turning feedback ON sets n to 1.
Setting feedback to zero is equivalent to turning it OFF.
FLAGGER {OFF|ENTRY |INTERMED[IATE]|FULL}
Checks to make sure that SQL statements conform to the ANSI/ISO SQL92
standard. If any non-standard constructs are found, the Oracle Server flags them as
errors and displays the violating syntax. This is the equivalent of the SQL language
ALTER SESSION SET FLAGGER command.
You may execute SET FLAGGER even if you are not connected to a database. FIPS
flagging will remain in effect across SQL*Plus sessions until a SET FLAGGER OFF
(or ALTER SESSION SET FLAGGER = OFF) command is successful or you exit
SQL*Plus.
When FIPS flagging is enabled, SQL*Plus displays a warning for the CONNECT,
DISCONNECT, and ALTER SESSION SET FLAGGER commands, even if they
are successful.
FLU[SH] {OFF|ON}
84
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
Controls when output is sent to the user's display device. OFF allows the host
operating system to buffer output. ON disables buffering.
Use OFF only when you run a command file non-interactively (that is, when you do
not need to see output and/or prompts until the command file finishes running). The
use of FLUSH OFF may improve performance by reducing the amount of program
I/O.
HEA[DING] {OFF|ON}
Controls printing of column headings in reports. ON prints column headings in

reports; OFF suppresses column headings.
The SET HEADING OFF command will not affect the column width displayed, and
only suppresses the printing of the column header itself.
HEADS[EP] {||c|OFF|ON}
Defines the character you enter as the heading separator character. The heading
separator character cannot be alphanumeric or white space. You can use the heading
separator character in the COLUMN command and in the old forms of BTITLE and
TTITLE to divide a column heading or title onto more than one line. ON or OFF
turns heading separation on or off. When heading separation is OFF, SQL*Plus
prints a heading separator character like any other character. ON changes the value
of c back to the default "|".
INSTANCE [instance_path|LOCAL]
Changes the default instance for your session to the specified instance path. Using
the SET INSTANCE command does not connect to a database. The default instance
is used for commands when no instance is specified.
Any commands preceding the first use of SET INSTANCE communicate with the
default instance.
To reset the instance to the default value for your operating system, you can either
enter SET INSTANCE with no instance_path or SET INSTANCE LOCAL. See
your operating system-specific Oracle documentation for a description of how to set
the initial default instance.
Note, you can only change the instance when you are not currently connected to any
instance. That is, you must first make sure that you have disconnected from the
current instance, then set or change the instance, and reconnect to an instance in
order for the new setting to be enabled.
This command may only be issued when Net8 is running. You can use any valid
Net8 connect string as the specified instance path. See your operating system-
specific Oracle documentation for a complete description of how your operating
system specifies Net8 connect strings. The maximum length of the instance path is
64 characters.
LIN[ESIZE] {80|n}
85
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
Sets the total number of characters that SQL*Plus displays on one line before
beginning a new line. It also controls the position of centered and right-aligned text
in TTITLE, BTITLE, REPHEADER and REPFOOTER. You can define LINESIZE
as a value from 1 to a maximum that is system dependent. Refer to the Oracle
installation and user's manual(s) provided for your operating system.
LOBOF[FSET] {n|1}
Sets the starting position from which CLOB and NCLOB data is retrieved and
displayed.
LOGSOURCE [pathname]
Specifies the location from which archive logs are retrieved during recovery. The
default value is set by the LOG_ARCHIVE_DEST initialization parameter. Using
the SET LOGSOURCE command without a pathname restores the default location.
LONG {80|n}
Sets maximum width (in bytes) for displaying LONG, CLOB and NCLOB values;
and for copying LONG values. The maximum value of n is 2 gigabytes.
LONGC[HUNKSIZE] {80|n}
Sets the size (in bytes) of the increments in which SQL*Plus retrieves a LONG,
CLOB or NCLOB value.
NEWP[AGE] {1|n|NONE}
Sets the number of blank lines to be printed from the top of each page to the top title.
A value of zero places a formfeed at the beginning of each page (including the first
page) and clears the screen on most terminals. If you set NEWPAGE to NONE,
SQL*Plus does not print a blank line or formfeed between the report pages.
NULL text
Sets the text that represents a null value in the result of a SQL SELECT command.
Use the NULL clause of the COLUMN command to override the setting of the
NULL variable for a given column.
NUMF[ORMAT] format
Sets the default format for displaying numbers. Enter a number format for format.
For number format descriptions, see the FORMAT clause of the COLUMN
command in this chapter.
NUM[WIDTH] {10|n}
Sets the default width for displaying numbers. For number format descriptions, see
the FORMAT clause of the COLUMN command in this chapter.
PAGES[IZE] {24|n}
86
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
Sets the number of lines in each page. You can set PAGESIZE to zero to suppress all
headings, page breaks, titles, the initial blank line, and other formatting information.
PAU[SE] {OFF|ON|text}
Allows you to control scrolling of your terminal when running reports. ON causes
SQL*Plus to pause at the beginning of each page of report output. You must press
[Return] after each pause. The text you enter specifies the text to be displayed each
time SQL*Plus pauses. If you enter multiple words, you must enclose text in single
quotes.
You can embed terminal-dependent escape sequences in the PAUSE command.

These sequences allow you to create inverse video messages or other effects on
terminals that support such characteristics.
RECSEP {WR[APPED]|EA[CH]|OFF}
RECSEPCHAR { |c}
Display or print record separators. A record separator consists of a single line of the
RECSEPCHAR (record separating character) repeated LINESIZE times.
RECSEPCHAR defines the record separating character. A single space is the default.
RECSEP tells SQL*Plus where to make the record separation. For example, if you set
RECSEP to WRAPPED, SQL*Plus prints a record separator only after wrapped lines. If you
set RECSEP to EACH, SQL*Plus prints a record separator following every row. If you set
RECSEP to OFF, SQL*Plus does not print a record separator.
SERVEROUT[PUT] {OFF|ON} [SIZE n] [FOR[MAT]

{WRA[PPED]|WOR[D_WRAPPED]|TRU[NCATED]}]
Controls whether to display the output (that is, DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE) of

stored procedures or PL/SQL blocks in SQL*Plus. OFF suppresses the output of
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE; ON displays the output.
SIZE sets the number of bytes of the output that can be buffered within the Oracle8i
database server. The default for n is 2000. n cannot be less than 2000 or greater than
1,000,000.
When WRAPPED is enabled SQL*Plus wraps the server output within the line size
specified by SET LINESIZE, beginning new lines when required.
When WORD_WRAPPED is enabled, each line of server output is wrapped within

the line size specified by SET LINESIZE. Lines are broken on word boundaries.
SQL*Plus left justifies each line, skipping all leading whitespace.
When TRUNCATED is enabled, each line of server output is truncated to the line
size specified by SET LINESIZE.
For each FORMAT, every server output line begins on a new output line.
87
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
For more information on DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE, see your Oracle8i Supplied

