Tag Archives: Oracle 23ai AI integration

Oracle Database 23ai: New Features You Must Know

Leave a reply

Introduction

Oracle Database 23ai is the latest Long-Term Support (LTS) release, offering Premier Support through 2031. Positioned as the future-ready database, it brings AI-driven capabilities, modern SQL enhancements, and developer-friendly features. If you’re searching for “Oracle 23ai new features” or “why upgrade to Oracle 23ai”, this blog is your ultimate guide.

🔑 Key New Features in Oracle 23ai

  • BOOLEAN Data Type for SQL Finally, Oracle introduces native BOOLEAN support, simplifying conditional logic and improving readability for developers.
Create table test (active boolean)
Insert into test (active) values (TRUE);
  • Multi-Value INSERTs Insert multiple rows in a single statement, reducing code complexity and boosting performance.
  • Optional FROM dual Clause 
Select 14+5 from dual;
Now:
Select 14_5 as result;
  • Annotations for Metadata Add descriptive metadata directly to database objects, making schema documentation easier and more searchable.
  • RETURNING Clause in UPDATE & MERGE Retrieve updated values instantly without writing extra queries.
  • Joins in UPDATE and DELETE: Perform complex updates and deletes with join conditions, streamlining data manipulation.
New Syntax: 
update employee a 
set a.col1 = b.col2, a.col2 = b.col2 
from department b 
where a.id = b.id;

Prior Syntax:
Delete from table1 a where a.id in ( select b.id from table2 );
New syntax:
Delete table1 a from table2 b where a.id = b.id;

Prior Syntax:
Delete from table1 a where a.id in (select b.id from table2 b join table3 c on c.keyid - b.keyid)
New syntax:
Delete table1 a from table2 b join table3 c on c.keyid = b.keyid where c.id = a.id;
  • Lightweight Object Types with SQL Domains Define reusable domains for consistency and reduced redundancy.
  • Aliases in GROUP BY More flexibility in query writing, improving developer productivity.
In Group By we can use aliases instead of typing completing column name or function used on that column name. It will increase readability and understanding.

Following command using alias as per in Oracle 23ai new feature: 

SELECT name,to_char(hiredate,'DD-MON-YYYY') as Joining_Date, count(*) as No_of_employee
from department a join employees b on a.id = b.dept_id 
group by name, joining_Date
having No_of_employee> 500;

Prior way before ORacle 23ai:
SELECT name,to_char(hiredate,'DD-MON-YYYY') as Joining_Date, count(*) as No_of_employee
from department a join employees b on a.id = b.dept_id 
group by name, to_char(hiredate,'DD-MON-YYYY')
having count(*) > 500;
  • Microservices support added to Oracle 23ai
  • Adding Javascript stored procedures
  • Vector databases
  • Support more columns per table prior it was 1000 columns per table
ORA-01792: maximum number of columns in a table or view is 1000

Enable maximum columns limit:
alter system set max_columns=extended scope=spfile;
Shutdown immediate
startup;
  • Unicode 15.0 support includes 4,489 new characters, of which 20 are brand new emoji code points

🤖 AI-Ready Enhancements

Oracle 23ai isn’t just about SQL—it’s designed for AI-powered applications. With cloud-native integration, low-code support, and Python/JavaScript compatibility, developers can build smarter apps faster.

📈 Why Upgrade to Oracle 23ai?

  • Future-proof: Long-term support until 2031.
  • Efficiency: Reduced query complexity and faster development cycles.
  • AI Integration: Ready for modern workloads like ML and analytics.
  • Migration Benefits: Easier transition from Oracle 19c with enhanced tooling.

Conclusion

Oracle Database 23ai is more than just an upgrade—it’s a strategic investment for organizations aiming to leverage AI, modern SQL, and long-term stability. Whether you’re a DBA, developer, or tech manager, exploring these features will help you stay ahead in the evolving data landscape.