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SQL*Plus® User's Guide and Reference

DESCRIBE
Syntax

DESC[RIBE] {[schema.]object[@db_link]}

Lists the column definitions for the specified table, view or synonym, or the specifications for the specified function or procedure.

Terms

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.

@db_link

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 Oracle Database SQL Reference (../b14200/toc.htm) .

Usage

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, CHAR, DATE, LONG, LONGRAW, NUMBER, RAW, ROWID, VARCHAR2 (VARCHAR), or XMLType

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 enables 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.

To control the width of the data displayed, use the SET LINESIZE command.

Columns output for the DESCRIBE command are typically allocated a proportion of the linesize currently specified. Decreasing or increasing the
linesize with the SET LINESIZE command usually makes each column proportionally smaller or larger. This may give unexpected text wrapping in
your display. For more information, see the SET command.

The description for functions and procedures contains the following information:

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 input or output, and default values, if any

the ENCRYPT keyword to indicate whether or not data in a column is encrypted

Examples

To describe the view EMP_DETAILS_VIEW, enter

DESCRIBE EMP_DETAILS_VIEW

Name Null? Type ----------------------------------------- -------- ---------------- EMPLOYEE_ID NOT NULL

NUMBER(6) JOB_ID NOT NULL VARCHAR2(10) MANAGER_ID NUMBER(6) DEPARTMENT_ID NUMBER(4) LOCATION_ID NUMBER(4)
COUNTRY_ID CHAR(2) FIRST_NAME VARCHAR2(20) LAST_NAME NOT NULL VARCHAR2(25) SALARY NUMBER(8,2) COMMISSION_PCT
NUMBER(2,2) DEPARTMENT_NAME NOT NULL VARCHAR2(30) JOB_TITLE NOT NULL VARCHAR2(35) CITY NOT NULL VARCHAR2(30)
STATE_PROVINCE VARCHAR2(25) COUNTRY_NAME VARCHAR2(40) REGION_NAME VARCHAR2(25)

To describe a procedure called CUSTOMER_LOOKUP, enter

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

CREATE PACKAGE apack AS PROCEDURE aproc(P1 CHAR, P2 NUMBER); PROCEDURE bproc(P1 CHAR, P2 NUMBER); END apack; /

Package created.

DESCRIBE apack

PROCEDURE APROC Argument Name Type In/Out Default? ------------------------------ ----------------------- ------
-------- P1 CHAR IN P2 NUMBER IN PROCEDURE BPROC Argument Name Type In/Out Default? -----------------------------
- ----------------------- ------ -------- P1 CHAR IN P2 NUMBER IN

To create and describe the object type ADDRESS that contains the attributes STREET and CITY, enter

CREATE TYPE ADDRESS AS OBJECT ( STREET VARCHAR2(20), CITY VARCHAR2(20) ); /

Type created.

DESCRIBE address

Name Null? Type ----------------------------------------- -------- ---------------------- STREET VARCHAR2(20)

CITY VARCHAR2(20)

To create and describe the object type EMPLOYEE that contains the attributes LAST_NAME, EMPADDR, JOB_ID and SALARY, enter
CREATE TYPE EMPLOYEE AS OBJECT (LAST_NAME VARCHAR2(30), EMPADDR ADDRESS, JOB_ID VARCHAR2(20), SALARY NUMBER(7,2) );
/

Type created.

DESCRIBE employee

Name Null? Type ----------------------------------------- -------- ---------------------- LAST_NAME VARCHAR2(30)

EMPADDR ADDRESS JOB_ID VARCHAR2(20) SALARY NUMBER(7,2)

To create and describe the object type addr_type as a table of the object type ADDRESS, enter

CREATE TYPE addr_type IS TABLE OF ADDRESS;/

Type created.

DESCRIBE addr_type

addr_type TABLE OF ADDRESS Name Null? Type ----------------------------------------- -------- -------------------

--- STREET VARCHAR2(20) CITY VARCHAR2(20)

To create and describe the object type addr_varray as a varray of the object type ADDRESS, enter

CREATE TYPE addr_varray AS VARRAY(10) OF ADDRESS;/

Type created.

DESCRIBE addr_varray

addr_varray VARRAY(10) OF ADDRESS Name Null? Type ----------------------------------------- -------- ------------

---------- STREET VARCHAR2(20) CITY VARCHAR2(20)

To create and describe the table department that contains the columns DEPARTMENT_ID, PERSON and LOC, enter

CREATE TABLE department (DEPARTMENT_ID NUMBER, PERSON EMPLOYEE, LOC NUMBER ); /

Table created.

DESCRIBE department

Name Null? Type ----------------------------------------- -------- ---------------------- DEPARTMENT_ID 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

CREATE OR REPLACE TYPE rational AS OBJECT (NUMERATOR NUMBER, DENOMINATOR NUMBER, MAP MEMBER FUNCTION rational_order
- RETURN DOUBLE PRECISION, PRAGMA RESTRICT_REFERENCES (rational_order, RNDS, WNDS, RNPS, WNPS) ); /

CREATE OR REPLACE TYPE BODY rational AS OBJECT MAP MEMBER FUNCTION rational_order - RETURN DOUBLE PRECISION IS
BEGIN RETURN NUMERATOR/DENOMINATOR; END; END; / DESCRIBE rational

Name Null? Type ------------------------------ -------- ------------ NUMERATOR NUMBER DENOMINATOR NUMBER METHOD -
----- MAP MEMBER FUNCTION RATIONAL_ORDER RETURNS NUMBER

To create a table which contains a column of XMLType, and describe it, enter

CREATE TABLE PROPERTY (Price NUMBER, Description SYS.XMLTYPE);

Table created

DESCRIBE PROPERTY;

Name Null? Type ----------------------------------------- -------- ---------------------- PRICE NUMBER

DESCRIPTION SYS.XMLTYPE

To format the DESCRIBE output use the SET command as follows:

SET LINESIZE 80 SET DESCRIBE DEPTH 2 SET DESCRIBE INDENT ON SET DESCRIBE LINE OFF

To display the settings for the object, use the SHOW command as follows:

SHOW DESCRIBE

DESCRIBE DEPTH 2 LINENUM OFF INDENT ON

DESCRIBE employee

Name Null? Type ----------------------------------------- -------- ---------------------- FIRST_NAME VARCHAR2(30)

EMPADDR ADDRESS STREET VARCHAR2(20) CITY VARCHAR2(20) JOB_ID VARCHAR2(20) SALARY NUMBER(7,2)

To create and describe the table des2_table which contains an encrypted column col2, enter

CREATE TABLE des2_table ( col1 VARCHAR2(10), col2 VARCHAR2(15) ENCRYPT, col3 CHAR(5), col4 CHAR(20));

Table created

DESCRIBE des2_table;
 Name Null? Type ----------------------------------------- -------- ---------------------- COL1 VARCHAR2(10) COL2
VARCHAR2(15) ENCRYPT COL3 CHAR(5) COL4 CHAR(20)

For more information on using the CREATE TYPE command, see your Oracle Database SQL Reference (../b14200/toc.htm) .

For information about using the SET DESCRIBE and SHOW DESCRIBE commands, see the SET (ch12039.htm#i2698538) and SHOW
(ch12041.htm#i2699447) commands.

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