Re: Use of the UTL_FILE.FOPEN (..)

This is an overloaded function. It can take 3 or 4 parameters. From the file $ORACLE_HOME/rdbms/admin/utlfile.sql:

   /* FOPEN - open file (no maximum line size)

• This version of FOPEN does not take a parameter for the maximum line
• size. Thus, the default (which is 1023 on most systems) will be used.
• To specify a different max line size, use the version of FOPEN found at
• the end of this package (located there for compatibility reasons).
  **
  
• As of 8.0.6, you can have a maximum of 50 files open simultaneously.
  **
  
• IN
• location - directory location of file
• filename - file name (including extention)
• open_mode - open mode ('r', 'w', 'a')
• RETURN
• file_type handle to open file
• EXCEPTIONS
• invalid_path - file location or name was invalid
• invalid_mode - the open_mode string was invalid
• invalid_operation - file could not be opened as requested */ FUNCTION fopen(location IN VARCHAR2, filename IN VARCHAR2, open_mode IN VARCHAR2) RETURN file_type; PRAGMA RESTRICT_REFERENCES(fopen, WNDS, RNDS);

and further down ...

   /*

• FOPEN - open file (user-specified maximum line size)
  **
  
• This version of FOPEN allows the user to specify the desired maximum
• line size. The version with the default line size is earlier in this
• package, for compatibility reasons.
  **
  
• As of 8.0.6, you can have a maximum of 50 files open simultaneously.
  **
  
• IN
• location - directory location of file
• filename - file name (including extention)
• open_mode - open mode ('r', 'w', 'a')
• max_linesize - maximum number of characters per line, including the
• newline character, for this file.
• (minimum value 1, maximum value 32767)
• RETURN
• file_type handle to open file
• EXCEPTIONS
• invalid_path - file location or name was invalid
• invalid_mode - the open_mode string was invalid
• invalid_operation - file could not be opened as requested
• invalid_maxlinesize - specified max_linesize is too large or too small */ FUNCTION fopen(location IN VARCHAR2, filename IN VARCHAR2, open_mode IN VARCHAR2, max_linesize IN BINARY_INTEGER) RETURN file_type; PRAGMA RESTRICT_REFERENCES(fopen, WNDS, RNDS);

--
Ron Reidy
Oracle DBA

C Chang wrote:
> Does this function need three or four paramters?  According to Oracle
> Doc, it takes 3, somehow our old code can take the fourth paramters -
> filesize limit, and it works.  Anyone know why?
> 
> C Chang