Oracle SQL*Plus: The Definitive Guide, 2nd Edition

Name

ATTRIBUTE

Synopsis

The ATTRIBUTE command formats attributes of an Oracle object type. It functions like the COLUMN command but with fewer parameters. Chapter 7 shows examples of this command. Issuing the ATTRIBUTE command with no parameters gives you a list of all current attribute settings.

Syntax

ATTRIBUTE [object_type.attribute | attribute_alias [option [option . . . ]]

option ::= {ALI[AS] alias |
             CLE[AR] |
             FOR[MAT] format_spec |
             LIKE source_attribute |
             ON |
             OFF}

Parameters

object_type

Is the name of an Oracle object type.

attribute

Is the name of an attribute of the specified object type and is the attribute you are formatting. If you stop here and don't supply any other parameters, the current display settings for this attribute are shown.

attribute_alias

Is an alias that you have previously given to an attribute via an ATTRIBUTE ALIAS command.

ALI[AS]

May be abbreviated ALI. ALIAS allows you to specify an alternate name for this attribute that is meaningful to SQL*Plus.

alias

Is an alternate name for the attribute that may be used in other ATTRIBUTE commands, in place of having to spell out the full object type and attribute name again.

CLE[AR]

May be abbreviated CLE. CLEAR erases any format settings for the attribute in question. This puts things back the way they were before any ATTRIBUTE commands were issued for the attribute.

FOR[MAT]

May be abbreviated FOR. Allows you to control how the data for the attribute are displayed. For text fields, the format controls the maximum display ...