Lets you preview the cost of a query, in terms of I/O, before any rows are actually returned. For example: SQL> SELECT * FROM EMPLOYEES; Estimate of query cost: 52 I/O s, rows to deliver: 100 Do you wish to cancel this query (No)? YES %SQL-F-QUERYCAN, Query cancelled at user s request Some queries can result in Oracle Rdb performing a large number of I/O operations, retrieving a large number of rows, or both. The SET QUERY CONFIRM statement causes SQL to display estimated query costs. If the cost appears excessive, you can cancel the query by answering No; to continue, answer Yes. The SET QUERY CONFIRM statement is only available for interactive SQL.