On the database you are connecting to you would create a database link to the remote database and then either reference the link in the sub-select or create a synonym for the remote object that provides the link: Select testfield from test2@remote HTH -- Mark D Powell -- -----Original Message----- From: oracle-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:oracle-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Sven Aluoor Sent: Wednesday, November 23, 2011 10:38 AM To: oracle-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: using different database (SID) in a subselect with SQL*Plus / Shell Scripts Hi I have this simplified SQL statement within Shell Script. function () { sqlplus -S $DBO/$DBOPW@$ORACLE_SID <<EOF > /opt/test/output.$(/bin/date '+%d%m%Y.%Hh') set echo Off [...] set linesize 20000 SELECT testfield from test where testfield not in (select testfield from test2); exit EOF } The problem is that the subselect (select testfield from test2) is an other oracle database (not the one connected on with sqlplus). Howto to that with SQL*Plus and Shell Scripts? cheers Sven -- //www.freelists.org/webpage/oracle-l -- //www.freelists.org/webpage/oracle-l