Log Exceptions on Insert, Erroring on PK Violation

Question

I have a process that inserts into a table with an append hint. When the insert is based on a select, primary key exceptions propogate to the code and error:
*1. Create table and error table:*
SQL>CREATE TABLE test
  2    (col1 NUMBER(10)    CONSTRAINT test_pk01 PRIMARY KEY
  3    );
Table created.
SQL>
SQL>exec dbms_errlog.create_error_log(dml_table_name=>'TEST',err_log_table_name=>'TEST_ERRORS')
PL/SQL procedure successfully completed.*2. Put a row in:*
SQL>INSERT INTO test
  2    (col1
  3    )
  4  VALUES
  5    (1
  6    );
1 row created.*3. Attempt to put rows in that violated the PK with and without append hint:*
SQL>INSERT INTO test
  2    (col1
  3    )
  4  VALUES
  5    (1
  6    )
  7  LOG ERRORS INTO test_errors
  8  REJECT LIMIT UNLIMITED;
0 rows created.
SQL>INSERT /*+ APPEND */ INTO test
  2    (col1
  3    )
  4  VALUES
  5    (1
  6    )
  7  LOG ERRORS INTO test_errors
  8  REJECT LIMIT UNLIMITED;
0 rows created.
SQL>SELECT ORA_ERR_MESG$
  2        ,col1 col_1
  3  FROM test_errors;
ORA_ERR_MESG$                                                          COL_1
ORA-00001: unique constraint (DW2.TEST_PK01) violated                  1
ORA-00001: unique constraint (DW2.TEST_PK01) violated                  1So far so good, the code is behaving
*4. Attempt to Violate the PK with a select in the query (and no append hint):*
SQL>INSERT INTO test
  2    (col1
  3    )
  4    (select 1 from dual)
  5  LOG ERRORS INTO test_errors
  6  REJECT LIMIT UNLIMITED;
0 rows created.
SQL>SELECT ORA_ERR_MESG$
  2        ,col1 col_1
  3  FROM test_errors;
ORA_ERR_MESG$                                                          COL_1
ORA-00001: unique constraint (DW2.TEST_PK01) violated                  1
ORA-00001: unique constraint (DW2.TEST_PK01) violated                  1
ORA-00001: unique constraint (DW2.TEST_PK01) violated                  1Still OK
*5. Attempt to violate the PK with a select and an append hint:*
SQL>INSERT /*+ APPEND */ INTO test
  2    (col1
  3    )
  4    (select 1 from dual)
  5  LOG ERRORS INTO test_errors
  6  REJECT LIMIT UNLIMITED;
INSERT /*+ APPEND */ INTO test
ERROR at line 1:
ORA-00001: unique constraint (DW2.TEST_PK01) violated
SQL>SELECT ORA_ERR_MESG$
  2        ,col1 col_1
  3  FROM test_errors;
ORA_ERR_MESG$                                                          COL_1
ORA-00001: unique constraint (DW2.TEST_PK01) violated                  1
ORA-00001: unique constraint (DW2.TEST_PK01) violated                  1
ORA-00001: unique constraint (DW2.TEST_PK01) violated                  1Now I get an error instead of a logged exception
I've reproduced this on 11.2.0.1.0 & 10.2.0.4.0, both running on windows
SQL>select * from v$version;
BANNER
Oracle Database 11g Enterprise Edition Release 11.2.0.1.0 - 64bit Production
PL/SQL Release 11.2.0.1.0 - Production
CORE    11.2.0.1.0      Production
TNS for 64-bit Windows: Version 11.2.0.1.0 - Production
NLSRTL Version 11.2.0.1.0 - ProductionThe Oracle Knowledge Base is timing out on me at the moment ...
Thank you for taking the time to have a look.
Ben

Answer 1

user503699 wrote:
bencol wrote:
The Oracle Knowledge Base is timing out on me at the moment ...
Thank you for taking the time to have a look.In the case, where you do a "INSERT /*+ APPEND */..VALUES", the hint is ignored as it is not valid (till 10gR2 atleast).
That statement is executed as conventional INSERT and hence you get error logging. When you do "INSERT /*+ APPEND */...SELECT", oracle attempts to use direct path insert and reports error, ignoring the LOG ERRORS clause, as mentioned in the documentation.11g has introduced an APPEND_VALUES hint to enable direct-path to work with "INSERT INTO...VALUES" syntax.
What do you get when you use APPEND_VALUES hint, in place of APPEND in your INSERT INTO...VALUES example?