C
Oracle Reserved Words, Keywords and Namespaces

This appendix lists words that have a special meaning to Oracle. Each word plays a specific role in the context in which it appears. For example, in an INSERT statement, the reserved word INTO introduces the tables to which rows will be added. But, in a FETCH or SELECT statement, the reserved word INTO introduces the output host variables to which column values will be assigned.

The following sections are included:

Oracle Reserved Words and Keywords

Oracle reserved words have a special meaning to Oracle and so cannot be redefined. For this reason, you cannot use them to name database objects such as columns, tables, or indexes.

Keywords also have a special meaning to Oracle but are not reserved words and so can be redefined. However, some might eventually become reserved words, so care should be taken when using them as variable or function names in an application.

The following table lists the Oracle reserved words and keywords:

Table C-1 Keywords and Reserved Words

Word	Type	Word	Type
\|	Reserved word	AS	Reserved Word
&	Reserved word	ASC	Reserved Word
:	Reserved word	AT	Key Word
,	Reserved word	AUDIT	Reserved Word
-	Reserved word	AUTHENTICATED	Key Word
=	Reserved word	AUTHORIZATION	Key Word
>	Reserved word	AUTOEXTEND	Key Word
[	Reserved word	AUTOMATIC	Key Word
<	Reserved word	AVG	Key Word
(	Reserved word
.	Reserved word	BACKUP	Key Word
+	Reserved word	BECOME	Key Word
]	Reserved word	BEFORE	Key Word
)	Reserved word	BEGIN	Key Word
!	Reserved word	BETWEEN	Reserved Word
/	Reserved word	BFILE	Key Word
*	Reserved word	BITMAP	Key Word
^	Reserved word	BLOB	Key Word
@	Reserved word	BLOCK	Key Word
		BODY	Key Word
ACCESS	Reserved Word	BY	Reserved Word
ACCOUNT	Key Word
ACTIVATE	Key Word	CACHE	Key Word
ADD	Reserved Word	CACHE_INSTANCES	Key Word
ADMIN	Key Word	CANCEL	Key Word
ADVISE	Key Word	CASCADE	Key Word
AFTER	Key Word	CAST	Key Word
ALL	Reserved Word	CFILE	Key Word
ALL_ROWS	Key Word	CHAINED	Key Word
ALLOCATE	Key Word	CHANGE	Key Word
ALTER	Reserved Word	CHAR	Reserved Word
ANALYZE	Key Word	CHAR_CS	Key Word
AND	Reserved Word	CHARACTER	Key Word
ANY	Reserved Word	CHECK	Reserved Word
ARCHIVE	Key Word	CHECKPOINT	Key Word
ARCHIVELOG	Key Word	CHOOSE	Key Word
ARRAY	Key Word	CHUNK	Key Word
ARRAYLEN	Key Word	CLEAR	Key Word
CLOB	Key Word	DATAFILE	Key Word
CLONE	Key Word	DATAFILES	Key Word
CLOSE	Key Word	DATAOBJNO	Key Word
CLOSE_CACHED_OPEN_CURSORS	Key Word	DATE	Reserved Word
CLUSTER	Reserved Word	DBA	Key Word
COALESCE	Key Word
COBOL	Key Word
COLUMN	Reserved Word
COLUMNS	Key Word	DEALLOCATE	Key Word
COMMENT	Reserved Word	DEBUG	Key Word
COMMIT	Key Word	DEC	Key Word
COMMITTED	Key Word	DECIMAL	Reserved Word
COMPATIBILITY	Key Word	DECLARE	Key Word
COMPILE	Key Word	DEFAULT	Reserved Word
COMPLETE	Key Word	DEFERRABLE	Key Word
COMPOSITE_LIMIT	Key Word	DEFERRED	Key Word
COMPRESS	Reserved Word	DEGREE	Key Word
COMPUTE	Key Word	DELETE	Reserved Word
CONNECT	Reserved Word	DEREF	Key Word
CONNECT_TIME	Key Word	DESC	Reserved Word
CONSTRAINT	Key Word	DIRECTORY	Key Word
CONSTRAINTS	Key Word	DISABLE	Key Word
CONTENTS	Key Word	DISCONNECT	Key Word
CONTINUE	Key Word	DISMOUNT	Key Word
CONTROLFILE	Key Word	DISTINCT	Reserved Word
CONVERT	Key Word	DISTRIBUTED	Key Word
COST	Key Word	DML	Key Word
COUNT	Key Word	DOUBLE	Key Word
CPU_PER_CALL	Key Word	DROP	Reserved Word
CPU_PER_SESSION	Key Word	DUMP	Key Word
CREATE	Reserved Word
CURRENT	Reserved Word	EACH	Key Word
CURRENT_SCHEMA	Key Word	ELSE	Reserved Word
CURRENT_USER	Key Word	ENABLE	Key Word
