How to check the maximum number of allowed connections to an Oracle database?

What's the best way, using SQL, to check the maximum number of connections that is allowed for an Oracle database? In the end, I would like to show the current number of sessions and the total number allowed, e.g. "Currently, 23 out of 80 connections are used".

There are a few different limits that might come in to play in determining the number of connections an Oracle database supports. The simplest approach would be to use the SESSIONS parameter and V$SESSION, i.e.

The number of sessions the database was configured to allow

SELECT name, value 
  FROM v$parameter
 WHERE name = 'sessions'

The number of sessions currently active

SELECT COUNT(*)
  FROM v$session

As I said, though, there are other potential limits both at the database level and at the operating system level and depending on whether shared server has been configured. If shared server is ignored, you may well hit the limit of the PROCESSES parameter before you hit the limit of the SESSIONS parameter. And you may hit operating system limits because each session requires a certain amount of RAM.

I thought this would work, based on this source.

SELECT
  'Currently, ' 
  || (SELECT COUNT(*) FROM V$SESSION)
  || ' out of ' 
  || DECODE(VL.SESSIONS_MAX,0,'unlimited',VL.SESSIONS_MAX) 
  || ' connections are used.' AS USAGE_MESSAGE
FROM 
  V$LICENSE VL

However, Justin Cave is right. This query gives better results:

SELECT
  'Currently, ' 
  || (SELECT COUNT(*) FROM V$SESSION)
  || ' out of ' 
  || VP.VALUE 
  || ' connections are used.' AS USAGE_MESSAGE
FROM 
  V$PARAMETER VP
WHERE VP.NAME = 'sessions'

select count(*),sum(decode(status, 'ACTIVE',1,0)) from v$session where type= 'USER'