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Description

The ORA-12899 error occurs when attempting to insert or update data into a column where the value exceeds the column's defined length. This typically happens during data loading or application updates.

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Error Message

ORA-12899: value too large for column string (actual: string , maximum: string )

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Known Causes

4 known causes

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Data Length Exceeds Limit

The data being inserted or updated is longer than the column's defined length, either in bytes or characters.

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Incorrect Data Type

The data type of the source and destination columns are incompatible, leading to truncation or data overflow.

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Character Set Mismatch

Differences in character sets between the source and destination databases can cause unexpected length increases.

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Application Logic Error

An error in the application code may be passing an incorrectly sized value to the database.

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Solutions

4 solutions available

1. Increase Column Size easy

Modify the table definition to allow larger values for the problematic column.

1

Identify the table and column causing the ORA-12899 error. The error message will explicitly state 'column string'.

2

Determine the new desired size for the column. Consider the maximum possible value that might be inserted.

3

Use the ALTER TABLE statement to modify the column's data type or size. For VARCHAR2, you can increase the size. For NUMBER, you might need to adjust precision and scale.

ALTER TABLE your_table_name MODIFY (your_column_name VARCHAR2(new_size));
-- Or for NUMBER:
-- ALTER TABLE your_table_name MODIFY (your_column_name NUMBER(new_precision, new_scale));

4

Re-run the operation that failed. If the data is still too large, you may need to further increase the size or investigate data truncation.

2. Truncate or Modify Incoming Data easy

Adjust the data being inserted or updated to fit within the existing column constraints.

1

Analyze the data that is causing the ORA-12899 error. Understand why it exceeds the column's maximum size.

2

If the data is not critical in its entirety, consider truncating it to fit. This can be done in your application logic or during the SQL INSERT/UPDATE statement.

INSERT INTO your_table_name (your_column_name) VALUES (SUBSTR('your_long_string', 1, column_max_size));
-- Or for updates:
UPDATE your_table_name SET your_column_name = SUBSTR('your_long_string', 1, column_max_size) WHERE ...;

3

If the data needs to be transformed or summarized, implement that logic before attempting to insert or update.

4

Ensure that the application inserting or updating the data is aware of the column's size limits and handles potential overflows gracefully.

3. Identify and Correct Data Source Issues medium

Investigate the origin of the oversized data and fix it at the source.

1

Determine which application, script, or process is inserting or updating the data that triggers the ORA-12899 error.

2

Examine the data generation or retrieval logic within that source. Look for potential reasons why excessively large values are being produced.

3

If the source system has its own data type limitations or configuration issues, address them there. For example, if a CSV file has a field that is unexpectedly large.

4

Modify the source system to ensure it generates or provides data that conforms to the expected size constraints of the Oracle database columns.

4. Use a Different Data Type (if applicable) advanced

Switch to a data type that can accommodate larger values if the current one is insufficient.

1

Understand the nature of the data being stored. Is it truly meant to be a string, or could it be represented more efficiently with a different data type?

2

If the data is numerical and exceeds VARCHAR2 limits, consider using a NUMBER data type with appropriate precision and scale. If it's very large text, consider CLOB or BLOB.

3

Backup your table before proceeding with data type changes.

4

Use ALTER TABLE to change the data type. This might require data conversion or careful planning, especially if the table is large or has dependencies.

ALTER TABLE your_table_name MODIFY (your_column_name CLOB); -- Or BLOB, or NUMBER with appropriate precision/scale

5

Test thoroughly after the data type change to ensure data integrity and application compatibility.

Oracle ORA-12899: Value Too Large