CURSOR	Reserved Word	END	Key Word
CYCLE	Key Word	ENFORCE	Key Word
		ENTRY	Key Word
DANGLING	Key Word	ESCAPE	Key Word
DATABASE	Key Word	ESTIMATE	Key Word
EVENTS	Key Word	GO	Key Word
EXCEPT	Key Word	GOTO	Key Word
EXCEPTIONS	Key Word	GRANT	Reserved Word
EXCHANGE	Key Word	GROUP	Reserved Word
EXCLUDING	Key Word	GROUPS	Key Word
EXCLUSIVE	Reserved Word
EXEC	Key Word	HASH	Key Word
EXECUTE	Key Word	HASHKEYS	Key Word
EXISTS	Reserved Word	HAVING	Reserved Word
EXPIRE	Key Word	HEADER	Key Word
EXPLAIN	Key Word	HEAP	Key Word
EXTENT	Key Word
EXTENTS	Key Word	IDENTIFIED	Reserved Word
EXTERNALLY	Key Word	IDGENERATORS	Key Word
		IDLE_TIME	Key Word
FAILED_LOGIN_ATTEMPTS	Key Word	IF	Key Word
FALSE	Key Word	IMMEDIATE	Reserved Word
FAST	Key Word	IN	Reserved Word
FETCH	Key Word	INCLUDING	Key Word
FILE	Reserved Word	INCREMENT	Reserved Word
FIRST_ROWS	Key Word	INDEX	Reserved Word
FLAGGER	Key Word	INDEXED	Key Word
FLOAT	Reserved Word	INDEXES	Key Word
FLOB	Key Word	INDICATOR	Key Word
FLUSH	Key Word	IND_PARTITION	Key Word
FOR	Reserved Word	INITIAL	Reserved Word
FORCE	Key Word	INITIALLY	Key Word
FOREIGN	Key Word	INITRANS	Key Word
FORTRAN	Key Word	INSERT	Reserved Word
FOUND	Key Word	INSTANCE	Key Word
FREELIST	Key Word	INSTANCES	Key Word
FREELISTS	Key Word	INSTEAD	Key Word
FROM	Reserved Word	INT	Key Word
FULL	Key Word	INTEGER	Reserved Word
FUNCTION	Key Word	INTERMEDIATE	Key Word
		INTERSECT	Reserved Word
GLOBAL	Key Word	INTO	Reserved Word
GLOBALLY	Key Word	IS	Reserved Word
GLOBAL_NAME	Key Word	ISOLATION	Key Word
ISOLATION_LEVEL	Key Word	MAXSIZE	Key Word
		MAXTRANS	Key Word
KEEP	Key Word	MAXVALUE	Key Word
KEY	Key Word	MIN	Key Word
KILL	Key Word	MEMBER	Key Word
		MINIMUM	Key Word
LABEL	Key Word	MINEXTENTS	Key Word
LANGUAGE	Key Word	MINUS	Reserved Word
LAYER	Key Word	MINVALUE	Key Word
LESS	Key Word	MLSLABEL	Reserved Word
LEVEL	Reserved Word
LIBRARY	Key Word
LIKE	Reserved Word	MODE	Reserved Word
LIMIT	Key Word	MODIFY	Reserved Word
LINK	Key Word	MODULE	Key Word
LIST	Key Word	MOUNT	Key Word
LISTS	Key Word	MOVE	Key Word
LOB	Key Word	MTS_DISPATCHERS	Key Word
LOCAL	Key Word	MULTISET	Key Word
LOCK	Reserved Word
LOCKED	Key Word	NATIONAL	Key Word
LOG	Key Word	NCHAR	Key Word
LOGFILE	Key Word	NCHAR_CS	Key Word
LOGGING	Key Word	NCLOB	Key Word
LOGICAL_READS_PER_CALL	Key Word	NEEDED	Key Word
LOGICAL_READS_PER_SESSION	Key Word	NESTED	Key Word
LONG	Reserved Word	NETWORK	Key Word
		NEW	Key Word
MANAGE	Key Word	NEXT	Key Word
MANUAL	Key Word	NOARCHIVELOG	Key Word
MASTER	Key Word	NOAUDIT	Reserved Word
MAX	Key Word	NOCACHE	Key Word
MAXARCHLOGS	Key Word	NOCOMPRESS	Reserved Word
MAXDATAFILES	Key Word	NOCYCLE	Key Word
MAXEXTENTS	Reserved Word	NOFORCE	Key Word
MAXINSTANCES	Key Word	NOLOGGING	Key Word
MAXLOGFILES	Key Word	NOMAXVALUE	Key Word
MAXLOGHISTORY	Key Word	NOMINVALUE	Key Word
MAXLOGMEMBERS	Key Word	NONE	Key Word
NOORDER	Key Word
NOOVERRIDE	Key Word	PACKAGE	Key Word
NOPARALLEL	Key Word	PACKED	Key Word
NORESETLOGS	Key Word	PARALLEL	Key Word
NOREVERSE	Key Word	PARTITION	Key Word
NORMAL	Key Word	PASSWORD	Key Word
NOSORT	Key Word	PASSWORD_GRACE_TIME	Key Word
NOT	Reserved Word	PASSWORD_LIFE_TIME	Key Word
NOTFOUND	Reserved Word	PASSWORD_LOCK_TIME	Key Word
NOTHING	Key Word	PASSWORD_REUSE_MAX	Key Word
NOWAIT	Reserved Word	PASSWORD_REUSE_TIME	Key Word
NULL	Reserved Word	PASSWORD_VERIFY_FUNCTION	Key Word
NUMBER	Reserved Word	PCTFREE	Reserved Word
NUMERIC	Key Word	PCTINCREASE	Key Word
NVARCHAR2	Key Word	PCTTHRESHOLD	Key Word
		PCTUSED	Key Word
OBJECT	Key Word	PCTVERSION	Key Word
