How can I get column names from a table in Oracle?

Dive in: USER_TAB_COLUMNS

The USER_TAB_COLUMNS view houses an array of column metadata for tables you own. It’s like a personal library of tables in your schema. Let's unleash the power of USER_TAB_COLUMNS:

SELECT column_name
FROM user_tab_columns
WHERE table_name = 'ENTER_YOUR_TABLE_NAME_HERE';
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Joke: This feels like yelling, right? Well, Oracle insists on table names being uppercase. Don't ask why, it's an Oracle thing.

Navigating cross-schemas

When your quest for column names takes you across different schemas, remember to include the owner column:

SELECT column_name
FROM all_tab_columns
WHERE table_name = 'ENTER_YOUR_TABLE_NAME_HERE' AND owner = 'ENTER_SCHEMA_NAME_HERE';
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Joke: It's like having a tourist visa. You can see all the beautiful column names but remember, no touching!

SQL*plus and beyond: The DESCRIBE command

Cruising through Oracle using SQL*Plus? Then you have a special command DESC at your disposal. It's a quick way to reveal a table's structure, kind of like x-ray vision!

DESC Your_Table;
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Creating dynamic retrieval procedures

For those who believe in automation, there is an option to write your PL/SQL procedure. It's as if you're creating a custom spell to fetch column names whenever you need:

CREATE PROCEDURE get_column_names(p_table_name VARCHAR2)
IS
 v_column_name all_tab_columns.column_name%TYPE;
BEGIN
 FOR c IN (SELECT column_name FROM all_tab_columns WHERE table_name = p_table_name) LOOP
   DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Column Name: ' || c.column_name);
 END LOOP;
END;
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Joke: It's got class, it's got elegance, it's a procedure!

Presenting results in a specific order

An extra sprinkle of ORDER BY can change the game. Fetch the column names in a specific order, and witness the magic!

SELECT column_name
FROM user_tab_columns
WHERE table_name = 'YOUR_UPPERCASE_TABLE_NAME'
ORDER BY column_id;
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