Packages Reference.
SHIFT[INOUT] {VIS[IBLE]|INV[ISIBLE]}
Allows correct alignment for terminals that display shift characters. The SET
SHIFTINOUT command is useful for terminals which display shift characters
together with data (for example, IBM 3270 terminals). You can only use this
command with shift sensitive character sets (for example, JA16DBCS).
Use VISIBLE for terminals that display shift characters as a visible character (for
example, a space or a colon). INVISIBLE is the opposite and does not display any
shift characters.
SHOW[MODE] {OFF|ON}
Controls whether SQL*Plus lists the old and new settings of a SQL*Plus system
variable when you change the setting with SET. ON lists the settings; OFF
suppresses the listing. SHOWMODE ON has the same behavior as the obsolete
SHOWMODE BOTH.
SQLBL[ANKLINES] {ON|OFF}
Controls whether SQL*Plus allows blank lines within a SQL command. ON

interprets blank lines and new lines as part of a SQL command. OFF, the default
value, does not allow blank lines or new lines in a SQL command. SQL*Plus returns
to the default behavior when a SQLTERMINTATOR or BLOCKTERMINATOR is
encountered.
SQLC[ASE] {MIX[ED]|LO[WER]|UP[PER]}
Converts the case of SQL commands and PL/SQL blocks just prior to execution.
SQL*Plus converts all text within the command, including quoted literals and
identifiers, as follows:
o uppercase if SQLCASE equals UPPER

o lowercase if SQLCASE equals LOWER
o unchanged if SQLCASE equals MIXED
SQLCASE does not change the SQL buffer itself.
SQLCO[NTINUE] {> |text}
Sets the character sequence SQL*Plus displays as a prompt after you

continue a SQL*Plus command on an additional line using a hyphen (-).
SQLN[UMBER] {OFF|ON}
Sets the prompt for the second and subsequent lines of a SQL command or
PL/SQL block. ON sets the prompt to be the line number. OFF sets the
prompt to the value of SQLPROMPT.
88
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
SQLPRE[FIX] {#|c}
Sets the SQL*Plus prefix character. While you are entering a SQL command
or PL/SQL block, you can enter a SQL*Plus command on a separate line,
prefixed by the SQL*Plus prefix character. SQL*Plus will execute the
command immediately without affecting the SQL command or PL/SQL
block that you are entering. The prefix character must be a non-alphanumeric
character.
SQLP[ROMPT] {SQL>|text}
Sets the SQL*Plus command prompt.
SQLT[ERMINATOR] {;|c|OFF|ON}
Sets the character used to end and execute SQL commands to c. OFF means
that SQL*Plus recognizes no command terminator; you terminate a SQL
command by entering an empty line. ON resets the terminator to the default
semicolon (;).
SUF[FIX] {SQL|text}
Sets the default file extension that SQL*Plus uses in commands that refer to
command files. SUFFIX does not control extensions for spool files.
TAB {OFF|ON}
Determines how SQL*Plus formats white space in terminal output. OFF uses
spaces to format white space in the output. ON uses the TAB character. TAB
settings are every eight characters. The default value for TAB is system
dependent.
TERM[OUT] {OFF|ON}
Controls the display of output generated by commands executed from a

command file. OFF suppresses the display so that you can spool output from
a command file without seeing the output on the screen. ON displays the
output. TERMOUT OFF does not affect output from commands you enter
interactively.
TI[ME] {OFF|ON}
Controls the display of the current time. ON displays the current time before
each command prompt. OFF suppresses the time display.
TIMI[NG] {OFF|ON}
Controls the display of timing statistics. ON displays timing statistics on each

SQL command or PL/SQL block run. OFF suppresses timing of each
command. For information about the data SET TIMING ON displays, see the
Oracle installation and user's manual(s) provided for your operating system.
89
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
Refer to the TIMING command for information on timing multiple

commands.
TRIM[OUT] {OFF|ON}
Determines whether SQL*Plus allows trailing blanks at the end of each

displayed line. ON removes blanks at the end of each line, improving
performance especially when you access SQL*Plus from a slow
communications device. OFF allows SQL*Plus to display trailing blanks.
TRIMOUT ON does not affect spooled output.
TRIMS[POOL] {ON|OFF}
Determines whether SQL*Plus allows trailing blanks at the end of each

spooled line. ON removes blanks at the end of each line. OFF allows
SQL*Plus to include trailing blanks. TRIMSPOOL ON does not affect
terminal output.
UND[ERLINE] {-|c|ON|OFF}
Sets the character used to underline column headings in SQL*Plus reports to

c. Note, c cannot be an alphanumeric character or a white space. ON or OFF
turns underlining on or off. ON changes the value of c back to the default "-".
VER[IFY] {OFF|ON}
Controls whether SQL*Plus lists the text of a SQL statement or PL/SQL

command before and after SQL*Plus replaces substitution variables with
values. ON lists the text; OFF suppresses the listing.
WRA[P] {OFF|ON}
Controls whether SQL*Plus truncates the display of a SELECTed row if it is

too long for the current line width. OFF truncates the SELECTed row; ON
allows the SELECTed row to wrap to the next line.
Use the WRAPPED and TRUNCATED clauses of the COLUMN command

to override the setting of WRAP for specific columns.
Usage Notes
SQL*Plus maintains system variables (also called SET command variables) to allow you to
establish a particular environment for a SQL*Plus session. You can change these system
variables with the SET command and list them with the SHOW command.
SET ROLE and SET TRANSACTION are SQL commands (see the Oracle8i SQL
Reference for more information). When not followed by the keywords TRANSACTION or
ROLE, SET is assumed to be a SQL*Plus command.
Examples
The following examples show sample uses of selected SET command variables.
90
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
APPINFO
To display the setting of APPINFO, enter
SQL> SHOW APPINFO

SQL> appinfo is ON and set to "SQL*Plus"
To change the default text, enter
SQL> SET APPI 'This is SQL*Plus'

SQL> SHOW APPINFO
SQL> appinfo is ON and set to "This is SQL*Plus"
To make sure that registration has taken place, enter
SQL> VARIABLE MOD VARCHAR2(50)

SQL> VARIABLE ACT VARCHAR2(40)
SQL> EXECUTE DBMS_APPLICATION_INFO.READ_MODULE(:MOD, :ACT);
SQL> PRINT MOD
MOD
---------------------------------------------------
This is SQL*Plus
AUTORECOVERY
To set the recovery mode to AUTOMATIC, enter
SQL> SET AUTORECOVERY ON

CMDSEP
To specify a TTITLE and format a column on the same line, enter
SQL> SET CMDSEP +

SQL> TTITLE LEFT 'SALARIES' + COLUMN SAL FORMAT $9,999
SQL> SELECT ENAME, SAL FROM EMP
2 WHERE JOB = 'CLERK';
SALARIES
ENAME SAL
---------- -------
SMITH $800
ADAMS $1,100
JAMES $950
MILLER $1,300
COLSEP
To set the column separator to "|" enter
SQL> SET COLSEP '|'

SQL> SELECT ENAME, JOB, DEPTNO
91
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
2 FROM EMP
3 WHERE DEPTNO = 20;
ENAME |JOB | DEPTNO

-------------------------------
SMITH |CLERK | 20
JONES |MANAGER | 20
SCOTT |ANALYST | 20
ADAMS |CLERK | 20
FORD |ANALYST | 20
COMPATIBILITY
To run a command file, SALARY.SQL, created with Oracle7, enter
SQL> SET COMPATIBILITY V7

SQL> START SALARY
After running the file, reset compatibility to V8 to run command files created with Oracle8:
SQL> SET COMPATIBILITY V8
Alternatively, you can add the command SET COMPATIBILITY V7 to the beginning of the
command file, and reset COMPATIBILITY to V8 at the end of the file.
DESCRIBE
To describe the object emp_object to a depth of two levels, and indent the output while also
displaying line numbers, first describe the object as follows:
Name Null Type

----------------------------------------- -------- ----------------------
------
NAME VARCHAR2(20)
ADDR RECUR_ADDRESS
ADDR1 RECUR_ADDRESS1
DOB DATE
GENDER VARCHAR2(10)
DEPTNO NUMBER
DEPT_NAME VARCHAR2(20)
LOCATION VARCHAR2(20)
START_DATE DATE
SAL RECUR_SALARY
ANNUAL_SAL NUMBER(10,2)
EMP_TYPE VARCHAR2(1)
COMM NUMBER(10,2)
92
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
PENALTY_RATE NUMBER(5,2)
To format emp_object so that the output displays with indentation and line numbers, use the
SET DESCRIBE command as follows:
SQL> SET DESCRIBE DEPTH 2 LINENUM ON INDENT ON
To display the above settings, enter
SQL> DESCRIBE emp_object
Name Null Type

