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The Underground PHP and Oracle® Manual, Release 1.5, December 2008. Copyright © 2008, Oracle. All rights reserved. Authors: Christopher Jones and Alison Holloway Contributors and acknowledgments: Vladimir Barriere, Luxi Chidambaran, Robert Clevenger, Antony Dovgal, Wez Furlong, Sue Harper, Manuel Hoßfeld, Ken Jacobs, Srinath Krishnaswamy, Shoaib Lari, Simon Law, Krishna Mohan, Chuck Murray, Kevin Neel, Kant Patel, Charles Poulsen, Karthik Rajan, Richard Rendell, Roy Rossebo, Michael Sekurski, Sreekumar Seshadri, Mohammad Sowdagar, Makoto Tozawa, Todd Trichler, Simon Watt, Zahi, Shuping Zhou. The latest edition of this book is available online at: http://otn.oracle.com/goto/underground-php-oracle-manual The Programs (which include both the software and documentation) contain proprietary information; they are provided under a license agreement containing restrictions on use and disclosure and are also protected by copyright, patent, and other intellectual and industrial property laws. Reverse engineering, disassembly, or decompilation of the Programs, except to the extent required to obtain interoperability with other independently created software or as specified by law, is prohibited. The information contained in this document is subject to change without notice. If you find any problems in the documentation, please report them to us in writing. This document is not warranted to be error-free. Except as may be expressly permitted in your license agreement for these Programs, no part of these Programs may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, for any purpose. U.S. GOVERNMENT RIGHTS Programs, software, databases, and related documentation and technical data delivered to U.S. Government customers are "commercial computer software" or "commercial technical data" pursuant to the applicable Federal Acquisition Regulation and agency-specific supplemental regulations. As such, use, duplication, disclosure, modification, and adaptation of the Programs, including documentation and technical data, shall be subject to the licensing restrictions set forth in the applicable Oracle license agreement, and, to the extent applicable, the additional rights set forth in FAR 52.227-19, Commercial Computer Software--Restricted Rights (June 1987). Oracle USA, Inc., 500 Oracle Parkway, Redwood City, CA 94065. The Programs are not intended for use in any nuclear, aviation, mass transit, medical, or other inherently dangerous applications. It shall be the licensee's responsibility to take all appropriate fail-safe, backup, redundancy and other measures to ensure the safe use of such applications if the Programs are used for such purposes, and we disclaim liability for any damages caused by such use of the Programs. The Programs may provide links to Web sites and access to content, products, and services from third parties. Oracle is not responsible for the availability of, or any content provided on, third-party Web sites. You bear all risks associated with the use of such content. If you choose to purchase any products or services from a third party, the relationship is directly between you and the third party. Oracle is not responsible for: (a) the quality of third-party products or services; or (b) fulfilling any of the terms of the agreement with the third party, including delivery of products or services and warranty obligations related to purchased products or services. Oracle is not responsible for any loss or damage of any sort that you may incur from dealing with any third party. Oracle, JD Edwards, and PeopleSoft are registered trademarks of Oracle Corporation and/or its affiliates. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.
Chapter 1 Introduction..............................................................................................................1
Who Should Read This Book?............................................................................................................1 Introduction to Oracle.........................................................................................................................1 Databases and Instances................................................................................................................2 Tablespaces....................................................................................................................................2 Schemas and Users........................................................................................................................2 Introduction to PHP............................................................................................................................2
Chapter 2 Getting Started With PHP.......................................................................................5
Creating and Editing PHP Scripts.......................................................................................................5 PHP Syntax Overview........................................................................................................................5 Running PHP Scripts..........................................................................................................................8 Running PHP Scripts in a Browser..................................................................................................8 Running Scripts with Command Line PHP......................................................................................8 Debugging PHP Scripts...................................................................................................................8
Chapter 3 PHP Oracle Extensions.........................................................................................11
PHP Oracle Extensions....................................................................................................................11 Oracle Extension...........................................................................................................................11 OCI8 Extension.............................................................................................................................11 PDO Extension..............................................................................................................................12 PHP Database Abstraction Libraries.................................................................................................13 ADOdb..........................................................................................................................................13 PEAR DB......................................................................................................................................14 PEAR MDB2.................................................................................................................................14 Getting the OCI8 Extension..............................................................................................................14 OCI8 and Oracle Installation Options............................................................................................15 Getting the PDO Extension...............................................................................................................16 Zend Core for Oracle........................................................................................................................17 The PHP Release Cycle...................................................................................................................17
Chapter 4 Installing Oracle Database 10g Express Edition................................................19
Oracle Database Editions.................................................................................................................19 Oracle Database XE.........................................................................................................................19 Installing Oracle Database XE on Linux...........................................................................................20 Installing Oracle Database XE on Debian, Ubuntu, and Kubuntu.....................................................21 Installing Oracle Database XE on Windows......................................................................................22 Testing the Oracle Database XE Installation.....................................................................................24 Configuring Oracle Database XE......................................................................................................25 Setting the Oracle Database XE Environment Variables on Linux.................................................25
Enabling Database Startup and Shutdown from Menus on Linux..................................................26 Starting and Stopping the Listener and Database.........................................................................26 Enabling Remote Client Connection..............................................................................................29
Chapter 5 Using Oracle Database.........................................................................................31
Oracle Application Express...............................................................................................................31 Logging In To Oracle Application Express.....................................................................................31 Unlocking the HR User..................................................................................................................32 Creating Database Objects...........................................................................................................33 Working with SQL Scripts..............................................................................................................37 Creating a PL/SQL Procedure.......................................................................................................38 Creating a Database User.............................................................................................................40 Monitoring Database Sessions......................................................................................................42 Database Backup and Recovery...................................................................................................44 Oracle SQL*Plus..............................................................................................................................47 Starting SQL*Plus.........................................................................................................................48 Executing SQL and PL/SQL Statements in SQL*Plus...................................................................49 Controlling Query Output in SQL*Plus...........................................................................................49 Running Scripts in SQL*Plus.........................................................................................................50 Information On Tables in SQL*Plus...............................................................................................50 Accessing the Demonstration Tables in SQL*Plus........................................................................51 Oracle SQL Developer......................................................................................................................51 Creating a Database Connection..................................................................................................51 Creating a Table............................................................................................................................54 Executing a SQL Query.................................................................................................................55 Editing, Compiling and Running PL/SQL.......................................................................................57 Running Reports...........................................................................................................................59 Creating Reports...........................................................................................................................61
