Ok...I'm a little confused so bear with me.

His data type is text. Checking the data type limitations for text it is over 2 billion characters.

NText would bring...

Yes, I used the Oracle DBA 101 series and they helped. Also, the Oracle Complete Reference is a must.

Dr. Peter Venkman: Generally you don't see that kind...

Yes, it is best to explicitly set up the Order By instead of relying on luck.

Dr. Peter Venkman: Generally you don't see that kind of behavior in...

Yes, based on what you said there is no valid reason to upgrade to SQL Server. The application will not be able to take advantage of the...

Laughing, Frank. Cleaning up a homemade database is not easy money. It is sitting down with the people and explaining that "No, I cannot write the magic...

Upgrading to SQL Server alone may not be enough; you will end up re-writing many of the controls (if not all of them) to use that advantage....

That's what I love about this forum. Thanks. I took the first solution, NULL for term_date, but this discussion has opened another variation which has its own...

[font=Comic Sans MS]Frank, how well does that self-documentation work?

I have been in several companies where someone with a bit of knowledge will create a homemade database. They will use...

If you are using smalldatetime you could only use 20790606. What are the chances that they will be using this database in 2079?

Dr. Peter Venkman: Generally you...

I prefer defaults whenever possible. In some columns (such as Termination Date in an Employees table) NULL is the logical choice.

It depends.

Dr. Peter Venkman: Generally you...

Yes, I used Sybex and Corlios Exam Guides, but also used BOL (books on line).

Dr. Peter Venkman: Generally you don't see that kind of behavior in...

Ferguson, Thanks for the different view. Yes, they are hired for one type of position but feel that true bliss is doing something else. That's the nature of...

Is there anywhere I can download the Impersonal Edition of Oracle?

Dr. Peter Venkman: Generally you don't see that kind of behavior in a major appliance.

Patrick