------------------------------ -------- ----------------------
------
1 EMPLOYEE RECUR_PERSON
2 1 NAME VARCHAR2(20)
3 1 ADDR RECUR_ADDRESS
4 1 ADDR1 RECUR_ADDRESS1
5 1 DOB DATE
6 1 GENDER VARCHAR2(10)
7 DEPT RECUR_DEPARTMENT
8 7 DEPTNO NUMBER
9 7 DEPT_NAME VARCHAR2(20)
10 7 LOCATION VARCHAR2(20)
11 START_DATE DATE
12 POSITION VARCHAR2(1)
13 SAL RECUR_SALARY
14 13 ANNUAL_SAL NUMBER(10,2)
15 13 EMP_TYPE VARCHAR2(1)
16 13 COMM NUMBER(10,2)
17 13 PENALTY_RATE NUMBER(5,2)
ESCAPE
If you define the escape character as an exclamation point (!), then
SQL> SET ESCAPE !

SQL> ACCEPT v1 PROMPT 'Enter !&1:'
displays this prompt:
Enter &1:
HEADING
To suppress the display of column headings in a report, enter
SQL> SET HEADING OFF
If you then run a SQL SELECT command,
93
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
SQL> SELECT ENAME, SAL FROM EMP

2 WHERE JOB = 'CLERK';
the following output results:
ADAMS 1100
JAMES 950
MILLER 1300
INSTANCE
To set the default instance to "PROD1" enter
SQL> SET INSTANCE PROD1
To set the instance back to the default or local, enter
SQL> SET INSTANCE local
LOBOFFSET
To set the starting position from which a CLOB column's data is retrieved to the 22nd
position, enter
SQL> SET LOBOFFSET 22
The CLOB data will wrap on your screen; SQL*Plus will not truncate until the 23rd
character.
LOGSOURCE
To set the default location of log files for recovery to the directory "/usr/oracle81/dbs/arch"
enter
SQL> SET LOGSOURCE "/usr/oracle81/dbs/arch"

LONG
To set the maximum width for displaying and copying LONG values to 500, enter
SQL> SET LONG 500
The LONG data will wrap on your screen; SQL*Plus will not truncate until the 501st
character.
LONGCHUNKSIZE
To set the size of the increments in which SQL*Plus retrieves LONG values to 100
characters, enter
94
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
SQL> SET LONGCHUNKSIZE 100
The LONG data will be retrieved in increments of 100 characters until the entire value is
retrieved or the value of SET LONG is reached.
SERVEROUTPUT
To enable the display of DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE, enter
SQL> SET SERVEROUTPUT ON
The following example shows what happens when you execute an anonymous procedure
with SET SERVEROUTPUT ON:
SQL> BEGIN
2 DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Task is complete');
3 END;
4 /
Task is complete.
PL/SQL procedure successfully completed.
The following example shows what happens when you create a trigger with SET
SERVEROUTPUT ON:
SQL> CREATE TRIGGER SERVER_TRIG BEFORE INSERT OR UPDATE -

> OR DELETE
2 ON SERVER_TAB
3 BEGIN
4 DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Task is complete.');
5 END;
6 /
Trigger created.
SQL> INSERT INTO SERVER_TAB VALUES ('TEXT');
Task is complete.
1 row created.
To set the output to WORD_WRAPPED, enter
SQL> SET SERVEROUTPUT ON FORMAT WORD_WRAPPED

SQL> SET LINESIZE 20
SQL> BEGIN
2 DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('If there is nothing left to do');
3 DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('shall we continue with plan B?');
4 end;
5 /
If there is nothing
left to do
shall we continue
with plan B?
To set the output to TRUNCATED, enter
SQL> SET SERVEROUTPUT ON FORMAT TRUNCATED
95
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
SQL> SET LINESIZE 20

SQL> BEGIN
2 DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('If there is nothing left to do');
3 DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('shall we continue with plan B?');
4 END;
5 /
If there is nothing
shall we continue wi
SHIFTINOUT
To enable the display of shift characters, enter
SQL> SET SHIFTINOUT VISIBLE

SQL> SELECT ENAME, JOB FROM EMP;
ENAME JOB
---------- ----------
:JJOO: :AABBCC:
:AA:abc :DDEE:e
where ":" = shift character
uppercase = multibyte character
lowercase = singlebyte character
Note:
This example illustrates that the columns are aligned correctly. The data used in
this example is an illustration only and does not represent real data.
SQLBLANKLINES
To preserve blank lines in a SQL statement, enter
SQL> SET SQLBLANKLINES ON

SQL> SELECT *
2
3 FROM
4
5 DUAL
6
7 ;
96
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
D
-
X
SQLCONTINUE
To set the SQL*Plus command continuation prompt to an exclamation point followed by a

space, enter
SQL> SET SQLCONTINUE '! '
SQL*Plus will prompt for continuation as follows:
SQL> TTITLE 'YEARLY INCOME' -

! RIGHT SQL.PNO SKIP 2 -
! CENTER 'PC DIVISION'
SQL>
SUFFIX
To set the default command-file extension to UFI, enter
SQL> SET SUFFIX UFI
If you then enter
SQL> GET EXAMPLE
SQL*Plus will look for a file named EXAMPLE with an extension of UFI instead of
EXAMPLE with an extension of SQL.
SHOW
Purpose
Shows the value of a SQL*Plus system variable or the current SQL*Plus environment.
Syntax
SHO[W] option
where option represents one of the following terms or clauses:
system_variable
ALL
BTI[TLE]
ERR[ORS] [{FUNCTION|PROCEDURE|PACKAGE|PACKAGE BODY|
TRIGGER|VIEW|TYPE|TYPE BODY} [schema.]name]
97
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
LNO
PARAMETERS [parameter_name]
PNO
REL[EASE]
REPF[OOTER]
REPH[EADER]
SGA
SPOO[L]
SQLCODE
TTI[TLE]
USER
Terms and Clauses
system_variable
Represents any system variable set by the SET command.
ALL
Lists the settings of all SHOW options, except ERRORS, in alphabetical order.
BTI[TLE]
Shows the current BTITLE definition.
ERR[ORS] [{FUNCTION|PROCEDURE|PACKAGE|PACKAGE BODY

|TRIGGER|VIEW|TYPE|TYPE BODY} [schema.]name]
Shows the compilation errors of a stored procedure (includes stored functions, procedures,
and packages). After you use the CREATE command to create a stored procedure, a
message is displayed if the stored procedure has any compilation errors. To see the errors,
you use SHOW ERRORS.
When you specify SHOW ERRORS with no arguments, SQL*Plus shows compilation
errors for the most recently created or altered stored procedure. When you specify the type
(function, procedure, package, package body, trigger, view, type, or type body) and the
name of the PL/SQL stored procedure, SQL*Plus shows errors for that stored procedure.
For more information on compilation errors, see your PL/SQL User's Guide and Reference.
schema contains the named object. If you omit schema, SHOW ERRORS assumes the
object is located in your current schema.
SHOW ERRORS output displays the line and column number of the error (LINE/COL) as
well as the error itself (ERROR). LINE/COL and ERROR have default widths of 8 and 65,
respectively. You can alter these widths using the COLUMN command.
LNO
Shows the current line number (the position in the current page of the display and/or
spooled output).
PARAMETERS [parameter_name]
98
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
Displays the current values for one or more initialization parameters. You can use a
string after the command to see a subset of parameters whose names include that
string. For example, if you enter:
SQL> SHOW PARAMETERS COUNT
you would see:
NAME TYPE VALUE

