Left Join Quick Report Error

The problem is that you have mixed ANSI join and Oracle joins in a way so that the SQL is invalid.

If you want to do it only with ANSI join I guess it will look like this:

SELECT ifsapp.operation_history.part_no,
       ifsapp.operation_history.order_no
FROM ifsapp.operation_history
INNER JOIN ifsapp.inventory_part
ON ifsapp.inventory_part.part_no = ifsapp.operation_history.part_no
AND ifsapp.inventory_part.contract = ifsapp.operation_history.contract
LEFT OUTER JOIN ifsapp.shop_order_operation
ON ifsapp.operation_history.order_no = ifsapp.shop_order_operation.order_no
AND ifsapp.operation_history.release_no = ifsapp.shop_order_operation.release_no
AND ifsapp.operation_history.sequence_no = ifsapp.shop_order_operation.sequence_no
AND ifsapp.operation_history.operation_no = ifsapp.shop_order_operation.operation_no

Observe that I have used all keys between the views. Otherwise you might get duplicate records and worse performance.

Difference between ANSI joins and Oracle joins can you see here:

https://livesql.oracle.com/apex/livesql/file/tutorial_G00HFQ7L5MB5BJ2K9612EDNWB.html

One other thing, you mention that you need to do an LEFT OUTER JOIN because:

“I started trying to test the database tables individually, but I need a left join in order to filter the content in the operations_history down to the operations with the operation_description found in the shop_order_operations so that I can see that they are working.”

I really don’t understand the need, LEFT OUTER JOIN means in this SQL means that you get:

1. Records from OPERATION_HISTORY which has a record in SHOP_ORDER_OPERATION.
2. Records from OPERATION_HISTORY where you do not have a record in SHOP_ORDER_OPERATION.

Is that the intended behavior? If 2 is not needed do an INNER JOIN instead.