B Reserved Words, Keywords, and Namespaces

Topics in this appendix include:

Reserved Words and Keywords
Reserved Namespaces

Reserved Words and Keywords

Some words are reserved by Oracle. That is, they have a special meaning to Oracle and cannot be redefined. For this reason, you cannot use them to name database objects such as columns, tables, or indexes. To view the lists of the Oracle reserved words for SQL and PL/SQL, see the Oracle Database SQL Language Reference and the Oracle Database PL/SQL Language Reference.

Like COBOL keywords, you cannot use Pro*COBOL keywords as variables in your program(s). Otherwise, an error will be generated. An error may result if they are used as the name of a database object such as a column. Here are the keywords used in Pro*COBOL.

Keywords in Pro*COBOL	Keywords in Pro*COBOL	Keywords in Pro*COBOL
all	allocate	alter
analyze	and	any
append	arraylen	as
asc	assign	at
audit	authorization	avg
begin	between	bind
both	break	buffer
buffering	by	call
cast	char	character
character_set_name	charf	charz
check	chunksize	close
comment	commit	connect
constraint	constraints	context
continue	convbufsz	copy
count	create	current
currval	cursor	data
database	date	datetime_interval_code
datetime_interval_precision	day	deallocate
decimal	declare	default
define	delete	desc
describe	descriptor	directory
disable	display	distinct
do	drop	else
enable	end	end-exec
endif	erase	escape
exec	execute	exists
explain	extract	fetch
file	fileexists	filename
first	float	flush
for	force	found
free	from	function
get	global	go
goto	grant	group
having	hold	host_stride_length
hour	iaf	identified
ifdef	ifndef	immediate
in	include	indicator
indicator_stride_length	input	insert
integer	internal_length	intersect
interval	into	is
isopen	istemporary	last
leading	length	level
like	list	load
lob	local	lock
long	max	message
min	minus	minute
mode	month	name
national_character	nchar	next
nextval	noaudit	not
notfound	nowait	null
nullable	number	nvarchar2
octet_length	of	one
only	open	option
or	oracle	order
output	overlaps	overpunch
package	partition	perform
precision	prepare	prior
procedure	put	raw
read	ref	reference
release	rename	replace
return	returned_length	returned_octet_length
returning	revoke	role
rollback	rowid	rownum
savepoint	scale	second
section	select	set
some	sql	sql-context
sql-cursor	sqlerror	sqlwarning
start	statement	stddev
stop	string	sum
sysdate	sysdba	sysoper
table	temporary	threads
time	timestamp	timezone_hour
timezone_minute	to	tools
trailing	transaction	trigger
trim	truncate	type
uid	union	unique
unsigned	user_defined_type_name	user_defined_type_name_length
user_defined_type_schema	user_defined_type_schema_length	user_defined_type_version
update	use	user
using	validate	value
values	var	varchar
varchar2	variables	variance
varnum	varraw	view
whenever	where	with
work	write	year
zone	-	-

Reserved Namespaces

Table B-1 contains a list of namespaces that are reserved by Oracle. The initial characters of subprogram names in Oracle libraries are restricted to the character strings in this list. Because of potential name conflicts, use subprogram names that do not begin with these characters.

For example, the Oracle Net Transparent Network Service functions all begin with the characters "NS," so avoid writing subprograms with names beginning with "NS."

Table B-1 Reserved Namespaces

Namespace	Library
XA	external functions for XA applications only
SQ	external SQLLIB functions used by Oracle Precompiler and SQL*Module applications
O, OCI	external OCI functions internal OCI functions
UPI, KP	function names from the Oracle UPI layer
NA NC ND NL NM NR NS NT NZ OSN TTC	Oracle Net Native services product Oracle Net RPC project Oracle Net Directory Oracle Net Network Library layer Oracle Net Net Management Project Oracle Net Interchange Oracle Net Transparent Network Service Oracle Net Drivers Oracle Net Security Service Oracle Net V1 Oracle Net Two task
GEN, L, ORA	Core library functions
LI, LM, LX	function names from the Oracle Globalization Support layer
S	function names from system-dependent libraries