------------------------------ ----- -----
db_file_multiblock_read_count integer 12
spin_count integer 0
The SHOW PARAMETERS command, without any string following the command,
displays all initialization parameters.
Note, your output may vary depending on the version and configuration of the
Oracle database server to which you are connected.
PNO
Shows the current page number.
REL[EASE]
Shows the release number of Oracle that SQL*Plus is accessing.
REPF[OOTER]
Shows the current REPFOOTER definition.
REPH[EADER]
Shows the current REPHEADER definition.
SPOO[L]
Shows whether output is being spooled.
SGA
Displays information about the current instance's System Global Area.
SQLCODE
Shows the value of SQL.SQLCODE (the SQL return code of the most recent
operation).
TTI[TLE]
Shows the current TTITLE definition.
USER
99
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
Shows the username under which you are currently accessing SQL*Plus.
Examples
To list the current LINESIZE, enter
SQL> SHOW LINESIZE
If the current linesize equals 80 characters, SQL*Plus will give the following response:
linesize 80
The following example illustrates how to create a stored procedure and then show its compilation
errors:
SQL> connect system/manager

SQL> create procedure scott.proc1 as
SQL> begin
SQL> :p1 := 1;
SQL> end;
SQL> /
Warning: Procedure created with compilation errors.
SQL> show errors
Errors for PROCEDURE SCOTT.PROC1:
LINE/COL ERROR
--------------------------------------------------------
3/3 PLS-00049: bad bind variable 'P1'
SQL> show errors procedure proc1
No errors.
SQL> show errors procedure scott.proc1
Errors for PROCEDURE SCOTT.PROC1:
LINE/COL ERROR
--------------------------------------------------------
3/3 PLS-00049: bad bind variable 'P1'
To show whether AUTORECOVERY is enabled, enter
SQL> SHOW AUTORECOVERY

autorecovery ON
To display the connect string for the default instance, enter
SQL> SHOW INSTANCE

instance "local"
To display the location for archive logs, enter
SQL> SHOW LOGSOURCE

logsource "/usr/oracle81/dbs/arch"
To display information about the SGA, enter
SQL> SHOW SGA
100
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
Total System Global Area 7629732 bytes

Fixed Size 60324 bytes
Variable Size 6627328 bytes
Database Buffers 409600 bytes
Redo Buffers 532480 bytes
SHUTDOWN
Purpose
Shuts down a currently running Oracle instance, optionally closing and dismounting a database.
Syntax
SHUTDOWN [ABORT|IMMEDIATE|NORMAL|TRANSACTIONAL]
Terms and Clauses
ABORT
Proceeds with the fastest possible shutdown. Does not wait for calls to complete or
users to disconnect. Does not close or dismount the database, but does shut down the
instance. Requires instance recovery on next startup. You must use this option if a
background process terminates abnormally.
IMMEDIATE
Does not wait for current calls to complete, prohibits further connects, and closes
and dismounts the database. Finally, shuts down the instance. Does not wait for
connected users to disconnect. Does not require instance recovery on next startup.
NORMAL
Waits for currently connected users to disconnect from the database, prohibits further
connects, and closes and dismounts the database. Finally, shuts down the instance.
Does not require instance recovery on next startup. NORMAL is the default option.
TRANSACTIONAL
Performs shutdown of an instance while minimizing interruption to clients. No client

can start a new transaction on the instance. If a client attempts to start a new
transaction, they are disconnected. After all transactions have either been committed
or aborted, any client still connected to the instance is disconnected. At this point,
the instance shuts down just as it would when a SHUTDOWN IMMEDIATE is
submitted.
Using SHUTDOWN TRANSACTIONAL prevents clients from losing work, and at

the same time, does not require all users to log off.
Usage Notes
101
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
SHUTDOWN with no arguments is equivalent to SHUTDOWN NORMAL.
You must be connected to a database as SYSOPER, or SYSDBA. You cannot connect via a multi-
threaded server. For more information about connecting to a database, see the CONNECT
command earlier in this chapter.
Example
To shutdown the database in normal mode, enter
SQL> SHUTDOWN
Database closed.
Database dismounted.
Oracle instance shut down.
SPOOL
Purpose
Stores query results in an operating system file and, optionally, sends the file to a printer.
Syntax
SPO[OL] [file_name[.ext]|OFF|OUT]
Terms and Clauses
file_name[.ext]
Represents the name of the file to which you wish to spool. SPOOL followed by
file_name begins spooling displayed output to the named file. If you do not specify
an extension, SPOOL uses a default extension (LST or LIS on most systems).
OFF
Stops spooling.
OUT
Stops spooling and sends the file to your host computer's standard (default) printer.
Enter SPOOL with no clauses to list the current spooling status.
Usage Notes
To spool output generated by commands in a command file without displaying the output on the
screen, use SET TERMOUT OFF. SET TERMOUT OFF does not affect output from commands
run interactively.
102
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
Examples
To record your displayed output in a file named DIARY using the default file extension, enter
SQL> SPOOL DIARY
To stop spooling and print the file on your default printer, enter
SQL> SPOOL OUT
START
Purpose
Executes the contents of the specified command file.
Syntax
STA[RT] file_name[.ext] [arg ...]
Terms and Clauses
file_name[.ext]
Represents the command file you wish to execute. The file can contain any
command that you can run interactively.
If you do not specify an extension, SQL*Plus assumes the default command-file

extension (normally SQL). For information on changing this default extension, see
the SUFFIX variable of the SET command in this chapter.
When you enter START file_name.ext, SQL*Plus searches for a file with the
filename and extension you specify in the current default directory. If SQL*Plus
does not find such a file, SQL*Plus will search a system-dependent path to find the
file. Some operating systems may not support the path search. Consult the Oracle
installation and user's manual(s) provided for your operating system for specific
information related to your operating system environment.
arg ...
Represent data items you wish to pass to parameters in the command file. If you
enter one or more arguments, SQL*Plus substitutes the values into the parameters
(&1, &2, and so forth) in the command file. The first argument replaces each
occurrence of &1, the second replaces each occurrence of &2, and so forth.
The START command DEFINEs the parameters with the values of the arguments; if
you START the command file again in this session, you can enter new arguments or
omit the arguments to use the old values.
103
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
For more information on using parameters, refer to the subsection "Passing

Parameters through the START Command" under "Writing Interactive Commands"
in Chapter 3.
Usage Notes
The @ ("at" sign) and @@ (double "at" sign) commands function similarly to START. Disabling
the START command in the Product User Profile also disables the @ and @@ commands. See the
@ and @@ commands in this chapter for further information on these commands.
The EXIT or QUIT commands in a command file terminate SQL*Plus.
Example
A file named PROMOTE with the extension SQL, used to promote employees, might contain the
following command:
SELECT * FROM EMP

WHERE MGR=&1 AND JOB='&2' AND SAL>&3;
To run this command file, enter
SQL> START PROMOTE 7280 CLERK 950
SQL*Plus then executes the following command:
SELECT * FROM EMP

