TABLES

Default: There is no default

Purpose

Specifies that you want to perform a table-mode import.

Syntax and Description

TABLES=[schema_name.]table_name[:partition_name]

In a table-mode import, you can filter the data that is imported from the source by specifying a comma-delimited list of tables and partitions or subpartitions.

If you do not supply a schema_name, then it defaults to that of the current user. To specify a schema other than your own, you must either have the DATAPUMP_IMP_FULL_DATABASE role or remap the schema to the current user.

The use of filtering can restrict what is imported using this import mode. See "Filtering During Import Operations".

If a partition_name is specified, then it must be the name of a partition or subpartition in the associated table.

Use of the wildcard character, %, to specify table names and partition names is supported.

The following restrictions apply to table names:

By default, table names in a database are stored as uppercase. If you have a table name in mixed-case or lowercase, and you want to preserve case sensitivity for the table name, then you must enclose the name in quotation marks. The name must exactly match the table name stored in the database.

Some operating systems require that quotation marks on the command line be preceded by an escape character. The following are examples of how case-sensitivity can be preserved in the different Import modes.
- In command-line mode:
```
TABLES='\"Emp\"'
```
- In parameter file mode:
```
TABLES='"Emp"'
```
Table names specified on the command line cannot include a pound sign (#), unless the table name is enclosed in quotation marks. Similarly, in the parameter file, if a table name includes a pound sign (#), then the Import utility interprets the rest of the line as a comment, unless the table name is enclosed in quotation marks.

For example, if the parameter file contains the following line, then Import interprets everything on the line after emp# as a comment and does not import the tables dept and mydata:
```
TABLES=(emp#, dept, mydata)
```
However, if the parameter file contains the following line, then the Import utility imports all three tables because emp# is enclosed in quotation marks:
```
TABLES=('"emp#"', dept, mydata)
```
Note:

Some operating systems require single quotation marks rather than double quotation marks, or the reverse; see your Oracle operating system-specific documentation. Different operating systems also have other restrictions on table naming.

For example, the UNIX C shell attaches a special meaning to a dollar sign ($) or pound sign (#) (or certain other special characters). You must use escape characters to get such characters in the name past the shell and into Import.

Restrictions

The use of synonyms as values for the TABLES parameter is not supported. For example, if the regions table in the hr schema had a synonym of regn, then it would not be valid to use TABLES=regn. An error would be returned.
You can only specify partitions from one table if PARTITION_OPTIONS=DEPARTITION is also specified on the import.
If you specify TRANSPORTABLE=ALWAYS, then all partitions specified on the TABLES parameter must be in the same table.
The length of the table name list specified for the TABLES parameter is limited to a maximum of 4 MB, unless you are using the NETWORK_LINK parameter to an Oracle Database release 10.2.0.3 or earlier or to a read-only database. In such cases, the limit is 4 KB.

Example

The following example shows a simple use of the TABLES parameter to import only the employees and jobs tables from the expfull.dmp file. You can create the expfull.dmp dump file used in this example by running the example provided for the Export FULL parameter. See "FULL".

> impdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=expfull.dmp TABLES=employees,jobs

The following example shows the use of the TABLES parameter to import partitions:

> impdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=expdat.dmp 
TABLES=sh.sales:sales_Q1_2012,sh.sales:sales_Q2_2012

This example imports the partitions sales_Q1_2012 and sales_Q2_2012 for the table sales in the schema sh.