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Primary Note - ORA-01723: Zero-length Columns are not Allowed (Doc ID 335600.1)

Last updated on NOVEMBER 07, 2023

Applies to:

Oracle Database - Enterprise Edition - Version 9.2.0.2 and later
Oracle Database Cloud Schema Service - Version N/A and later
Gen 1 Exadata Cloud at Customer (Oracle Exadata Database Cloud Machine) - Version N/A and later
Oracle Cloud Infrastructure - Database Service - Version N/A and later
Oracle Database Cloud Exadata Service - Version N/A and later
Information in this document applies to any platform.
This primary note serves as a guide for all cases where ORA-01723 error is observed.

Symptoms

NOTE: In the images and/or the document content below, the user information and data used represents fictitious data from the Oracle sample schema(s) or Public Documentation delivered with an Oracle database product.  Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended in any manner.

1. Creating a VIEW on a remote table using a database link is successful.

There are no lobs in remote table.

Types present in remote table are : nvarchar2, number as well as date.

Creating a MATERIALIZED VIEW using the same select as in the view results in :

ORA-01723: zero-length columns are not allowed

2. Creating a MODEL DIMENSION on a remote table using a database link results in :

    SELECT dummy FROM DUAL             
    UNION ALL                          
    SELECT y FROM DUAL     @<dblink_name>    
    MODEL DIMENSION BY (dummy )        
    MEASURES (TO_NUMBER (NULL) x,'Y' y)
    RULES()                            
 ERROR:                                
 ORA-01723: zero-length columns are notallowed
 ORA-02063: preceding line from NL_TEST

3. Running dbms_stats.gather_table_stats on table having index with NULL

exec dbms_stats.gather_table_stats(ownname => '<user_name>', tabname => 'TABLE1',estimate_percent => 5, cascade => true);

ERROR at line 1:
ORA-01723: zero-length columns are not allowed
ORA-06512: at "SYS.DBMS_STATS", line 15027
ORA-06512: at "SYS.DBMS_STATS", line 15049
ORA-06512: at line 1

Please refer to [ID 1280890.1] for detailed information.


4. Running  ANALYZE TABLE <Table_Name> VALIDATE STRUCTURE CASCADE on table having index with NULL

ANALYZE TABLE <user_name>.TABLE1 VALIDATE STRUCTURE CASCADE;

ERROR at line 1:
ORA-01723: zero-length columns are not allowed
ORA-06512: at "SYS.DBMS_STATS", line 15027
ORA-06512: at "SYS.DBMS_STATS", line 15049
ORA-06512: at line 1

Cause

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In this Document
Symptoms
Cause
Solution
References

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