Re: utl_file: to fflush or not to fflush?

The package utl_file exists to write text to file, not for handling binary data.

The following is an extract from the definition of the PUT procedure in the script creating the utl_file package:

  /*
  ** PUT - Put (write) text to file
  **
        etc.

You should also note that the definition of the PUT procedure is:

  PROCEDURE put(file IN file_type,

                buffer IN VARCHAR2);

There is no version of PUT which takes a RAW as a parameter.

If you want to write BLOBs, you could start by getting Thomas Kyte's book:

    Expert one-on-one: Oracle
    Wrox Press.

Chapter 18 shows how to do this with C
external procedures, and Chapter 19 does it with Java.

--
Jonathan Lewis
http://www.jlcomp.demon.co.uk

Host to The Co-Operative Oracle Users' FAQ
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Author of:
Practical Oracle 8i: Building Efficient Databases

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Joost Mulders wrote in message <3BE05033.9832EF95_at_j-mulders.demon.nl>...


>> > I am having a hard time with the code below (8.1.5, solaris). If the

blob being put is > 32768, then the produced filesize is always 32768. The
fflush in the loop is needed to write out the complete file. I think that's
not what's documented.


>

>It's even worse! The code (with fflush) does not work. fflush generates an

exception 'write error' while flushing the second buffer of 32K. This means
that utl_file.put cannot be used for writing more then 32k of binary data!


>

>utl_file.put_line IS able to write more then 32k of data. Of course it puts

a carriage return after each buffer, which defeats the purpose writing of
binary data.


>

>I do not agree with the statement that utl_file is not intended for writing

binary data. utl_file.put is IMHO created for that purpose. My idea for
writing blobs with utl_file is from an Oracle whitepaper about blobs in 8i.
So, even someone within Oracle thinks it is suitable. Unfortunately, the
given example wrote only about 1040 bytes of data, thereby giving the
assumption that .put can be used for writing binary data AND hiding a bug.
That's mean.


>