Difference between NOT IN and MINUS

Can anyone help me understand this? Shouldn't the queries below using NOT IN return more rows than or the same number of rows as the queries using MINUS? (In case of "more", it will contain duplicates).

Yong Huang
yong321_at_yahoo.com

SQL> select asset_id from easset where asset_id not in (select asset_id from table_object);

no rows selected

SQL> select asset_id from easset minus select asset_id from table_object;

 ASSET_ID

     4186
     4843
     5050
     5180
     5209
     5212
     5240
     5242
     5243
     5253

10 rows selected.

--Create a table qqq in case Oracle doesn't like the word "table_object" SQL> create table qqq as select * from table_object;

Table created.

SQL> select asset_id from easset where asset_id not in (select asset_id from qqq);

no rows selected

SQL> desc easset

 Name                            Null?    Type


 ------------------------------- -------- ----

 ASSET_ID                        NOT NULL NUMBER
 COMPANY_ID                      NOT NULL NUMBER
 PACKAGE_ID                      NOT NULL NUMBER
 ASSET_NAME                      NOT NULL VARCHAR2(100)
 OPERATING_COMPANY_NAME                   VARCHAR2(100)
 ONSHORE_OFFSHORE_TRANS_IND               VARCHAR2(20)
 ASSET_PRICE_RANGE_USD                    VARCHAR2(20)
 CREATED_DATE                    NOT NULL DATE
 CREATED_BY_USER_ID              NOT NULL NUMBER
 LAST_REVISION_DATE                       DATE
 LAST_REVISED_BY_USER_ID                  NUMBER
 MAP_OBJECT_ID                            VARCHAR2(30)
 NOTIFICATION                             NUMBER
 UPPER_RIGHT_X                            NUMBER
 UPPER_RIGHT_Y                            NUMBER
 LOWER_LEFT_X                             NUMBER
 LOWER_LEFT_Y                             NUMBER
 LOCATION_ID                              NUMBER
 COUNTRY_ID                               NUMBER
 APPROX_NET_RESERVES_BOE                  VARCHAR2(20)
 APPROX_NET_RESERVES_MCFE                 VARCHAR2(20)
 DATA_BOOK_AVAILABLE_FLAG                 VARCHAR2(1)

SQL> desc table_object
 Name                            Null?    Type


 ------------------------------- -------- ----

 OBJECT_TYPE_ID                  NOT NULL NUMBER
 OBJECT_ID                       NOT NULL NUMBER
 IUSER_ID                                 NUMBER
 COMPANY_ID                               NUMBER
 PACKAGE_ID                               NUMBER
 ASSET_ID                                 NUMBER
 LEASE_LICENSE_ID                         NUMBER
 ESEISMIC_ID                              NUMBER

SQL> select package_id from ip1.text minus select package_id from table_object;

PACKAGE_ID

       524
       583
       623
       645
       648
       651
       683
       684

8 rows selected.

SQL> select package_id from ip1.text where package_id not in (select package_id from table_object);

no rows selected

SQL> desc ip1.text

 Name                            Null?    Type


 ------------------------------- -------- ----

 TEXT_ID                         NOT NULL NUMBER
 SEQUENCE_NO                     NOT NULL NUMBER
 SECTION_ID                               NUMBER
 PACKAGE_ID                               NUMBER
 TEXT_FIELD                      NOT NULL VARCHAR2(4000)
 ASSET_ID                                 NUMBER
 ESEISMIC_ID                              NUMBER

__________________________________________________