Sql*Plus User’s Guide and Reference

2
Configuring SQL*Plus
2-1
2
 Configuring SQL*Plus
This chapter explains how to configure your SQL*Plus command-line environment. It 
has the following topics:
■
SQL*Plus Environment Variables
■
SQL*Plus Configuration
SQL*Plus Environment Variables
These environment variables specify the location or path of files used by SQL*Plus. 
For other environment variables that influence the behavior of SQL*Plus, see the 
Oracle Database Administrator's Reference.
Table 2–1
Parameters or Environment Variables influencing SQL*Plus
Parameter or Variable
Description
LD_LIBRARY_PATH
Environment variable to specify the path used to search for 
libraries on UNIX and Linux. The environment variable may 
have a different name on some operating systems, such as 
DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH on Apple Mac OS, LIBPATH on 
IBM/AIX-5L, and SHLIB_PATH on HP-UX. Not applicable to 
Windows operating systems.
Example
$ORACLE_HOME/lib 
LOCAL
Windows environment variable to specify a connection string. 
Performs the same function as TWO_TASK on UNIX. 
NLS_LANG
Environment variable to specify globalization behavior. 
Example
american_america.utf8
ORACLE_HOME
Environment variable to specify where SQL*Plus is installed. 
It is also used by SQL*Plus to specify where message files are 
located.
Examples:
d:\oracle\10g
/u01/app/oracle/product/v10g

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SQL*Plus Environment Variables
2-2
SQL*Plus User's Guide and Reference
ORA_EDITION
Environment variable to specify the database edition to use. If 
you specify the edition with the CONNECT or SQLPLUS 
command option, edition=value, it is used instead of ORA_
EDITION. If no edition is specified in either the CONNECT or 
SQLPLUS command option, or in ORA_EDITION, SQL*Plus 
connects to the default edition. 
When ORA_EDITION is set, a subsequent STARTUP 
command in the session results in an ORA-38802 error. To 
correct this, you must unset ORA_EDITION, then reconnect 
and shutdown the database, then start the database again. 
ORA_NLS10
Environment variable to specify the locations of the NLS data 
and the user boot file in SQL*Plus 10.2. The default location is 
$ORACLE_HOME/nls/data. In a system with both Oracle9i 
and 10g, or a system under version upgrade, you should set 
ORA_NLS10 for Oracle 10g and set ORA_NLS33 for 9i. The 
default NLS location in 9i was $ORACLE_
HOME/common/nls/admin/data.
ORACLE_PATH
Environment variable to specify the location of SQL scripts. If 
SQL*Plus cannot find the file in ORACLE_PATH, or if 
ORACLE_PATH is not set, it searches for the file in the 
current working directory. 
Not applicable to Windows
ORACLE_SID
Environment variable to specify the database instance, 
optional
PATH
Environment variable to specify the path to search for 
executables, and DLLs in Windows. Typically includes 
ORACLE_HOME/bin
SQLPATH
Environment variable or Windows registry entry to specify 
the location of SQL scripts. SQL*Plus searches for SQL scripts, 
including login.sql, in the current directory and then in the 
directories specified by SQLPATH, and in the subdirectories 
of SQLPATH directories. SQLPATH is a colon separated list 
of directories. There is no default value set in UNIX 
installations.
In Windows, SQLPATH is defined in a registry entry during 
installation. For more information about the SQLPATH 
registry entry, see 
SQLPATH Registry Entry
 on page 2-3.
TNS_ADMIN
Environment variable to specify the location of the 
tnsnames.ora file. If not specified, $ORACLE_
HOME/network/admin is used 
Example
h:\network 
/var/opt/oracle
TWO_TASK
UNIX environment variable to specify a connection string. 
Connections that do not specify a database will connect to the 
database specified in TWO_TASK.
Example
TWO_TASK=MYDB
export TWO_TASK
sqlplus hr
is the same as:
sqlplus hr@MYDB