automated table upgrade, how?

I'm supposed to write a report on a subject I know nothing about: how to automate the procedure of upgrading Oracle database tables involved in the process of releasing a new version of our software.

The idea is that there'd be some sort of a script that automatically handles the creation of a new database based on the old one. Ideally this script could be reused in version upgrades to come.

Can this procedure be automated easily? What sort of errors could there happen and how could they be managed?

Information based on experience would be much appreciated,

Jussi-Pekka Received on Mon Dec 16 1996 - 00:00:00 CST