Wolfgang,
The comma in use_nl (a,b,c,d) is allowed (at least in some versions of Oracle) even though it may not be expected.
The interpretation of the hint is that it is simply a shorthand for use_nl(a) use_nl(b) use_nl(c) use_nl(d)
I think it would be quite helpful if the OP posted the original SQL, showing us the actual use of hint. There is no reason for Oracle to ignore something like /*+ ordered use_nl(t1, t4, t2, t3) */ if its use is valid.
See you in Zurich this evening.
Regards
Jonathan Lewis http://www.oracle.com/technology/community/oracle_ace/ace1.html#lewis
The Co-operative Oracle Users' FAQ http://www.jlcomp.demon.co.uk/faq/ind_faq.html
Cost Based Oracle: Fundamentals http://www.jlcomp.demon.co.uk/cbo_book/ind_book.html
Date: Mon, 19 Jun 2006 12:03:15 -0700 From: Wolfgang Breitling <breitliw@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Subject: RE: ** ordered use_nl question
The syntax is still not right. Read the documentation (as I did): No comma in the list within the use_nl hint. Also, according to the documentation, the table (s) listed in the hint "is the name or alias of a table to be used as the inner table of a nested loops join". I know that a list is legal, I just don't know what that is supposed to mean in terms of being the inner table in an NL join. I always use a single alias in the use_nl hint, except I hardly use such hints at all. If the selectivity of the predicate used to select the driving table in the current plan, maybe a better approach would be to collect a histogram so that the optimizer "knows" that.
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