Re: Suggestions for first exam ...

"Richard Foote" <richard.foote_at_bigpond.com> wrote in message news:3hBdb.127706$bo1.81093_at_news-server.bigpond.net.au...

>
> Yes !! I had a chuckle when I read these. I actually quite enjoy reading
> this section of the mag, it's soooo funny and coming from the ranks of
> Oracle instructors, it's even funnier. P_G_T is one of my fav 9i features
> and this question is quite tragic in a funny "sort" of way (pun intended;)
>

There is something in that article that got a chuckle from the guys at the office:

> Three tuning goals for sort operations are the following:
> .- Avoid sorts whenever possible.

I mean, "avoid sorts" is a tuning goal for sort operations? Exactly how do we then return results in the right order? It may be a design goal, but it is NOT a "tuning goal for sorts"...

> .- Optimize memory sort and disk overhead.

Exactly which calls or parameters in Oracle can I use to "optimize memory sort"? It's not like I can choose between a heap sort or a stochastic predictive tree sort or some other obscure algorithm. Ah yes: sort_area_size? I think not, for reasons already explained...

> .- Eliminate space allocation calls to allocate and
> deallocate temporary segments.

Right. Er.......
Exactly how? I've never seen a temporary segment be "allocated" without an allocation call? For that matter, what is an "allocation call" and how do I remove it from my SQL code?

It's not that the general idea didn't come through, it's just the very poor choice of words for stating the concepts. Ah well, I'm sure it's just my ongoing issue...

-- 
Cheers
Nuno Souto
wizofoz2k_at_yahoo.com.au.nospam