Re: using sql*loader from pl/sql

Prem K Mehrotra wrote:
> DA Morgan <damorgan_at_x.washington.edu> wrote in message news:<1100759368.620747_at_yasure>...
>

>>Howard J. Rogers wrote:
>>
>>
>>>And where do you think this index will reside? In another text file? Or 
>>>inside the database.... and if inside the database, what is the point of 
>>>trying to keep the data itself OUT of the database?!
>>>
>>>Whatever...
>>>
>>>HJR
>>
>>Not to mention the concept of having a rowid that points to a particular
>>block in a particular data file would have no meaning.

It uses the SQL Loader API to read a text file, and parse it into something that looks like a table. No rowids involved.

> I think it will be nice to have some indexes,

Yes, we know you think that. What Daniel and I have tried to point out, however, is first the practical difficulties. And, rather more important, the logical silliness of the idea. If you want something inside the database, bring it inside the database. If you want to keep it outside the database, keep it outside the database. But what you want is some in, some out.

If what you are really saying is: 'I'd like some way of speeding up access to the external data', then say that. It's quite understandable, and a perfectly logical request to make. But don't couch that in physical/design terms ("I want indexes") that make no logical sense.

You can actually speed up the process of querying an external table by parallelizing the select, with a degree of parallelization that is independent of the number of text files being accessed.

> One can ofcourse use
> regular tables,

Precisely.

> but then again I have not found many uses of one time
> external table access.

In data cleansing exercises, very common.

HJR Received on Fri Nov 19 2004 - 16:19:08 CST