45 Useful Oracle Queries

Here’s a list of 40+ Useful Oracle queries that every Oracle developer must bookmark. These queries range from date manipulation, getting server info, get execution status, calculate database size etc.

Date / Time related queries

1. Get the first day of the month

   Quickly returns the first day of current month. Instead of current month you want to find first day of month where a date falls, replace SYSDATE with any date column/value.
   

   SELECT TRUNC (SYSDATE, 'MONTH') "First day of current month"FROM DUAL;
   Code language: SQL (Structured Query Language) (sql)

2. Get the last day of the month

   This query is similar to above but returns last day of current month. One thing worth noting is that it automatically takes care of leap year. So if you have 29 days in Feb, it will return 29/2. Also similar to above query replace SYSDATE with any other date column/value to find last day of that particular month.
   

   SELECT TRUNC (LAST_DAY (SYSDATE)) "Last day of current month"FROM DUAL;
   Code language: SQL (Structured Query Language) (sql)

3. Get the first day of the Year

   First day of year is always 1-Jan. This query can be use in stored procedure where you quickly want first day of year for some calculation.
   

   SELECT TRUNC (SYSDATE, 'YEAR') "Year First Day" FROM DUAL;
   Code language: SQL (Structured Query Language) (sql)

4. Get the last day of the year

   Similar to above query. Instead of first day this query returns last day of current year.
   

   SELECT ADD_MONTHS (TRUNC (SYSDATE, 'YEAR'), 12) - 1 "Year Last Day" FROM DUAL
   Code language: SQL (Structured Query Language) (sql)

5. Get number of days in current month

   Now this is useful. This query returns number of days in current month. You can change SYSDATE with any date/value to know number of days in that month.
   

   SELECT CAST (TO_CHAR (LAST_DAY (SYSDATE), 'dd') AS INT) number_of_daysFROM DUAL;
   Code language: SQL (Structured Query Language) (sql)

6. Get number of days left in current month

   Below query calculates number of days left in current month.
   

   SELECT SYSDATE,LAST_DAY (SYSDATE) "Last",LAST_DAY (SYSDATE) - SYSDATE "Days left"FROM DUAL;
   Code language: SQL (Structured Query Language) (sql)

7. Get number of days between two dates

   Use this query to get difference between two dates in number of days.
   

   SELECT ROUND ( (MONTHS_BETWEEN ('01-Feb-2014', '01-Mar-2012') * 30), 0)num_of_daysFROM DUAL;</p>
   <p>OR</p>
   <p>SELECT TRUNC(sysdate) - TRUNC(e.hire_date) FROM employees;
   Code language: SQL (Structured Query Language) (sql)

   
   Use second query if you need to find number of days since some specific date. In this example number of days since any employee is hired.

8. Display each months start and end date upto last month of the year

   This clever query displays start date and end date of each month in current year. You might want to use this for certain types of calculations.
   

   SELECT ADD_MONTHS (TRUNC (SYSDATE, 'MONTH'), i) start_date,TRUNC (LAST_DAY (ADD_MONTHS (SYSDATE, i))) end_dateFROM XMLTABLE ('for $i in 0 to xs:int(D) return $i'PASSING XMLELEMENT (d,FLOOR (MONTHS_BETWEEN (ADD_MONTHS (TRUNC (SYSDATE, 'YEAR') - 1, 12),SYSDATE)))COLUMNS i INTEGER PATH '.');
   Code language: SQL (Structured Query Language) (sql)

9. Get number of seconds passed since today (since 00:00 hr)

   SELECT (SYSDATE - TRUNC (SYSDATE)) * 24 * 60 * 60 num_of_sec_since_morningFROM DUAL;
   Code language: SQL (Structured Query Language) (sql)

10. Get number of seconds left today (till 23:59:59 hr)

    SELECT (TRUNC (SYSDATE+1) - SYSDATE) * 24 * 60 * 60 num_of_sec_leftFROM DUAL;
    Code language: SQL (Structured Query Language) (sql)

    Data dictionary queries

11. Check if a table exists in the current database schema

    A simple query that can be used to check if a table exists before you create it. This way you can make your create table script rerunnable. Just replace table_name with actual table you want to check. This query will check if table exists for current user (from where the query is executed).
    

    SELECT table_nameFROM user_tablesWHERE table_name = 'TABLE_NAME';
    Code language: SQL (Structured Query Language) (sql)

12. Check if a column exists in a table

    Simple query to check if a particular column exists in table. Useful when you tries to add new column in table using ALTER TABLE statement, you might wanna check if column already exists before adding one.
    