WHERE MGR=7280 AND JOB='CLERK' AND SAL>950;
STARTUP
Purpose
Starts an Oracle instance with several options, including mounting and opening a database.
Syntax
STARTUP [FORCE][RESTRICT][PFILE=filename][MOUNT[OPEN[RECOVER]]
[database]][mount_options]|[NOMOUNT]
where mount_options requires the following syntax:
[EXCLUSIVE|[PARALLEL|SHARED][RETRY]]
Terms and Clauses
Refer to the following list for a description of each term and clause:
FORCE
104
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
Shuts down the current Oracle instance (if it is running) with SHUTDOWN mode
ABORT, before restarting it. If the current instance is running and FORCE is not
specified, an error results. FORCE is useful while debugging and under abnormal
circumstances. It should not normally be used.
RESTRICT
Only allows Oracle users with the RESTRICTED SESSION system privilege to
connect to the database. Later, you can use the ALTER SYSTEM command to
disable the restricted session feature.
PFILE=filename
Causes the specified parameter file to be used while starting up the instance.
MOUNT
Mounts a database but does not open it.
OPEN
Mounts and opens the specified database.
NOMOUNT
Causes the database not to be mounted upon instance startup. Cannot be used with
SHARED, EXCLUSIVE, PARALLEL, MOUNT, or OPEN.
RECOVER
Specifies that media recovery should be performed, if necessary, before starting the
instance. STARTUP RECOVER has the same effect as issuing the RECOVER
DATABASE command and starting an instance. Only complete recovery is possible
with the RECOVER option.
Recovery proceeds, if necessary, as if AUTORECOVERY is set to ON, regardless of

whether or not AUTORECOVERY is enabled. If a redo log file is not found in the
expected location, recovery continues as if AUTORECOVERY is disabled, by
prompting you with the suggested location and name of the subsequent log files that
need to be applied.
If recovery fails using the RECOVER option, the database remains mounted and
closed.
database
The name of the database to mount or open. If no database name is specified, the
database name is taken from the initialization parameter DB_NAME.
EXCLUSIVE
Signifies that the database can only be mounted and opened by the current instance
(it cannot be opened simultaneously by multiple instances). Cannot be used with
105
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
SHARED, PARALLEL, or NOMOUNT. If no mounting option is specified,

EXCLUSIVE is assigned by default.
PARALLEL
Must be specified if the database is to be mounted by multiple instances

concurrently. Cannot be used with EXCLUSIVE or NOMOUNT. Invalid if the
initialization parameter SINGLE_PROCESS is set to TRUE.
SHARED
Synonym for PARALLEL.
RETRY
Specifies that opening the database should be attempted every five seconds if the
instance is busy being recovered by another instance. When an instance is being
recovered by another instance, the down instance cannot open the database until
recovery is complete. If the database cannot be opened for any other reason, RETRY
does not attempt to open the database again. This option is only available for
instances operating in PARALLEL mode.
Usage Notes
You must be connected to a database as SYSOPER, or SYSDBA. You cannot be connected via a
multi-threaded server.
Examples
To start an instance using the standard parameter file, mount the default database in exclusive
mode, and open the database, enter
SQL> STARTUP
or enter
SQL> STARTUP OPEN database EXCLUSIVE
To start an instance using the standard parameter file, mount the default database in parallel mode,
and open the database, enter
SQL> STARTUP PARALLEL

SQL> STARTUP OPEN database PARALLEL
To restart an instance that went down in parallel mode and may not yet have been recovered by
other instances, use the RETRY option:
SQL> STARTUP PARALLEL RETRY
106
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
To shutdown the current instance, immediately restart it without mounting or opening, and allow
only database administrators to connect, enter
SQL> STARTUP FORCE NOMOUNT RESTRICT
To start an instance using the parameter file TESTPARM without mounting the database, enter
SQL> STARTUP PFILE=testparm NOMOUNT
To shutdown a particular database, immediately restart and open it in parallel mode, allow access
only to database administrators, and use the parameter file MYINIT.ORA. enter
SQL> STARTUP OPEN database PFILE=myinit.ora FORCE SHARED RESTRICT
To startup an instance and mount but not open a database, enter
SQL> CONNECT INTERNAL

Connected to an idle instance.
SQL> STARTUP MOUNT
ORACLE instance started.
Total System Global Area 7629732 bytes

Fixed Size 60324 bytes
Variable Size 6627328 bytes
Database Buffers 409600 bytes
Redo Buffers 532480 bytes
STORE
Purpose
Saves attributes of the current SQL*Plus environment in a host operating system file (a command
file).
Syntax
STORE {SET} file_name[.ext] [CRE[ATE]|REP[LACE]|APP[END]]
Terms and Clauses
SET
Saves the values of the system variables.
Refer to the SAVE command for information on the other terms and clauses in the STORE
command syntax.
Usage Notes
107
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
This command creates a command file which can be executed with the START, @ or @@
commands.
If you want to store a file under a name identical to a STORE command clause (that is, CREATE,
REPLACE or APPEND), you must put the name in single quotes or specify a file extension.
Example
To store the current SQL*Plus system variables in a file named DEFAULTENV with the default
command-file extension, enter
SQL> STORE SET DEFAULTENV
To append the current SQL*Plus system variables to an existing file called DEFAULTENV with
the extension OLD, enter
SQL> STORE SET DEFAULTENV.OLD APPEND
TIMING
Purpose
Records timing data for an elapsed period of time, lists the current timer's name and timing data, or
lists the number of active timers.
Syntax
TIMI[NG] [START text|SHOW|STOP]
Terms and Clauses
START text
Sets up a timer and makes text the name of the timer. You can have more than one
active timer by STARTing additional timers before STOPping the first; SQL*Plus
nests each new timer within the preceding one. The timer most recently STARTed
becomes the current timer.
SHOW
Lists the current timer's name and timing data.
STOP
Lists the current timer's name and timing data, then deletes the timer. If any other
timers are active, the next most recently STARTed timer becomes the current timer.
Enter TIMING with no clauses to list the number of active timers.
108
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
Usage Notes
You can use this data to do a performance analysis on any commands or blocks run during the
period.
For information about the data TIMING displays, see the Oracle installation and user's manual(s)
provided for your operating system. Refer to SET TIMING ON for information on automatically
displaying timing data after each SQL command or PL/SQL block you run.
To delete all timers, use the CLEAR TIMING command.
Examples
To create a timer named SQL_TIMER, enter
SQL> TIMING START SQL_TIMER
To list the current timer's title and accumulated time, enter
SQL> TIMING SHOW
To list the current timer's title and accumulated time and to remove the timer, enter
SQL> TIMING STOP
TTITLE
Purpose
Places and formats a specified title at the top of each report page or lists the current TTITLE
definition. The old form of TTITLE is used if only a single word or string in quotes follows the
TTITLE command.
For a description of the old form of TTITLE, see TTITLE in Appendix F.
Syntax
TTI[TLE] [printspec [text|variable] ...]|[OFF|ON]
where printspec represents one or more of the following clauses used to place and format the text:
COL n
S[KIP] [n]
TAB n
LE[FT]
CE[NTER]
R[IGHT]
BOLD
FORMAT text
109
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
Terms and Clauses
Refer to the following list for a description of each term or clause. These terms and clauses also
apply to the BTITLE command.
text
Represents the title text. Enter text in single quotes if you want to place more than
one word on a single line.
variable
Represents a user variable or any of the following system-maintained values:
o SQL.LNO (current line number)

o SQL.PNO (current page number)
o SQL.RELEASE (current Oracle release number)
o SQL.SQLCODE (current error code)
o SQL.USER (current username)
To print one of these values, reference the appropriate variable in the title. You can
format variable with the FORMAT clause.
OFF
Turns the title off (suppresses its display) without affecting its definition.
ON
Turns the title on (restores its display). When you define a top title,
SQL*Plus automatically sets TTITLE to ON.
COL n
Indents to column n of the current line (backward if column n has been

passed). "Column" in this context means print position, not table column.
S[KIP] [n]
Skips to the start of a new line n times; if you omit n, one time; if you enter
zero for n, backward to the start of the current line.
TAB n
Skips forward n columns (backward if you enter a negative value for n).
"Column" in this context means print position, not table column.
LE[FT]|CE[NTER]|R[IGHT]
Left-align, center, and right-align data on the current line respectively.

