RE: Expanding varchar2 column

  • From: "Strickland, Mark" <mark.strickland@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: "Norman Dunbar" <norman.dunbar@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, <oracle-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, <paul.baumgartel@xxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Wed, 16 Nov 2005 10:13:40 -0800

Yeah yeah, I know.  Thanks for responding.  For those who actually did a
test on my behalf (or, rather, on my co-worker's behalf), I'm grateful,
though I neither asked for nor expected a test done on my behalf.
Still, I am grateful.  Send me your Martyr Card and I'll be happy to
punch it.

My co-worker has confirmed that his experience with the column expansion
last night did go as expected.

For those who responded with irony, sarcasm or even actual abuse, either
publicly or privately (better), while I do occasionally enjoy a good
spanking from a complete stranger, it's always consensual.  Getting
abused on this list is not consensual.  I do think carefully before I
submit a query to the list.  I don't take others' time for granted.  In
this case, I was simply asking if anyone knew "off the top of their
head" if my and my co-worker's assumption was correct.  We're all quite
busy, I'm sure.  I manage 220 databases on 80 servers.  Sometimes I just
don't have time to test and I barely have time to do research.
Occasionally I do impose on the collective experience and wisdom of this
list, even at the likely risk of abuse.  I do not take that privilege
for granted.  After 12 years as a DBA and 16 years in IT, my skin should
be thicker than it is.  Pardon me for being human.

Regards,
Mark Strickland


-----Original Message-----
From: Norman Dunbar [mailto:norman.dunbar@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] 
Sent: Wednesday, November 16, 2005 1:15 AM
To: Strickland, Mark; oracle-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx; paul.baumgartel@xxxxxxxxx
Subject: RE: Expanding varchar2 column



I couldn't resist :

create a table.
Load it.
Alter it.

The trace file shows a lot of selects followed by an update to SYS.tab$,
SYS.col$ and SYS.obj$. The original table isn't touched.

I didn't test where the table has a default value or check contraints
etc - they might be different.


Cheers,
Norman.



Norman Dunbar.
Contract Oracle DBA.
Rivers House, Leeds.

Internal : 7 28 2051
External : 0113 231 2051


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