Identifying a User’s Owned Objects in Oracle Database with SQL

Identifying a User’s Owned Objects in Oracle Database

Identifying the objects owned by a user in Oracle Database is essential for database management, schema analysis, and general maintenance. These objects include tables, views, indexes, sequences, stored procedures, and other database structures created by the user.

Understanding User-Owned Objects

A user can own various types of objects in a database. These objects are data structures or stored programs that are created and managed by that user.

Common object types include:

• Tables
• Views
• Indexes
• Sequences
• Stored Procedures and Functions
• Packages
• Triggers

Data Dictionary Views for Identifying Owned Objects

Oracle provides several data dictionary views that allow you to examine the objects owned by a user. Here’s a detailed look at the key views used for this purpose:

USER_TABLES

This view displays all tables owned by the current user.

Structure:

• TABLE_NAME: Name of the table.
• TABLESPACE_NAME: Name of the tablespace where the table is stored.

Example Query: 

-- List all tables owned by the current user
SELECT table_name
FROM user_tables;

USER_VIEWS

This view displays all views owned by the current user.

Structure:

• VIEW_NAME: Name of the view.
• TEXT_LENGTH: Length of the view definition.
• TEXT: SQL query used to define the view.

Example Query: 

-- List all views owned by the current user
SELECT view_name
FROM user_views;

USER_INDEXES

This view provides information about indexes created by the current user.

Structure:

• INDEX_NAME: Name of the index.
• TABLE_NAME: Name of the table associated with the index.
• UNIQUENESS: Indicates whether the index is unique.

Example Query: 

-- List all indexes owned by the current user
SELECT index_name, table_name, uniqueness
FROM user_indexes;

USER_SEQUENCES

This view displays all sequences created by the current user.

Structure:

• SEQUENCE_NAME: Name of the sequence.
• MIN_VALUE: Minimum value of the sequence.
• MAX_VALUE: Maximum value of the sequence.

Example Query: 

-- List all sequences owned by the current user
SELECT sequence_name, min_value, max_value
FROM user_sequences;

USER_PROCEDURES

This view provides information about stored procedures and functions belonging to the current user.

Structure:

• OBJECT_NAME: Name of the procedure or function.
• OBJECT_TYPE: Type of the object (PROCEDURE, FUNCTION).

Example Query: 

-- List all procedures and functions owned by the current user
SELECT object_name, object_type
FROM user_procedures;

USER_TRIGGERS

This view provides information about triggers created by the current user.

Structure:

• TRIGGER_NAME: Name of the trigger.
• TABLE_NAME: Name of the table associated with the trigger.

Example Query: 

-- List all triggers owned by the current user
SELECT trigger_name, table_name
FROM user_triggers;

Using ALL_* Views for Accessible Objects

If you want to see objects owned by a specific user but accessible to you (other than the current user), you can use ALL_* views.

Example Query for Tables: 

-- List all tables accessible to the current user, including those owned by others
SELECT owner, table_name
FROM all_tables
WHERE owner = 'USERNAME';

Managing Objects of a Specific User

To get a complete view of objects owned by a specific user (other than the current user), you can use DBA_* views if you have DBA privileges. These views allow you to access objects from all users in the database.

Example Query for Tables of a Specific User: 

-- List all tables owned by a specific user
SELECT owner, table_name
FROM dba_tables
WHERE owner = 'USERNAME';

Example Query for Views of a Specific User: 

-- List all views owned by a specific user
SELECT owner, view_name
FROM dba_views
WHERE owner = 'USERNAME';

Conclusion

Identifying the objects owned by a user is a key task for managing access rights and analyzing database schemas in Oracle. By using the appropriate data dictionary views, you can get detailed information about tables, views, indexes, sequences, stored procedures, and other objects owned by a specific user. This information is crucial for maintaining, securing, and optimizing your database.