Step by Step reading and writing a text file

using UTL_FILE package in oracle 10g.

July 26th, 2011 in dataQapps Oracle-SQL / PL-SQL posts by admin

UTL_FILE is an oracle pl/sql package that is supplied to allow PL/SQL to read and
create text files in the file system.

UTL_FILE can only read and create text files. Specifically, it cannot be used to read
or create binary files.

UTL_FILE is an appropriate tool for creating reports in the form of flat file from the
database . UTL_FILE is also used for reading files.

The following steps must be followed in order to run UTL_FILE package.

Step 1) Connect as sys database user
Step 2) Create a directory:
SQL> CREATE OR REPLACE DIRECTORY utl_file_dir AS E:\PLSQL;
Directory created.

In the above query utl_file_dir is the logical name for the path E:\PLSQL.

We can mention the logical name utl_file_dir inside the program in uppercase within
single quotes (utl_file_dir is mapped to the directory E:\PLSQL)

We can create any number of logical path names(DBA directories) in oracle 10g.

Step 3) Grant read and write on the directory

SQL> grant read,write on directory utl_file_dir to scott;
Grant succeeded.
Step 4) connect as scott database user
SQL>CONNECT SCOTT/*******
Example 1:
The following is the procedure to read a text file in the file system and inserting the
text file contents(rows) into a table that is present in oracle 10g database.
Step 1) Create a text file called input.txt in windows directory E:\PLSQL as shown in
the below screen shot.
Step 2)Check whether any contents present in emp12 table.

SQL>CREATE TABLE EMP12(EMPNO NUMBER(10), ENAME VARCHAR2(15), JOB

VARCHAR2(15), MGR NUMBER(4), HIREDATE DATE, SAL NUMBER(7,2));
Table created.
SQL> desc emp12;
Name

Null?

Type

EMPNO

NUMBER(10)

ENAME

VARCHAR2(15)

JOB

VARCHAR2(15)

MGR

NUMBER(4)

HIREDATE

DATE

SAL

NUMBER(7,2)

SQL> select * from emp12;

no rows selected
Step 3) Execute the following procedure.
This PL/ SQL procedure will insert data(rows) from the text file called input.txt to the
database table emp12 in scott schema.
SQL> conn scott/tiger
Connected.
SQL> show user
USER is SCOTT
SQL>create or replace procedure read_file is
f_line varchar2(2000);
f utl_file.file_type;
f_dir varchar2(250);
fname varchar2(50);

Comma1 varchar(10);
Comma2 varchar(10);
Comma3 varchar(10);
Comma4 varchar(10);
Comma5 varchar(10);
f_empno emp.empno%type;
f_ename emp.ename%type;
f_job emp.job%type;
f_mgr emp.mgr%type;
f_hiredate emp.hiredate%type;
f_sal emp.sal%type;
begin
f_dir := E:\PLSQL;
fname := input.txt;
f := utl_file.fopen(UTL_FILE_DIR,fname,r'); opening the file using fopen function
loop
begin
utl_file.get_line(f,f_line);
using a loop continuously get the files content using get_line function
exception
when no_data_found then
exit;
end;
Comma1 := INSTR(f_line, , ,1 , 1);
Comma2 := INSTR(f_line, , ,1 , 2);

Comma3 := INSTR(f_line, , ,1 , 3);

Comma4 := INSTR(f_line, , ,1 , 4);
Comma5 := INSTR(f_line, , ,1 , 5);
Each field in the input record is delimited by commas.
We need to find the location of two commas in the line.
and use the locations to get the field from the line.
f_empno := to_number(SUBSTR(f_line, 1, Comma1-1));
f_ename := SUBSTR(f_line, Comma1+1, Comma2-Comma1-1);
f_job := SUBSTR(f_line, comma2+1, Comma3-Comma2-1);
f_mgr := to_number(SUBSTR(f_line, comma3+1, Comma4-Comma3-1));
f_hiredate := to_date(SUBSTR(f_line, comma4+1, Comma5-Comma4-1),dd-mon-yyyy);
f_sal := to_number(SUBSTR(f_line, comma5+1),99999);
dbms_output.put_line(f_empno || || f_ename || || f_job || || f_mgr || || f_hiredate|| ||
f_sal);
insert into emp12 VALUES (f_empno,f_ename,f_job,f_mgr,f_hiredate,f_sal);
end loop;
utl_file.fclose(f);
commit;
end;
/
Procedure created.
SQL> execute read_file;
PL/SQL procedure successfully completed.
Step 4) check the emp12 table that the rows from external text file gets inserted or not.
SQL> select * from emp12;
EMPNO

ENAME

JOB

MGR

HIREDATE

SAL

7369

SMITH

CLERK

7902

17-DEC-80

800

7499

ALLEN

ANALYST

7698

20-FEB-81

2850

7521

WARD

SALESMAN

7698

22-FEB-81

1250

7566

JONES

MANAGER

7839

02-APR-81

2975

7654

MARTIN

28-SEP-81

1250

SALESMAN

7698

Example 2:
The following is the procedure to write a database table contents to a text file.
This PL/SQL Procedure write the contents of the database table emp in the scott
schema to a text file called emp_table.txt in the windows directory E:\PLSQL
SQL> conn scott/tiger
Connected.
SQL> show user
USER is SCOTT
Step 1)Execute the following procedure.
create or replace procedure write_file is
file1 utl_file.file_type;
cursor empc is
select * from emp;
employ empc%rowtype;
stmt varchar2(300);
head varchar2(300);
line varchar2(300);
begin
file1 := utl_file.fopen(UTL_FILE_DIR,'emp_table.txt,'w);
utl_file.put_line(file1,Report Generated on: || sysdate);

utl_file.new_line(file1);
head:=EMPNO
HIREDATE

ENAME
SAL

JOB

MGR
COMM

DEPTNO;

UTL_FILE.PUTF(file1, head);
utl_file.new_line(file1);
line:=
==================================================================
================================;
UTL_FILE.PUTF(file1, line);
utl_file.new_line(file1);
for employ in empc loop
stmt := rpad(employ.empno,10, ) ||
rpad(employ.ename,20, ) ||
rpad(employ.job,20, ) ||
rpad(nvl(to_char(employ.mgr), ),30, ) ||
rpad(employ.hiredate,30, ) ||
rpad(employ.sal,30, ) ||
rpad(nvl(to_char(employ.comm), ),25, ) ||
rpad(employ.deptno,8, );
utl_file.PUTF(file1, stmt);
utl_file.new_line(file1);
end loop;
utl_file.fclose(file1);
end;
/
Procedure created.
SQL> execute write_file;

PL/SQL procedure successfully completed.

Step 2) After execution of the above procedure a new file emp_table.txt is created in the
location E:\PLSQL as shown in the below screenshot.
Step 3)Open the text document emp_table.txt to view the output.