Release 8.0 Enhancements
SQL*Plus Release 8.0 provides a number of enhancements over previous releases of SQL*Plus. This appendix describes the enhancements for SQL*Plus Release 8.0.
SQL*Plus Release 8.0 Enhancements
SQL*Plus Release 8.0 is a superset of SQL*Plus Release 3.3.
To fully exploit SQL*Plus Release 8.0, you need Oracle8. SQL*Plus Release 8.0 gives you the following capabilities:
- There is a new command named ATTRIBUTE. The ATTRIBUTE command displays attributes for a given column, and functions similar to the COLUMN command.
- There is a new command named PASSWORD. The PASSWORD command allows passwords to be changed without echoing the password to an input device.
- The CONNECT command will now prompt a user to change their password if it has expired.
- The EXIT command now has a :BindVariable clause. The :BindVariable clause 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.
- The LONG and LONGCHUNKSIZE datatypes determine the limits for the CLOB and NCLOB datatypes.
- The SET command now has a LOBOFFSET clause. The LOBOFFSET clause sets the starting position from which CLOB and NCLOB data is retrieved.
- The SET NEWPAGE command now has a NONE clause. A value of NONE, prints no blank lines and no formfeed between report pages.
- The SET command now has a SHIFTINOUT clause. The SHIFTINOUT clause allows correct alignment for terminals that display shift characters. This command can only be used with shift sensitive character sets.
- The SHOW ERRORS command now includes the TYPE and TYPE BODY clauses.
- The VARIABLE command now includes the clauses NCHAR, NVARCHAR2 (NCHAR VARYING), CLOB and NCLOB.
- The maximum length of CHAR and NCHAR bind variables have been increased to 2000.
- The maximum length of VARCHAR2 and NVARCHAR2 have been increased to 4000.
