If using PreparedStatement to query my table. Unfortunately, I have not been able to do so. My code is as simple as this :- PreparedStatement preparedStatement = connection.prepareStatement( "Select favoritefood from favoritefoods where catname = ?"); preparedStatement.setString(1, "Cappuccino"); ResultSet resultSet = preparedStatement.executeQuery(); Error thrown is java.sql.SQLException: ORA-00911: invalid character. As if it never run through the parameter given. Thanks for your time. I've spend a day to debug this yet still unsuccessful. As mention by Piyush, if I omit the semicolon at the end of statement, new error is thrown. java.sql.SQLException: ORA-00942: table or view does not exist. But I can assure you this table is indeed exist. UPDATE shoot. i edited the wrong sql. now it is successful. thx for your time.