Oracle DBMS_SYS_ERROR
Version 26ai

General Information
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The best Oracle News for FY2026

Oracle Database 26ai will be available on generic Linux platforms in January and soon on AIX and Windows
Purpose An officially unsupported package utilized by more than 200 of Oracle's built-ins as part of their exception handling. I do not recommend using it directly but it is a good model for how to think about exception handling.
AUTHID DEFINER
Dependencies SELECT name FROM dba_dependencies WHERE referenced_name = 'DBMS_SYS_ERROR' UNION
SELECT referenced_name FROM dba_dependencies WHERE name = 'DBMS_SYS_ERROR' ORDER BY 1;

Returns 260 objects
Documented No
First Available Not known
Security Model Owned by SYS: Execute is granted to GSMADMIN_INTERNAL, SYSBACKUP, and SYSTEM
Source {ORACLE_HOME}/rdbms/admin/prvthsye.plb
{ORACLE_HOME}/rdbms/admin/prvthsyer.plb
 
RAISE_SYSTEM_ERROR (26 new 23ai overloads)
Undocumented

Overload 1		 dbms_sys_error.raise_system_error(
num            IN BINARY_INTEGER,
keeperrorstack IN BOOLEAN DEFAULT FALSE);
CREATE OR REPLACE TRIGGER system.def$_propagator_trig
BEFORE INSERT ON system.def$_propagator
DECLARE
 prop_count NUMBER;
BEGIN
  SELECT COUNT(*)
  INTO prop_count
  FROM system.def$_propagator;

  IF (prop_count > 0) THEN
    -- raise duplicate propagator error
    sys.dbms_sys_error.raise_system_error(-23394);
  END IF;
END;
/
Overload 2 dbms_sys_error.raise_system_error(
num            IN BINARY_INTEGER,
arg1           IN VARCHAR2,
keeperrorstack IN BOOLEAN DEFAULT FALSE);
TBD
Overload 3 dbms_sys_error.raise_system_error(
num            IN BINARY_INTEGER,
arg1           IN NUMBER,
keeperrorstack IN BOOLEAN DEFAULT FALSE);
TBD
Overload 4 dbms_sys_error.raise_system_error(
num            IN BINARY_INTEGER,
arg1           IN VARCHAR2,
arg2           IN VARCHAR2,
keeperrorstack IN BOOLEAN DEFAULT FALSE);
-- this demo is fabricated from production code in $ORACLE_HOME/rdbms/admin/catdwgrd.sql

col cname format a30
col version format a12

SELECT cname, version, org_version, prv_version
FROM registry$;

DECLARE
 p_prv_version VARCHAR2(30);
 p_compatible  VARCHAR2(30);
BEGIN
  -- Get the previous version of the CATPROC component
  SELECT prv_version
  INTO p_prv_version
  FROM registry$
  WHERE cid = 'CATPROC';

  -- return the current compatible value
  SELECT value
  INTO p_compatible
  FROM v$parameter
  WHERE name = 'compatible';

