Hi Bob, You can try this code: DECLARE ranon varchar2(16); BEGIN select to_char(sysdate, 'YYYYMMDDHH24MISS') INTO ranon from dual; execute immediate 'ALTER DATABASE backup CONTROLFILE to trace as '''||ranon||'.ctl'''; END; / Best Regards On 4/19/06, orcl <orcl@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: > > Hi, Im trying to get a variable passed , something is obviously wrong > as every combination I've tried failed. > Any suggestions for this simple syntax ? > > set serveroutput on > DECLARE > ranon varchar2(14); > BEGIN > select to_char(sysdate, 'YYYYMMDDHH24MISS')INTO ranon from dual; > execute immediate 'ALTER DATABASE backup CONTROLFILE to trace as > '||ranon||'ctl'; > -- DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE(ranon); > END; > / > > sorry I dont post much, I lurk ;-) > > thanks! > bob > -- > //www.freelists.org/webpage/oracle-l > > > -- Domingo Diaz Saenz