Chapter 6 Installing Apache HTTP Server............................................................................63
Installing Apache HTTP Server on Linux..........................................................................................63 Starting and Stopping Apache HTTP Server.................................................................................64 Configuring Apache HTTP Server on Linux...................................................................................64 Installing Apache HTTP Server on Windows....................................................................................64 Starting and Stopping Apache HTTP Server.................................................................................65
Chapter 7 Installing PHP........................................................................................................67
Installing PHP with OCI8 on Linux....................................................................................................67 Installing OCI8 Using a Local Database........................................................................................67 Installing OCI8 Using Oracle Instant Client...................................................................................69 Upgrading PHP with PECL OCI8 on Linux.......................................................................................70 Upgrading OCI8 as a Static Library on Linux ................................................................................70 Upgrading OCI8 on Linux Using the PECL Channel......................................................................71 Upgrading OCI8 as a Shared Library on Linux..............................................................................72
Installing PHP With OCI8 on Windows.............................................................................................73 Installing OCI8 Using a Local Database on Windows....................................................................73 Installing OCI8 with Instant Client on Windows.............................................................................74 Upgrading OCI8 on Windows........................................................................................................75 Installing OCI8 with Oracle Application Server on Linux...................................................................76 Installing PHP With PDO..................................................................................................................78 Installing PDO on Linux.................................................................................................................79 Installing PDO on Windows...........................................................................................................80 Checking OCI8 and PDO_OCI Installation.......................................................................................80
Chapter 8 Installing Zend Core for Oracle............................................................................83
Installing Zend Core for Oracle.........................................................................................................83 Installing Zend Core for Oracle on Linux.......................................................................................83 Testing the Zend Core for Oracle Installation on Linux..................................................................89 Installing Zend Core for Oracle on Windows.................................................................................90 Testing the Zend Core for Oracle Installation on Windows............................................................97 Configuring Zend Core for Oracle.....................................................................................................97
Chapter 9 Connecting to Oracle Using OCI8.....................................................................101
Oracle Connection Types...............................................................................................................101 Standard Connections.................................................................................................................101 Multiple Unique Connections.......................................................................................................101 Persistent Connections...............................................................................................................101 Oracle Database Name Connection Identifiers...............................................................................102 Easy Connect String....................................................................................................................103 Database Connect Descriptor String...........................................................................................104 Database Connect Name............................................................................................................104 Common Connection Errors...........................................................................................................105 Setting Oracle Environment Variables for Apache..........................................................................106 Closing Oracle Connections...........................................................................................................108 Close Statement Resources Before Closing Connections...........................................................109 Transactions and Connections....................................................................................................110 Session State with Persistent Connections..................................................................................110 Optional Connection Parameters....................................................................................................111 Connection Character Set............................................................................................................111 Connection Session Mode...........................................................................................................112 Changing the Database Password..................................................................................................114 Changing Passwords On Demand...............................................................................................114 Changing Expired Passwords......................................................................................................115 Tuning Oracle Connections in PHP.................................................................................................117 Use the Best Connection Function..............................................................................................117 Pass the Character Set................................................................................................................117 Do Not Set the Date Format Unnecessarily.................................................................................117
........................................................................................................................................157 vi ..........................136 The Transactional Behavior of Connections................................................................150 Using the Server and Client Query Result Caches...................................................................................................................................................................128 Fetching as an Associative Array................................123 Connection Management in Scalable Systems....................................134 Transactions....130 Defining Output Variables............................................................................................................................131 Fetching and Working with Numbers...............................................................132 Insert.................................................................................................................121 Setting Connection Timeouts......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................127 Fetch Functions......................................138 Tuning SQL Statements in PHP Applications...............................................................................................................................................................................123 Tracing Oracle Net.....................................122 Detecting Dead PHP Apache Sessions...................................................................................................................................................................................................................134 Autonomous Transactions.....................................................................................................................................129 Fetching as an Object....................................................141 Tuning the Prefetch Size.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................125 SQL Statement Execution Steps........................................................ Delete...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................151 Limiting Rows and Creating Paged Datasets.. Update...................................125 Oracle Datatypes.............................................................................................................................Managing Persistent Connections.