Introduction to the Data Dictionary

One of the most important parts of an Oracle database is its data dictionary, which
is a read-only set of tables that provides information about the database. A data
dictionary contains:
_ The definitions of all schema objects in the database (tables, views, indexes,
clusters, synonyms, sequences, procedures, functions, packages, triggers,
and so on)
_ How much space has been allocated for, and is currently used by, the
schema objects
_ Default values for columns
_ Integrity constraint information
_ The names of Oracle users
_ Privileges and roles each user has been granted
_ Auditing information, such as who has accessed or updated various
schema objects
_ Other general database information
The data dictionary is structured in tables and views, just like other database data.
All the data dictionary tables and views for a given database are stored in that
database’s SYSTEM tablespace.

Not only is the data dictionary central to every Oracle database, it is an important
tool for all users, from end users to application designers and database
administrators. Use SQL statements to access the data dictionary. Because the data
dictionary is read-only, you can issue only queries (SELECT statements) against it’s tables
and views.
Structure of the Data Dictionary
The data dictionary consists of the following:

Base Tables
The underlying tables that store information about the associated database. Only
Oracle should write to and read these tables. Users rarely access them directly
because they are normalized, andmost of the data is stored in a cryptic format.
User-Accessible Views
The views that summarize and display the information stored in the base tables of
the data dictionary. These views decode the base table data into useful information,
such as user or table names, using joins and WHERE clauses to simplify the
information. Most users are given access to the views rather than the base tables.
SYS, Owner of the Data Dictionary
The Oracle user SYS owns all base tables and user-accessible views of the data
dictionary. No Oracle user should ever alter (UPDATE, DELETE, or INSERT) any rows or
schema objects contained in the SYS schema, because such activity can compromise data
integrity. The security administrator must keep strict control of this central account.

How the Data Dictionary Is Used

The data dictionary has three primary uses:
_ Oracle accesses the data dictionary to find information about users, schema
objects, and storage structures.
_ Oracle modifies the data dictionary every time that a data definition language
(DDL) statement is issued.
_ Any Oracle user can use the data dictionary as a read-only reference for
information about the database.
How Oracle Uses the Data Dictionary
Data in the base tables of the data dictionary is necessary for Oracle to function.
Therefore, only Oracle should write or change data dictionary information. OracleHow the
Data Dictionary Is Used
The data dictionary has three primary uses:
_ Oracle accesses the data dictionary to find information about users, schema
objects, and storage structures.
_ Oracle modifies the data dictionary every time that a data definition language
(DDL) statement is issued.
_ Any Oracle user can use the data dictionary as a read-only reference for
information about the database.
How Oracle Uses the Data Dictionary
Data in the base tables of the data dictionary is necessary for Oracle to function.
Therefore, only Oracle should write or change data dictionary information. Oracle provides
scripts to modify the data dictionary tables when a database is upgraded

or downgraded.
During database operation, Oracle reads the data dictionary to ascertain that
schema objects exist and that users have proper access to them. Oracle also updates
the data dictionary continuously to reflect changes in database structures, auditing,
grants, and data.
For example, if user Kathy creates a table named parts, then newrows are added
to the data dictionary that reflect the new table, columns, segment, extents, and the
privileges that Kathy has on the table. This new information is then visible the next
time the dictionary views are queried.
Public Synonyms for Data Dictionary Views
Oracle creates public synonyms for many data dictionary views so users can access
them conveniently. The security administrator can also create additional public
synonyms for schema objects that are used systemwide. Users should avoid naming
their own schema objects with the same names as those used for public synonyms.
Cache the Data Dictionary for Fast Access
Much of the data dictionary information is kept in the SGA in the dictionary cache,
because Oracle constantly accesses the data dictionary during database operation to
validate user access and to verify the state of schema objects. All information is
stored in memory using the least recently used (LRU) algorithm.
Parsing information is typically kept in the caches. The COMMENTS columns
describing the tables and their columns are not cached unless they are accessed
frequently.
Other Programs and the Data Dictionary
Other Oracle products can reference existing views and create additional data
dictionary tables or views of their own. Application developers who write
programs that refer to the data dictionary should refer to the public synonyms
rather than the underlying tables: the synonyms are less likely to change between
software releases.
How to Use the Data Dictionary
The views of the data dictionary serve as a reference for all database users. Access
the data dictionary views with SQL statements. Some views are accessible to all
Oracle users, and others are intended for database administrators only.
The data dictionary is always available when the database is open. It resides in the
SYSTEM tablespace, which is always online.
The data dictionary consists of sets of views. In many cases, a set consists of three
views containing similar information and distinguished from each other by their
prefixes:

Table 4–1 Data Dictionary View Prefixes

Prefix Scope
USER User’s view (what is in the user’s schema)
ALL Expanded user’s view (what the user can access)
DBA Database administrator’s view (what is in all users’ schemas)

The set of columns is identical across views, with these exceptions:

_ Views with the prefix USER usually exclude the column OWNER. This column is
implied in the USER views to be the user issuing the query.
_ Some DBA views have additional columns containing information useful to the
administrator.

