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

Name

SET PAGESIZE

Synopsis

The PAGESIZE setting tells SQL*Plus the number of printed lines that will fit on one page of output. You can also use this setting to completely turn off all pagination functions.

Syntax

SET PAGES[IZE] lines_on_page

Parameters

SET PAGES[IZE]

Is the command, which may be abbreviated SET PAGES.

lines_on_page

Is the number of lines you want SQL*Plus to print on one page. This includes detail lines, header lines, and footer lines. The default value for PAGESIZE is 14 (24 in iSQL*Plus).

The PAGESIZE must be set in conjunction with NEWPAGE. The sum of PAGESIZE and NEWPAGE should equal the number of lines that will physically fit on one page. SQL*Plus will print headers, detail, and footers until PAGESIZE lines have been printed. Then it will print NEWPAGE lines to advance to the next page, where the process starts again. Your page titles will drift up or down with each new page if these settings don't match the page's physical size. The exception to this is when you use SET NEWPAGE 0.

If you use SET NEWPAGE 0 to cause a formfeed to print at the beginning of each page, you should set PAGESIZE to at least one less than the physical number of lines on a page. Failure to do so may result in alternating blank pages in your printed report.

You can turn off all pagination by issuing a SET PAGESIZE 0 command. This will eliminate page titles, page footers, column titles, and any blank lines or formfeeds from the NEWPAGE setting.