Hi,
i have a question about the DUMP function, specifically DUMP(expr, 1016). What characterset does the function report? The only logical answer to me seems the database characterset. In the docs http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E11882_01/server.112/e17118/functions055.htm#SQLRF00635 it's stated: "By default, the return value contains no character set information. To retrieve the character set name of expr, add 1000 to any of the preceding format values. For example, a return_fmt of 1008 returns the result in octal *and provides the character set name of expr.*"
I'm asking that question because a customer claims he has a database with the database characterset EE8MSWIN1250 (got that from DATABASE_PROPERTIES) and when I asked him to run a SELECT which would dump the contents of some column, he gave me this result:
select dump(some_col, 1016) from some_table;
Typ=1 Len=8 CharacterSet=AL32UTF8: c5,bd,c5,a0,54,45,53,54
Now I can't imagine how can the data be stored in the AL32UTF8 characterset if the database characterset is EE8MSWIN1250. Is that scenario even possible? I unsuccessfully tried to reproduce it on my test database.
I don't know whether the column is defined with the database characterset or with the national database characterset, but even if it was a NVARCHAR2, the dump function could not return AL32UTF8 since it can't be a national characterset.
If anybody has an explanation, I'll be very grateful.
Thanks in advance and regards,
Jure