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................119 Maximum Number of Persistent Connections Allowed.....................................................................................131 Fetching and Working with Dates......................................................................................123 Other Oracle Net Optimizations.......................................................................................................................................................141 Using Bind Variables...................124 Chapter 10 Executing SQL Statements With OCI8..120 Oracle Net and PHP..................................................157 Exploring Oracle...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................138 Handling OCI8 Errors.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................122 Configuring Authentication Methods..157 Case Insensitive Queries...................................................121 Connection Rate Limiting...........................125 Query Example.............................120 Reducing Database Server Memory Used By Persistent Connections................................................................ Create and Drop.119 Pinging for Closed Persistent Connections................................................................................................................119 Timeout for Unused Persistent Connections....................149 Tuning the Statement Cache Size...................127 Fetching as a Numeric Array..........................................................153 Auto-Increment Columns...............................................137 PHP Error Handling....................................................................................................155 Getting the Last Insert ID..............119 Apache Configuration Parameters................................
.....................................................................................................................................................170 Converting from REF CURSOR to PIPELINED Results.......................................................................................................................................................................................................165 PL/SQL Success With Information Warnings..................................................................................158 Chapter 11 Using PL/SQL With OCI8.....................................191 Chapter 12 Using Large Objects in OCI8....................................................................................GETVERTICES........................................193 Working with LOBs...........................................................................172 Oracle Collections in PHP.........................................................167 Using REF CURSORS for Result Sets......................184 Selecting Vertices Using SDO_UTIL........................................161 Triggers................................................................................181 PL/SQL Function Result Cache........................................................................................................................................193 Inserting and Updating LOBs.........................................163 Calling PL/SQL Procedures....................................................176 Using a REF CURSOR............................................................................................................................................................162 End of Line Terminators in PL/SQL with Windows PHP............................................193 Fetching LOBs................................. Packages and Triggers..................................................................................................160 Stored or Standalone Procedures and Functions...................................................................................................................................................................................................................175 Using OCI8 Collection Functions...................................................................................................186 Using a Custom Function................................................195 LOBs and PL/SQL procedures....159 PL/SQL Overview......................................................................................................................164 Array Binding and PL/SQL Bulk Processing.................................................................................................................................................................160 Anonymous Blocks........................................................183 Using Oracle Locator for Spatial Mapping..................Analytic Functions in SQL.....................................................................................................................................184 Queries Returning Scalar Values....................................................................162 Calling PL/SQL Code.....................................................................................................163 Calling PL/SQL Functions..................................................160 Packages............................................................................................................159 Blocks.........................................................................................................177 Binding an Array...................194 Temporary LOBs................179 Using a PIPELINED Function..................188 Reusing Procedures Written for MOD_PLSQL.................................................................................................196 Other LOB Methods...........................................173 Using PL/SQL and SQL Object Types in PHP.................................................................................................162 Creating PL/SQL Stored Procedures in PHP........................................197 vii ..........................................................................................................................................................186 Scheduling Background or Long Running Operations..................................................................................................................................................................................184 Inserting Locator Data...........................180 Getting Output with DBMS_OUTPUT..................................................................................................168 Closing Cursors.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................164 Binding Parameters to Procedures and Functions............................................................... Procedures................................................................................................
.............................219 Using DRCP in PHP.....206 Inserting into XMLType Columns........................................................................................................................210 Accessing Data over HTTP with XML DB....................................................................................................236 Specifying the Page Encoding for HTML Pages.....................................237 Specifying the Page Encoding in PHP...........235 Determining the Locale of the User.203 Fetching Rows as Fully Formed XML............................................................................................................212 Chapter 14 PHP Scalability and High Availability............................224 Monitoring DRCP.................................................................................................................................................................................................................203 Fetching Relational Rows as XML...........................230 RAC Connection Load Balancing with PHP..................218 Sharing the Server Pool...................229 High Availability with FAN and RAC...................................Working with BFILEs.....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................213 How DRCP Works.........................................................198 Chapter 13 Using XML with Oracle and PHP.................................................................................................................................................205 Fetching XMLType Columns......227 DBA_CPOOL_INFO View................................................................................................................................................227 V$CPOOL_STATS View......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................221 Configuring PHP for DRCP..........................................................238 viii ...................................................237 Organizing the Content of HTML Pages for Translation............................................................................................................................................................226 V$PROCESS and V$SESSION Views.209 XQuery XML Query Language................................214 PHP OCI8 Connections and DRCP............................................236 Specifying the Encoding in the HTTP Header...................................................................................................................................237 Strings in PHP........................................................................................................................................................................................................................204 Using the SimpleXML Extension in PHP................................................231 Chapter 15 Globalization............220 Configuring and Enabling the Pool...........................................................213 Database Resident Connection Pooling...........223 Application Deployment for DRCP........................233 Establishing the Environment Between Oracle and PHP......................................................................................................................................................................................229 Configuring FAN Events in the Database....................237 Specifying the Encoding in the HTML Page Header............................................230 Application Deployment for FAN........................................................................................................................................................................................216 When to use DRCP.........233 Manipulating Strings.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................207 Fetching an XMLType from a PL/SQL Function.................................................235 Encoding HTML Pages...........230 Configuring PHP for FAN............................................................................................................................................227 V$CPOOL_CC_STATS View.............................................................................................................
