Re: Long column - ok to use it???

Steve Perry <dpsmp_at_ix.netcom.com> wrote:
>I have a SQL Server db that stores spreadsheet images in a column. I'm now
>converting it to an Oracle 7 db on NT. The conversion (Erwin) changed the
>Oracle column to a Long datatype. I was told not to use Long types if all
>possible and that I can't export an import this data. I've never read
>this, but the person telling me was an Oracle consultant. Can someone
>clear this up for me. BTW, I have been thinking of storing the column as a
>path to a spreadsheet rather than storing the file which would be faster
>for opening and saving.
>

Longs do have their advantages as well as drawbacks. You should be able to use the long columns and still be able to export and import with no trouble. What you can't do is move the data around using SQL. For example, you can not do an "insert into ... select * from... " from a table with a long datatype field in it. I have used longs for years and import/export works fine to backup/restore/move tables. I have also used the trick of pointing to the actual file by storing its path in the database. The main thing to be careful of there is that if the file gets deleted or changed or moved to another path, then the database will be out of sync and the spreadsheet will not be available. Your application code must make sure they stay in sync. Good Luck,
Bill Allaway Received on Wed Oct 25 1995 - 00:00:00 CET