creating a text file from the contents of the database?

please help!!

i'm working on a project right now using Oracle Forms 6.0 and Oracle9i.

after i create a record and save the data in the table, how can i generate/create a text file of that particular record? i need this text file in order to run it in another computer and upload the data in the text file to another database (also Oracle).

i will also need to create the text file for multiple records.

can someone help me please?? i read something about SELECT INTO OUTFILE... how exactly does this work?Hello,

use UTL_FILE package to spool records into a file via PL/SQL.
In AlligatorSQL you can use a template "How to spool a ...".

See at http://www.alligatorsql.com/download/alligator116.zip

But if you wish I can post an example again (it has been already posted in this forum)

Hope that helps ?

Manfred Peter
(Alligator Compay Software GmbH)
http://www.alligatorsql.com|||oh i see! thanks, i found the thread on extracting. will post again if i have any problems!|||sir manfred,

would it be possible to use TEXT_IO instead of UTL_FILE? Oracle Forms does not have the UTL_FILE package. i had a bit of difficulty following your examples (sorry!) as i am just a beginner with pl/sql.

this is what i have to do:
- save the information that was entered in Oracle Forms (this is finished)
- when a button is pressed, update the REQUEST_SENT flag and create the text file (of that same form which was just saved)

This is what i have done so far:

/*WHEN-BUTTON-PRESSED trigger*/

DECLARE

CURSOR cuProcess IS
SELECT *
FROM SIR
WHERE SIR_TRANS_NO = :SIR.SIR_TRANS_NO and SIR_COMPANY = :SIR.SIR_COMPANY;

rProcess cuProcess%ROWTYPE;
cOut VARCHAR2(2000);

N_FILE VARCHAR2(2000);

BEGIN

UPDATE SIR
SET SIR_REQUEST_SENT = 'Y'
WHERE SIR_TRANS_NO = :SIR.SIR_TRANS_NO AND SIR_COMPANY = :SIR.SIR_COMPANY;
COMMIT;

OPEN cuProcess;
FETCH cuProcess INTO rProcess;

WHILE cuProcess%FOUND LOOP
FETCH cuProcess INTO rProcess;

cOut := rProcess.SIR_TRANS_NO || ';'
|| rProcess.SIR_COMPANY || ';'
|| rProcess.SIR_PROJECT || ';'
|| rProcess.SIR_APPL || ';'
|| rProcess.SIR_BUS_FUN || ';'
|| rProcess.SIR_REPORTED_BY || ';'
|| rProcess.SIR_HANDLED_BY || ';'
|| rProcess.SIR_PHASE || ';'
|| rProcess.SIR_TYPE || ';'
|| rProcess.SIR_CAUSE || ';'
|| rProcess.SIR_CLASSIFICATION || ';'
|| rProcess.SIR_DESCRIPTION || ';'
|| rProcess.SIR_REASON || ';'
|| rProcess.SIR_REMARKS || ';'
|| rProcess.SIR_STATUS || ';'
|| rProcess.SIR_REQUEST_DATE || ';'
|| rProcess.SIR_RECEIVED_DATE || ';'
|| rProcess.SIR_START_DATE || ';'
|| rProcess.SIR_CLOSE_DATE || ';'
|| rProcess.SIR_TARGET_DATE || ';'
|| rProcess.SIR_ESTIMATED_MANHRS || ';'
|| rProcess.SIR_ACTUAL_MANHRS || ';'
|| rProcess.SIR_BILLABLE_MANHRS || ';'
||rProcess.SIR_ATTACHMENT || ';'
|| rProcess.SIR_REQUEST_SENT;
END LOOP BeginLoop;

CLOSE cuProcess;

CREATE_TEXT('filename', cOut);

EXCEPTION
WHEN OTHERS THEN
IF cuProcess%ISOPEN THEN
CLOSE cuProcess;
END IF;

END;

then i have a simple procedure that creates the text file:

PROCEDURE CREATE_TEXT (pfilename IN VARCHAR2, selected IN VARCHAR2) IS

N_FILE text_io.file_type;

BEGIN
N_FILE := TEXT_IO.FOPEN(pfilename||'.TXT', 'W');
TEXT_IO.PUT_LINE(N_FILE, selected);
TEXT_IO.FCLOSE(N_FILE);

END;

my problem is that i have to press the button twice for the update to happen. is there another way that i can first update SIR_REQUEST_SENT and then use a cursor to SELECT * ?
also, after the text file is created, how can i load it using sqlloader?

also, how can i specify the path where the text file will be saved? the TEXT_IO.FOPEN accepts only 2 parameters, the filename and the mode unlike UTL_FILE.FOPEN

i appreciate the help! thanks again!|||Hello,

sorry, but I am not so familiar with Oracle forms. But I know, that you can call PL/SQL routines from Forms.

Sorry again.

Manfred Peter
(Alligator Company Software GmbH)
http://www.alligatorsql.com