A schema is a collection of database objects, such as tables. Each table, view, and synonym belongs to a schema that is determined when the object is created. The schema name corresponds to the user who owns the object. The schema name allows you to distinguish between objects with identical names but different owners.

You can specify a schema name for a table, view, or synonym on the command line to specify ownership. You use the following syntax:

The period (.) must immediately follow the schema name and precede the object name, with no intervening spaces. Both the schema name and the object name can be delimited identifiers.

For example, to specify the table named “empinfo” having a schema name of dave, you would specify the table name as:

You do not use a schema name when referencing a table, view, or synonym; for example, you specify the table name as:

The search looks first for an object with a schema corresponding to the current user; then it looks for an object owned by the DBA to which you have access. Lastly, if the object name begins with ii, the search looks for a system catalog with that name.