NLS Options |
Oracle bases its globalization support on the values of parameters that begin with NLS. The Oracle OLAP DML includes a number options that correspond to these parameters.
Within a session, you can dynamically modify the value of some of these NLS parameters by setting them using the OLAP DML options described in Table: OLAP DML NLS Options or by using the SQL statement ALTER SESSION SET option = value.
OLAP DML NLS Options
| Option Name | Description |
|---|---|
| NLS_CALENDAR | The calendar for the session. |
| NLS_CURRENCY | The local currency symbol for the L number format element for the session. (See the TO_NUMBER function for a description of number format elements.)
|
| NLS_DATE_FORMAT | The default format for DATETIME values.
|
| NLS_DATE_LANGUAGE | The language for days, months, and similar language-dependent DATE format elements.
|
| NLS_DUAL_CURRENCY | A second currency symbol that takes the place of the letter U in a number format mode and is used primarily to identify the Euro symbol. (Note that when you want to identify the Euro symbol as the value of NLS_DUAL_CURRENCY, the instance character set must support that symbol.)
|
| NLS_ISO_CURRENCY | The international currency symbol for the C number format element.
|
| NLS_LANG | The current language, territory, and database character set, which are determined by session-wide globalization parameters. |
| NLS_LANGUAGE | The current language for the session. |
| NLS_NUMERIC_CHARACTERS | The decimal marker and thousands group marker for the session. NLS_NUMERIC_CHARACTERS affects the display of numeric data and the setting of the OLAP DML THOUSANDSCHAR option, the DECIMALCHAR option, or both. |
| NLS_SORT | the sequence of character values used when sorting or comparing text. The value of NLS_SORT affects the GT, GE, LT, and LE operators, SORT, and SORTLINES.
|
| NLS_TERRITORY | The current territory for the session. |
Data Type
TEXT
Syntax
option-name = option-value
Arguments
See Oracle Database SQL Reference for more information about NLS parameters, including valid values.
Examples
Changing Calendar Systems
The following statement sets NLS_CALENDAR to the Thai Buddha calendar.
NLS_CALENDAR = 'THAI BUDDHA'
Setting the Language for Dates
The following statements set the language for dates to Spanish and change the default date format.
NLS_DATE_LANGUAGE = 'SPANISH' NLS_DATE_FORMAT = 'Month DD, YYYY'
A SHOW SYSDATE statement now generates the date in Spanish.
Septiembre 08, 2000
Checking the Current Value
A SHOW NLS_LANG statement might produce the following.
AMERICAN_AMERICA.WE8ISO8859P1
Effects of Changing NLS_LANGUAGE
In this example, the NLS_LANG option is initially set to:
AMERICAN_AMERICA.WE8ISO8859P1
The value of YESSPELL is yes.
A change to the language setting:
NLS_LANGUAGE = 'FRENCH'
changes the value of NLS_LANG to:
FRENCH_AMERICAN.WE8ISO8859P1
The value of YESSPELL is now oui.
Changing the Decimal Marker to a Comma
The following statement changes the decimal marker to a comma, and the thousands marker to a space.
NLS_NUMERIC_CHARACTERS = ', '
The result of the following statement
show 1234.56
is now
1 234,56
Binary and Linguistic Sorts
A dimension named words has the following values.
cerveza, Colorado, cheremoya, llama, luna, lago
This example shows the results of a binary sort.
NLS_SORT = 'BINARY' SORT words A words STATUS words The current status of WORDS is: Colorado, cerveza, cheremoya, lago, llama, luna
A Spanish language sort results in this order.
NLS_SORT = 'SPANISH' SORT words A words STATUS words The current status of WORDS is: cerveza, cheremoya, Colorado, lago, llama, luna
An extended Spanish language sort results in this order.
NLS_SORT = 'XSPANISH' SORT words A words STATUS words The current status of WORDS is: cerveza TO cheremoya, lago TO llama
Effects of Changing NLS_TERRITORY
In this example, the NLS_LANG option is initially set to:
AMERICAN_AMERICA.WE8ISO8859P1
The thousands marker is a comma (,), and the decimal marker is a period (.).
SHOW TO_NUMBER('12345')
12,345.00
A change to the territory setting:
NLS_TERRITORY = 'FRANCE'
changes the value of NLS_LANG to:
AMERICAN_FRANCE.WE8ISO8859P1
The thousands marker is now a period (.), and the decimal marker is a comma (,).
SHOW TO_NUMBER('12345')
12.345,00