OBJNO	Key Word	PERCENT	Key Word
OBJNO_REUSE	Key Word	PERMANENT	Key Word
OF	Reserved Word	PLAN	Key Word
OFF	Key Word	PLI	Key Word
OFFLINE	Reserved Word	PLSQL_DEBUG	Key Word
OID	Key Word	POST_TRANSACTION	Key Word
OIDINDEX	Key Word	PRECISION	Key Word
OLD	Key Word	PRESERVE	Key Word
ON	Reserved Word	PRIMARY	Key Word
ONLINE	Reserved Word	PRIOR	Reserved Word
ONLY	Key Word	PRIVATE	Key Word
OPCODE	Key Word	PRIVATE_SGA	Key Word
OPEN	Key Word	PRIVILEGE	Key Word
OPTIMAL	Key Word	PRIVILEGES	Reserved Word
OPTIMIZER_GOAL	Key Word	PROCEDURE	Key Word
OPTION	Reserved Word	PROFILE	Key Word
OR	Reserved Word	PUBLIC	Reserved Word
ORDER	Reserved Word	PURGE	Key Word
ORGANIZATION	Key Word
		QUEUE	Key Word
OVERFLOW	Key Word	QUOTA	Key Word
OWN	Key Word
RANGE	Key Word	SCAN_INSTANCES	Key Word
RAW	Reserved Word	SCHEMA	Key Word
RBA	Key Word	SCN	Key Word
READ	Key Word	SCOPE	Key Word
		SD_ALL	Key Word
REAL	Key Word	SD_INHIBIT	Key Word
REBUILD	Key Word	SD_SHOW	Key Word
RECOVER	Key Word	SECTION	Key Word
RECOVERABLE	Key Word	SEGMENT	Key Word
RECOVERY	Key Word	SEG_BLOCK	Key Word
REF	Key Word	SEG_FILE	Key Word
REFERENCES	Key Word	SELECT	Reserved Word
REFERENCING	Key Word	SEQUENCE	Key Word
REFRESH	Key Word	SERIALIZABLE	Key Word
RENAME	Reserved Word	SESSION	Reserved Word
REPLACE	Key Word	SESSION_CACHED_CURSORS	Key Word
RESET	Key Word	SESSIONS_PER_USER	Key Word
RESETLOGS	Key Word	SET	Reserved Word
RESIZE	Key Word	SHARE	Reserved Word
RESOURCE	Reserved Word	SHARED	Key Word
RESTRICTED	Key Word	SHARED_POOL	Key Word
RETURN	Key Word	SHRINK	Key Word
RETURNING	Key Word	SIZE	Reserved Word
REUSE	Key Word	SKIP	Key Word
REVERSE	Key Word	SKIP_UNUSABLE_INDEXES	Key Word
REVOKE	Reserved Word	SMALLINT	Reserved Word
ROLE	Key Word	SNAPSHOT	Key Word
ROLES	Key Word	SOME	Key Word
ROLLBACK	Key Word	SORT	Key Word
ROW	Reserved Word	SPECIFICATION	Key Word
ROWID	Reserved Word	SPLIT	Key Word
ROWLABEL	Reserved Word	SQL	Key Word
ROWNUM	Reserved Word	SQLBUF	Reserved Word
ROWS	Reserved Word	SQLCODE	Key Word
RULE	Key Word	SQLERROR	Key Word
		SQLSTATE	Key Word
SAMPLE	Key Word	SQL_TRACE	Key Word
SAVEPOINT	Key Word	STANDBY	Key Word
SB4	Key Word	START	Reserved Word
STATEMENT_ID	Key Word	TX	Key Word
STATISTICS	Key Word	TYPE	Key Word
STOP	Key Word
STORAGE	Key Word	UB2	Key Word
STORE	Key Word	UBA	Key Word
STRUCTURE	Key Word	UID	Reserved Word
SUCCESSFUL	Reserved Word	UNARCHIVED	Key Word
SUM	Key Word	UNDER	Key Word
SWITCH	Key Word	UNDO	Key Word
SYS_OP_ENFORCE_NOT_NULL$	Key Word	UNION	Reserved Word
SYS_OP_NTCIMG$	Key Word	UNIQUE	Reserved Word
SYNONYM	Reserved Word	UNLIMITED	Key Word
SYSDATE	Reserved Word	UNLOCK	Key Word
SYSDBA	Key Word	UNPACKED	Key Word
SYSOPER	Key Word	UNRECOVERABLE	Key Word
SYSTEM	Key Word	UNTIL	Key Word
		UNUSABLE	Key Word
TABLE	Reserved Word	UNUSED	Key Word
TABLES	Key Word	UPDATABLE	Key Word
TABLESPACE	Key Word	UPDATE	Reserved Word
TABLESPACE_NO	Key Word	USAGE	Key Word
TABNO	Key Word	USE	Key Word
TEMPORARY	Key Word	USER	Reserved Word
THAN	Key Word	USING	Key Word
THE	Key Word
THEN	Reserved Word	VALIDATE	Reserved Word
THREAD	Key Word	VALIDATION	Reserved Word
TIMESTAMP	Key Word	VALUE	Reserved Word
TIME	Key Word	VALUES	Reserved Word
TO	Reserved Word	VARCHAR	Reserved Word
TOPLEVEL	Key Word	VARCHAR2	Reserved Word
TRACE	Key Word	VARYING	Key Word
TRACING	Key Word	VIEW	Reserved Word
TRANSACTION	Key Word
TRANSITIONAL	Key Word	WHEN	Key Word
TRIGGER	Reserved Word	WHENEVER	Reserved Word
TRIGGERS	Key Word	WHERE	Reserved Word
TRUE	Key Word	WITH	Reserved Word
TRUNCATE	Key Word	WITHOUT	Key Word
WORK	Key Word
WRITE	Key Word

