Creating a CSV file from oracle 10g database

Question
QUESTION: I am using oracle 10g with unix server,what i need is to export the database into
a CSV file and that file must store on server.i want to do it using packages,canyou help me out
and send some demo code if possible.
I would be grateful for your quick response.

ANSWER: Good day Amit,

I have been using this code created by Mark Powell to generate CSV file from Oracle table.

This technique cannot be used against columns of BLOB, CLOB, and LONG columns.

********************************************
Code Start Here
********************************************
set echo off
rem
rem SQL*Plus script to create comma delimited output file from table
rem
rem 20000614 Mark D Powell Automate commonly done task
rem
set pagesize 0
set verify off
set feedback off
set linesize 130
accept owner prompt 'Enter table owner => '
accept tblname prompt 'Enter table name => '
spool csv2.sql

select 'select ' from sys.dual;

select decode(column_id,1,column_name,
'||'',''||'||column_name)
from sys.dba_tab_columns
where table_name = upper('&&tblname')
and owner = upper('&&owner')
order by column_id;
select 'from &&owner..&&tblname;'
from sys.dual;
spool off
undefine owner
undefine tblname

This code produces screen output like:

UT1> @csv
Enter table owner => mpowel01
Enter table name => emp
select
EMPNO
||','||ENAME
||','||JOB
||','||MGR
||','||HIREDATE
||','||SAL
||','||COMM
||','||DEPTNO
from mpowel01.emp;

This output is stored in the file csv2.sql which in turn produces a file with contents like:
UT1> @csv2
7369,SMITH,CLERK,7902,17-DEC-80,800,,20
7499,ALLEN,SALESMAN,7698,20-FEB-81,1600,300,30
7521,WARD,SALESMAN,7698,22-FEB-81,1250,500,30
7566,JONES,MANAGER,7839,02-APR-81,2975,,20

********************************************
Code End Here
********************************************

This can be embedded in within PL/SQL to perform a batch extract.

**This is a sample code, minor adjustment may require for different environment **

Hope this helps. Please don't hesitate to contact if you shall have any questions. I am happy
to help.

Cheers
Elliot

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks Elliot for reply,your solution is fine but it won't solve my
problem,because here you are using unix to create CSV file,but i require that the CSV file will
be created by oracle package(i.e. UTL_FILE)on unix server.
please reply if can help me out THANKS.

ANSWER: Good day,

Tom Kyte has provided a very good example in how to perform the extract using PL/SQL that
calls the UTL_FILE.

Here is the code that he provided in the forum. If you need more detail, go to
http://asktom.oracle.com/pls/asktom/f?p=100:11:0::::P11_QUESTION_ID:68212348056

Hope it helps, please me know if you have any additional questions.

Cheers
Elliot

------------------------------------------
Start here
------------------------------------------
You Asked

How can i extract data from flat file to oracle table

with plsql ?

and we said...

I'd probably use sqlplus myself (see;

http://asktom.oracle.com/~tkyte/flat/index.html

for some tools).

PL/SQL can do it, it might look like:

create or replace function dump_csv( p_query in varchar2,

p_separator in varchar2
default ',',
p_dir in varchar2 ,
p_filename in varchar2 )
return number
AUTHID CURRENT_USER
is
l_output utl_file.file_type;
l_theCursor integer default dbms_sql.open_cursor;
l_columnValue varchar2(2000);
l_status integer;
l_colCnt number default 0;
l_separator varchar2(10) default '';
l_cnt number default 0;
begin
l_output := utl_file.fopen( p_dir, p_filename, 'w' );

dbms_sql.parse( l_theCursor, p_query, dbms_sql.native );

for i in 1 .. 255 loop

begin
dbms_sql.define_column( l_theCursor, i,
l_columnValue, 2000 );
l_colCnt := i;
exception
when others then
 if ( sqlcode = -1007 ) then exit;
else
raise;
end if;
end;
end loop;

dbms_sql.define_column( l_theCursor, 1, l_columnValue,

2000 );

l_status := dbms_sql.execute(l_theCursor);

loop
exit when ( dbms_sql.fetch_rows(l_theCursor) <= 0 );
l_separator := '';
for i in 1 .. l_colCnt loop
dbms_sql.column_value( l_theCursor, i,
l_columnValue );
utl_file.put( l_output, l_separator ||
l_columnValue );
l_separator := p_separator;
end loop;
utl_file.new_line( l_output );
l_cnt := l_cnt+1;
end loop;
dbms_sql.close_cursor(l_theCursor);

utl_file.fclose( l_output );
return l_cnt;
end dump_csv;
/

You would use that for example like this:

create or replace procedure test_dump_csv

as
l_rows number;
begin
l_rows := dump_csv( 'select *
from all_users
where rownum < 25',
',', '/tmp', 'test.dat' );
end;
/

Make sure to read about the INIT.ORA parameters (utl_file_dir) you need to setup !!!

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End Here
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---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: thanks elliot,I used your code as it is,but i am getting some errors as follows:-
BEGIN test_dump_csv; END;

ERROR at line 1:
ORA-29280: invalid directory path
ORA-06512: at "SYS.UTL_FILE", line 33
ORA-06512: at "SYS.UTL_FILE", line 436
ORA-06512: at "PMSFINAL.DUMP_CSV", line 17
ORA-06512: at "PMSFINAL.TEST_DUMP_CSV", line 5
ORA-06512: at line 1

may be i have to set some parameters, but i m not sure.so please help, I am waiting for your
response thankfully.

Answer
Hi

It looks like the Oracle cannot access the directory specified due to the following:

1. Oracle does not have the permission to access the specified directory
2. The directory object is not created or it is not created using SYS account.
3. If you are not using directory object, then you are probably using UTL_FILE_DIR
parameter in which is not set in the init.ora file.

Check out those three possibilities, if it is not, send me a copy of your code, i can look into a
little bit more for you.

Cheers
Elliot