Oracle7 Server Reference Manual

Specifying Default Language-Dependent Behavior

This section describes NLS_LANGUAGE and NLS_TERRITORY, the database initialization parameters that specify the default language-dependent behavior for a session.

NLS_LANGUAGE Parameter

NLS_LANGUAGE specifies the default conventions for the following session characteristics:

language for Server messages

language for day and month names and their abbreviations (specified in the SQL functions TO_CHAR and TO_DATE)

symbols for equivalents of AM, PM, AD, and BC

default sorting sequence for character data when ORDER BY is specified (GROUP BY uses a binary sort, unless ORDER BY is specified)

The value specified for NLS_LANGUAGE in the initialization file is the default for all sessions in that instance.

For more information on which language conventions supported, see your operating system-specific Oracle documentation.

For example, to specify the default session language as French, the parameter should be set as follows:

NLS_LANGUAGE = FRENCH

In this case, the Server message

ORA-00942: table or view does not exist

will appear as

ORA-00942: table ou vue n'existe pas

Messages used by the Server are stored in binary-format files that are placed in the ora_rdbms directory, or the equivalent.

Multiple versions of these files can exist, one for each supported language, using the filename convention

<product_id><language_id>.MSB

For example, the file containing the Server messages in French is called ORAF.MSB, "F" being the language abbreviation for French.

Messages are stored in these files in one specific character set, depending on the particular machine and operating system. If this is different from the database character set, message text is automatically converted to the database character set. If necessary, it will be further converted to the client character set if it is different from the database character set. Hence, messages will be displayed correctly at the user's terminal, subject to the limitations of character set conversion.

The default value of NLS_LANGUAGE may be operating system specific. You can alter the NLS_LANGUAGE parameter by changing the value in the initialization file and then restarting the instance.

For more information on the default value, see your operating system-specific Oracle documentation.

NLS_TERRITORY Parameter

NLS_TERRITORY specifies the conventions for the following default date and numeric formatting characteristics:

date format

decimal character and group separator

local currency symbol

ISO currency symbol

week start day

The value specified for NLS_TERRITORY in the initialization file is the default for the instance. For example, to specify the default as France, the parameter should be set as follows:

NLS_TERRITORY = FRANCE

In this case, numbers would be formatted using a comma as the decimal character.

The default value of NLS_TERRITORY may be operating system specific.

You can alter the NLS_TERRITORY parameter by changing the value in the initialization file and then restarting the instance.

For more information on the default value and to see which territory conventions are supported on your system, see your operating system-specific Oracle documentation.