XID	Key Word

PL/SQL Reserved Words

For information about PL/SQL reserved words and keywords, refer to the
PL/SQL User's Guide and Reference.

Oracle Reserved Namespaces

Table C-2 contains a list of namespaces that are reserved by Oracle. The initial characters of function names in Oracle libraries are restricted to the character strings in this list. Because of potential name conflicts, use function names that do not begin with these characters.

For example, the SQL*Net Transparent Network Service functions all begin with the characters NS," so you need to avoid naming functions that begin with "NS."

Table C-2 Oracle Reserved Namespaces

Namespace	Library
XA	external functions for XA applications only
SQ	external SQLLIB functions used by Oracle Precompiler and SQL*Module applications
O, OCI	external OCI functions internal OCI functions
UPI, KP	function names from the Oracle UPI layer
NA NC ND NL NM NR NS NT NZ OSN TTC	SQLNet Native services product SQLNet RPC project SQLNet Directory SQLNet Network Library layer SQLNet Net Management Project SQLNet Interchange SQLNet Transparent Network Service SQLNet Drivers SQLNet Security Service SQLNet V1 SQL*Net Two task
GEN, L, ORA	Core library functions
LI, LM, LX	function names from the Oracle NLS layer
S	function names from system-dependent libraries

The list in Table C-2 is not a comprehensive list of all functions within the Oracle Reserved Namespaces. For a complete list of functions within a particular namespace, refer to the document that corresponds to the appropriate Oracle library.

COracle Reserved Words, Keywords and Namespaces