.........................................................268 Software and Source Code............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................269 PHP Links..................................................................................................................................................................247 Tests that Fail........261 Appendix E Resources......................................................................................................239 Oracle Date Formats............................................................................................................................................................................................273 ix ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................267 General Information and Forums.267 Oracle Documentation.....................................................................................................................................................................................................238 Presenting Data Using Conventions Expected by the User................................................................................................................................245 Running OCI8 Tests..............................257 Appendix D The Obsolete Oracle Extension........................................................................271 Glossary.....................243 Chapter 16 Testing PHP and the OCI8 Extension...................................................................................238 Oracle Number Formats.238 Data from the Database......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................261 Oracle and OCI8 Comparison..247 Creating OCI8 Tests ................................................................................249 Configuring the Database For Testing...................................................................................................267 Selected PHP and Oracle Books.............Static Files......................................255 Appendix C OCI8 Function Names in PHP 4 and PHP 5............................................................................................242 Oracle Error Messages................................245 Running a Single Test........................................253 Appendix B OCI8 php.............................................ini Parameters.........................................................................................................................248 OCI8 Test Helper Scripts.....................240 Oracle Linguistic Sorts.................................................................................................................................................................................249 Appendix A Tracing OCI8 Internals...........................................................253 Enabling OCI8 Debugging output...................................................................
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from installation to using them efficiently. Oracle's own extensive set of documentation is freely available online. It is assumed that you already have basic PHP and SQL knowledge and want best practices in using PHP against an Oracle database. Who Should Read This Book? This book is aimed at PHP programmers who are developing applications for an Oracle database. but everything covered in this book also applies to the other editions of the Oracle database. including Oracle Database 11g. It shows how to use the PHP scripting language with the Oracle database. without change. Sue Harper contributed the chapter on SQL Developer. The chapter on globalization is derived from the Oracle Database Express Edition 2 Day Plus PHP Developer Guide. You may be unclear about best practices. April 2008. The PHP you write for Oracle Database 10g Express Edition can be run. The book contains much unique material on PHP's Oracle OCI8 and PDO_OCI extensions. This book aims to remove any confusion. 1 . You may already be using another database and have a requirement or a preference to move to Oracle. Each has a different viewpoint and shows something new about the technologies. This book is not a complete PHP syntax or Oracle SQL guide. It is the leading database and is available on many platforms. PHP Scalability and High Availability. They are worthwhile additions to your library. reliability and features. The chapter on PHP Scalability and High Availability is derived from the Oracle whitepaper. against all editions of the Oracle database as well. Comprehensive PHP documentation and resources are also online.CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION This book is designed to bridge the gap between the many PHP and the many Oracle texts available. You may be starting out with PHP database development. Since the first release of the Underground PHP and Oracle Manual there have been many commercially available books specifically on PHP and Oracle published. It bridges the gap between the many PHP and the many Oracle books available. We gratefully acknowledge all the Oracle staff that contributed to this book. It does not describe overall application architecture. It shows how to use the PHP scripting language with the Oracle database. For newcomers we suggest reading the Oracle Database Express Edition 2 Day Plus PHP Developer Guide which walks through building a PHP application against an Oracle database. URLs to the most useful online resources and books are listed in the Resources appendix. from installation to using them together efficiently. You may be unsure how to install PHP and Oracle. It also incorporates several updated installation guides previously published on the Oracle Technology Network web site. The installation and database discussion in this book highlights the Oracle Database 10g Express Edition. Introduction to Oracle The Oracle Database is well known for its scalability.
