SQL Loader With Examples

What is SQL*Loader and what is it used for? SQL*Loader is a bulk loader utility used for moving data from external files into the Oracle database. ts syntax is similar to that of the !"# Load utility$ but comes with more o%tions. SQL*Loader su%%orts various load formats$ selective loading$ and multi&table loads. 'ow does one use the SQL*Loader utility? One can load data into an Oracle database by using the s(lldr )s(lload on some %latforms* utility. nvoke the utility without arguments to get a list of available %arameters. Look at the following exam%le+ s(lldr scott,tiger control-loader.ctl .his sam%le control file )loader.ctl* will load an external data file containing delimited data+ load data infile /c+0data0mydata.csv/ into table em% ) em%no$ em%name$ sal$ de%tno * fields terminated by 1$1 o%tionally enclosed by /1/ .he mydata.csv file may look like this+ 23332$1Scott .iger1$ 2333$ 43 2333#$15rank 6aude1$ 733$ #3 8nother Sam%le control file with in&line data formatted as fix length records. .he trick is to s%ecify 1*1 as the name of the data file$ and use "9: 6!8.8 to start the data section in the control file. load data infile * re%lace into table de%artments ) de%t %osition )3#+37* char)4*$ de%tname %osition )3;+#<* char)#3* * begindata =OS= =O>?@.9A S= 96=9 96:L 96:L S' L .9A8.@A9 >8.' >8.'9>8. =S ?OLB ?OL . =8L S= 96=9 s there a SQL*@nloader to download data to a flat file? Oracle does not su%%ly any data unload utilities. 'owever$ you can use SQL*?lus to select and format your data and then s%ool it to a file+ set echo off new%age 3 s%ace 3 %agesiCe 3 feed off head off trims%ool on s%ool oradata.txt select col2 /$/ col# /$/ colD from tab2 where col# - /EBF/G s%ool off 8lternatively use the @.LH5 L9 ?L,SQL %ackage+ Aemember to u%date initS !.ora$ utlHfileHdir-/c+0oradata/ %arameter declare f% utlHfile.fileHty%eG begin f% +- utlHfile.fo%en)/c+0oradata/$/tab2.txt/$/w/*G

utlHfile.%utf)f%$ /Is$ Is0n/$ /.ext5ield/$ 77*G utlHfile.fclose)f%*G endG , Bou might also want to investigate third %arty tools like .O8! or >anage . 5ast @nloader from =8 to hel% you unload data from Oracle. =an one load variable and fix length data records? Bes$ look at the following control file exam%les. n the first we will load delimited data )variable length*+ LO8! !8.8 65 L9 * 6.O .8"L9 loadHdelimitedHdata 5 9L!S .9A> 68.9! "B 1$1 O?. O68LLB 96=LOS9! "B /1/ .A8 L 6: 6@LL=OLS ) data2$ data# * "9: 6!8.8 22222$8888888888 #####$18$"$=$!$1 f you need to load %ositional data )fixed length*$ look at the following control file exam%le+ LO8! !8.8 65 L9 * 6.O .8"L9 loadH%ositionalHdata ) data2 ?OS . O6)2+7*$ data# ?OS . O6)J+27* * "9: 6!8.8 222228888888888 #####"""""""""" =an one ski% header records load while loading? @se the 1SK ? n1 keyword$ where n - number of logical rows to ski%. Look at this exam%le+ LO8! !8.8 65 L9 * 6.O .8"L9 loadH%ositionalHdata SK ? 7 ) data2 ?OS . O6)2+7*$ data# ?OS . O6)J+27* * "9: 6!8.8 222228888888888 #####"""""""""" =an one modify data as it loads into the database? !ata can be modified as it loads into the Oracle !atabase. 6ote that this only a%%lies for the conventional load %ath and not for direct %ath loads. LO8! !8.8 65 L9 * 6.O .8"L9 modifiedHdata ) recHno 1myHdbHse(uence.nextval1$ region =O6S.86. /D2/$ timeHloaded 1toHchar)SBS!8.9$ /''#4+> /*1$ data2 ?OS . O6)2+7* 1+data2,2331$ data# ?OS . O6)J+27* 1u%%er)+data#*1$

