Run SQL commands at login with SQL*Plus

When SQL*Plus starts up, it looks for a global login script called glogin.sql in the $ORACLE_HOME/sqlplus/admin directory. If found, this script will be executed.

Thereafter, sqlplus will try to find a local login script called login.sql in the directory where you start sqlplus from, alternatively the directories listed in the SQLPATH environment variable. When found, sqlplus will execute it.

NOTE: From Oracle 10g SQL*Plus will attempt to execute glogin.sql and login.sql after each successful connection. This is handy if you want to change the sqlprompt to include the current user. Here is an example (g)login.sql file:

prompt Loading login.sql file...
set sqlprompt "&&_USER@&&_CONNECT_IDENTIFIER SQL>"
define _editor=vi

A bit of history: when SQL*Plus was still called UFI, this file was called login.ufi (located in $ORACLE_HOME/demo).