  IF p_compatible > p_prv_version THEN
    dbms_sys_error.raise_system_error(-39707, p_compatible, p_prv_version);
  END IF;
END;
/
Overload 5 dbms_sys_error.raise_system_error(
num            IN BINARY_INTEGER,
arg1           IN NUMBER,
arg2           IN VARCHAR2,
keeperrorstack IN BOOLEAN DEFAULT FALSE);
TBD
Overload 6 dbms_sys_error.raise_system_error(
num            IN BINARY_INTEGER,
arg1           IN VARCHAR2,
arg2           IN NUMBER,
keeperrorstack IN BOOLEAN DEFAULT FALSE);
TBD
Overload 7 dbms_sys_error.raise_system_error(
num            IN BINARY_INTEGER,
arg1           IN NUMBER,
arg2           IN NUMBER,
keeperrorstack IN BOOLEAN DEFAULT FALSE);
TBD
Overload 8 dbms_sys_error.raise_system_error(
num            IN BINARY_INTEGER,
arg1           IN VARCHAR2,
arg2           IN VARCHAR2,
arg3           IN VARCHAR2,
keeperrorstack IN BOOLEAN DEFAULT FALSE);
TBD
Overload 9 dbms_sys_error.raise_system_error(
num            IN BINARY_INTEGER,
arg1           IN VARCHAR2,
arg2           IN NUMBER,
arg3           IN NUMBER,
keeperrorstack IN BOOLEAN DEFAULT FALSE);
TBD
Overload 10 dbms_sys_error.raise_system_error(
num            IN BINARY_INTEGER,
arg1           IN VARCHAR2,
arg2           IN NUMBER,
arg3           IN VARCHAR2,
keeperrorstack IN BOOLEAN DEFAULT FALSE);
TBD
Overload 11 dbms_sys_error.raise_system_error(
num            IN BINARY_INTEGER,
arg1           IN VARCHAR2,
arg2           IN VARCHAR2,
arg3           IN NUMBER,
keeperrorstack IN BOOLEAN DEFAULT FALSE);
TBD
Overload 12 dbms_sys_error.raise_system_error(
num            IN BINARY_INTEGER,
arg1           IN NUMBER,
arg2           IN NUMBER,
arg3           IN NUMBER,
keeperrorstack IN BOOLEAN DEFAULT FALSE);
TBD
Overload 13 dbms_sys_error.raise_system_error(
num            IN BINARY_INTEGER,
arg1           IN NUMBER,
arg2           IN NUMBER,
arg3           IN VARCHAR2,
keeperrorstack IN BOOLEAN DEFAULT FALSE);
TBD
Overload 14 dbms_sys_error.raise_system_error(
num            IN BINARY_INTEGER,
arg1           IN NUMBER,
arg2           IN VARCHAR2,
arg3           IN NUMBER,
keeperrorstack IN BOOLEAN DEFAULT FALSE);
TBD
Overload 15 dbms_sys_error.raise_system_error(
num            IN BINARY_INTEGER,
arg1           IN NUMBER,
arg2           IN VARCHAR2,
arg3           IN VARCHAR2,
keeperrorstack IN BOOLEAN DEFAULT FALSE);
TBD
Overload 16 dbms_sys_error.raise_system_error(
num            IN BINARY_INTEGER,
arg1           IN VARCHAR2,
arg2           IN VARCHAR2,
arg3           IN VARCHAR2,
arg4           IN VARCHAR2,
keeperrorstack IN BOOLEAN DEFAULT FALSE);
TBD
Overload 17 dbms_sys_error.raise_system_error(
num            IN BINARY_INTEGER,
arg1           IN VARCHAR2,
arg2           IN VARCHAR2,
arg3           IN VARCHAR2,
arg4           IN NUMBER,
keeperrorstack IN BOOLEAN DEFAULT FALSE);
TBD
Overload 18 dbms_sys_error.raise_system_error(
num            IN BINARY_INTEGER,
arg1           IN VARCHAR2,
arg2           IN VARCHAR2,
arg3           IN NUMBER,
arg4           IN VARCHAR2,
keeperrorstack IN BOOLEAN DEFAULT FALSE);
TBD
Overload 19 dbms_sys_error.raise_system_error(
num            IN BINARY_INTEGER,
arg1           IN VARCHAR2,
arg2           IN VARCHAR2,
arg3           IN NUMBER,
arg4           IN NUMBER,
keeperrorstack IN BOOLEAN DEFAULT FALSE);
TBD
Overload 20 dbms_sys_error.raise_system_error(
num            IN BINARY_INTEGER,
arg1           IN VARCHAR2,
arg2           IN NUMBER,
arg3           IN VARCHAR2,
arg4           IN VARCHAR2,
keeperrorstack IN BOOLEAN DEFAULT FALSE);
TBD
Overload 21 dbms_sys_error.raise_system_error(
num            IN BINARY_INTEGER,
arg1           IN VARCHAR2,
arg2           IN NUMBER,
arg3           IN VARCHAR2,
arg4           IN NUMBER,
keeperrorstack IN BOOLEAN DEFAULT FALSE);
TBD
Overload 22 dbms_sys_error.raise_system_error(
num            IN BINARY_INTEGER,
arg1           IN VARCHAR2,
arg2           IN NUMBER,
arg3           IN NUMBER,
arg4           IN VARCHAR2,
keeperrorstack IN BOOLEAN DEFAULT FALSE);
