Oracle 12c introduces new catalog features including CDB_ dictionary views (which include a CON_ID column) superseding the DBA_ views that most DBA sqlplus scripts are based upon.

However, existing DBA sqlplus scripts can easily be modified using just a few simple sqlplus techniques to be compatible with 11g, as well as all types of 12c databases including legacy and container databases.

The following simple SQL and sqlplus techniques can be used to make a “universal script” that is compatible with all versions.

Illustrating the Issue

Let’s say for sake of example that we have a simple 10g/11g monitoring script that’s checking the amount of freespace in each tablespace by querying the DBA_TABLESPACE_USAGE_METRICS view.

On our 10g or 11g database the following query gives the necessary information:

SQL> select version from v$instance;

VERSION
-----------------
11.2.0.4.0

SQL> select …

I have been using this SQL*Plus command for a while now:

SQL> show spparameter service_names

SID      NAME          TYPE        VALUE
-------- ------------- ----------- ---------
*        service_names string      REDX

And guess what ?

• The right syntax is actually show spparameters (with a “s” at the end of it).
• It’s an 11g New Feature!

It doesn’t work with 10g:

SQL> show spparameters service_names

SP2-0735: unknown SHOW option beginning "spparamete..."
SP2-0735: unknown SHOW option beginning "service_na..."

I thought MySQL was trying to become as big as Oracle but it could be that Oracle is trying to become as cool as MySQL — it has had something like this for a long time! Now Oracle should add SHOW TABLES too.

Anyway, this is really 11g’s most useful feature so far, though. …