dataD ?OS . O6)2J+##*1toHdate)+dataD$ /BB>>!!/*1 * "9: 6!8.8 222228888888888LL2#32 #####""""""""""LL322# LO8! !8.8 65 L9 /mailHorders.txt/ "8!5 L9 /badHorders.txt/ 8??96! 6.O .8"L9 mailingHlist 5 9L!S .9A> 68.9! "B 1$1 ) addr$ city$ state$ Ci%code$ mailingHaddr 1decode)+mailingHaddr$ null$ +addr$ +mailingHaddr*1$ mailingHcity 1decode)+mailingHcity$ null$ +city$ +mailingHcity*1$ mailingHstate * =an one load data into multi%le tables at once? Look at the following control file+ LO8! !8.8 65 L9 * A9?L8=9 6.O .8"L9 em% W'96 em%no M- / / ) em%no ?OS . O6)2+4* 6.9:9A 9E.9A68L$ ename ?OS . O6)J+27* ='8A$ de%tno ?OS . O6)2<+2;* ='8A$ mgr ?OS . O6)#3+#D* 6.9:9A 9E.9A68L * 6.O .8"L9 %roN W'96 %roNno M- / / ) %roNno ?OS . O6)#7+#<* 6.9:9A 9E.9A68L$ em%no ?OS . O6)2+4* 6.9:9A 9E.9A68L * =an one selectively load only the records that one need? Look at this exam%le$ )32* is the first character$ )D3+D<* are characters D3 to D<+ LO8! !8.8 65 L9 /mydata.dat/ "8!5 L9 /mydata.bad/ ! S=8A!5 L9 /mydata.dis/ 8??96! 6.O .8"L9 myHselectiveHtable W'96 )32* OP /'/ and )32* OP /./ and )D3+D<* - /2LLL2#2</ ) region =O6S.86. /D2/$ serviceHkey ?OS . O6)32+22* 6.9:9A 9E.9A68L$ callHbHno ?OS . O6)2#+#L* ='8A * =an one ski% certain columns while loading data? One cannot use ?OS. O6)x+y* with delimited data. Luckily$ from Oracle ;i one can s%ecify 5 LL9A columns. 5 LL9A columns are used to ski% columns,fields in the load file$ ignoring fields that one does not want. Look at this exam%le+ LO8! !8.8

.A@6=8.9 6.O .8"L9 .2 5 9L!S .9A> 68.9! "B /$/ ) field2$ field# 5 LL9A$ fieldD * 'ow does one load multi&line records? One can create one logical record from multi%le %hysical records using one of the following two clauses+ =O6=8.968.9+ & use when SQL*Loader should combine the same number of %hysical records together to form one logical record. =O6. 6@9 5 & use if a condition indicates that multi%le records should be treated as one. 9g. by having a /Q/ character in column 2. 'ow can get SQL*Loader to =O>> . only at the end of the load file? One cannot$ but by setting the AOWS- %arameter to a large value$ committing can be reduced. >ake sure you have big rollback segments ready when you use a high value for AOWS-. =an one im%rove the %erformance of SQL*Loader? 8 very sim%le but easily overlooked hint is not to have any indexes and,or constraints )%rimary key* on your load tables during the load %rocess. .his will significantly slow down load times even with AOWS- set to a high value. 8dd the following o%tion in the command line+ ! A9=.-.A@9. .his will effectively by%ass most of the A!">S %rocessing. 'owever$ there are cases when you can/t use direct load. Aefer to cha%ter ; on Oracle server @tilities manual. .urn off database logging by s%ecifying the @6A9=OR9A8"L9 o%tion. .his o%tion can only be used with direct data loads. Aun multi%le load Nobs concurrently. What is the difference between the conventional and direct %ath loader? .he conventional %ath loader essentially loads the data by using standard 6S9A. statements. .he direct %ath loader )! A9=.-.A@9* by%asses much of the logic involved with that$ and loads directly into the Oracle data files. >ore information about the restrictions of direct %ath loading can be obtained from the @tilities @sers :uide.