PL/SQL: Sending output to a text file possible ?

From: Atif Ahmad Khan <aak2_at_Ra.MsState.Edu>
Date: 1997/04/16
Message-ID: <5j293n$ceo$1@NNTP.MsState.Edu>#1/1

I am writing a procedure that queries a few few tables and then uses the if-then-else statements to get some answers and output the data in html format. I ran into buffer overflow problems when I tried to use the dbms_output.put_line. Does anybody know how to handle this problem ?

I would be happier if someone told me to how to do this in SQL:

From table products (manufacturer, product). A sql statement that gets me the following output :

---

Sony

21" Trinitron TV
Discman
Clock-Radio

Hitachi

Boom Box
31" TV
Mx 133 laptop

---

I know how to do this in PL/SQL, but PL/SQL has severe I/O limitations. The best I have been able to do is :

Sony	21" Trinitron TV
	Discman
	Clock-Radio

.
.

by using the following SQL code :

spool output.txt ;
break on manufacturer ;

select manufacturer, product from products order by manufacturer ;

I would appreciate any hints.

Thanks.

Atif Khan
aak2_at_ra.msstate.edu Received on Wed Apr 16 1997 - 00:00:00 CDT