SQL*Plus aligns following data items as a group, up to the end of the
printspec or the next LEFT, CENTER, RIGHT, or COL command. CENTER
110
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
and RIGHT use the SET LINESIZE value to calculate the position of the data
item that follows.
BOLD
Prints data in bold print. SQL*Plus represents bold print on your terminal by
repeating the data on three consecutive lines. On some operating systems,
SQL*Plus may instruct your printer to print bolded text on three consecutive
lines, instead of bold.
FORMAT text
Specifies a format model that determines the format of following data items,
up to the next FORMAT clause or the end of the command. The format
model must be a text constant such as A10 or $999. See the COLUMN
FORMAT command for more information on formatting and valid format
models.
If the datatype of the format model does not match the datatype of a given
data item, the FORMAT clause has no effect on that item.
If no appropriate FORMAT model precedes a given data item, SQL*Plus

prints NUMBER values according to the format specified by SET
NUMFORMAT or, if you have not used SET NUMFORMAT, the default
format. SQL*Plus prints DATE values according to the default format.
Refer to the FORMAT clause of the COLUMN command in this chapter for
more information on default formats.
Enter TTITLE with no clauses to list the current TTITLE definition.
Usage Notes
If you do not enter a printspec clause before the first occurrence of text, TTITLE left
justifies the text. SQL*Plus interprets TTITLE in the new form if a valid printspec clause
(LEFT, SKIP, COL, and so on) immediately follows the command name.
See COLUMN NEW_VALUE for information on printing column and DATE values in the
top title.
You can use any number of constants and variables in a printspec. SQL*Plus displays the
constants and variables in the order you specify them, positioning and formatting each
constant or variable as specified by the printspec clauses that precede it.
The length of the title you specify with TTITLE cannot exceed 2400 characters.
The continuation character (a hyphen) will not be recognized inside a single-quoted title text
string. To be recognized, the continuation character must appear outside the quotes, as
follows:
SQL> TTITLE CENTER 'Summary Report for' -

> 'the Month of May'
111
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
Examples
To define "Monthly Analysis" as the top title and to left-align it, to center the date, to right-
align the page number with a three-digit format, and to display "Data in Thousands" in the
center of the next line, enter
SQL> TTITLE LEFT 'Monthly Analysis' CENTER '23 Nov 98' -

> RIGHT 'Page:' FORMAT 999 SQL.PNO SKIP CENTER -
> 'Data in Thousands'
The following title results:
Monthly Analysis 23 Nov 98 Page: 1

Data in Thousands
To suppress the top title display without changing its definition, enter
SQL> TTITLE OFF
UNDEFINE
Purpose
Deletes one or more user variables that you defined either explicitly (with the DEFINE command)
or implicitly (with an argument to the START command).
Syntax
UNDEF[INE] variable ...
Terms and Clauses
variable
Represents the name of the user variable you wish to delete. One or more user
variables may be deleted in the same command.
Examples
To undefine a user variable named POS, enter
SQL> UNDEFINE POS
To undefine two user variables named MYVAR1 and MYVAR2, enter
SQL> UNDEFINE MYVAR1 MYVAR2
112
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
VARIABLE
Purpose
Declares a bind variable that can then be referenced in PL/SQL. For more information on bind
variables, see "Using Bind Variables" in Chapter 3. For more information about PL/SQL, see your
PL/SQL User's Guide and Reference.
VARIABLE without arguments displays a list of all the variables declared in the session.
VARIABLE followed only by a variable name lists that variable.
Syntax
VAR[IABLE] [variable [NUMBER|CHAR|CHAR (n)|NCHAR|NCHAR (n)

|VARCHAR2 (n)|NVARCHAR2 (n)|CLOB|NCLOB|REFCURSOR]]
Terms and Clauses
variable
Represents the name of the bind variable you wish to create.
NUMBER
Creates a variable of type NUMBER with a fixed length.
CHAR
Creates a variable of type CHAR (character) with a length of one.
CHAR (n)
Creates a variable of type CHAR with a maximum length of n, up to 2000.
NCHAR
Creates a variable of type NCHAR (national character) with a length of one.
NCHAR (n)
Creates a variable of type NCHAR with a maximum length of n, up to 2000.
VARCHAR2 (n)
Creates a variable of type VARCHAR2 with a maximum length of n, up to 4000.
NVARCHAR2 (n)
Creates a a variable of type NVARCHAR2 (NCHAR VARYING) with a maximum

length of n, up to 4000.
113
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
CLOB
Creates a variable of type CLOB.
NCLOB
Creates a variable of type NCLOB.
REFCURSOR
Creates a variable of type REF CURSOR.
Usage Notes
Bind variables may be used as parameters to stored procedures, or may be directly referenced in
anonymous PL/SQL blocks.
To display the value of a bind variable created with VARIABLE, use the PRINT command. For
more information, see the PRINT command in this chapter.
To automatically display the value of a bind variable created with VARIABLE, use the SET
AUTOPRINT command. For more information, see the SET AUTOPRINT command in this
chapter.
Bind variables cannot be used in the COPY command or SQL statements, except in PL/SQL blocks.
Instead, use substitution variables.
When you execute a VARIABLE ... CLOB or NCLOB command, SQL*Plus associates a LOB
locator with the bind variable. The LOB locator is automatically populated when you execute a
SELECT clob_column INTO :cv statement in a PL/SQL block. SQL*Plus closes the LOB locator
after completing a PRINT statement for that bind variable, or when you exit SQL*Plus.
SQL*Plus SET commands such as SET LONG and SET LONGCHUNKSIZE and SET
LOBOFFSET may be used to control the size of the buffer while PRINTing CLOB or NCLOB bind
variables.
SQL*Plus REFCURSOR bind variables may be used to reference PL/SQL 2.3 or higher Cursor
Variables, allowing PL/SQL output to be formatted by SQL*Plus. For more information on
PL/SQL Cursor Variables, see your PL/SQL User's Guide and Reference.
When you execute a VARIABLE ... REFCURSOR command, SQL*Plus creates a cursor bind
variable. The cursor is automatically opened by an OPEN ... FOR SELECT statement referencing
the bind variable in a PL/SQL block. SQL*Plus closes the cursor after completing a PRINT
statement for that bind variable, or on exit.
SQL*Plus formatting commands such as BREAK, COLUMN, COMPUTE and SET may be used to
format the output from PRINTing a REFCURSOR.
A REFCURSOR bind variable may not be PRINTed more than once without re-executing the
PL/SQL OPEN ... FOR statement.
Examples
114
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
The following example illustrates creating a bind variable and then setting it to the value returned
by a function:
SQL> VARIABLE id NUMBER

SQL> BEGIN
2 :id := emp_management.hire
3 ('BLAKE','MANAGER','KING',2990,'SALES');
4 END;
The bind variable named id can be displayed with the PRINT command or used in subsequent
PL/SQL subprograms.
The following example illustrates automatically displaying a bind variable:
SQL> SET AUTOPRINT ON

SQL> VARIABLE a REFCURSOR
SQL> BEGIN
2 OPEN :a FOR SELECT * FROM DEPT ORDER BY DEPTNO;
3 END;
4 /
DEPTNO DNAME LOC

-------- ------------- -------------
10 ACCOUNTING NEW YORK
20 RESEARCH DALLAS
30 SALES CHICAGO
40 OPERATIONS BOSTON
In the above example, there is no need to issue a PRINT command to display the variable.
The following example creates some variables and then lists them:
SQL> VARIABLE id NUMBER

