About Schema Object Management Privileges

As a database administrator (DBA), you can create, modify, and delete schema objects in your own schema and in any other schema. For purposes of this discussion, a database administrator is defined as any user who is granted the DBA role. This includes the SYS and SYSTEM users by default. Oracle recommends granting the DBA role only to those users who require administrative type access.

You can enable other users to manage schema objects without necessarily granting them DBA privileges. For example, a common scenario is to enable an application developer to create, modify, and delete schema objects in his or her own schema. To do so, you grant the RESOURCE role to the application developer.

As described in "Granting Access to Database Control for Nonadministrative Users", you must also grant the developer access to Database Control before he or she can log in to Database Control to manage schema objects. If you do not grant access to Database Control, then the developer must manage schema objects with SQL*Plus or SQL Developer.