Getting the NLS_LANG right for exp and imp

If you use the old-fashioned imp en exp tools, you really need to set the NLS_LANG environment variable right. To what value? It can be read from the v$nls_parameters. To make life easier, I always keep this set_nls.sql script available. It creates just the right (Linux) statement to make the setting.


set heading off
set feedback off
 select 'export NLS_LANG=' || lan.value || '_' || ter.value || '.' || chr.value
  from v$nls_parameters lan,
       v$nls_parameters ter,
       v$nls_parameters chr
  where lan.parameter='NLS_LANGUAGE'
    and ter.parameter='NLS_TERRITORY'
    and chr.parameter='NLS_CHARACTERSET';
set heading on
set feedback on

This gives me for example:

export NLS_LANG=AMERICAN_AMERICA.WE8ISO8859P1

Just copy it in your shell environment and fire up the imp or exp!