Re: Update trigger

From: Shakespeare <whatsin_at_xs4all.nl>
Date: Fri, 17 Oct 2008 14:46:29 +0200
Message-ID: <48f88923$0$196$e4fe514c@news.xs4all.nl>

"ddf" <oratune_at_msn.com> schreef in bericht news:65dcb9c1-d5cc-4403-9206-4879ab8aedbf_at_f63g2000hsf.googlegroups.com... Comments embedded.
On Oct 17, 5:37 am, phancey <d..._at_2bytes.co.uk> wrote:
> On 17 Oct, 11:25, sybrandb <sybra..._at_gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > On 17 okt, 12:00, phancey <d..._at_2bytes.co.uk> wrote:
>
> > > hi,
>
> > > I need to write a history record for certain fields that change on a
> > > table. I am not sure whether it is better to write a single AFTER
> > > UPDATE OF column1,column2,column3 etc trigger that then uses if
> > > statements to check each specific field whether it has changed OR to
> > > create an AFTER UPDATE OF column1 ON mytable WHEN nvl(new.column1,-1)
> > > <> nvl(old.column1,-1) trigger for each column for example.
>
> > > Is there a performance hit in having 7 AFTER UPDATE triggers defined,
> > > one for each column I am interested in rather than 1 trigger for all
> > > 7?
>
> > > thanks for any help.
>
> > > Phil
>
> > Triggers are parsed on invocation. Obviously 1 parse is less expensive
> > than 7 parses.
> > If you just use
> > IF updating('<column name>' then
> > you wouldn't embark on creating a performance nightmare, which looks
> > syntactically incorrect too.
>
> > --
> > Sybrand Bakker
> > Senior Oracle DBA- Hide quoted text -
>
> > - Show quoted text -
>
> yes but it is only when the value changes that I should write the
> history record. Rightly or wrongly the columns are all updated on a
> record update even if we are only effectively changing one column
> value (no point in discussing the merits of this as my hands are tied)

That's incorrect.

> - not strictly true as there are a couple of instances where updates
> are more targeted hence my use of a column list in the trigger
> definition but certainly the update of a column does not guarantee
> that it is changing.
>

But it does guarantee the value is changing unless the SET statement uses the existing value.

> IF updating('<column name>') then..... would write the history record
> every time the column was updated NOT, as required, when it was
> changed?
>

Sorry, no, it doesn't. By your 'logic' if I execute an single-column update you contend that ALL columns in that record are updated, those NOT listed in the SET statement updated with their exact same values. This is NOT true as the following test proves:

SQL> create table emp_hist
  2 as select empno, ename, job, sal from emp where 0=1;

Table created.

SQL>
SQL> alter table emp_hist add (chg_user varchar2(30), chg_dt date, action varchar2(12));

Table altered.

SQL>
SQL> create or replace trigger emp_upd_trig   2 after update of ename, job, sal on emp   3 for each row
  4 begin

  5       if updating('ename') then
  6       insert into emp_hist(empno, ename, chg_user, chg_dt,
action)
  7       values (:new.empno, :new.ename, user, sysdate, 'UPDATE');
  8       elsif updating('job') then
  9       insert into emp_hist(empno, job, chg_user, chg_dt, action)
 10       values (:new.empno, :new.job, user, sysdate, 'UPDATE');
 11       elsif updating('sal') then
 12       insert into emp_hist(empno, sal, chg_user, chg_dt, action)
 13       values (:new.empno, :new.sal, user, sysdate, 'UPDATE');
 14       end if;

 15 end;
 16 /

Trigger created.

SQL>
SQL> show errors
No errors.
SQL>
SQL> select count(*)
  2 from emp where empno > 8000;

  COUNT(*)


        29

SQL>
SQL> update emp
  2 set sal = sal*1.2
  3 where empno > 8000;

29 rows updated.

SQL>
SQL> select count(*)
  2 from emp_hist;

  COUNT(*)


        29

SQL>
SQL> select *
  2 from emp_hist;

     EMPNO ENAME      JOB              SAL
CHG_USER                       CHG_DT    ACTION
---------- ---------- --------- ----------
------------------------------ --------- ------------
      8001                            1152
BING                           17-OCT-08 UPDATE
      8002                            2304
BING                           17-OCT-08 UPDATE
      8003                            1800
BING                           17-OCT-08 UPDATE
      8004                            4284
BING                           17-OCT-08 UPDATE
      8005                            1800
BING                           17-OCT-08 UPDATE
      8006                            4104
BING                           17-OCT-08 UPDATE
      8007                            3528
BING                           17-OCT-08 UPDATE
      8008                            4320
BING                           17-OCT-08 UPDATE
      8009                            7200
BING                           17-OCT-08 UPDATE
      8010                            2160
BING                           17-OCT-08 UPDATE
      8011                            1584
BING                           17-OCT-08 UPDATE

     EMPNO ENAME      JOB              SAL
CHG_USER                       CHG_DT    ACTION
---------- ---------- --------- ----------
------------------------------ --------- ------------
      8012                            1368
BING                           17-OCT-08 UPDATE
      8013                            4320
BING                           17-OCT-08 UPDATE
      8014                            1872
BING                           17-OCT-08 UPDATE
      8015                            1296
BING                           17-OCT-08 UPDATE
      8016                            1152
BING                           17-OCT-08 UPDATE
      8017                            2304
BING                           17-OCT-08 UPDATE
      8018                            1800
BING                           17-OCT-08 UPDATE
      8019                            4284
BING                           17-OCT-08 UPDATE
      8020                            1800
BING                           17-OCT-08 UPDATE
      8021                            4104
BING                           17-OCT-08 UPDATE
      8022                            3528
BING                           17-OCT-08 UPDATE

     EMPNO ENAME      JOB              SAL
CHG_USER                       CHG_DT    ACTION
---------- ---------- --------- ----------
------------------------------ --------- ------------
      8023                            4320
BING                           17-OCT-08 UPDATE
      8024                            7200
BING                           17-OCT-08 UPDATE
      8025                            2160
BING                           17-OCT-08 UPDATE
      8026                            1584
BING                           17-OCT-08 UPDATE
      8027                            1368
BING                           17-OCT-08 UPDATE
      8028                            4320
BING                           17-OCT-08 UPDATE
      8029                            1872
BING                           17-OCT-08 UPDATE

29 rows selected.

SQL> If Oracle operated as you suggest there would be 87 rows in emp_hist, 29 for each column being monitored. Notice the only records written to the history table are the SAL records, the ONLY column being updated in that statement.

> However, based on your advice, I will write only one trigger listing
> the columns and then use IF nvl(old.column1,-1) <>.... etc unless you
> have more advice?
>

You don't need that kludge, as proven above.

> thanks
> Phil- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

David Fitzjarrell



The update behaviour depends entirely on the used software. Some programs, after just changing one column value, update all the columns, even if not changed at all (i.e. put all the columns in the 'set' list). Even Oracle Forms does so, unless you set the parameter 'update changed columns only'. So the remark 'That's incorrect' is incorrect in this case. If a program behaves like this, you'll need to check the changes in the journalling trigger.

Shakespeare Received on Fri Oct 17 2008 - 07:46:29 CDT

Original text of this message