SQL Statement in VBA

  • Thread starter Thread starter Guest
  • Start date Start date
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Guest

Hello,

I have inherited an Access 97 database that needs updating and I'm trying to
understand what my predecessor has put into place. Basically it accepts
criteria on a form to import data into a SQL (2000) table from our Oracle
back end. The code builds a SQL statement from the user's criteria and it is
put in a text file that a DTS job picks up for the import. Part of the
statement up through the (+) is static. My question is why is there a (+) in
the SQL? Here is the statement that was written into the text file:

SELECT UNITS.UNIT_ID, UNITS.CONTRACT_ID, UNITS.COLL_DATE,
UNITS.RECEIVED_DATE, UNIT_INTERDICTIONS.INTER_CODE FROM UNITS,
UNIT_INTERDICTIONS WHERE UNITS.UNIT_ID = UNIT_INTERDICTIONS.UNIT_ID(+) AND
CONTRACT_ID = 'BSTRG0012'

I believe the "WHERE UNITS.UNIT_ID = UNIT_INTERDICTIONS.UNIT_ID(+) " is the
old way to join tables in SQL statements. Is the (+) a kind of outer join?
Seems that the (+) would not be desirable. Not sure I'm getting this right.

Thanks for any help
 
I believe the "WHERE UNITS.UNIT_ID = UNIT_INTERDICTIONS.UNIT_ID(+) " is the
old way to join tables in SQL statements. Is the (+) a kind of outer join?
Click to expand...

Yes; it's how Oracle specifies an outer join. This will work only as a
pass-through query, since it's not valid Access SQL syntax; it will
return all UNITS records whether or not there are matching
UNIT_INTERDICTIONS records.

John W. Vinson[MVP]
 
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