In Oracle, the full text search syntax of [Contains operator](http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/B14117_01/text.101/b10730/csql.htm#i997503) is:

```
 CONTAINS(
          [schema.]column,
          text_query    VARCHAR2
          [,label       NUMBER]) RETURN NUMBER;

```

which means the text\_query can not be more than 4000 characters long or an error will occur. I repeatedly have text\_query longer than 4000 characters long in many cases. How would you, as an Oracle expert, suggest to get around such limitation if possible?

To further clarify the situation in which 4000 is easily reached is that if you combine many [Contains Query Operators](http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/B10501_01/text.920/a96518/cqoper.htm) to construct your text\_query, it is quite possible to exceed such 4000 characters limitation.