Re: Question about system tables

From article <8461.2cf9b7df_at_hayes.com>, by fgreene_at_hayes.com: ...
> to just count the columns in a table use
>
> SELECT COUNT(*)
> FROM ACCESSIBLE_TABLES
> WHERE TABLE_NAME = 'YOUR_TABLE_NAME';
This is incorrect: it returns a count of 1 for an accessible table, 0 otherwise.

If, instead, you select from ACCESSIBLE_COLUMNS, you get the 'degree' (i.e. the count of the columns) of the relation (table or view).

NB ACCESSIBLE_COLUMNS is not supported in Oracle7, so I suggest this, which oughta work in V6 or V7:

	select	count(distinct COLUMN_ID)
	from	ALL_TAB_COLUMNS
	where	TABLE_NAME = 'whatever';

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  __   __    Paul Singleton (Dr)           JANET: paul_at_uk.ac.keele.cs
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