What the hell is going on with these correlation tables?

I'm trying to update column with a SELECT which is a joint using the following request:

    UPDATE supertable i1

      SET
        (col1_name,
         col2_name,
         col3_description,
         col4_description) =
      (SELECT
         Distinct
         NVL(c1.col_description,' '),
         NVL(c2.col_description,' '),
         NVL(c3.col_description,' '),
         NVL(c4.col_description,' ')
       FROM business s1,
            codes s2,
            accounts s3,
            offices s4
       WHERE
         s1.col_number(+) = i1.col1_number
         and
         s2.col_number(+) = i1.col2_number
         and
         s2.col_number(+) = i1.col3_number
         and
         s4.col_number(+) = i1.col3_number

Outer join is used because columns in supertable may and maynot be translated with the satellites (business,codes,accounts,offices). The problem is that updated are only the records for which all 4 values may be found in translation tables. But when I check the SELECT with

SELECT

         Distinct
         NVL(c1.col_description,' '),
         NVL(c2.col_description,' '),
         NVL(c3.col_description,' '),
         NVL(c4.col_description,' '),
         i1.*
       FROM business s1,
            codes s2,
            accounts s3,
            offices s4,
            supertable i1
       WHERE
         s1.col_number(+) = i1.col1_number
         and
         s2.col_number(+) = i1.col2_number
         and
         s2.col_number(+) = i1.col3_number
         and
         s4.col_number(+) = i1.col3_number

I see all records retrieved. DOes anybody know what the trick is?

-----------== Posted via Deja News, The Discussion Network ==---------- http://www.dejanews.com/ Search, Read, Discuss, or Start Your Own Received on Thu Dec 10 1998 - 00:00:00 CST