Using ORACLE as a data repository

What I am trying to do is use Oracle to store/retrieve various C data structures which look something like:

	struct x {
		struct_y y1;
		struct_y y2;
		enum_type type;
		union {
			struct_x1 x1;
			struct_x2 x2;
		}
	}

I looked into actually using sql to create tables to store each of the structures in, but since I never want to use sql queries on the data, it seems like I'd waste space specifying all the fields- for unions and pointers- when I don't even need them. Has anyone had any experience with storing various data structures using the ROW format? Does that work with pointers? Is that the right way to go about it? Any ideas about a different way are also welcome!

					Margaret
					(mgg_at_cs.purdue.edu)