SQL> VARIABLE txt CHAR (20)
SQL> VARIABLE myvar REFCURSOR
SQL> VARIABLE
variable id
datatype NUMBER
variable txt
datatype CHAR(20)
variable myvar
datatype REFCURSOR
The following example lists a single variable:
SQL> VARIABLE txt

variable txt
datatype CHAR(20)
The following example illustrates producing a report listing individual salaries and computing the
departmental and total salary cost:
115
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
SQL> VARIABLE RC REFCURSOR

2 BEGIN
3 OPEN :RC FOR SELECT DNAME, ENAME, SAL
4 FROM EMP, DEPT
5 WHERE EMP.DEPTNO = DEPT.DEPTNO
6 ORDER BY EMP.DEPTNO, ENAME;
7 END;
8 /
SQL> SET PAGESIZE 100 FEEDBACK OFF

SQL> TTITLE LEFT '*** Departmental Salary Bill ***' SKIP 2
SQL> COLUMN SAL FORMAT $999,990.99 HEADING 'Salary'
SQL> COLUMN DNAME HEADING 'Department'
SQL> COLUMN ENAME HEADING 'Employee'
SQL> COMPUTE SUM LABEL 'Subtotal:' OF SAL ON DNAME
SQL> COMPUTE SUM LABEL 'Total:' OF SAL ON REPORT
SQL> BREAK ON DNAME SKIP 1 ON REPORT SKIP 1
SQL> PRINT RC
*** Departmental Salary Bill ***
Department Employee Salary

-------------- ------------ ----------
ACCOUNTING CLARK $2,450.00
KING $5,000.00
MILLER $1,300.00
************** ----------
Subtotal: $8,750.00
RESEARCH ADAMS $1,100.00

FORD $3,000.00
JONES $2,975.00
SCOTT $3,000.00
SMITH $800.00
************** ----------
Subtotal: $10,875.00
SALES ALLEN $1,600.00

BLAKE $2,850.00
JAMES $950.00
MARTIN $1,250.00
TURNER $1,500.00
WARD $1,250.00
************** ----------
Subtotal: $9,400.00
----------
Total: $29,025.00
The following example illustrates producing a report containing a CLOB column, and then
displaying it with the SET LOBOFFSET command.
Assume you have already created a table named clob_tab which contains a column named clob_col
of type CLOB. The clob_col contains the following data:
Remember to run the Departmental Salary Bill report each month. This report
contains confidential information.
116
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
To produce a report listing the data in the col_clob column, enter
SQL> variable t clob

SQL> begin
2 select clob_col into t: from clob_tab;
3 end;
4 /
PL/SQL procedure successfully completed
To print 200 characters from the column clob_col, enter
SQL> set LONG 200

SQL> print t
T
------------------------------------------------------------
Remember to run the Departmental Salary Bill report each month. This report
contains confidential information.
To set the printing position to the 21st character, enter
SQL> set LOBOFFSET 21

SQL> print t
the following output results:
T
------------------------------------------------------------
Departmental Salary Bill report each month. This report contains confidential
information.
For more information on creating CLOB columns, see your Oracle8i SQL Reference.
WHENEVER OSERROR
Purpose
Exits SQL*Plus if an operating system error occurs (such as a file I/O error).
Syntax
WHENEVER OSERROR
{EXIT [SUCCESS|FAILURE|n|variable|:BindVariable][COMMIT|ROLLBACK]
|CONTINUE [COMMIT|ROLLBACK|NONE]}
Terms and Clauses
117
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
EXIT [SUCCESS|FAILURE|n|variable|:BindVariable]
Directs SQL*Plus to exit as soon as an operating system error is detected. You can
also specify that SQL*Plus return a success or failure code, the operating system
failure code, or a number or variable of your choice. See EXIT in this chapter for
details.
CONTINUE
Turns off the EXIT option.
COMMIT
Directs SQL*Plus to execute a COMMIT before exiting or continuing and save

pending changes to the database.
ROLLBACK
Directs SQL*Plus to execute a ROLLBACK before exiting or continuing and

abandon pending changes to the database.
NONE
Directs SQL*Plus to take no action before continuing.
Usage Notes
If you do not enter the WHENEVER OSERROR command, the default behavior of SQL*Plus is to
continue and take no action when an operating system error occurs.
If you do not enter the WHENEVER SQLERROR command, the default behavior of SQL*Plus is
to continue and take no action when a SQL error occurs.
Examples
The commands in the following command file cause SQL*Plus to exit and COMMIT any pending
changes if a failure occurs when writing to the output file:
SQL> WHENEVER OSERROR EXIT

SQL> START no_such_file
OS Message: No such file or directory
Disconnected from Oracle8......
WHENEVER SQLERROR
Purpose
Exits SQL*Plus if a SQL command or PL/SQL block generates an error.
Syntax
118
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
WHENEVER SQLERROR
{EXIT [SUCCESS|FAILURE|WARNING|n|variable|:BindVariable]
[COMMIT|ROLLBACK]|CONTINUE [COMMIT|ROLLBACK|NONE]}
Terms and Clauses
EXIT [SUCCESS|FAILURE|WARNING|n|variable|:BindVariable]
Directs SQL*Plus to exit as soon as it detects a SQL command or PL/SQL block

error (but after printing the error message). SQL*Plus will not exit on a SQL*Plus
error. The EXIT clause of WHENEVER SQLERROR follows the same syntax as the
EXIT command. See EXIT in this chapter for details.
CONTINUE
Turns off the EXIT option.
COMMIT
Directs SQL*Plus to execute a COMMIT before exiting or continuing and save

pending changes to the database.
ROLLBACK
Directs SQL*Plus to execute a ROLLBACK before exiting or continuing and

abandon pending changes to the database.
NONE
Directs SQL*Plus to take no action before continuing.
Usage Notes
The WHENEVER SQLERROR command is triggered by SQL command or PL/SQL block errors,
and not by SQL*Plus command errors.
Examples
The commands in the following command file cause SQL*Plus to exit and return the SQL error
code if the SQL UPDATE command fails:
SQL> WHENEVER SQLERROR EXIT SQL.SQLCODE

SQL> UPDATE EMP SET SAL = SAL*1.1
The following SQL command error causes SQL*Plus to exit and return the SQL error code:

SQL> select column_does_not_exiSt from dual;
select column_does_not_exiSt from dual
*
ERROR at line 1:
ORA-00904: invalid column name
119
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
Disconnected from Oracle.....
The following SQL command error causes SQL*Plus to exit and return the value of the variable
my_error_var:
SQL> define my_error_var = 99

SQL> WHENEVER SQLERROR EXIT my_error_var
SQL> UPDATE non_existed_table set col1 = col1 + 1;
UPDATE NON_EXISTED_TABLE set col1 = col1 + 1

*
ERROR at line 1:
ORA-00942: table or view does not exist
The following examples show that the WHENEVER SQLERROR command does not have any
effect on SQL*Plus commands, but does on SQL commands and PL/SQL blocks:

SQL> column ename headIing "Employee Name"
Unknown COLUMN option "headiing"
SQL> show non_existed_option
Unknown SHOW option "non_existed_option"

SQL> get non_existed_file.sql
Unable to open "non_existed_file.sql"
The following PL/SQL block error causes SQL*Plus to exit and return the SQL error code:

SQL> begin
2 select column_does_not_exiSt from dual;
3 end;
4 /
select column_does_not_exiSt from dual;

