How can I find which tables reference a given table in Oracle SQL Developer?

Question

In Oracle SQL Developer, if I'm viewing the information on a table, I can view the constraints, which let me see the foreign keys (and thus which tables are referenced by this table), and I can view the dependencies to see what packages and such reference the table. But I'm not sure how to find which tables reference the table.

For example, say I'm looking at the emp table. There is another table emp_dept which captures which employees work in which departments, which references the emp table through emp_id, the primary key of the emp table. Is there a way (through some UI element in the program, not through SQL) to find that the emp_dept table references the emp table, without me having to know that the emp_dept table exists?

Answer 1

No. There is no such option available from Oracle SQL Developer.

You have to execute a query by hand or use other tool (For instance PLSQL Developer has such option). The following SQL is that one used by PLSQL Developer:

select table_name, constraint_name, status, owner
from all_constraints
where r_owner = :r_owner
and constraint_type = 'R'
and r_constraint_name in
 (
   select constraint_name from all_constraints
   where constraint_type in ('P', 'U')
   and table_name = :r_table_name
   and owner = :r_owner
 )
order by table_name, constraint_name

Where r_owner is the schema, and r_table_name is the table for which you are looking for references. The names are case sensitive

---

Be careful because on the reports tab of Oracle SQL Developer there is the option "All tables / Dependencies" this is from ALL_DEPENDENCIES which refers to "dependencies between procedures, packages, functions, package bodies, and triggers accessible to the current user, including dependencies on views created without any database links.". Then, this report have no value for your question.

Answer 2

To add this to SQL Developer as an extension do the following:

1. Save the below code into an xml file (e.g. fk_ref.xml):

<items>
    <item type="editor" node="TableNode" vertical="true">
    <title><![CDATA[FK References]]></title>
    <query>
        <sql>
            <![CDATA[select a.owner,
                            a.table_name,
                            a.constraint_name,
                            a.status
                     from   all_constraints a
                     where  a.constraint_type = 'R'
                            and exists(
                               select 1
                               from   all_constraints
                               where  constraint_name=a.r_constraint_name
                                      and constraint_type in ('P', 'U')
                                      and table_name = :OBJECT_NAME
                                      and owner = :OBJECT_OWNER)
                               order by table_name, constraint_name]]>
        </sql>
    </query>
    </item>
</items>

2. Add the extension to SQL Developer:

   • Tools > Preferences
   • Database > User Defined Extensions
   • Click "Add Row" button
   • In Type choose "EDITOR", Location is where you saved the xml file above
   • Click "Ok" then restart SQL Developer

3. Navigate to any table and you should now see an additional tab next to SQL one, labelled FK References, which displays the new FK information.

4. Reference

   • http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/issue-archive/2007/07-jul/o47sql-086233.html

Answer 3

Replace [Your TABLE] with emp in the query below

select owner,constraint_name,constraint_type,table_name,r_owner,r_constraint_name
  from all_constraints 
 where constraint_type='R'
   and r_constraint_name in (select constraint_name 
                               from all_constraints 
                              where constraint_type in ('P','U') 
                                and table_name='[YOUR TABLE]');

Answer 4

You may be able to query this from the ALL_CONSTRAINTS view:

SELECT table_name
FROM ALL_CONSTRAINTS
WHERE constraint_type = 'R' -- "Referential integrity"
  AND r_constraint_name IN
    ( SELECT constraint_name
      FROM ALL_CONSTRAINTS
      WHERE table_name = 'EMP'
        AND constraint_type IN ('U', 'P') -- "Unique" or "Primary key"
    );

Answer 5

SQL Developer 4.1, released in May of 2015, added a Model tab which shows table foreign keys which refer to your table in an Entity Relationship Diagram format.

Answer 6

SELECT DISTINCT table_name, 
                constraint_name, 
                column_name, 
                r_table_name, 
                position, 
                constraint_type 
FROM   (SELECT uc.table_name, 
               uc.constraint_name, 
               cols.column_name, 
               (SELECT table_name 
                FROM   user_constraints 
                WHERE  constraint_name = uc.r_constraint_name) r_table_name, 
               (SELECT column_name 
                FROM   user_cons_columns 
                WHERE  constraint_name = uc.r_constraint_name 
                       AND position = cols.position)           r_column_name, 
               cols.position, 
               uc.constraint_type 
        FROM   user_constraints uc 
               inner join user_cons_columns cols 
                       ON uc.constraint_name = cols.constraint_name 
        WHERE  constraint_type != 'C') 
START WITH table_name = '&&tableName' 
           AND column_name = '&&columnName' 
CONNECT BY NOCYCLE PRIOR table_name = r_table_name 
                         AND PRIOR column_name = r_column_name; 

Answer 7

This has been in the product for years - although it wasn't in the product in 2011.

But, simply click on the Model page.

Make sure you are on at least version 4.0 (released in 2013) to access this feature.

Answer 8

How about something like this:

SELECT c.constraint_name, c.constraint_type, c2.constraint_name, c2.constraint_type, c2.table_name
  FROM dba_constraints c JOIN dba_constraints c2 ON (c.r_constraint_name = c2.constraint_name)
 WHERE c.table_name = <TABLE_OF_INTEREST>
   AND c.constraint_TYPE = 'R';

Answer 9

To add to the above answer for sql developer plugin, using the below xml will help in getting the column associated with the foreign key.

    <items>
        <item type="editor" node="TableNode" vertical="true">
        <title><![CDATA[FK References]]></title>
        <query>
            <sql>
                <![CDATA[select a.owner,
                                a.constraint_name,
                                a.table_name,
                                b.column_name,
                                a.status
                         from   all_constraints a
                         join   all_cons_columns b ON b.constraint_name = a.constraint_name
                         where  a.constraint_type = 'R'
                                and exists(
                                   select 1
                                   from   all_constraints
                                   where  constraint_name=a.r_constraint_name
                                          and constraint_type in ('P', 'U')
                                          and table_name = :OBJECT_NAME
                                          and owner = :OBJECT_OWNER)
                                   order by table_name, constraint_name]]>
            </sql>
        </query>
        </item>
    </items>

Answer 10

I like to do this with a straight SQL query, rather than messing about with the SQL Developer application.

Here's how I just did it. Best to read through this and understand what's going on, so you can tweak it to fit your needs...

WITH all_primary_keys AS (
  SELECT constraint_name AS pk_name,
         table_name
    FROM all_constraints
   WHERE owner = USER
     AND constraint_type = 'P'
)
  SELECT ac.table_name || ' table has a foreign key called ' || upper(ac.constraint_name)
         || ' which references the primary key ' || upper(ac.r_constraint_name) || ' on table ' || apk.table_name AS foreign_keys
    FROM all_constraints ac
         LEFT JOIN all_primary_keys apk
                ON ac.r_constraint_name = apk.pk_name
   WHERE ac.owner = USER
     AND ac.constraint_type = 'R'
     AND ac.table_name = nvl(upper(:table_name), ac.table_name)
ORDER BY ac.table_name, ac.constraint_name
;