Introduction There are some subtle differences between the terminology used when describing an Oracle database and a database from other software vendors. PHP is perfect for rapidly developing applications both big and small. PHP 5 introduced strong object orientated capabilities. On some operating systems. typically a single Oracle database contains multiple schemas. a shared memory region called the system global area (SGA) is allocated and the Oracle background processes are started. The language is dynamically typed and easy to use. 2 . A schema is owned by a database user and has the same name as that user. Instead of using a CREATE DATABASE command for new applications.0 applications. For example. Users are assigned a default tablespace that holds all the data the users creates. and has a BSD-style license. Tablespaces Tablespaces are the logical units of data storage made up of one or more datafiles. It runs on many platforms. there are no separate background processes. to connect to the HR schema. like Windows. Tablespaces are often created for individual applications because tablespaces can be conveniently managed. Instead threads run within the Oracle image. you would use the username hr in PHP's connection string. you need to connect as the owner of the schema that contains the objects you want to interact with. In Oracle Database 10g Express Edition (known as "Oracle Database XE") there is a wizard to create new users in the Oracle Application Express management console. Multiple applications can use the same database without any conflict by using different schemas. PHP comes with many extensions offering all kinds of functionality such as database access. use the CREATE USER command to create a new schema in the database. interpreted scripting language commonly used for web applications. It powers over twenty million web sites on the Internet and has a huge user community behind it. Many people use the words schema and user interchangeably. and is great for creating Web 2. Check the Glossary for more descriptions. A database is made up of default and DBAcreated tablespaces. An Oracle database server consists of an Oracle database and an Oracle instance. Once you have installed PHP and want to write scripts that interact with Oracle. The following overview of the main Oracle terms might help you to understand the Oracle terminology. Introduction to PHP PHP is a hugely popular. PHP is open source and free. Although you may have more than one database per machine. Every time a server is started. making it corporation-friendly. Schemas and Users A schema is a collection of database objects such as tables and indexes. Each database consists of one or more data files. The combination of the background processes and SGA is called an Oracle instance. Databases and Instances An Oracle database stores and retrieves data.
Figure 1: The four stages of processing a PHP script. Finally. enabling Oracle Database access. 3 . The PHP command line interface (CLI) can also be used to run PHP scripts from an operating system shell window. It includes the PHP OCI8 extension and is linked with the Oracle Client Libraries. which formats and displays the page. When a user enters the URL of a PHP script hello. or run by the web server using FastCGI. Apache invokes PHP to processes the file.php (see step 1 in Figure 1) in their browser. with calls to the database (3). The PHP code is executed (2).Introduction to PHP PHP is typically installed as an Apache module. the HTML output is returned to the user's browser (4).
Introduction 4 .
Creating and Editing PHP Scripts There are a number of specialized PHP editors available. Lines are terminated with a semi-colon: <?php echo 'Hello.phtml or . echo 'Full Results'. PHP scripts often have the file extension . or editors with modes that highlight code syntax and aid development. The PHP code can also explicitly print HTML tags: <?php echo '<h3>'.inc are also used.CHAPTER 2 GETTING STARTED WITH PHP This Chapter gives you a very brief overview of the PHP language. including Oracle's JDeveloper which can be configured with a PHP extension. World!'. It has familiar loops. Many developers still prefer text editors. Basic PHP syntax is simple to learn. The web server can be configured to recognize the extension(s) that you choose. ?> Blocks of PHP code and HTML code may be interleaved. ?> <table border="1"> <tr> <td> <?php echo $output ?> </td> </tr> </table> The output when running this script is: <h3>Full Results</h3><table border="1"> <tr> <td> no results available </td> 5 . This manual does not assume any particular editor or debugger is being used. PHP Syntax Overview PHP scripts are enclosed in <?php and ?> tags. echo '</h3>'. but sometimes .php. $output = "no results available". tests and assignment constructs.
' is in department ' . Strings and variables can be displayed with an echo or print statement.1415. echo 'Hello. $ename . . $a2['PI'] = 3. $v1. World!'. ($sal > 500000) { 'Salary is huge'. PHP also has a switch statement. $dept Variables do not need types declared: $count = 1. $x. Code flow can be controlled with tests and loops. Formatted output with printf() is also possible. $v2). The if/elseif/else statements look like: if ($sal echo } elseif echo } else { echo 6 > 900000) { 'Salary is way too big'. $ename = 'Arnie'. World!'. print 'Hello.Getting Started With PHP </tr> </table> A browser would display it as: Figure 2: PHP script output. Arrays can have numeric or associative indexes: $a1[1] = 3. Things that look like variables inside a double-quoted string will be expanded: "A value appears here: $v1" Strings and variables can also be concatenated using a period. printf("There is %d %s". echo $v. 'Salary might be OK'. PHP strings can be enclosed in single or double quotes: 'A string constant' "another constant" Variable names are prefixed with a dollar sign. 'Employee ' .1415.
php'). You can also loop with while or do while constructs. 'Cc'). Sub-files can be included in PHP scripts with an include() or require() statement.PHP Syntax Overview } This also shows how blocks of code are enclosed in braces. "<br>\n". } This prints the numbers 0 to 9. Comments are either single line: // a short comment or multi-line: /* A longer comment */ 7 . 3). $p2) { echo $p1. each on a new line. The value of $i is incremented in each iteration.php'). The loop stops when the test condition evaluates to true. The foreach command is useful to iterate over arrays: $a3 = array('Aa'. $i < 10. $p2. The include_once() and require_once() statements prevent multiple inclusions of a file. return $p1 + $p2. A function may be defined: function myfunc($p1. A require() will generate a fatal error if the script is not found. foreach ($a3 as $v) { echo $v. This function could be called using: $v3 = myfunc(1. } Functions may have variable numbers of arguments. ++$i) { echo $i . } This sets $v to each element of the array in turn. A traditional loop is: for ($i = 0. require('bar. include('foo. Procedures use the same function keyword but do not have a return statement. Function calls may appear earlier than the function definition. 'Bb'.
