Re: ORA-03113 Error

From: Daniel Morgan <damorgan_at_x.washington.edu>
Date: Fri, 09 Jan 2004 15:50:36 -0800
Message-ID: <1073692154.84502@yasure>

Al Willis wrote:

> Daniel,
>
> Thanks for taking the time to reply twice to my post. I will look for a
> better way to structure the data to accomplish what I need to do.
>
> Al

My point was your column names. You are thinking horizontally when you should be thinking vertically. Look at the following BAD example:

CREATE TABLE (

   JAN   VARCHAR2(1),
   FEB   VARCHAR2(1),
   MAR   VARCHAR2(1),
   APR   VARCHAR2(1),
   MAY   VARCHAR2(1),
   JUN   VARCHAR2(1),

   ....

Then look at this one:

CREATE TABLE (
   MONTH VARCHAR2(3),
   VALUE VARCHAR2(1),
   ....

Both hold the exact same data, one horizontally, one vertically. The vertical solution is relational and queryable and is the one you should emulate if at all possible.

But please do get yourself a book. Preferably one by Chris Date and/or E.F. Cobb on normalization.

-- 
Daniel Morgan
http://www.outreach.washington.edu/ext/certificates/oad/oad_crs.asp
http://www.outreach.washington.edu/ext/certificates/aoa/aoa_crs.asp
damorgan_at_x.washington.edu
(replace 'x' with a 'u' to reply)

Received on Fri Jan 09 2004 - 17:50:36 CST