Re: Why I too don't like the OCP

From: Daniel Morgan <dmorgan_at_exesolutions.com>
Date: Tue, 30 Apr 2002 15:48:16 GMT
Message-ID: <3CCEBCBE.81E0812@exesolutions.com>

Jeff wrote:

> In article <3CCD72F1.B12FA94D_at_exesolutions.com>, Daniel Morgan <dmorgan_at_exesolutions.com> wrote:
> >"Vladimir M. Zakharychev" wrote:
> >
> >> Actually, DBA doesn't have to know what rownum is and how it is implemented -
> >> DBAs don't deal with it, since it's not stored anywhere in the database and
> > shouldn't
> >> be either backed up or restored. :)
> >>
> >> --
> >> Vladimir Zakharychev (bob_at_dpsp-yes.com)
> > http://www.dpsp-yes.com
> >> Dynamic PSP(tm) - the first true RAD toolkit for Oracle-based internet
> > applications.
> >> All opinions are mine and do not necessarily go in line with those of my
> > employer.
> >>
> >> "Niall Litchfield" <niall.litchfield_at_dial.pipex.com> wrote in message
> >> news:3cca6e63$0$232$cc9e4d1f_at_news.dial.pipex.com...
> >> > "Daniel Morgan" <dmorgan_at_exesolutions.com> wrote in message
> >> > news:3CCA2F23.C5C53DC2_at_exesolutions.com...
> >> > > Nuno Souto wrote:
> >> > >
> >> > > > In article <3CC9B286.5FB5_at_yahoo.com>, you said (and I quote):
> >> > > > >
> >> > > > > True story from lazydba.com
> >> > > > >
> >> > > > > "What does rownum mean?
> >> > > > > Signed xxx
> >> > > > > OCP 7,8,8i"
> >> > > > >
> >> > > >
> >> > > > LOL!
> >> > > >
> >> > > > --
> >> > > > Cheers
> >> > > > Nuno Souto
> >> > > > nsouto_at_optushome.com.au.nospam
> >> > >
> >> > > Sorry to say it but I can name a large number of DBAs. Some that have
> >> > > had that title for 10-20 years that couldn't answer that question.
> >> >
> >> > My thought for the day.
> >> >
> >> > So what is rownum and how is it implemented in the oracle database.
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > --
> >> > Niall Litchfield
> >> > Oracle DBA
> >> > Audit Commission UK
> >> >
> >> >
> >
> >Unless of course they are asked to go to code reviews or to deal with queries
> > that don't
> >work because they are presumed to be the experts.
> >
> >I met a DBA asked to solve a problem with a query that looked like this:
> >
> >SELECT *
> >FROM mytable
> >WHERE rownum BETWEEN 10 AND 20;
> >
> >Guess what happened?
> >
> >Daniel Morgan
> >

>

> Uhhhmmm...
> He saw rownum wasn't a column in mytable and tried adding it?

>

> He added "AND rownum IS NOT NULL" to the WHERE clause, " just in case"?

>

> He quit his job, had a sex-change, and became a nun in France?

>

> She was furious that you (you SEXIST PIG!!) automatically assumed that SHE was
> a "HE"?

>

> She reckoned that rownum is meaningless without the context of a query and its
> resultset?

>
> Guessing games are FUN! :-)

Based on your answer, I would suggest that you try the query against any table you have with more than 20 rows of data in it.

It is an excellent reason why good DBAs must understand more than just the straight-forward DBA stuff like install, configure, backup, and restore.

Daniel Morgan Received on Tue Apr 30 2002 - 10:48:16 CDT