Re: BFILE & BLOB question (Binary file from the client machine)

Great. That was a good explanation. Thanks.

My question still remains.
Isn't there a better way to transfer the file to Oracle server than copying the file to the server manually first and then link it to the database with the BFILE.

In a typical client/server environment, I will have the binary file on the client side and I may want to just transfer the file to the Oracle database. For example, The client may be entering personal information about a new empployee and the photograph (the binary file) will be available
on the client machine. Isn't there a way in Oracle to put it into the database. (It can still go and put it in the specified directory on the server and keep a link to that in the table).

-Noel

vslabs_at_onwe.co.za (Billy Verreynne) wrote in message news:<3c8d9d32.63176479_at_news.saix.net>...
> noelp1_at_hotmail.com (Noel P) wrote:
>
> [I do not appreciate crosspostings - all other newsgroups snipped from
> this reply posting]
>
> >Now, I have read a lot on BLOB/BFILE etc. If I use a BFILE, it talks
> >about creating logical directory and stuff, but not clear on whether
> >the file should be in a directory on the server or client.
>
> On the server.
>
> You create a directory on the server. You put the files there.
>
> In Oracle, you create a directory object pointing to that directory
> with files. IMPORTANT. Make sure that the operating system user in
> which Oracle runs, has read (optionally write) permission on that
> directory and its files.
>
> The BFILE column contains a file pointer/handle to the file in that
> directory object. The contents of that file is NOT stored in the BFILE
> column - it is just a filename handle.
>
> To insert a file handle into a bfile column:
> INSERT INTO foo
> ( picture_name, jpeg_file )
> VALUES
> ( 'kitty', BFILENAME( 'JPEG_DIR', 'kitty.jpg' ) );
>
> Where JPEG_DIR is the directory object.
>
> >2. Now, how can I extract the file from the database to a local
> >directory, again on the client.
>
> The simplest way is via a PL/SQL wrapper containing code like this:
> // you select the BFILE column into the variable fil
>
> // you change get the physical filename for the BFILE variable
> dbms_lob.FileGetName( fil, dname, fname );
>
> // you can check if it exists
> i := dbms_lob.FileExists( fil );
> if i = 0 then
> raise_application_error( blah blah file does not exist )
> end if;
>
> // you can open the file
> dbms_lob.FileOpen(fil, dbms_lob.file_readonly);
>
> // you can check the size of the file
> i := dbms_lob.getlength(fil);
>
> // you can read the contents of the file into a
> // buffer using a start pointer and number of
> // bytes to read (ie. just like a BLOCKREAD() call
> // in C++, Pascal, whatever)
> dbms_lob.read(fil, i, 1, buf);
>
> // you can close the file
> dbms_lob.fileclose(fil);
>
> // and you can type cast the raw buffer read into
> // a varchar2 - assuming of course you have read
> // a text file (just be wary of the max size of
> // a varchar2 here)
> memo := sys.utl_raw.cast_to_varchar2(buf);
>
>
> Now you know how BFILES work. Right? ;-)
Received on Tue Mar 12 2002 - 13:07:38 CST