some Oracle environment variables need to be set before the web server starts. Its location. debugging will be an old-fashioned matter of using echo to print variables and check code flow.php When a web server is configured to run PHP files through the PHP interpreter.ini configuration file. ?> Values can be changed by editing php.Getting Started With PHP Running PHP Scripts PHP scripts can be loaded in a browser. The -h options gives the help text: $ php -h Common options when first using PHP are --ini which displays the location of the php. and restarting the web server. Many aspects of PHP are controlled by settings in the php.ini settings. To connect to Oracle. Running PHP Scripts in a Browser PHP scripts are commonly run by loading them in a browser: http://localhost/myphpinfo. or executed at a command prompt in a terminal window. var_dump($a2).1415. The var_dump() function is useful for debugging because it formats and prints complex variables: $a2['PI'] = 3. and -i which displays the value of the php. and the PHP executable is in your path. the list of extensions loaded. Running Scripts with Command Line PHP If your PHP code is in a file.ini file. run it with: $ php myphpinfo. Some values can also be changed within scripts by using the ini_set() function. This is discussed in the installation chapters of this book. requesting the script in a browser will cause the PHP code to be executed and all its output to be streamed to the browser. and the value of all the initialization settings can be found using the phpinfo() function: <?php phpinfo(). Debugging PHP Scripts If you are not using a specialized PHP editor. script output can differ between command-line and browser invocation of the same script.php Various options to the php executable control its behavior. Because browsers interpret HTML tags and compress white space including new-lines.ini or using the Zend Core for Oracle console. The output is: array(1) { 8 . The location of the file is system specific.
9 . you will need to do: echo '<pre>'.Running PHP Scripts ["PI"]=> float(3. Some examples in this manual use var_dump() to simplify the code being demonstrated or to show the type and contents of a variable. $a2['PI'] = 3. In a browser. to prevent white space and new lines coalescing. echo '</pre>'. var_dump($a2).1415) } The formatting is apparent when using command-line PHP.1415.
Getting Started With PHP 10 .
so examine your requirements and the latest information available before starting a project. New development using this extension is not recommended.0. which is PHP's main Oracle extension. It is recommended to upgrade the default OCI8 code in PHP 4 – PHP 5. which is in the early stage of development. Oracle is a member of the community looking after OCI8. If you want database independence. 'localhost/XE'). It had limited functionality. The PHP world can move at a fast pace. PHP Oracle Extensions The PHP Oracle extensions are written in C and linked into the PHP binary. An example script that finds city names from the locations table using OCI8: Script 1: intro. consider using the PHP Data Object (PDO) extension or the ADOdb abstraction library. it is worth knowing the alternatives. It is included in PHP 3. Although this book concentrates on the OCI8 extension for PHP. is no longer in PHP. 11 .2 to the latest version of the extension. and is not maintained. The extension accessed the database using Oracle's obsolete "OCI7" C language API. 4. Database access in each extension and abstraction library is fundamentally similar. It is also in PHP 6. OCI8 Extension OCI8 is the recommended extension to use. If you want to make full use of Oracle's features and want high performance then use OCI8. The differences are in their support for advanced features and the programming methodology promoted.CHAPTER 3 PHP ORACLE EXTENSIONS PHP has several extensions that let applications use Oracle. There have been major and minor changes to the OCI8 extension in various versions of PHP. The extensions are: ● ● ● Oracle OCI8 PDO You can also use the ODBC extension. There are also database abstraction libraries written in PHP which are popular. and 5.php <?php $c = oci_connect('hr'. It is open source and maintained by the PHP community. Oracle Extension The extension called "Oracle" was included in PHP 3. 'hrpwd'. 4 and 5.
some extension function names were standardized. Each database has its own driver.php <?php $dbh = new PDO('oci:dbname=localhost/XE'. $s = $dbh->prepare("select city from locations"). so PHP 4 scripts do not need to be changed. All unqualified references to OCI8 in this book refer to the PHP extension. The PDO extension and PDO_OCI driver are open source and included in PHP 5. OCI_ASSOC)) { echo $res['CITY'] . 'hrpwd'). The query is executed and a web page of results is displayed in the browser: Figure 3: PHP Output in a web browser. oci_execute($s). A table showing old and new names appears in Appendix C. PHP 4 functions like OCILogin() became oci_connect(). which may also support vendor specific functionality. The name "OCI8" is also the name for Oracle's Call Interface API used by C programs such as the PHP OCI8 extension. 'hr'. OCIParse() became oci_parse() and so on. "<br>". while ($res = oci_fetch_array($s. PDO Extension PHP Data Objects (PDO) is a data abstraction extension that provides PHP functions for accessing databases using a common core of database independent methods. it connects as the demonstration user hr of the Oracle Database XE database running on the local machine. The old names still exist as aliases. In PHP 5.1 onwards. 12 . PDO_OCI provides the Oracle functionality for PDO. 'select city from locations').PHP Oracle Extensions $s = oci_parse($c. An example script that finds city names from the locations table using PDO_OCI is: Script 1: connectpdo. } ?> When invoked in a web browser.