    SELECT column_name AS FOUNDFROM user_tab_colsWHERE table_name = 'TABLE_NAME' AND column_name = 'COLUMN_NAME';
    Code language: SQL (Structured Query Language) (sql)

13. Showing the table structure

    This query gives you the DDL statement for any table. Notice we have pass ‘TABLE’ as first parameter. This query can be generalized to get DDL statement of any database object. For example to get DDL for a view just replace first argument with ‘VIEW’ and second with your view name and so.
    

    SELECT DBMS_METADATA.get_ddl ('TABLE', 'TABLE_NAME', 'USER_NAME') FROM DUAL;
    Code language: SQL (Structured Query Language) (sql)

14. Getting current schema

    Yet another query to get current schema name.
    

    SELECT SYS_CONTEXT ('userenv', 'current_schema') FROM DUAL;
    Code language: SQL (Structured Query Language) (sql)

15. Changing current schema

    Yet another query to change the current schema. Useful when your script is expected to run under certain user but is actually executed by other user. It is always safe to set the current user to what your script expects.
    

    ALTER SESSION SET CURRENT_SCHEMA = new_schema;
    Code language: SQL (Structured Query Language) (sql)

    Database administration queries

16. Database version information

    Returns the Oracle database version.
    

    SELECT * FROM v$version;
    Code language: SQL (Structured Query Language) (sql)

17. Database default information

    Some system default information.
    

    SELECT username,profile,default_tablespace,temporary_tablespaceFROM dba_users;
    Code language: SQL (Structured Query Language) (sql)

18. Database Character Set information

    Display the character set information of database.
    

    SELECT * FROM nls_database_parameters;
    Code language: SQL (Structured Query Language) (sql)

19. Get Oracle version

    SELECT VALUEFROM v$system_parameterWHERE name = 'compatible';
    Code language: SQL (Structured Query Language) (sql)

20. Store data case sensitive but to index it case insensitive

    Now this ones tricky. Sometime you might querying database on some value independent of case. In your query you might do UPPER(..) = UPPER(..) on both sides to make it case insensitive. Now in such cases, you might want to make your index case insensitive so that they don’t occupy more space. Feel free to experiment with this one.
    

    CREATE TABLE tab (col1 VARCHAR2 (10));</p>
    <p>CREATE INDEX idx1ON tab (UPPER (col1));</p>
    <p>ANALYZE TABLE a COMPUTE STATISTICS;
    Code language: SQL (Structured Query Language) (sql)

21. Resizing Tablespace without adding datafile

    Yet another DDL query to resize table space.
    

    ALTER DATABASE DATAFILE '/work/oradata/STARTST/STAR02D.dbf' resize 2000M;
    Code language: SQL (Structured Query Language) (sql)

22. Checking autoextend on/off for Tablespaces

    Query to check if autoextend is on or off for a given tablespace.
    

    SELECT SUBSTR (file_name, 1, 50), AUTOEXTENSIBLE FROM dba_data_files;</p>
    <p>(OR)</p>
    <p>SELECT tablespace_name, AUTOEXTENSIBLE FROM dba_data_files;
    Code language: SQL (Structured Query Language) (sql)

23. Adding datafile to a tablespace

    Query to add datafile in a tablespace.
    

    ALTER TABLESPACE data01 ADD DATAFILE '/work/oradata/STARTST/data01.dbf'SIZE 1000M AUTOEXTEND OFF;
    Code language: SQL (Structured Query Language) (sql)

24. Increasing datafile size

    Yet another query to increase the datafile size of a given datafile.
    

    ALTER DATABASE DATAFILE '/u01/app/Test_data_01.dbf' RESIZE 2G;
    Code language: SQL (Structured Query Language) (sql)

25. Find the Actual size of a Database

    Gives the actual database size in GB.
    

    SELECT SUM (bytes) / 1024 / 1024 / 1024 AS GB FROM dba_data_files;
    Code language: SQL (Structured Query Language) (sql)

26. Find the size occupied by Data in a Database or Database usage details

    Gives the size occupied by data in this database.
    

    SELECT SUM (bytes) / 1024 / 1024 / 1024 AS GB FROM dba_segments;
    Code language: SQL (Structured Query Language) (sql)

27. Find the size of the SCHEMA/USER

    Give the size of user in MBs.
    

