NLS_CALENDAR

Parameter type	String
Syntax	NLS_CALENDAR = "calendar_system"
Default value	None
Parameter class	Dynamic: ALTER SESSION
Range of values	Any valid calendar format name

NLS_CALENDAR specifies which calendar system Oracle uses. It can have one of the following values:

• Arabic Hijrah
• English Hijrah
• Gregorian
• Japanese Imperial
• Persian
• ROC Official (Republic of China)
• Thai Buddha

For example, suppose NLS_CALENDAR is set to "Japanese Imperial", the date format is "E YY-MM-DD". ("E" is the date format element for the abbreviated era name.) If the date is May 15, 1997, then the SYSDATE is displayed as follows:

SELECT SYSDATE FROM DUAL;
SYSDATE
--------
H 09-05-15

See Also: Oracle9i Database Globalization Support Guide for a listing of available calendar systems