string_units - Default string units configuration parameter

This parameter specifies the default string units that are used when defining character data types and graphic data types in Unicode databases.

Configuration type
Database
Parameter type
Configurable online
Default [range]
SYSTEM [SYSTEM, CODEUNITS32]

The value of this parameter is used only when the session level global variable NLS_STRING_UNITS is null. The default value of NLS_STRING_UNITS is null if it is not set during that session.

When the string_units configuration parameter is set to SYSTEM in a Unicode database:
  • CHAR, VARCHAR, and CLOB data types that are defined without specifying the CODEUNITS32 keyword default to OCTETS.
  • GRAPHIC, VARGRAPHIC, and DBCLOB data types that are defined without specifying the CODEUNITS32 keyword default to CODEUNITS16.
When the string_units configuration parameter is set to SYSTEM in a non-Unicode database:
  • CHAR, VARCHAR, and CLOB data types that are defined without specifying the CODEUNITS32 keyword default to OCTETS.
  • GRAPHIC, VARGRAPHIC, and DBCLOB data types that are defined without specifying the CODEUNITS32 keyword have implicit string units of double bytes.
The string_units configuration parameter can be set to CODEUNITS32 in Unicode databases only. When the string_units configuration parameter is set to CODEUNITS32:
  • CHAR, VARCHAR, and CLOB data types that are defined without specifying the BYTE or OCTETS keywords default to CODEUNITS32.
  • GRAPHIC, VARGRAPHIC, and DBCLOB data types that are defined without specifying the CODEUNITS16 keyword default to CODEUNITS32.