    SELECT SUM (bytes / 1024 / 1024) "size"FROM dba_segmentsWHERE owner = '&owner';
    Code language: SQL (Structured Query Language) (sql)

28. Last SQL fired by the User on Database

    This query will display last SQL query fired by each user in this database. Notice how this query display last SQL per each session.
    

    SELECT S.USERNAME || '(' || s.sid || ')-' || s.osuser UNAME,s.program || '-' || s.terminal || '(' || s.machine || ')' PROG,s.sid || '/' || s.serial# sid,s.status "Status",p.spid,sql_text sqltextFROM v$sqltext_with_newlines t, V$SESSION s, v$process pWHERE t.address = s.sql_addressAND p.addr = s.paddr(+)AND t.hash_value = s.sql_hash_valueORDER BY s.sid, t.piece;
    Code language: SQL (Structured Query Language) (sql)

    Performance related queries

29. CPU usage of the USER

    Displays CPU usage for each User. Useful to understand database load by user.
    

    SELECT ss.username, se.SID, VALUE / 100 cpu_usage_secondsFROM v$session ss, v$sesstat se, v$statname snWHERE se.STATISTIC# = sn.STATISTIC#AND NAME LIKE '%CPU used by this session%'AND se.SID = ss.SIDAND ss.status = 'ACTIVE'AND ss.username IS NOT NULLORDER BY VALUE DESC;
    Code language: SQL (Structured Query Language) (sql)

30. Long Query progress in database

    Show the progress of long running queries.
    

    SELECT a.sid,a.serial#,b.username,opname OPERATION,target OBJECT,TRUNC (elapsed_seconds, 5) "ET (s)",TO_CHAR (start_time, 'HH24:MI:SS') start_time,ROUND ( (sofar / totalwork) * 100, 2) "COMPLETE (%)"FROM v$session_longops a, v$session bWHERE a.sid = b.sidAND b.username NOT IN ('SYS', 'SYSTEM')AND totalwork > 0ORDER BY elapsed_seconds;
    Code language: SQL (Structured Query Language) (sql)

31. Get current session id, process id, client process id?

    This is for those who wants to do some voodoo magic using process ids and session ids.
    

    SELECT b.sid,b.serial#,a.spid processid,b.process clientpidFROM v$process a, v$session bWHERE a.addr = b.paddr AND b.audsid = USERENV ('sessionid');
    Code language: SQL (Structured Query Language) (sql)

    • V$SESSION.SID AND V$SESSION.SERIAL# is database process id
    • V$PROCESS.SPID is shadow process id on this database server
    • V$SESSION.PROCESS is client PROCESS ID, ON windows it IS : separated THE FIRST # IS THE PROCESS ID ON THE client AND 2nd one IS THE THREAD id.

32. Last SQL Fired from particular Schema or Table:

    SELECT CREATED, TIMESTAMP, last_ddl_timeFROM all_objectsWHERE OWNER = 'MYSCHEMA'AND OBJECT_TYPE = 'TABLE'AND OBJECT_NAME = 'EMPLOYEE_TABLE';
    Code language: SQL (Structured Query Language) (sql)

33. Find Top 10 SQL by reads per execution

    SELECT *FROM ( SELECT ROWNUM,SUBSTR (a.sql_text, 1, 200) sql_text,TRUNC (a.disk_reads / DECODE (a.executions, 0, 1, a.executions))reads_per_execution,a.buffer_gets,a.disk_reads,a.executions,a.sorts,a.addressFROM v$sqlarea aORDER BY 3 DESC)WHERE ROWNUM < 10;
    Code language: SQL (Structured Query Language) (sql)

34. Oracle SQL query over the view that shows actual Oracle connections.

    SELECT osuser,username,machine,programFROM v$sessionORDER BY osuser;
    Code language: SQL (Structured Query Language) (sql)

35. Oracle SQL query that show the opened connections group by the program that opens the connection.

    SELECT program application, COUNT (program) Numero_SesionesFROM v$sessionGROUP BY programORDER BY Numero_Sesiones DESC;
    Code language: SQL (Structured Query Language) (sql)

36. Oracle SQL query that shows Oracle users connected and the sessions number for user

    SELECT username Usuario_Oracle, COUNT (username) Numero_SesionesFROM v$sessionGROUP BY usernameORDER BY Numero_Sesiones DESC;
    Code language: SQL (Structured Query Language) (sql)

37. Get number of objects per owner

    SELECT owner, COUNT (owner) number_of_objectsFROM dba_objectsGROUP BY ownerORDER BY number_of_objects DESC;
    Code language: SQL (Structured Query Language) (sql)

    Utility / Math related queries

38. Convert number to words

    More info: Converting number into words in Oracle
    

    SELECT TO_CHAR (TO_DATE (1526, 'j'), 'jsp') FROM DUAL;
    Code language: SQL (Structured Query Language) (sql)

    
    Output:
    

    one thousand five hundred twenty-six

39. Find string in package source code

    Below query will search for string ‘FOO_SOMETHING’ in all package source. This query comes handy when you want to find a particular procedure or function call from all the source code.
    

