Oracle SQL By Example

Chapter 14. The Data Dictionary, Scripting, and Reporting

The Oracle data dictionary is a set of tables and views that contains data about the database; it is also sometimes referred to as the catalog. Oracle uses the data dictionary internally for many purposes (for instance, to determine whether a SQL statement contains valid column and table names, to determine the privileges of an individual user, to check if a column is indexed).

Although the SQL Developer’s Details tab displays a lot about an object, you will find it useful to know about and query the wealth of information available in the ...