ADOdb The popular ADOdb library is available from http://adodb. when configured for Oracle. The abstraction libraries are: ● ● ● ADOdb PEAR DB PEAR MDB2 Other abstractions such as Creole have dedicated fan-base. $s = $db->Execute("select city from locations"). The Data Source Name (DSN) prefix oci: must be lowercase. the abstraction libraries allow simple PHP applications to work with different brands of database. There is an optional C extension plug-in if you need extra performance.inc.htm 13 . You can freely download and use the PHP code for these libraries. The value of dbname is the Oracle connection identifier for your database.PHP Oracle Extensions $s->execute(). while ($r = $s->FetchRow()) { echo $r['CITY'] . "hrpwd"). PHP Database Abstraction Libraries Like PDO. There are three main database abstraction libraries for PHP.php <?php require_once("adodb. "hr". } ?> The output is the same as the OCI8 example in Figure 3. but the support for Oracle features varies. while ($r = $s->fetch(PDO::FETCH_ASSOC)) { echo $r['CITY'] . They are written in PHP and.sourceforge. they use functionality provided by the OCI8 extension. $db = ADONewConnection("oci8").php"). "<br>".com/lens/adodb/docs-oracle. } ?> There is an Advanced Oracle Tutorial at: http://phplens. An example script that finds city names from the locations table using ADOdb: Script 2: connectadodb.net. "<br>". $db->Connect("localhost/XE".
php <?php require("MDB2.php php-5.php. At time of writing. A new site at http://windows.bz2 Compiles and runs on many platforms 14 . Many PHP users install the full PHP source and do their own custom configuration. There are three main distribution channels: the PHP releases. An example script that finds city names from the locations table using MDB2: Script 3: connectpear.net/downloads.php. install Zend Core for Oracle. The OCI8 extension is available in several forms because of the differing needs of the community.php. It is available from http://pear.tar. or you want a supported stack. Zend Core for Oracle.php").php. or this is your first time with PHP and Oracle.net/ is under construction. If you do not want to compile PHP. PEAR DB has been superseded by PEAR MDB2 but is still widely used. } ?> Getting the OCI8 Extension The OCI8 extension is included in various PHP bundles.7.2. $res = $mdb2->query("select city from locations"). If they need a specific bug fix they use PECL or PHP's latest development source code to get it. while ($row = $res->fetchRow(MDB2_FETCHMODE_ASSOC)) { echo $row['city'] . It is a library aiming to combine the best of PEAR DB and the PHP Metabase abstraction packages. Bundle Containing OCI8 Location and Current Release PHP Source Code http://www. Table 1: OCI8 Availability. Windows users commonly install PHP's pre-built Window binaries.net/ that was useful for obtaining Windows PHP fixes is no longer being maintained. "</br>".PHP Oracle Extensions PEAR DB The PHP Extension and Application Repository (PEAR) contains many useful packages that extend PHP's functionality. the site http://pecl4win. Table 1 shows where OCI8 can be downloaded.php.net/package/DB.net/package/MDB2. PEAR MDB2 The PEAR MDB2 package is available from http://pear. $mdb2 = MDB2::connect('oci8://hr:hrpwd@//localhost/XE'). PEAR DB is a package for database abstraction. and the PHP Extension Community Library (PECL) site which contains PHP extensions as individual downloads.
If the database is installed on another machine.0-Windows-x86.2. Figure 4: PHP links with Oracle client libraries. then PHP can be linked with Oracle libraries included in the database software. If the database is installed on the same machine as the web server and PHP. then link PHP with the small.php.5 http://www.4.oracle. For example.net/package/oci8 oci8-1. free Oracle Instant Client libraries.tar.5. then PHP applications can connect to Oracle Database 8i .exe Other platforms are also available OCI8 and Oracle Installation Options To provide Oracle database access.2.5.Getting the OCI8 Extension Bundle Containing OCI8 Location and Current Release PHP Windows Binaries PECL Source Code http://www. 9i.0-Linux-x86.php.zip http://pecl.com/technology/tech/php/zendcore/ ZendCoreForOracle-v2.7-Win32.net/downloads.tgz Used to add or upgrade OCI8 for an existing PHP installation Zend Core for Oracle 2.3. which may be local or remote on your network. Oracle has cross-version compatibility.gz ZendCoreforOracle-v.php php-5. 15 . These libraries provide underlying connectivity to the database. then PHP can connect to Oracle Database 9iR2 onwards. if PHP OCI8 is linked with Oracle Database 10g client libraries. 10g or 11g. the PHP binary is linked with Oracle client libraries. If OCI8 is linked with Oracle Database 11g libraries.
