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Init.ora Parameter "NLS_LENGTH_SEMANTICS" Reference Note (Doc ID 153365.1)

Reference Note for Init.Ora Parameter "NLS_LENGTH_SEMANTICS".

This note contains links to documentation for the server parameter

NLS_LENGTH_SEMANTICS along with any additional
"Support / Historical Notes" and "Known Bugs" (if any) which may affect or be impacted by the value of this parameter.

NLS_LENGTH_SEMANTICS Documentation

11.1 Online Reference for NLS_LENGTH_SEMANTICS

10.2 Online Reference for NLS_LENGTH_SEMANTICS
10.1 Online Reference for NLS_LENGTH_SEMANTICS
9.2 Online Reference for NLS_LENGTH_SEMANTICS
9.0 Online Reference for NLS_LENGTH_SEMANTICS

Summary Version Information

Version Parameter   Type Modifiable

ALTER SESSION
11.1.0.7 nls_length_semantics STRING

ALTER SYSTEM (IMMEDIATE)

ALTER SESSION
11.1.0.6 nls_length_semantics STRING

ALTER SYSTEM (IMMEDIATE)

ALTER SESSION
10.2.0.4 nls_length_semantics STRING

ALTER SYSTEM (IMMEDIATE)

ALTER SESSION
10.2.0.3 nls_length_semantics STRING

ALTER SYSTEM (IMMEDIATE)

ALTER SESSION
10.1.0.5 nls_length_semantics STRING

ALTER SYSTEM (IMMEDIATE)

ALTER SESSION
10.1.0.4 nls_length_semantics STRING

ALTER SYSTEM (IMMEDIATE)

ALTER SESSION
9.2.0.8 nls_length_semantics STRING

ALTER SYSTEM (IMMEDIATE)

9.0.1.4 nls_length_semantics STRING ALTER SYSTEM (IMMEDIATE)

Support and Historical Notes for "NLS_LENGTH_SEMANTICS"

This parameter was introduced in Oracle9i.

This description has been changed from that originally appearing in the

Oracle9i Reference manual to reflect corrections due to documentation bug

bug:1885538.

Articles:

Overview of Init.Ora Parameter Reference notes Note:68462.1

References:

Bug:1885538 NLS_LENGTH_SEMANTICS Incorrectly Documented in Database Reference

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9.2.0.8
10.1.0.5
10.2.0.2
10.2.0.3
10.2.0.4
10.2.0.5
11.1.0.6
11.1.0.7
11.2.0.1

11.2.0.2
11.2.0.3
11.2.0.4
12.1.0.1
12.1.0.2
Show all Bugs

NB Prob Bug Fixed Description

Truncated strings returned from DECODE statement with CHAR
II 8771556 11.2.0.2, 12.1.0.1
semantics in ODBC
II 23284164 12.2.0.1 ORA-00600 [qctbyt : bfc] While Trying to Create Type
DBMS_STATS.gather_schema_stats fails ORA-20002 if
III 21065289 12.2.0.1
NLS_LENGTH_SEMANTICS is CHAR in multibyte
12c JDBC-OCI fails to retrieve string of Japanese half-width
III 20357616 12.2.0.1
Katakana characters (bad data or ORA-3106)
ORA-22813 using TABLE() function in multibyte DB with
II 14259422 12.1.0.1
NLS_LENGTH_SEMANTICS=CHAR
II 12851443 11.2.0.4, 12.1.0.1 ORA-600 [mal0-size-too-large] with PIPELINED table function
Datapump import fails with PLS-719 importing a type when
- 11828367 11.2.0.3, 12.1.0.1
NLS_LENGTH_SEMANTICS differs from the source database
11.2.0.2.11, Flashback Data Archive history table created with different column
II 11076744 11.2.0.2.BP21, type size in multi-byte may cause flashback query on table to fail
11.2.0.3, 12.1.0.1 with ORA-12704
XPath expression with VARCHAR2(1000) or higher returns too
- 9836066 11.2.0.3, 12.1.0.1 many characters when NLS_LENGTH_SEMANTICS=CHAR on SB
table
Datapump import of 10.2 object data into an existing 11.2 object
II 9581727 11.2.0.2, 12.1.0.1
type fails (ORA-31693)
10.2.0.5, 11.1.0.7.4, Child cursors not shared for "table_..." cursors (that show as "SQL
IIII 7648406
11.2.0.1 Text Not Available") when NLS_LENGTH_SEMANTICS = CHAR
ORA-600[qctchr : bfl] from PLSQL with
III 7432659 10.2.0.5, 11.2.0.1
NLS_LENGTH_SEMANTICS=CHAR
I 6530010 11.1.0.7 High version count for cursor with binds with fix for bug 5872943
Upgrade to 10.2.0.5 gets ORA-600 [17069] when running
I II 10091698 10.2.0.5.3, 11.1.0.6
catupgrd.sql with MultiMedia (intermedia) installed
Explicit byte length semantics for a column are not preserved
I 6130606 10.2.0.5, 11.1.0.6
across expdp/impdp
IMPDP can error on create table in multibyte with ORA-39125 /
II 5875568 10.2.0.4, 11.1.0.6
ORA-6502
I 5326327 10.2.0.4, 11.1.0.6 OERI[qctbyt : bfc] using NLS_LENGTH_SEMANTICS=CHAR
ORA-6502 if TRIGGER modifies column value with >= 1001
- 5033218 10.2.0.3, 11.1.0.6
character value
Dump using CTX_DOC.THEMES with
- 4465964 10.2.0.3, 11.1.0.6
NLS_LENGTH_SEMANTICS=CHAR
II 3611750 10.2.0.5, 11.1.0.6 ORA-1450 from online rebuild of index
- 5838153 10.2.0.4 CAST operator does consider NLS_LENGTH_SEMANTICS
9.2.0.7, 10.1.0.5, With NLS_COMP=ANSI then NLS_LENGTH_SEMANTICS=CHAR
- 4122805
10.2.0.1 sometimes changes to BYTE
ORA-6502 "character string buffer too small" for 1001 char if
- 3527043 10.1.0.4, 10.2.0.1
NLS_LENGTH_SEMANTICS=CHAR
NLS_LENGTH_SEMANTICS = CHAR may fail with ORA-1401 in a
- 3040360 9.2.0.5, 10.1.0.2
trigger if BLANK_TRIMMING=FALSE
- 3032832 9.2.0.5, 10.1.0.2 Dump from 8.0/8.1 PLSQL client to 9.2 server using %ROWTYPE
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with CHAR length semantics

