Re: Exporting data from Oracle to other DBMSs

"Mike Kohut, NorthwesTel" (mkohutnw_at_yknet.yk.ca) writes:
> aa937_at_FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Noreen Dertinger) wrote:

>> Can one export data from Oracle, in comma delimited format, or any other
>> way so that the files can be used by other popular database programs, such
>> as DBase 4.  Can Oracle database files be converted into the MARC format?
>> I would like to find out what other database formats Oracle
>> can export to? 

> I don't think that any major RDBMS can read or write the native
> files of another RDMBS. However, in any database, you should
> have commands or tools which allow you to write data into ASCII
> format, either in fixed columns or delimited format. You can do
> this in Oracle by writing small procedures in SQL*Plus, or using
> SQL*ReportWriter without the usual page headings and page breaks.
> Once you have an ASCII file, you should be able to read it into
> any other RDBMS.

***more stuff deleted***

Thanks for the help so far. Just to clarify, I didn't expect one major DBMS to directly be able to read the format of another one. But what I need to know is whether, once I have followed a procedure such as the one outlined above, there are any significant difficulties with importing it into, for example, dBase 4.0 in a manner where someone who has dBase 4.0 would not have to go to a lot of work, or purchase additional tools, that would make the data work properly.

The DBMS I use lets me write ASCII comma delimited files but then dBase4.0 still can't import the data. So if anyone has actually prepared the files in Oracle, with an SQL procedure or otherwise, and been able to manipulate the files satisfactorily in another RDBMS I would appreciate knowing how it worked out.

Noreen

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