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Try creating the following table using SQLPlus Worksheet.

create table atable (

aint integer

);

You will get this error:

SP2-0734: unknown command beginning "aint integ..." - rest of line ignored.

It thinks "aint integer" is a new command. What is the problem? Repeat this test using SQLPlus at a prompt:

SQL> create table atable
2 (
3
SQL>

The blank line stops the statement.

This doesn't apply to all statements, but it does apply to select/insert/update/delete queries. It doesn't apply to creating procedures:

SQL> CREATE OR REPLACE PROCEDURE MyProc
2
3 AS
4
5 BEGIN
6
7 NULL;
8
9 END;
10 /

Procedure created.

At first I just made the blank lines a comment:

create table atable (
--
aint integer
--
);

Table created.

But eventually I took a closer look and arrived at the correct solution. Here it is.

set sqlblanklines on;

SQL> create table atable
2 (
3
4 aint integer
5
6 );

Table created.

Its just a little SQLPlus foible.

If you see something similar and you aren't using blank lines, see if you're using any special symbols and look at "set sqlprefix" instead.

So what should we do?
1. Put in comments to avoid the blank lines.
2. Use something other than sqlplus.
3. Explicitly set blanklines on at the top of your statement.