How to generate a GUID in Oracle?

Question

Is it possible to auto-generate a GUID into an Insert statement?

Also, what type of field should I use to store this GUID?

Answer 1

You can use the SYS_GUID() function to generate a GUID in your insert statement:

insert into mytable (guid_col, data) values (sys_guid(), 'xxx');

The preferred datatype for storing GUIDs is RAW(16).

As Gopinath answer:

 select sys_guid() from dual
 union all
 select sys_guid() from dual
 union all 
 select sys_guid() from dual

You get

88FDC68C75DDF955E040449808B55601
88FDC68C75DEF955E040449808B55601
88FDC68C75DFF955E040449808B55601

As Tony Andrews says, differs only at one character

88FDC68C75DDF955E040449808B55601
88FDC68C75DEF955E040449808B55601
88FDC68C75DFF955E040449808B55601

Maybe useful: http://feuerthoughts.blogspot.com/2006/02/watch-out-for-sequential-oracle-guids.html