*
ERROR at line 2:
ORA-06550: line 2, column 10:
PLS-00201: identifier 'COLUMN_DOES_NOT_EXIST' must be declared
ORA-06550: line 2, column 3:
PL/SQL: SQL Statement ignored
COLUMN DEFAULT
Purpose
120
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
Resets the display attributes for a given column to default values.
Syntax
COL[UMN] {column|expr} DEF[AULT]
Usage Notes
Has the same effect as COLUMN CLEAR.
DOCUMENT
Purpose
Begins a block of documentation in a command file.
Syntax
DOC[UMENT]
Usage Notes
For information on the current method of inserting comments in a command file, refer to the section
"Placing Comments in Command Files" under "Saving Commands for Later Use" in Chapter 3 and
to the REMARK command in the "Command Reference" in Chapter 8.
After you type DOCUMENT and enter [Return], SQL*Plus displays the prompt DOC> in place of
SQL> until you end the documentation. The "pound" character (#) on a line by itself ends the
documentation.
If you have set DOCUMENT to OFF, SQL*Plus suppresses the display of the block of
documentation created by the DOCUMENT command. (See "SET DOCUMENT" later in this
appendix.)
NEWPAGE
Purpose
Advances spooled output n lines beyond the beginning of the next page.
Syntax
NEWPAGE [1|n]
Usage Notes
Refer to the NEWPAGE variable of the SET command in Chapter 8 for information on the current
method for advancing spooled output.
121
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
SET BUFFER
Purpose
Makes the specified buffer the current buffer.
Syntax
SET BUF[FER] {buffer|SQL}
Usage Notes
Initially, the SQL buffer is the current buffer. SQL*Plus does not require the use of multiple
buffers; the SQL buffer alone should meet your needs.
If the buffer name you enter does not already exist, SET BUFFER defines (creates and names) the
buffer. SQL*Plus deletes the buffer and its contents when you exit SQL*Plus.
Running a query automatically makes the SQL buffer the current buffer. To copy text from one
buffer to another, use the GET and SAVE commands. To clear text from the current buffer, use
CLEAR BUFFER. To clear text from the SQL buffer while using a different buffer, use CLEAR
SQL.
SET CLOSECURSOR
Purpose
Sets the cursor usage behavior.
Syntax
SET CLOSECUR[SOR] {OFF|ON}
Usage Notes
On or OFF sets whether or not the cursor will close and reopen after each SQL statement. This
feature may be useful in some circumstances to release resources in the database server.
SET DOCUMENT
Purpose
Displays or suppresses blocks of documentation created by the DOCUMENT command.
Syntax
122
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
SET DOC[UMENT] {OFF|ON}
Usage Notes
SET DOCUMENT ON causes blocks of documentation to be echoed to the screen. Set

DOCUMENT OFF suppresses the display of blocks of documentation.
See DOCUMENT in this appendix for information on the DOCUMENT command.
SET MAXDATA
Purpose
Sets the maximum total row width that SQL*Plus can process.
Syntax
SET MAXD[ATA] n
Usage Notes
In SQL*Plus, the maximum row width is unlimited. Any values you set using SET MAXDATA are
ignored by SQL*Plus.
SET SCAN
Purpose
Controls scanning for the presence of substitution variables and parameters. OFF suppresses
processing of substitution variables and parameters; ON allows normal processing.
Syntax
SET SCAN {OFF|ON}
Usage Notes
ON functions in the same manner as SET DEFINE ON.
SET SPACE
Purpose
Sets the number of spaces between columns in output. The maximum value of n is 10.
123
Eng. Sameh Bakkar
Syntax
SET SPACE {1|n}
Usage Notes
The SET SPACE 0 and SET COLSEP " commands have the same effect. This command is
obsoleted by SET COLSEP, but you can still use it for backward compatibility. You may prefer to
use COLSEP because the SHOW command recognizes COLSEP and does not recognize SPACE.
SET TRUNCATE
Purpose
Controls whether SQL*Plus truncates or wraps a data item that is too long for the current line
width.
Syntax
SET TRU[NCATE] {OFF|ON}
Usage Notes
ON functions in the same manner as SET WRAP OFF, and vice versa. You may prefer to use
WRAP because the SHOW command recognizes WRAP and does not recognize TRUNCATE.
SHOW LABEL
Purpose
Shows the security level for the current session.
Syntax
SHO[W] LABEL
Best Wishes
Sameh Bakkar
124

ALL SQL - Commands

Uploaded by

ALL SQL - Commands

Uploaded by

Eng.

The following definitions explain concepts central to SQL*Plus:

command An instruction you give SQL*Plus or Oracle.

Who Can Use SQL*Plus ?

COLUMN ENAME HEADING EMPLOYEE

Other Ways of Working with Oracle

What You Need to Run SQL*Plus

Hardware and Software

Information Specific to Your Operating System

Username and Password

Access to Sample Tables

@ Runs the specified command file.

@@ Runs a command file.

/ Executes the SQL command or PL/SQL block.

ACCEPT Reads a line of input and stores it in a given user variable.

COPY Copies data from a query to a table in a local or remote database.

EXIT Terminates SQL*Plus and returns control to the operating system.

HELP Accesses the SQL*Plus help system.

HOST Executes a host operating system command without leaving

LIST Lists one or more lines of the SQL buffer.

PASSWORD Allows a password to be changed without echoing the password on an

WHENEVER Exits SQL*Plus if an operating system command generates an error.

WHENEVER Exits SQL*Plus if a SQL command or PL/SQL block generates an

Runs the specified command file.

Terms and Clauses

Refer to the following list for a description of each term or clause:

When you enter @ file_name.ext, SQL*Plus searches for a file with

Represent data items you wish to pass to parameters in the

The @ command DEFINEs the parameters with the values of the

For more information on using parameters, refer to the subsection

An EXIT or QUIT command used in a command file terminates SQL*Plus.

The @ command functions similarly to START.

If the START command is disabled (see "Disabling SQL*Plus, SQL, and

SQL*Plus removes the SQLTERMINATOR (a semicolon by default) before

@@ (double "at" sign)

Terms and Clauses

Refer to the following for a description of the term or clause:

When you enter @@file_name.ext from within a command file,

An EXIT or QUIT command used in a command file terminates SQL*Plus.

The @@ command functions similarly to START.

SQL*Plus removes the SQLTERMINATOR (a semicolon by default) before the @@

For the above query, SQL*Plus displays the following output:

Reads a line of input and stores it in a given user variable.

Terms and Clauses

Refer to the following list for a description of each term or clause:

Makes the datatype of variable the datatype CHAR. The maximum

NLS_DATE_FORMAT of the current session. See the Oracle8i

Skips a line and waits for input without displaying a prompt.

Suppresses the display as you type the reply.

SQL> ACCEPT lastname CHAR FORMAT 'A20' -

Terms and Clauses

Refer to the following for a description of the term or clause:

Now enter APPEND:

To append a semicolon to the line, enter

Terms and Clauses

Refer to the following list for a description of each term or clause:

Database log mode Archive Mode

If you are using ARCHIVELOG but have disabled automatic archiving,

If you are using NOARCHIVELOG mode, the "next log sequence to

Disables automatic archival. If the instance is still in ARCHIVELOG

Enables automatic archiving. Starts the background process ARCH,

ARCH automatically starts on instance startup if the initialization

Specifies the destination device or directory in an operating system.

If not specified in the command line, the archive destination is derived

For information about specifying archive destinations, see your

You must be connected to an open Oracle database as SYSOPER, or SYSDBA. For

For information about specifying archive destinations, see your platform-specific

This command applies only to the current instance. To specify

To stop automatic archiving, enter

where option represents one of the following clauses:

Terms and Clauses

Enter ATTRIBUTE followed by type_name.attribute_name and no other clauses to

Refer to the following list for a description of each term or clause:

If you select objects of the same Object Type, an ATTRIBUTE

Assigns a specified alias to a type_name.attribute_name, which can be

Resets the display characteristics for the attribute_name. The format