No need to worry - there is no 'data block' info
about how many columns are defined to the table.
Every row stored has a byte indicating the number
of columns actually used in that row.
Consequently a row with the first column filled out
of three will look identical to a row belonging to a
table with only one column.
There are some possibly cases where things can
be different though, as the 'internal' column number
and the 'external' column number need not match.
The original example of this was a table with a long
column. No matter where you declared it, the long
column was physically placed at the end of the row.
However, if you added a column, it HAD to be added
past the long column.
So:
create table t1(txt long);
alter table t1 add id number;
would actually be stored differently from
create table t1 (id number, txt long);
Jonathan Lewis
Seminars on getting the best out of Oracle
Last few places available for Sept 10th/11th
See http://www.jlcomp.demon.co.uk/seminar.html
-----Original Message-----
To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: 17 August 2001 19:00
For all intensive purposes the table will be created the same. But,
and someone with the ability to read the block data please check it
out.
There are my own thoughts.... In method 1 the block data is set up to
have 3 columns per table. In method 2 the table is set up to have 1
column and the data block info is set, Then another column is added
and the data block info has to be changed. Simular to chaining inside
the data block. I do not think that Oracle will remove the data block
info and then recreate it when you add a column. If you had a large
number of columns that would fill a block and the added a column,
would the row be chained or migrated?
ROR m���m
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Author: Jonathan Lewis
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