Newsgroups: comp.databases.oracle
From: sstephen@us.oracle.com
Subject: Re: Pro*C vs. Oracle Call Interface...
Organization: Oracle Corporation, USA
Date: Fri, 16 Oct 1992 16:55:14 GMT
X-Disclaimer: This message was written by an unauthenticated user
              at Oracle Corporation.  The opinions expressed are those
              of the user and not necessarily those of Oracle.

In article <DAVE.92Oct16094957@gough.GoldCoast.co.jp>, dave@gough.GoldCoast.co.jp (Dave Madden) writes:
> Hello, world.
> 
>   I've been writing C/Oracle programs under a very old version of
> Oracle for DOS (around 5.1, I think), and I found the Oracle Call
> Interface routines *much* easier to use than the Pro*C preprocessor,
> so that's what I've been using.  Now, though, I've moved to v6 under
> Unix, and I find that the OCI routines are no longer documented in the
> Pro*C manual (although they are still in the library and my programs
> still work).
>   My questions are, should I change my programs to use Pro*C?  Should
> I write future programs using Pro*C instead of OCI?  Does anybody else
> prefer OCI to Pro*C?
> 
> Thanks,
> dave
> ==========================================================================
> L = dave madden                         i don't know about your brain, = L
>   = dave@gcosaka.goldcoast.co.jp        but mine is really ... bossy.  =
> P =      gold coast productions                       l. anderson      = P
>   =      4-2-9 kyutaro-cho 3f                                          =
> F =      chuo-ku, osaka japan 541                                      = F
> ============[country code 81]=vox:6-241-6353=fax:6-241-0189===============
-- 

Hello Dave,

   Sounds like you have a dream job in Japan.  I am an OCI rebel, too, (but
then I prefer writing RPT, too).  OCI is still there and will be there for the
foreseeable future.  I believe they have just moved the documentation to
another manual, at about Pro*C 1.2 or 1.3.  The manual also got better,
however, I much prefer reading the documentation in the oci include file.

   Although it is not really SQL standard and always in threat of being
obsoleted by the powers that be, (a fight they are losing), it is still my
favorite.  I like making tight loops re-executing cursors that I parsed a long
time ago, having a unlimited number or source of SQL statements, (I can read
them from a file or the database, for example).  In Oracle 7, there is supposed
to be some statments that allow you to select a LONG column, (up to 4Gig?), in
chunks!  They are always making abbreviated calls that do the work of several
calls, (latest I've seen is a declare-parse-execute in a single call to the
database).  You can't express this in Pro*c without hacking the generated
code.  Just out of general knowledge, when the developers out here write code,
THEY don't even use Pro*C, (except for Financials and CASE products).  They use
an internal API interface that looks very similar to OCI, but includes some
features that arent ready for the general public.  (I've heard of a call that
returns the ROWID on an INSERT!)

   So my advise is to stick with OCI until you are forced to standardize.  Your
old OCI calls should still work, and Oracle Support would be happy to send you
the current list of OCI calls or documentation, (assuming you have support). 
Or, you can send me e-mail, and I'll send you some notes.


================================================================================
Scott Stephens				inet:	sstephen.us.oracle.com
Oracle WorldWide Support                Redwood City, California
My own statements, not Oracles -- I do not get paid to post.