Re: Storing Moderate Size Free Form Text

Ed,

I haven't used Oracle 8 -- yet -- but I developed an application several years ago used a varchar2 to hold the name of a text file. We used Oracle as a big table of contents into the text database.

This is pretty much what CLOBs do, except they are integrated into the database. I think you will find them a far better solution than using LONGs.

Okay, now that we figured out how to store and access the text the question is how to you search it. I would recommend a two part solution. Part one, acquire a utility package that includes the UNIX grep command. Part two, write a friendly front end to grep using C, Perl, or whatever. (If you are not familiar with UNIX grep will search one or more files in a directory and display the filename and the contents of any line containing a match to your search argument.)

Jerry

Ed Jennings wrote (in part):

But now I'm beginning to
> look into CLOBs in Oracle8. Does anyone have any experience using
> CLOBs?. Are they a little easier to use than LONGs? Do they allow wild
> card searches? Should I stick with varchar2? Does anyone have any
> other advice they can offer?
>
> All guidance is appreciated.
> --
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Ed Jennings
> Database Engineer
> Domain technologies, Inc.
> e.jennings_at_domain-tech.com
>
> The opinions expressed are my own and not those of Domain technologies.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Received on Fri Dec 19 1997 - 00:00:00 CST