About range partition

Question

Dear Friends ,
I am using Oracle10g . I have to create a range partition like below :
CREATE TABLE EMP
EMPNO NUMBER(4),
ENAME VARCHAR2(10 BYTE),
JOB VARCHAR2(9 BYTE),
MGR NUMBER(4),
HIREDATE DATE,
SAL NUMBER(7,2),
COMM NUMBER(7,2),
DEPTNO NUMBER(2)
PARTITION BY RANGE(hiredate)
PARTITION emp_1980 VALUES LESS THAN(TO_DATE('31/12/1980','DD/MM/YYYY')) TABLESPACE USERS,
PARTITION emp_1981 VALUES LESS THAN(TO_DATE('31/12/1981','DD/MM/YYYY')) TABLESPACE USERS,
PARTITION emp_1982 VALUES LESS THAN(TO_DATE('31/12/1982','DD/MM/YYYY')) TABLESPACE USERS,
PARTITION emp_1987 VALUES LESS THAN(TO_DATE('31/12/1987','DD/MM/YYYY')) TABLESPACE USERS
But the problem is :
1) if any input data is not match with the above criteria then where it goes ? i mean , the data which dont follow the above rule which partition it goes ? is there any way to set DEFAULT partition option in the range partition ?
I only find the DEFAULT option in LIST partition
2) Barring this , when I add a new partition with the above then it shows the below error :
alter table emp add partition emp.emp_1988 VALUES LESS THAN(TO_DATE('31/12/1988','DD/MM/YYYY')) TABLESPACE USERS
Error :
"ORA-14020: this physical attribute may not be specified for a table partition" ,
Would anybody plz help me , How can I solve the above problems ?

Answer 1

Range Partitioning provides for a range of values. Therefore, any value higher than the maximum value provided in your partition definitions would fail. Thus, for example, 01/01/1988 and above would error. That is why Range Partitioning allows you to specify a "highest" values possible where you say "values less than (MAXVALUE)". Therefore, if you had included an "emp_maxvalue" partition with "values less than (MAXVALUE)" after the "emp_1987" partition, any value for 1988 or higher would go into the emp_maxvalue partition.
{ Since there is no minvalue specified, a value of, say, 01/06/1979 would go into the "emp_1980" partition as it is "less than (01/01/1980)" ! }
Again, as Partitioning is a Range of Dates, you cannot add a partition. You have to SPLIT a partition. For example, if you had an "emp_maxvalue" partition present, in order to create the emp_1988 partition, you would SPLIT "emp_maxvalue" into two partitions : emp_1988 and emp_maxvalue.
Please read the documentation on Partition Maintenance in the Administrator's Guide.
Hemant K Chitale
http://hemantoracledba.blogspot.com