Oracle Plsql Dump Function
Oracle / PLSQL: DUMP Function
This Oracle tutorial explains how to use the Oracle/PLSQL DUMP function with syntax and examples.
Description
The Oracle/PLSQL DUMP function returns a varchar2 value that includes the datatype code, the length in bytes, and the internal representation of the expression.
Syntax
The syntax for the DUMP function in Oracle/PLSQL is:
DUMP( expression [, return_format] [, start_position] [, length] )Parameters or Arguments
- expression
- return_format
- start_position
- length
The expression to analyze.
Optional. It determines the format of the return value. This parameter can be any of the following values:
| Value | Explanation |
|---|---|
| 8 | octal notation |
| 10 | decimal notation |
| 16 | hexadecimal notation |
| 17 | single characters |
| 1008 | octal notation with the character set name |
| 1010 | decimal notation with the character set name |
| 1016 | hexadecimal notation with the character set name |
| 1017 | single characters with the character set name |
Optional. The start position in the internal representation to return.
Optional. The length of the internal representation to return.
Returns
The DUMP function returns a VARCHAR2 value. If the return_format, start_position and length parameters are omitted, the DUMP function will return the entire internal representation in decimal notation.
Applies To
The DUMP 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 DUMP function examples and explore how to use the DUMP function in Oracle/PLSQL.
For example:
DUMP('Aodb')
Output: 'Typ=96 Len=4: 84,101,99,104'
DUMP('Aodb', 10)
Output: 'Typ=96 Len=4: 84,101,99,104'
DUMP('Aodb', 16)
Output: 'Typ=96 Len=4: 54,65,63,68'
DUMP('Aodb', 1016)
Output: 'Typ=96 Len=4 CharacterSet=US7ASCII: 54,65,63,68'
DUMP('Aodb', 1017)
Output: 'Typ=96 Len=4 CharacterSet=US7ASCII: T,e,c,h'