Views with the Prefix USER

The views most likely to be of interest to typical database users are those with the
prefix USER. These views:
_ Refer to the user’s own private environment in the database, including
information about schema objects created by the user, grants made by the user,
and so on
_ Display only rows pertinent to the user
_ Have columns identical to the other views, except that the column OWNER is
implied
_ Return a subset of the information in the ALL views

_ Can have abbreviated PUBLIC synonyms for convenience

For example, the following query returns all the objects contained in your schema:
SELECT object_name, object_type FROM USER_OBJECTS;
Views with the Prefix ALL
Views with the prefix ALL refer to the user’s overall perspective of the database.
These views return information about schema objects to which the user has access
through public or explicit grants of privileges and roles, in addition to schema
objects that the user owns. For example, the following query returns information
about all the objects to which you have access:
SELECT owner, object_name, object_type FROM ALL_OBJECTS;
Views with the Prefix DBA
Views with the prefix DBA show a global view of the entire database. Synonyms are
not created for these views, because DBA views should be queried only by
administrators. Therefore, to query the DBA views, administrators must prefix the
view name with its owner, SYS, as in the following:
SELECT owner, object_name, object_type FROM SYS.DBA_OBJECTS;
Oracle recommends that you implement data dictionary protection to prevent users
having the ANY system privileges from using such privileges on the data dictionary.
If you enable dictionary protection (O7_DICTIONARY_ACCESSIBILITY is false),
then access to objects in the SYS schema (dictionary objects) is restricted to users
with the SYS schema. These users are SYS and those who connect as SYSDBA.
The DUAL Table
The table named DUAL is a small table in the data dictionary that Oracle and
user-written programs can reference to guarantee a known result. This table has one
column called DUMMY and one row containing the value X. _ Can have abbreviated PUBLIC
synonyms for convenience
For example, the following query returns all the objects contained in your schema:
SELECT object_name, object_type FROM USER_OBJECTS;
Views with the Prefix ALL
Views with the prefix ALL refer to the user’s overall perspective of the database.
These views return information about schema objects to which the user has access
through public or explicit grants of privileges and roles, in addition to schema
objects that the user owns. For example, the following query returns information
about all the objects to which you have access:
SELECT owner, object_name, object_type FROM ALL_OBJECTS;
Views with the Prefix DBA
Views with the prefix DBA show a global view of the entire database. Synonyms are
not created for these views, because DBA views should be queried only by
administrators. Therefore, to query the DBA views, administrators must prefix the
view name with its owner, SYS, as in the following:
SELECT owner, object_name, object_type FROM SYS.DBA_OBJECTS;
Oracle recommends that you implement data dictionary protection to prevent users
having the ANY system privileges from using such privileges on the data dictionary.
If you enable dictionary protection (O7_DICTIONARY_ACCESSIBILITY is false),
then access to objects in the SYS schema (dictionary objects) is restricted to users
with the SYS schema. These users are SYS and those who connect as SYSDBA.
The DUAL Table
The table named DUAL is a small table in the data dictionary that Oracle and
user-written programs can reference to guarantee a known result. This table has one
column called DUMMY and one row containing the value X.

Dynamic Performance Tables

Throughout its operation, Oracle maintains a set of virtual tables that record current
database activity. These tables are called dynamic performance tables.
Dynamic performance tables are not true tables, and they should not be accessed by
most users. However, database administrators can query and create views on the
tables and grant access to those views to other users. These views are sometimes
called fixed views because they cannot be altered or removed by the database
administrator.
SYS owns the dynamic performance tables; their names all begin with V_$. Views
are created on these tables, and then public synonyms are created for the views. The
synonym names begin with V$. For example, the V$DATAFILE view contains
information about the database’s datafiles, and the V$FIXED_TABLE view contains
information about all of the dynamic performance tables and views in the database.
Database Object Metadata
The DBMS_METADATA package provides interfaces for extracting complete
definitions of database objects. The definitions can be expressed either as XML or as
SQL DDL. Two styles of interface are provided:
_ A flexible, sophisticated interface for programmatic control
_ A simplified interface for ad hoc querying