How to select only 1 row from oracle sql?

sql oracle oracle9i

Ben · Jan 19, 2012 · Viewed 617.2k times · Source

I want to use oracle syntax to select only 1 row from table DUAL. For example, I want to execute this query:

SELECT user 
  FROM DUAL

...and it'd have, like, 40 records. But I need only one record. ...AND, I want to make it happen without a WHERE clause.

I need something in the table_name field such as:

SELECT FirstRow(user) 
  FROM DUAL

Answer

You use ROWNUM.

ie.

SELECT user FROM Dual WHERE ROWNUM = 1