<< Using Linguistic Sort and Search | Setting the NLS_COMP Parameter >>

Using the NLS_COMP Parameter

Establishing a Globalization Support Environment

Working in a Global Environment 6-23

Cabrio

Cambrault

Chen

Chung

Colmenares

6 rows selected

Set

NLS_SORT

SPANISH_M

ALTER SESSION SET NLS_SORT=spanish_m;

Enter the same

SELECT

statement, to check the output after the change.

SELECT last_name FROM employees

WHERE last_name LIKE 'C%'

ORDER BY last_name;

The output from the example should be similar to the following. Note that
Colmenares now comes before Chen.

LAST_NAME

-------------------------

Cabrio

Cambrault

Colmenares

Chen

Chung

6 rows selected

Set

NLS_SORT

back to its original setting listed in Step 1. For example:

ALTER SESSION SET NLS_SORT=BINARY;

Using the NLS_COMP Parameter

When using comparison operators, characters are compared according to their binary
codes in the designated encoding scheme. A character is greater than another if it has a
higher binary code. Because the binary sequence of characters may not match the
linguistic sequence for a particular language, those comparisons might not be
linguistically correct.

The value of the

NLS_COMP

parameter affects the comparison behavior of SQL

operations. The value can be

BINARY

(default) or

LINGUISTIC

. You can use the

NLS_

COMP

parameter to avoid the cumbersome process of using the

NLSSORT