ORA-00900: invalid SQL statement when using Perl DBI::Oracle module

Hello,

    In my perl script, I have written the following:

[ successful connection to the database precedes ]

$sth=$dbh->prepare("describe mytablename");

$sth->execute;

and it throws invalid SQL statement!!! If you write the following:

$sth=$dbh->prepare("select * from tab");

$sth->execute;

it runs perfectly and I get the right data. I should say that "describe" runs OK within SQLPlus (both in Windows and Linux) and SQLPlus Worksheet. Our Oracle server is:

SQL*Plus: Release 8.1.6.0.0 - Production on Thu Jun 1 10:15:32 2000

(c) Copyright 1999 Oracle Corporation. All rights reserved.

Connected to:
Oracle8i Release 8.1.5.0.0 - Production
With the Java option
PL/SQL Release 8.1.5.0.0 - Production

on a Windows NT Server 4.0 (service pack 6). Perl version is:

Summary of my perl5 (5.0 patchlevel 5 subversion 3) configuration: Platform:
 osname=linux, osvers=2.2.5-22smp, archname=i386-linux uname='linux porky.devel.redhat.com 2.2.5-22smp #1 smp wed jun 2 09:11:51 edt 1999 i686 unknown '

The DBI module version 1.13 and DBD-Oracle 1.03 (compiled with Oracle client 8.1.6).

    Could you please have any idea what is the problem about, since I need describe SQL command in order to get dynamically the table's fields. Is there any other way to do that? Thank you very much in advance.

Panos Kavalagios Received on Thu Jun 01 2000 - 00:00:00 CEST