Well this long wait comes to end with Oracle Database 23ai. Oracle has release new feature which can grant select on all tables in the schema and even future new ones. Potentially one task less than avoid triggers or manual grants.

Traditionally, granting permissions within a database schema has been a meticulous task, often involving manual interventions or complex trigger mechanisms. However, Oracle Database 23ai introduces a groundbreaking capability: the ability to grant ‘select’ access on all tables within a schema, including future additions. This feature significantly streamlines the permission management process, potentially eliminating the need for laborious trigger setups or frequent manual grants.

The Syntax in Action: Let’s delve into how this feature works in practice. With a simple command, database administrators can grant read access to all tables in a schema to a specific user. The syntax is elegantly straightforward:

grant read any table on schema <schema_name> to <user>;

This single command empowers administrators to grant selective access across an entire schema, enhancing operational efficiency and reducing the likelihood of oversight or error in permission assignments.

Benefits and Implications: The introduction of this feature brings forth a myriad of benefits for database administrators and organizations alike:

1. Enhanced Efficiency: By automating the process of granting permissions on all tables within a schema, administrators can allocate their time and resources more effectively, focusing on strategic tasks rather than routine permissions management.
2. Reduced Complexity: Complex trigger setups or manual permission grants can introduce potential points of failure or security vulnerabilities. With this feature, the process is simplified, minimizing the likelihood of errors or oversights.
3. Future-Proofing: The ability to grant access to future tables ensures that as the database evolves and grows, permissions are automatically extended, mitigating the need for constant supervision or adjustments.
4. Compliance and Security: Streamlined permission management aligns with best practices for data security and compliance, ensuring that access controls are consistently enforced across the database schema.
5. Operational Agility: With the burden of permissions management alleviated, organizations can adapt more swiftly to changing business requirements, maintaining agility in their database operations.

Conclusion: Oracle Database 23ai heralds a new era in database permissions management, offering a simple yet powerful solution to a longstanding challenge. By automating the process of granting select access on all tables within a schema, this feature empowers administrators to operate more efficiently, securely, and adaptively. As organizations continue to rely on data as a critical asset, innovations like this underscore Oracle’s commitment to enabling their success in the digital age.