Suppressing newline during a SELECT returning multiple rows

[Shuaib]

Is there any way for Oracle (using standard SQL rather than PL/SQL) to
suppress the newline character when returning a list of rows.

For example, if I have a table EMP with several records. When I issue
the statement:

SELECT name FROM emp

I would like to get a single row output back comprising the following:

"john, james, jenny, jill, benny"

in other words, all names separated by the a comma followed by space.

Many thanks in advance for you help.

Shuaib

[Ed prochak]

Re: Suppressing newline during a SELECT returning multiple rows

srabbani@yahoo. com (Shuaib) wrote in message news:<124b8f0d. 0402040443.5710 f8f0@posting.go ogle.com>...

Is there any way for Oracle (using standard SQL rather than PL/SQL) to

by that I assume you mean using SQL*Plus versus some other ORACLE
client program (such as an ODBC client like ACCESS)?

suppress the newline character when returning a list of rows.

I do not think you can totally suppress it. In SQL*Plus there is a
option to set the line size. Look up the options in the SET command.
There is also an option to define the record separator character,
IIRC. If so, it too is an option to the SET command.

I would like to get a single row output back comprising the following:
>
"john, james, jenny, jill, benny"
>
in other words, all names separated by the a comma followed by space.
>
Many thanks in advance for you help.
>
Shuaib

The manual is your friend. (You likely just needed the right words to
look it up in the index, right?)

HTH,
ed

[Mark D Powell]

Re: Suppressing newline during a SELECT returning multiple rows

ed.prochak@magi cinterface.com (Ed prochak) wrote in message news:<4b5394b2. 0402051017.3850 af8a@posting.go ogle.com>...

srabbani@yahoo. com (Shuaib) wrote in message news:<124b8f0d. 0402040443.5710 f8f0@posting.go ogle.com>...

Is there any way for Oracle (using standard SQL rather than PL/SQL) to

>
by that I assume you mean using SQL*Plus versus some other ORACLE
client program (such as an ODBC client like ACCESS)?
>

suppress the newline character when returning a list of rows.

>
I do not think you can totally suppress it. In SQL*Plus there is a
option to set the line size. Look up the options in the SET command.
There is also an option to define the record separator character,
IIRC. If so, it too is an option to the SET command.
>

I would like to get a single row output back comprising the following:

"john, james, jenny, jill, benny"

in other words, all names separated by the a comma followed by space.

Many thanks in advance for you help.

Shuaib

>
The manual is your friend. (You likely just needed the right words to
look it up in the index, right?)
>
HTH,
ed

Shuaib, what you really asking to do is to convert rows into columns.
Check the group archives looking for "pivot tables". There was a
couple of posts under the comp.databases. oracle.misc or server board
just yesterday on this subject. You can search the group archives via
http://groups.google.com if your normal newreader does not provide
access.

You can also check the asktom site: http://asktom.oracle.com. It has
writeup for performing this task using object types.

HTH -- Mark D Powell --