Re: Changing Oracle passwords by end users

: >alter user XXX identified by values :old_encoded_password;
: ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
: I don't see this syntax in the SQL Language Reference Manual. Wouldn't the
: old encoded password be encoded yet again? You would have to unencode it
: first before reusing it - unless you meant to force it back into the data
: dictionary without the alter user command.

I don't recall seeing this syntax in a manual at all; however it is a mechanism that exists to allow IMP to bring a SYSTEM level import back into the database, restoring the original passwords.

Try this as a demo (when logged on as SYS):

create user john identified by values 'doe'; select password from user$ where name = 'JOHN';

you should get:

   PASSWORD

-- 
Jonathan Lewis