How to See a Database's Character Set

If you have access to objects owned by SYS, you can see a database’s character set as follows:

 

SQL> l

  1  SELECT VALUE$

  2  FROM SYS.PROPS$

  3* WHERE NAME = 'NLS_CHARACTERSET'

SQL> /

 

VALUE$

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WE8MSWIN1252

 

SQL>

As pointed out in the first comment below, your user may not have access to objects owned by SYS. In that case, you have to do it like this:

SQL> conn / as sysdba

Connected.

SQL> create user andrew

  2  identified by reid

  3  /

User created.

SQL> grant create session to andrew

  2  /

Grant succeeded.

SQL> conn andrew/reid

Connected.

SQL> select value$

  2  from sys.props$

  3  where name = 'NLS_CHARACTERSET'

  4  /

from sys.props$

         *

ERROR at line 2:

ORA-00942: table or view does not exist

SQL> select nls_charset_name(nls_charset_id('CHAR_CS'))

  2  from dual

  3  /

NLS_CHARSET_NAME(NLS_CHARSET_ID('CHAR_CS'))

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WE8MSWIN1252

SQL> select sys_context('userenv','LANGUAGE')

  2  from dual

  3  /

SYS_CONTEXT('USERENV','LANGUAGE')

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ENGLISH_AMERICA.WE8MSWIN1252

SQL>

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