Database Error Messages

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  • 23ai
  • 21c
  • 19c
Updated
Jun 24, 2024

ORA-00933

unexpected keyword at or near keyword_value
  • keyword_value: Either the keyword causing the error or the keyword near the keyword causing the error. The keyword value may be truncated for readability if it is too long.

Cause

An unexpected keyword was encountered in the SQL statement at or near the position printed in the error message. One of the following occurred:

  1. You had a typo in your SQL statement.
  2. Unsupported syntax was encountered for a clause in the statement.
  3. An unsupported clause was encountered in the statement.
  4. A string was terminated prematurely leading to the rest of the string to be interpreted as keywords. For example, an apostrophe in the string may be causing it to end prematurely.
  5. If keyword_value does not appear in the statement and CURSOR_SHARING is set to FORCE, an unexpected bind variable was encountered in the statement.
  6. If keyword_value does not appear in the statement and a function was invoked in the statement, an unexpected token was was encountered during function execution. This typically occurs when a function attempts to execute a statement it has constructed.

Action

Take the action that corresponds with the Cause:

  1. Check that your SQL statement has no typos.
  2. Check Oracle Database documentation to find the correct syntax for the clause and update the problematic clause appropriately.
  3. Check Oracle Database documentation to find the correct syntax for the statement and remove the unsupported clause.
  4. Enter two single quotes instead of one to represent an apostrophe within a string.
  5. Set CURSOR_SHARING to EXACT and execute the statement again. This may either resolve the issue or provide additional information regarding the error.
  6. Check that the function is not executing a statement that contains any of the issues listed in Causes 1 through 5.