What is DUAL table in Oracle

起源

使用oracle的时候，我们经常会运行下面的sql得到当前系统时间：

sqlSQL> select sysdate from dual;
SYSDATE
---------
10-DEC-14

我想看看dual是什么，运行一下desc

sqlSQL> desc dual;
 Name                      Null?    Type
 ----------------------------------------- -------- ----------------------------
 DUMMY                          VARCHAR2(1)

dual是一个表，有一个名为DUMMY，类型为VARCHAR2(1)。DUMMY这个词在英文中的含义为“something designed to resemble and serve as a substitute for the real or usual thing; a counterfeit or sham.”，大概意思就是虚拟的，用来替代一些真实存在东西的概念。

再看一下数据库中还有没其他叫DUAL的对象：

sqlSQL> select object_name, object_type, owner from dba_objects where object_name = 'DUAL';

OBJECT_NAM OBJECT_TYPE         OWNER
---------- ----------------------- ----------
DUAL       TABLE           SYS
DUAL       SYNONYM         PUBLIC

还有一个叫DUAL的public synonym，所以任意的用户都可以访问到DUAL了。

神奇的是，DUAL这货在实例是nomount的状态下也可以访问：

sql[oracle@bogon ~]$ sqlplus / as sysdba

SQL*Plus: Release 12.1.0.2.0 Production on Wed Dec 10 08:00:15 2014

Copyright (c) 1982, 2014, Oracle.  All rights reserved.

Connected to an idle instance.

SQL> startup nomount;
ORACLE instance started.

Total System Global Area 1644167168 bytes
Fixed Size          2925024 bytes
Variable Size         973082144 bytes
Database Buffers      654311424 bytes
Redo Buffers           13848576 bytes
SQL> select * from dual;

ADDR               INDX    INST_ID     CON_ID D
---------------- ---------- ---------- ---------- -
000000000E07DD5C      0      1      0 X

SQL> select sysdate from dual;

SYSDATE
---------
10-DEC-14

在nmount装下也可以select sysdate
此时，来看一下DUAL的结构：

sqlSQL> select * from x$dual;

ADDR               INDX    INST_ID     CON_ID D
---------------- ---------- ---------- ---------- -
000000000E07DD5C      0      1      0 X

在nomount状态时，DUAL实际上就是X$DUAL。
X$这类对象，在Oracle中属于直接定义在内存结构中的，在数据库实例启动的时候，都已经创建出来。

继续搜寻

现在知道这个表在什么地方了，还有一个疑问：这个DUAL到底是用来干嘛的呢？难道就是方便我们查询一下sysdate或者什么操作？
于是以“X$DUAL oracle”为关键词google了一下，找到Tom的一篇文章

1.What is the dual table, what is its purpose.

dual is just a convienence table.  You don't need to use it, you can use anything you 
want.  The advantage to dual is the optimizer understands dual is a special one row, one 
column table -- when you use it in queries, it uses this knowledge when developing the 
plan.

2.Why does it contain only one column with datatype varchar2, why not 
number .

truly, why no.  Why not a date you would ask then.  The column, its name, its datatype 
and even its value are NOT relevant.  DUAL exists solely as a means to have a 1 row table 
we can reliably select from.  Thats all.


3.Does it contain one row by default.

yes, when we build the database, we build dual and put a single row in it.

4.why do we 
usually SELECT USER FROM DUAL, 
why cant I do it like 
SQL> select USER FROM EMP WHERE ROWNUM<2;


truly, why can't you?  is something preventing you from doing so??  You can if you want.  
Me, I'll stick with "select user from dual".  I know dual exists.  I know it has at least 
1 and at most 1 row.  I know the optimizer knows all about dual and does the most 
efficient thing for me.

5) yes

6) the optimizer understands dual is a magic, special 1 row table.  It stopped on the 
select * because there is to be one row in there.  Its just the way it works.  Hopefully 
you reset dual back to 1 row after your testing or you just totally broke your database!

7) like I said, duals magic, the optimizer knows all about what DUAL should be and does 
things based on that.  

8) dual = magic.  dual is a one row table however having more then 1 or less then one is 
dangerous.  You are updating the data dictionary.  You should naturally expect very bad 
things to happen.

简单总结，意思如下：

• DUAL is a convienence table
• The column, its name, its datatype and even its value are NOT relevant. DUAL exists solely as a means to have a 1 row table we can reliably select from. Thats all
• the optimizer understands dual is a magic
• dual = magic

从Tom的语气中可以看出来 ，他对于这么多为什么也表示很无奈，在他看来DUAL这个表是为方便使用而设计出来的，其中并没有太多为什么可以回答。
这种情况很像我们面对用户一些没法回答的问题，我们也说不上来到底是为啥时，我们回答：啊，这个只能这样，就是这样设计的，你这样操作就好了。