Issues about statistics

[landinim]

I updated statistics for tables in my database with the statement
analyze table 'TABLE_NAME' compute statistics for all columns.
With some disappointment I noted that some fields, like EMPTY_BLOCKS, AVG_SPACE where not updated. I deleted the statistics with the statement analyze table 'TABLE_NAME' delete statistics and, afterwards, I am no more able to recreate the statistics. Has anyone any hints?
Moreover how can I update the statistics for EMPTY_BLOCKS and AVG_SPACE?
Thanks.
Marta

[davey23uk]

why cant you create statistics anymore - and you dont mention what version you are on

[slimdave]

Have you used DBMS_Stats.Gather_Table_Stats? It's what you should be using anyway.

[landinim]

I am using Oracle 9.0.2 and when I say I can no more create statistics I mean that fields in public.user_tables are kept null.
After using DBMS_Stats.Gather_table_stats, statistics are updated, expecially fields like num_rows and blocks, but fields like empty_blocks and avg_space are set = 0. Somewhere I read that it should be used analyze in order to update these fields, but I tried with no success.
Thanks.

[davey23uk]

why do you care though? dbms_stats.gather_table_stats is what you should use. Let it do its work

[landinim]

I am looking for a tool to use in order to monitor the space used by tables and I thought that dbms_stats.gather_table_stats was the right one, but seeing empty_blocks always set = 0 doesn't let me do any evaluation

[davey23uk]

dba_segments is what you want then, that is the only real indication of how much space a table is taking