Oracle plsql sys context function

ORACLE/PLSQL: SYS_CONTEXT FUNCTION This Oracle tutorial explains how to use the Oracle/PLSQL SYS_CONTEXT function with syntax and examples.

DESCRIPTION The Oracle/PLSQL SYS_CONTEXT function can be used to retrieve information about the Oracle environment.

SYNTAX The syntax for the Oracle/PLSQL SYS_CONTEXT function is: SYS_CONTEXT( namespace, parameter, [ length ] )

Parameters or Arguments namespace is an Oracle namespace that has already been created. If the namespace of 'USERENV' is used, attributes describing the current Oracle session can be returned. parameter is a valid attribute that has been set using the DBMS_SESSION.set_context procedure. length is optional. It is the length of the return value in bytes. If this parameter is omitted or if an invalid entry is provided, the sys_context function will default to 256 bytes.

NOTE The valid parameters for the namespace called 'USERENV' are as follows: (Note that not all parameters are valid in all versions of Oracle)

Parameter

Explanation

Oracle Oracle Oracle 9i 10g 11g

ACTION

Returns the position in the module

No

Yes

Yes

AUDITED_CURSORID

Returns the cursor ID of the SQL that triggered the audit

Yes

Yes

Yes

AUTHENTICATED_IDENTITY

Returns the identity used in authentication

No

Yes

Yes

AUTHENTICATION_DATA

Authentication data

Yes

Yes

Yes

AUTHENTICATION_METHOD

Returns the method of authentication

No

Yes

Yes

AUTHENTICATION_TYPE

Describes how the user was authenticated. Can be one of the following values: Database, OS, Network, or Proxy

Yes

No

No

BG_JOB_ID

If the session was established by an Oracle background process, this parameter will return the Job ID. Otherwise, it will return NULL.

Yes

Yes

Yes

CLIENT_IDENTIFIER

Returns the client identifier (global context)

Yes

Yes

Yes

CLIENT_INFO

User session information

Yes

Yes

Yes

CURRENT_BIND

Bind variables for fine­grained auditing

No

Yes

Yes

CURRENT_SCHEMA

Returns the default schema used in the current schema

Yes

Yes

Yes

CURRENT_SCHEMAID

Returns the identifier of the default schema used in the current schema

Yes

Yes

Yes

CURRENT_SQL

Returns the SQL that triggered the audit event

Yes

Yes

Yes

CURRENT_SQL_LENGTH

Returns the length of the current SQL statement that triggered the audit event

No

Yes

Yes

CURRENT_USER

Name of the current user

Yes

No

No

CURRENT_USERID

Userid of the current user

Yes

No

No

DB_DOMAIN

Domain of the database from the DB_DOMAIN initialization parameter Yes

Yes

Yes

DB_NAME

Name of the database from the DB_NAME initialization parameter

Yes

Yes

Yes

DB_UNIQUE_NAME

Name of the database from the DB_UNIQUE_NAME initialization parameter

No

Yes

Yes

ENTRYID

Available auditing entry identifier

Yes

Yes

Yes

ENTERPRISE_IDENTITY

Returns the user's enterprise­wide identity

No

Yes

Yes

EXTERNAL_NAME

External of the database user

Yes

No

No

FG_JOB_ID

If the session was established by a client foreground process, this parameter will return the Job ID. Otherwise, it will return NULL.

Yes

Yes

Yes

GLOBAL_CONTEXT_MEMORY

The number used in the System Global Area by the globally accessed context

Yes

Yes

Yes

GLOBAL_UID

The global user ID from Oracle Internet Directory for enterprise security logins. Returns NULL for all other logins.

No

No

Yes

HOST

Name of the host machine from which the client has connected

Yes

Yes

Yes

IDENTIFICATION_TYPE

Returns the way the user's schema was created

No

Yes

Yes

INSTANCE

The identifier number of the current instance

Yes

Yes

Yes

INSTANCE_NAME

The name of the current instance

No

Yes

Yes

IP_ADDRESS

IP address of the machine from which the client has connected

Yes

Yes

Yes

ISDBA

Returns TRUE if the user has DBA privileges. Otherwise, it will return FALSE.

Yes

Yes

Yes

LANG

The ISO abbreviate for the language

Yes

Yes

Yes

LANGUAGE

The language, territory, and character of the session. In the following format: language_territory.characterset

Yes

Yes

Yes

MODULE

Returns the appplication name set through DBMS_APPLICATION_INFO package or OCI

No

Yes

Yes

NETWORK_PROTOCOL

Network protocol used

Yes

Yes

Yes

NLS_CALENDAR

The calendar of the current session

Yes

Yes

Yes

NLS_CURRENCY

The currency of the current session

Yes

Yes

Yes

NLS_DATE_FORMAT

The date format for the current session

Yes

Yes

Yes

NLS_DATE_LANGUAGE

The language used for dates

Yes

Yes

Yes

NLS_SORT

BINARY or the linguistic sort basis

Yes

Yes

Yes

NLS_TERRITORY

The territory of the current session

Yes

Yes

Yes

OS_USER

The OS username for the user logged in

Yes

Yes

Yes

POLICY_INVOKER

The invoker of row­level security policy functions

No

Yes

Yes

PROXY_ENTERPRISE_IDENTITY The Oracle Internet Directory DN when the proxy user is an enterprise user

No

Yes

Yes

PROXY_GLOBAL_UID

The global user ID from Oracle Internet Directory for enterprise user security proxy users. Returns NULL for all other proxy users.

No

Yes

Yes

PROXY_USER

The name of the user who opened the current session on behalf of SESSION_USER

Yes

Yes

Yes

PROXY_USERID

The identifier of the user who opened the current session on behalf of SESSION_USER

Yes

Yes

Yes

SERVER_HOST

The host name of the machine where the instance is running

No

Yes

Yes

SERVICE_NAME

The name of the service that the session is connected to

No

Yes

Yes

SESSION_USER

The database user name of the user logged in

Yes

Yes

Yes

SESSION_USERID

The database identifier of the user logged in

Yes

Yes

Yes

SESSIONID

The identifier of the auditing session

Yes

Yes

Yes

SID

Session number

No

Yes

Yes

STATEMENTID

The auditing statement identifier

No

Yes

Yes

TERMINAL

The OS identifier of the current session

Yes

Yes

Yes

APPLIES TO The SYS_CONTEXT function can be used in the following versions of Oracle/PLSQL: Oracle 12c, Oracle 11g, Oracle 10g, Oracle 9i, Oracle 8i

EXAMPLE Let's look at some Oracle SYS_CONTEXT function examples and explore how to use the SYS_CONTEXT function in Oracle/PLSQL. For example: SYS_CONTEXT('USERENV', 'NLS_DATE_FORMAT') Result: 'RR­MM­DD'

SYS_CONTEXT('USERENV', 'NLS_SORT') Result: 'BINARY'