USER

Syntax

Description of the illustration user.eps

Purpose

USER returns the name of the session user (the user who logged on). This may change during the duration of a database session as Real Application Security sessions are attached or detached. For enterprise users, this function returns the schema. For other users, it returns the database user name. If a Real Application Security session is currently attached to the database session, then it returns user XS$NULL.

This function returns a VARCHAR2 value.

Oracle Database compares values of this function with blank-padded comparison semantics.

In a distributed SQL statement, the UID and USER functions together identify the user on your local database. You cannot use these functions in the condition of a CHECK constraint.

See Also:

Oracle Database 2 Day + Security Guide for more information on user XS$NULL
Appendix C in Oracle Database Globalization Support Guide for the collation derivation rules, which define the collation assigned to the character return value of USER

Examples

The following example returns the session user and the user's UID:

SELECT USER, UID FROM DUAL;