Re: Skill testing SQL question

It's not a good question, it's either a
very bad question or a totally inspired
question.

With 6 rows and two columns as set,
the sensible solution is:

select * from dupe_table;

• examine output by eye

delete from dupe_table where aa = 1 and rownum = 1;
delete from dupe_table where aa = 2 and rownum = 1;
delete from dupe_table where aa = 3 and rownum = 1;

select * from dupe_table; -- to check results

commit;

If the intent of your interviewer was to discover how smart you were at writing
'clever' SQL, the question was bad.

If the interviewer was trying to find out whether you were able to spot pragmatic
realistic, simple solutions before diving for 'esoteric technology' then the question was brilliant.

--

Jonathan Lewis
Yet another Oracle-related web site:  http://www.jlcomp.demon.co.uk

argosy22_at_my-deja.com wrote in message <7vss7n$c36$1_at_nnrp1.deja.com>...


>Hello all,

>

>This is a good skill testing question

>that I was asked in an interview.

>

>You have a table, DUPE_TABLE,

>with two fields, AA, and BB.

>No primary key.  Dupe data.

>Only 6 rows.

>2 sets of the same exact 3 rows.

>

>DUPE_TABLE:

>AA BB


>1 x

>2 y

>3 z

>1 x

>2 y

>3 z

>

>

>You want to delete 3 rows, so that

>you have only one set of 3:

>

>AA BB

>1 x

>2 y

>3 z

>

>