Read Text file into Oracle Reports

[Rishka]

Hello

I a newbie to Oracle Reports, our requirement is to write a report from
a text file on the UNIX box, not from a database table.
I have knowledge of PL/SQL, and the UTL_FILE ppackage to extract the
file data and manipulate it..
I would write a stored procedure for this, but our managers do not want
us to write this data to a table and read it from there...

Is it possible to extract data using PL/SQL from a text file into
Oracle Reports?

Please advise, or point me to the correct help..

Thanks
R

[GreyBeard]

On Thu, 17 Mar 2005 05:40:45 -0800, Rishka wrote:
Hello I a newbie to Oracle Reports, our requirement is to write a report from a text file on the UNIX box, not from a database table. I have knowledge of PL/SQL, and the UTL_FILE ppackage to extract the file data and manipulate it.. I would write a stored procedure for this, but our managers do not want us to write this data to a table and read it from there... Is it possible to extract data using PL/SQL from a text file into Oracle Reports? Please advise, or point me to the correct help..

Have you looked at the capability called 'External Table'. Works well if
you can define the external file in terms of one or more columns. Search
for "External Table" in the docco for a currently supported version of
Oracle.

[Frank van Bortel]

Rishka wrote: Hello I a newbie to Oracle Reports, our requirement is to write a report from a text file on the UNIX box, not from a database table. I have knowledge of PL/SQL, and the UTL_FILE ppackage to extract the file data and manipulate it.. I would write a stored procedure for this, but our managers do not want us to write this data to a table and read it from there... Is it possible to extract data using PL/SQL from a text file into Oracle Reports? Please advise, or point me to the correct help.. Thanks R

Find new managers. Probably better: find other job; any firm
having this kind of managers...

Really... you have the text in a flat file; they want you
to use a monster like Oracle Reports to get the data
IN an Oracle instance, pre-process, report from it, format it
in another process (other machine, perhaps - application
server, anyone?) and create a file, that can
be saved on the filesystsem?!?
--
Regards,
Frank van Bortel

[Paul]

"Rishka" <rishka@webmail.co.za> wrote:

I a newbie to Oracle Reports, our requirement is to write a report froma text file on the UNIX box, not from a database table.I have knowledge of PL/SQL, and the UTL_FILE ppackage to extract thefile data and manipulate it..I would write a stored procedure for this, but our managers do not wantus to write this data to a table and read it from there...


Why? Create a whole new database with just one table, just to reassure
them that this transferred data can in no way affect the live db?

Is it possible to extract data using PL/SQL from a text file intoOracle Reports?
Please advise, or point me to the correct help..


The only thing that I can think of is to read the file into something
else that Oracle can read - maybe another database? There are some
very good free ones out there!

And then through *_that_* connection via ODBC or whatever, you can
then write your report? Maybe even Excel?

Be sure and explain to your "manager" that these extra steps take
time and also complicate things, leading to an increased risk of
errors being introduced.


Paul...
R

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