Select count into versus create table as in functions/procedures

Question

I am working on a dynamic PL/SQL script that will count the number of records in a remote database
based on certain criteria and then if the number is "acceptable" will create a table in the connecting
database with those records.
My where clauses are supposed to be the same but I am presented with the problem, when I run the
first code ... select in to rowcount I get 122000 records, when I later do the create table as
with the same whereclause code, I get 77 records. So now I am attempting to validate that the two
where clauses are the same ... you'd think it would be obvious, but it's not.
My first operation does a select count(*) into rowcount with the where clause behind it.
The second operations creates a "sql command literal' that gets executed and returns the less value.
I build it like testscript := 'create table '||tablename ||'as select * from '||remotetablename||'@'||linkname;
testwhere := ' xxxxxxx'
then I do an execute immediate teststring ||' ' testwhere; which works but gives me 77 rows in the table.
Since I believe my where clause might be different, how can I run the first operation ... select count into rowcount
as a normal SQL statement in the script...
When I attempt to just run it I get -- PLS-00428: an into clause expected in this select statement......
I will provide the source code in my next posting. Working to get it moved to this system.. Once you see it you'll understand
why I don't think, it's the same, but I need a way to run them exactly as they are written to understand the different results.
so How can I make the select count (*) into rowcount from .... work just like a normal select

Answer 1

Here is first part of the procedure --- I get returned value of 122000 records ....
SELECT COUNT (*)
               INTO ROWCOUNT
               FROM A_K_A_D_TBL@FCA08_INGRES
               WHERE (( "a_" = '1' OR "a_" = '6' ) AND
                         ( "d_t" <> '3' OR "k_c_s" = 'Y' ) AND
                         "d_d" < DATECUTOFFDATE AND
                    "k_c_d" < DATECUTOFFDATE )OR
(( "a_" = 4 OR "a_" = 7 ) AND
                         ( "d_t" <> '3' OR
"k_c_s" = 'Y' OR
"r_t" = '0' OR
                    "r_t" = '2' OR
               "r_t" = '3' ) AND
                    "d_d" < DATECUTOFFDATE AND
                    "k_c_d" < DATECUTOFFDATE AND
                    "r_d" < DATECUTOFFDATE AND
                    "s_d" < DATECUTOFFDATE);
then I attempt to duplicate it for string literals.... when this runs ... I get only 77 records. So that makes me think that my strings are not
done properly.
So I want to try to run the first sql itself ... but then I get the errors about needing select into ..... etc..
               TESTWHERE := q'[WHERE (( "a_" = '1' OR "a_" = '6' ) AND ( "d_t" <> '3' OR "k_c_s" = 'Y' )]'||
          q'[ AND "d_d" < DATE ']'||TO_CHAR(DATECUTOFFDATE,'YYYY-MM-DD')||q'[']'||
                         q'[ AND "k_c_d" < DATE ']'||TO_CHAR(DATECUTOFFDATE,'YYYY-MM-DD')||q'[')]'||
                         q'[ OR (( "a_" = 4 OR "a_" = 7 )]'||
                         q'[ AND ( "d_t" <> '3' OR "k_c_s" = 'Y' OR "r_t" = '0' OR "r_t" = '2' OR "r_t" = '3' )]'||
                         q'[ AND "d_d" < DATE ']'||TO_CHAR(DATECUTOFFDATE,'YYYY-MM-DD')||q'[']'||
                         q'[ AND "k_c_d" < DATE ']'||TO_CHAR(DATECUTOFFDATE,'YYYY-MM-DD')||q'[']'||
                         q'[ AND "r_d" < DATE ']'||TO_CHAR(DATECUTOFFDATE,'YYYY-MM-DD')||q'[']'||
                         q'[ AND "s_d" < DATE ']'||TO_CHAR(DATECUTOFFDATE,'YYYY-MM-DD')||q'[')]';
                    TESTSTRING := 'CREATE TABLE '||UCASEXTABLENAMETEMP||' AS SELECT * FROM '||UCASEXTABLENAME||'@'||XLINKNAME;
                    DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE(TESTSTRING);
                    DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE(TESTWHERE);
                    EXECUTE IMMEDIATE TESTSTRING||' '||TESTWHERE;