Preface

This guide describes only the features of Oracle8 software, formerly known as Oracle Workgroup Server, that apply to the Windows NT operating system. For information about Oracle8 that is applicable to all operating systems, see Oracle8 Server Concepts, and other documentation included in your package. A list of included documentation is available in Chapter 1, "Getting Started with Your Documentation".  

All uppercase plain  

ORANT\DATABASE\INITORCL.ORA  

Indicates command names, SQL reserved words, and keywords, as in ALTER DATABASE. All uppercase plain is also used for directory names and file names  

Italic  

Italic used to indicate a variable:

MIG80 CFILE="C:\ORACLE_HOME\filename\"

Italic used for emphasis:

The WHERE clause may be used to join rows in different tables.  

Indicates a value that you must provide. For example, if a command asks you to type filename, you must type the actual name of the file.

Italic is also used for emphasis in the text and to indicate the titles of other guides.  

Horizontal ellipsis ...  

CHKVAL fieldname value 1 value 2... valueN  

Indicates that parts of the statement or command not directly related to the example have been omitted.  

Vertical bar |  

..DEFINE [ macro1 | macro2 ]  

Represents an `or' option between several options. You must enter only one of the options. Do not enter the vertical bar. The set of alternative choices is enclosed by curly braces if one of the items is required, or by square brackets if the item is an optional alternative.  

Curly braces {}  

..DEFINE { macro1 | macro2 }  

Encloses required items. You must choose one of the alternatives.  

Square brackets [ ]  

cvtcrt termname [outfile]

Encloses optional items. You can choose one or none of the alternatives.

Square brackets also indicate a function key, for example [Enter].  

Oracle8 database  

The database component of Oracle8.  

C:\>  

C:\ORANT\DATABASE>  

Represents the Windows NT command prompt of the current hard disk drive. Your prompt may differ and may, at times, reflect the subdirectory in which you are working. Referred to as the MS-DOS command prompt in this guide.  

Oracle home  

Go to the ORACLE_HOME\DATABASE directory.

SVRMGR> @%ORACLE_HOME%\RDBMS80\ADMIN\CATALOG.SQL  

Oracle home is the top level directory where your Oracle software is installed. By default, the Oracle home directory for Windows NT products is ORANT and for Windows 95 products is ORAWIN95. In this guide, the convention ORACLE_HOME is used to indicate your Oracle Home directory, which may be ORANT, ORAWIN95, or whatever you may have called your Oracle home.

In Server Manager commands you may see %ORACLE_HOME%. Server Manager is able to locate your Oracle Home directory using the %ORACLE_HOME% variable. This convention can be used in Server Manager, SQL*Plus, Export and Import.  

Backslash (\) before a directory name  

\DATABASE  

Indicates that the directory is a subdirectory of the root directory.  

Symbols  

period .

comma ,

hyphen -

semicolon ;

colon :

equal sign =

backslash \

single quote `

double quote "

parentheses ()  

Symbols other than brackets and vertical bars must be entered in commands exactly as shown.