- 2758545 9.2.0.4, 10.1.0.2 NLS_LENGTH_SEMANTICS is not supported in JDBC
- 2346368 9.2.0.2, 10.1.0.2 ORA-6502 in multibyte using NLS_LENGTH_SEMANTICS=CHAR
No error when PLSQL copies multibyte CHAR into BIND which is too
- 1951123 9.2.0.4, 10.1.0.2
small
Hang possible in multibyte when modify CHAR columns length with
- 1961643 9.0.1.2, 9.2.0.1
NLS_LENGTH_SEMANTICS=CHAR

'*' indicates that an alert exists for that issue.

'+' indicates a particularly notable issue / bug.
See Note:1944526.1 for details of other symbols used

REFERENCES

NOTE:68462.1 - Overview of Parameter Reference Notes

NOTE:7432659.8 - Bug 7432659 - ORA-600[qctchr : bfl]
from PLSQL with NLS_LENGTH_SEMANTICS=CHAR
NOTE:7648406.8 - Bug 7648406 - Child cursors not shared for "table_..." cursors (that show as "SQL Text Not
Available")
when NLS_LENGTH_SEMANTICS = CHAR
NOTE:8771556.8 - Bug 8771556 - Truncated
strings returned from DECODE statement with CHAR semantics in ODBC

NOTE:9581727.8 - Bug 9581727 - Datapump import of 10.2 object data into an existing 11.2 object type fails (ORA-31693)
NOTE:9836066.8 - Bug 9836066 - XPath expression with VARCHAR2(1000) or higher returns too many characters when

NLS_LENGTH_SEMANTICS=CHAR on SB table
BUG:1885538 - NLS_LENGTH_SEMANTICS INCORRECTLY
DOCUMENTED IN DATABASE REFERENCE (A90190-02)
BUG:5872943 - ORA-1460: UNIMPLEMENTED OR UNREASONABLE CONVERSION REQUESTED

NOTE:10091698.8 - Bug 10091698 - Upgrade to 10.2.0.5 gets ORA-600 [17069] when running catupgrd.sql with MultiMedia
(intermedia) installed
NOTE:11076744.8 - Bug 11076744 - Flashback Data Archive history table created with different column type size in multi-byte
may cause flashback query on table to fail with ORA-12704
NOTE:11828367.8 - Bug 11828367 - Datapump import fails
with PLS-719 importing a type when NLS_LENGTH_SEMANTICS
differs from the source database
NOTE:12851443.8 - Bug 12851443
- ORA-600 [mal0-size-too-large] with PIPELINED table function
NOTE:1951123.8 - Bug 1951123 - No error when PLSQL copies multibyte CHAR into BIND which is
too small
NOTE:1961643.8 - Bug 1961643 - Hang possible in multibyte when modify CHAR columns length with

NLS_LENGTH_SEMANTICS=CHAR
NOTE:2346368.8 - Bug 2346368 -
ORA-6502 in multibyte using NLS_LENGTH_SEMANTICS=CHAR
NOTE:2758545.8 - Bug 2758545 - NLS_LENGTH_SEMANTICS is not supported in JDBC

NOTE:3032832.8 - Bug 3032832 - Dump from 8.0/8.1 PLSQL client to 9.2 server using %ROWTYPE with CHAR length
semantics

NOTE:3040360.8 - Bug 3040360 - NLS_LENGTH_SEMANTICS = CHAR may fail with ORA-1401 in a trigger if
BLANK_TRIMMING=FALSE

NOTE:3527043.8 - Bug 3527043 - ORA-6502 "character string buffer too small" for 1001 char if
NLS_LENGTH_SEMANTICS=CHAR
NOTE:3611750.8 - Bug 3611750 -
ORA-1450 from online rebuild of index

NOTE:4122805.8 - Bug 4122805 - With NLS_COMP=ANSI then NLS_LENGTH_SEMANTICS=CHAR sometimes changes to BYTE
NOTE:4465964.8 - Bug 4465964 - Dump using CTX_DOC.THEMES with NLS_LENGTH_SEMANTICS=CHAR

NOTE:5033218.8 - Bug 5033218 - ORA-6502 if TRIGGER modifies column value with >= 1001 character value

NOTE:5326327.8 - Bug 5326327 - OERI[qctbyt : bfc] using NLS_LENGTH_SEMANTICS=CHAR

NOTE:5838153.8 - Bug 5838153 - CAST operator does consider NLS_LENGTH_SEMANTICS

NOTE:5875568.8 - Bug 5875568 - IMPDP can error on create table in multibyte with ORA-39125
/ ORA-6502

NOTE:6130606.8 - Bug 6130606 - Explicit byte length semantics for a column are not preserved across expdp/impdp
NOTE:6530010.8 - Bug 6530010 - High version count for cursor with binds with fix for bug 5872943

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