    --search a string foo_something in package source codeSELECT *FROM dba_sourceWHERE UPPER (text) LIKE '%FOO_SOMETHING%'AND owner = 'USER_NAME';
    Code language: SQL (Structured Query Language) (sql)

40. Convert Comma Separated Values into Table

    The query can come quite handy when you have comma separated data string that you need to convert into table so that you can use other SQL queries like IN or NOT IN. Here we are converting ‘AA,BB,CC,DD,EE,FF’ string to table containing AA, BB, CC etc. as each row. Once you have this table you can join it with other table to quickly do some useful stuffs.
    

    WITH csvAS (SELECT 'AA,BB,CC,DD,EE,FF'AS csvdataFROM DUAL)SELECT REGEXP_SUBSTR (csv.csvdata, '[^,]+', 1, LEVEL) pivot_charFROM DUAL, csvCONNECT BY REGEXP_SUBSTR (csv.csvdata,'[^,]+', 1, LEVEL) IS NOT NULL;
    Code language: SQL (Structured Query Language) (sql)

41. Find the last record from a table

    This ones straight forward. Use this when your table does not have primary key or you cannot be sure if record having max primary key is the latest one.
    

    SELECT *FROM employeesWHERE ROWID IN (SELECT MAX (ROWID) FROM employees);</p>
    <p>(OR)</p>
    <p>SELECT * FROM employeesMINUSSELECT *FROM employeesWHERE ROWNUM < (SELECT COUNT (*) FROM employees);
    Code language: SQL (Structured Query Language) (sql)

42. Row Data Multiplication in Oracle

    This query use some tricky math functions to multiply values from each row. Read below article for more details.
    More info: Row Data Multiplication In Oracle
    

    WITH tblAS (SELECT -2 num FROM DUALUNIONSELECT -3 num FROM DUALUNIONSELECT -4 num FROM DUAL),sign_valAS (SELECT CASE MOD (COUNT (*), 2) WHEN 0 THEN 1 ELSE -1 END valFROM tblWHERE num < 0)SELECT EXP (SUM (LN (ABS (num)))) * valFROM tbl, sign_valGROUP BY val;
    Code language: SQL (Structured Query Language) (sql)

43. Generating Random Data In Oracle

    You might want to generate some random data to quickly insert in table for testing. Below query help you do that. Read this article for more details.
    More info: Random Data in Oracle
    

    SELECT LEVEL empl_id,MOD (ROWNUM, 50000) dept_id,TRUNC (DBMS_RANDOM.VALUE (1000, 500000), 2) salary,DECODE (ROUND (DBMS_RANDOM.VALUE (1, 2)), 1, 'M', 2, 'F') gender,TO_DATE (ROUND (DBMS_RANDOM.VALUE (1, 28))|| '-'|| ROUND (DBMS_RANDOM.VALUE (1, 12))|| '-'|| ROUND (DBMS_RANDOM.VALUE (1900, 2010)),'DD-MM-YYYY')dob,DBMS_RANDOM.STRING ('x', DBMS_RANDOM.VALUE (20, 50)) addressFROM DUALCONNECT BY LEVEL < 10000;
    Code language: SQL (Structured Query Language) (sql)

44. Random number generator in Oracle

    Plain old random number generator in Oracle. This ones generate a random number between 0 and 100. Change the multiplier to number that you want to set limit for.
    

    --generate random number between 0 and 100SELECT ROUND (DBMS_RANDOM.VALUE () * 100) + 1 AS random_num FROM DUAL;
    Code language: SQL (Structured Query Language) (sql)

45. Check if table contains any data

    This one can be written in multiple ways. You can create count(*) on a table to know number of rows. But this query is more efficient given the fact that we are only interested in knowing if table has any data.
    

    SELECT 1FROM TABLE_NAMEWHERE ROWNUM = 1;
    Code language: SQL (Structured Query Language) (sql)

If you have some cool query that can make life of other Oracle developers easy, do share in comment section.