May be it was not clear in my question but simple join will give me rows from test1 that matches with rows in test2 table. I want to get rows from test1 table that do not match with rows in test2 on col1 and col3. Again I can not use NOT or MINUS. Outer join also has similar problem. Thanks Mayen Michael.Coll-Barth@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Sent by: oracle-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Apr 12 2010 03:01 PM Please respond to Michael.Coll-Barth@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx To ORACLE-L <oracle-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> cc Subject RE: SQL query Hint: Join the tables on COL1=COL3 From: oracle-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:oracle-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Mayen.Shah@xxxxxxxxxx Sent: Monday, April 12, 2010 2:57 PM To: ORACLE-L Subject: SQL query Hi Listers, One of my colleagues has challenged me with SQL question. I can not figure out how to do this. SQL> select * from test1; COL1 COL2 ---------- ---------- 11 21 12 22 13 23 14 25 4 rows selected. SQL> select * from test2; COL3 COL4 ---------- ---------- 41 51 42 52 43 53 13 23 14 25 5 rows selected. Here is simple query. SQL> select col1 from test1 where col1 not in (select col3 from test2); COL1 ---------- 11 12 2 rows selected. I have to rewrite this query where I can't use NOT or MINUS. Can anyone help me? Thanks Mayen The information contained in this message and any attachment may be proprietary, confidential, and privileged or subject to the work product doctrine and thus protected from disclosure. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, or an employee or agent responsible for delivering this message to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify me immediately by replying to this message and deleting it and all copies and backups thereof. Thank you.