Viewing Table Structure with the DESCRIBE Command
The handy DESCRIBE command enables you to view the structure of a table quickly without having to create a query against the data dictionary. |
DESC[RIBE] table_name
Take a look at the two tables you will be using throughout the day:
SQL> describe orders
Name Null? Type
------------------------------- -------- ----
ORDER_NUM NOT NULL NUMBER(2)
CUSTOMER NOT NULL VARCHAR2(30)
PRODUCT_ID NOT NULL CHAR(3)
PRODUCT_QTY NOT NULL NUMBER(5)
DELIVERY_DATE DATE
The following statement uses the abbreviation DESC instead of DESCRIBE:
SQL> desc products Name Null? Type ------------------------------- -------- ...
Get Sams Teach Yourself SQL in 21 Days, Fourth Edition now with the O’Reilly learning platform.
O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.