That certainly seems safe to put into a deterministic pl/sql function to reference from SQL. in 10.2.0.4: SQL> l 1 create or replace function oerr (p_error in number) 2 return varchar2 3 deterministic 4 as 5 begin 6 return sqlerrm(p_error); 7* end; SQL> / Function created. SQL> select oerr(-1) from dual; OERR(-1) -------------------------------------------- ORA-00001: unique constraint (.) violated On Thu, Jan 7, 2010 at 8:07 AM, Dunbar, Norman <norman.dunbar@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: > Hi Rumpi, > > this works in PL/SQL: > > SQL> begin > 2 dbms_output.put_line(sqlerrm(-949)); > 3 end; > 4 / > ORA-00949: illegal reference to remote database > > But I'm not sure about pure SQL though, other than: > > SQL> var oops varchar2(4000) > SQL> begin > 2 :oops := sqlerrm(-949); > 3 end; > 4 / > > PL/SQL procedure successfully completed. > > SQL> print oops > > OOPS > ------------------------------------------------ > ORA-00949: illegal reference to remote database > > > Or, calling a function, passing the error code and getting a string > back? > > > Cheers, > Norm. > > > Information in this message may be confidential and may be legally > privileged. If you have received this message by mistake, please notify the > sender immediately, delete it and do not copy it to anyone else. We have > checked this email and its attachments for viruses. But you should still > check any attachment before opening it. We may have to make this message and > any reply to it public if asked to under the Freedom of Information Act, Data > Protection Act or for litigation. Email messages and attachments sent to or > from any Environment Agency address may also be accessed by someone other > than the sender or recipient, for business purposes. If we have sent you > information and you wish to use it please read our terms and conditions which > you can get by calling us on 08708 506 506. Find out more about the > Environment Agency at www.environment-agency.gov.uk > > Information in this message may be confidential and may be legally > privileged. If you have received this message by mistake, please notify the > sender immediately, delete it and do not copy it to anyone else. > > We have checked this email and its attachments for viruses. But you should > still check any attachment before opening it. > We may have to make this message and any reply to it public if asked to under > the Freedom of Information Act, Data Protection Act or for litigation. Email > messages and attachments sent to or from any Environment Agency address may > also be accessed by someone other than the sender or recipient, for business > purposes. > > If we have sent you information and you wish to use it please read our terms > and conditions which you can get by calling us on 08708 506 506. Find out > more about the Environment Agency at www.environment-agency.gov.uk > -- > //www.freelists.org/webpage/oracle-l > > > -- Adam Musch ahmusch@xxxxxxxxx -- //www.freelists.org/webpage/oracle-l