ANSI std not supported

Hi all, the query

select count(*) from TABLE1 A LEFT OUTER JOIN TABLE2 b
on a.ID1 = b.ID2;

is the ANSI SQL standard for outer join - why do I get a
ERROR at line 1:
ORA-00933: SQL command not properly ended

Do I have to install any specific ANSI support for Oracle ?
(Like that for English query support on SQL Server)

I am using Oracle 8.1.6 on Solaris.

Thanks,
Shiva.

[Edited by rshivagami on 03-28-2002 at 11:49 AM]

In Oracle 8.1.6 ANSI standards for OUTER/INNER JOIN in "from" doesn't work.

If it is not supported, then do I have any work around here - I want to write one single query which is compatible with both Oracle & SQL Server databases.

Thanks,
Shiva.

Where can I find any document on the list of ANSI SQL command formats supported by Oracle 8i ? I searched for it in technet.oracle.com, but found it only for 9i..

Shiva.

Is UNION clause the only way out for outer joins?

Shiva.

You can use the (+) operator for outer join in 8i:

select count(*) from TABLE1 a, TABLE2 b
where a.ID1 = b.ID2(+);

Oracle 9i supports the ANSI standard n this regard.