TBD
Overload 23 dbms_sys_error.raise_system_error(
num            IN BINARY_INTEGER,
arg1           IN VARCHAR2,
arg2           IN NUMBER,
arg3           IN NUMBER,
arg4           IN NUMBER,
keeperrorstack IN BOOLEAN DEFAULT FALSE);
TBD
Overload 24 dbms_sys_error.raise_system_error(
num            IN BINARY_INTEGER,
arg1           IN NUMBER,
arg2           IN VARCHAR2,
arg3           IN VARCHAR2,
arg4           IN VARCHAR2,
keeperrorstack IN BOOLEAN DEFAULT FALSE);
TBD
Overload 25 dbms_sys_error.raise_system_error(
num            IN BINARY_INTEGER,
arg1           IN NUMBER,
arg2           IN VARCHAR2,
arg3           IN VARCHAR2,
arg4           IN NUMBER,
keeperrorstack IN BOOLEAN DEFAULT FALSE);
TBD
Overload 26 dbms_sys_error.raise_system_error(
num            IN BINARY_INTEGER,
arg1           IN NUMBER,
arg2           IN VARCHAR2,
arg3           IN NUMBER,
arg4           IN VARCHAR2,
keeperrorstack IN BOOLEAN DEFAULT FALSE);
TBD
Overload 27 dbms_sys_error.raise_system_error(
num            IN BINARY_INTEGER,
arg1           IN NUMBER,
arg2           IN VARCHAR2,
arg3           IN NUMBER,
arg4           IN NUMBER,
keeperrorstack IN BOOLEAN DEFAULT FALSE);
TBD
Overload 28 dbms_sys_error.raise_system_error(
num            IN BINARY_INTEGER,
arg1           IN NUMBER,
arg2           IN NUMBER,
arg3           IN VARCHAR2,
arg4           IN NUMBER,
keeperrorstack IN BOOLEAN DEFAULT FALSE);
TBD
Overload 29 dbms_sys_error.raise_system_error(
num            IN BINARY_INTEGER,
arg1           IN NUMBER,
arg2           IN NUMBER,
arg3           IN NUMBER,
arg4           IN VARCHAR2,
keeperrorstack IN BOOLEAN DEFAULT FALSE);
TBD
Overload 30 dbms_sys_error.raise_system_error(
num            IN BINARY_INTEGER,
arg1           IN NUMBER,
arg2           IN NUMBER,
arg3           IN VARCHAR2,
arg4           IN VARCHAR2,
keeperrorstack IN BOOLEAN DEFAULT FALSE);
TBD
Overload 31 dbms_sys_error.raise_system_error(
num            IN BINARY_INTEGER,
arg1           IN NUMBER,
arg2           IN NUMBER,
arg3           IN NUMBER,
arg4           IN NUMBER,
keeperrorstack IN BOOLEAN DEFAULT FALSE);
TBD
Overload 32 dbms_sys_error.raise_system_error(
num            IN BINARY_INTEGER,
arg1           IN VARCHAR2,
arg2           IN VARCHAR2,
arg3           IN VARCHAR2,
arg4           IN VARCHAR2,
arg5           IN VARCHAR2,
keeperrorstack IN BOOLEAN DEFAULT FALSE);
TBD
Overload 33 dbms_sys_error.raise_system_error(
num            IN BINARY_INTEGER,
arg1           IN VARCHAR2,
arg2           IN VARCHAR2,
arg3           IN VARCHAR2,
arg4           IN VARCHAR2,
arg5           IN VARCHAR2,
arg6           IN VARCHAR2,
keeperrorstack IN BOOLEAN DEFAULT FALSE);
TBD
Overload 34 dbms_sys_error.raise_system_error(
num            IN BINARY_INTEGER,
arg1           IN VARCHAR2,
arg2           IN VARCHAR2,
arg3           IN VARCHAR2,
arg4           IN VARCHAR2,
arg5           IN VARCHAR2,
arg6           IN VARCHAR2,
arg7           IN VARCHAR2,
keeperrorstack IN BOOLEAN DEFAULT FALSE);
TBD
Overload 35 dbms_sys_error.raise_system_error(
num            IN BINARY_INTEGER,
arg1           IN VARCHAR2,
arg2           IN VARCHAR2,
arg3           IN VARCHAR2,
arg4           IN VARCHAR2,
arg5           IN VARCHAR2,
arg6           IN VARCHAR2,
arg7           IN VARCHAR2,
arg8           IN VARCHAR2,
keeperrorstack IN BOOLEAN DEFAULT FALSE);
TBD
 
Testing
Examples of testing to understand the encapsulated functionality exec dbms_sys_error.raise_system_error(-20000);
     *
ORA-21001: error number argument to raise_system_error of -20000 is out of range
exec dbms_sys_error.raise_system_error(-39707);
     *
ORA-39707: compatibile parameter too high for downgrade to
exec dbms_sys_error.raise_system_error(-39708);
     *
ORA-39708: component '' not a component

Related Topics
Built-in Functions
Built-in Packages
DBMS_SYS_ERROR
Exception Handling
What's New In 21c
What's New In 26ai

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