RE: 'bug' with describe command

Well, I was totally ignoring this thread till it bit me this morning. I didn't think it was the same thing, because the error message is so TOTALLY useless (services required by client not available!?!?!?!?!)

I did find a work-around on metalink:

 1 select column_name, nullable, data_type, data_length, data_precision   2* from all_tab_columns_at_DB_LINK_NAME where table_name='YOUR_TABLE_NAME'

Annoying, but better than 'nothin.

Barb

> ----------
> From: Jared.Still_at_radisys.com[SMTP:Jared.Still_at_radisys.com]
> Reply To: ORACLE-L_at_fatcity.com
> Sent: Thursday, January 10, 2002 4:35 PM
> To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L
> Subject: Re: 'bug' with describe command
>
>
> Sorry Steve, you'll have to live with it.
>
> Oracle has never had any intention of fixing this seemingly simple
> yet enormously annoying bug.
>
> Wait til you try to do a describe across a 8.x->7.x database link.
>
> That won't work at all.
>
> Jared
>
>
>
>
>
>
> "Steve
>
> McClure" To: Multiple recipients of
> list ORACLE-L <ORACLE-L_at_fatcity.com>
> <smcclure_at_ussc cc:
>
> ript.com> Subject: 'bug' with describe
> command
> Sent by:
>
> root_at_fatcity.c
>
> om
>
>
>
>
>
> 01/10/02 02:00
>
> PM
>
> Please respond
>
> to ORACLE-L
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> I have recently converted from 7.3.4 to 8i. The conversion went well, but
> I
> have finally gotten around to dealing with an annoying problem. The
> problem
> is that since the 8 conversion my sqlplus session returns the output from
> describe in a strange manner. The Name column for example is close to 200
> characters long. I can control this by setting my sqlplus linesize to
> something more pedestrian than the 500 characters I have set in my
> login.sql.
>
> The output of the describe command when describing a package is as
> expected, regardless of linesize. So in my opinion this is not a feature.
>
> Any chance any of you have run across this in the past? I am hoping a
> patch
> exists, because 8.1.6 is the final release for my OS platform.
>
> --
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> Author: Steve McClure
> INET: smcclure_at_usscript.com
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-- 
Author: Baker, Barbara
  INET: bbaker_at_denvernewspaperagency.com

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