10g.php. Software Bundle PHP Release Source Code PHP Release Windows Binaries PECL OCI8 Source Code Zend Core for Oracle 2.2. 9i. PDO_OCI is independent of OCI8 and has no code in common with it.2.bz2 Compiles and runs on many platforms PHP Windows Binaries http://www. The PHP community has let the PDO project languish and Oracle recommends using OCI8 instead whenever possible because of its better feature set.0 because their versions of OCI8 are notoriously unstable. 11g OCI8 1. performance and reliability. Only a few minor changes have been made to PDO_OCI in PHP releases since its introduction. like OCI8. 10g.php. The extensions can be enabled separately or at the same time. 10g. Table 2 shows the compatibility of the Oracle client libraries with the current OCI8 extension and PHP.4 OCI8 1.PHP Oracle Extensions Full OCI8 functionality may not be available unless the Oracle client libraries and database server are the latest version. Table 3 shows the compatibility of the PDO_OCI driver with PHP and Oracle.7-Win32. 9i.2.9 onwards Includes PHP 5.2. consider replacing the default OCI8 code with the latest version from PECL to get improved stability. This is important for PHP 4 and 5.3. Bundle Containing PDO_OCI PHP Source Code Location and Current Release http://www. Table 2: OCI8 and Oracle Compatibility Matrix.2.php php-5. 5.3 Inbuilt Oracle Database 10g client If OCI8 is being used with PHP 4.7 OCI8 1.3.5 Builds with PHP 4.7 OCI8 1.5 Latest release is 9iR2.net/downloads.net/downloads. 11g 8i. 10g. 11g .php php-5.7.2. The version of PDO_OCI on PECL has not been updated with these fixes and is still at version 1.0. 5. 11g Current release is 5.zip 16 Oracle Client Libraries Usable with PDO_OCI 8i.1 or 5. Older versions of PHP have different compatibility requirements. is also available on PECL.0.2. Table 3: PDO_OCI Availability and Compatibility. 11g 10g. Instructions for updating OCI8 are shown later in this book. behavior and performance optimizations. Getting the PDO Extension The PDO_OCI driver for PDO is included with PHP source code and.tar.2.5 Current release is 5. 9i.5 PHP Version OCI8 Version Included Oracle Client Libraries Usable with OCI8 8i.2.
Although ZCO 2. Recently. This is the only place bug fixes are merged. The code in CVS is used to create the various PHP distributions: ● Two-hourly snap-shots are created containing a complete set of all PHP's source in CVS at the time the snapshot was created.Getting the PDO Extension Bundle Containing PDO_OCI PECL Source Code Location and Current Release http://pecl.gz ZendCoreforOracle-v.0.oracle. Zend Core for Oracle also takes snapshots of PHP from CVS.5.php.exe Other platforms are also available Zend Core for Oracle Zend Core for Oracle (ZCO) is a pre-built release of PHP from Zend that comes enabled with the OCI8 and PDO_OCI extensions.2. Various operating systems bundle the version of PHP current at the time the OS is released and provide critical patch updates. It comes with Oracle Instant Client 10g and includes an optional Apache web server. so not all recent bug fixes are included. (Migration from CVS to SVN is planned).5 includes PHP 5. Zend decided to use a tested OCI8 extension from an older PHP release.net/. 10g (no 11g support) Zend Core for Oracle 2. snapshots have been made concurrently at the time of a PHP release (when OCI8 has changed). The snapshots may be relatively unstable because the code is in flux.php.0-Windows-x86.tar. A support package is available from Zend. The snapshots are located at http://snaps. It is available for several platforms.php.5.tgz Oracle Client Libraries Usable with PDO_OCI 8i.net/package/PDO_OCI PDO_OCI-1. It uses the most current CVS code at the time of release. or by downloading the Windows binaries.5. ZCO can connect to local and remote Oracle databases. After several months of development the PHP release manager will release a new stable version of PHP.2. and includes a convenient browser-based management console for configuration and getting updates. 17 ● ● ● ● .0-Linux-x86.net/.com/technology/tech/ Inbuilt Oracle Database 10g php/zendcore/ client ZendCoreForOracle-v2. has a simple installer. The code is open source and anyone can read the code in CVS or seek approval to contribute. You can update your PHP environment by getting this source code and recompiling. 9i. The PHP Release Cycle PHP's source code is under continual development in a source code control system viewable at http://cvs. ZCO is free to download and use. PECL OCI8 source code snapshots are taken from CVS at infrequent intervals.5 http://www.
Table 4 shows the major features in each revision of PECL OCI8. Available in PHP 5. Beta releases that became OCI8 1.3 OCI8 code. Table 4: Major Revisions of OCI8. OCI8 1.PHP Oracle Extensions The schedules of PHP releases.1 – 5. Also some of Oracle recent scalability and high availability features can be now be used.1.0 OCI8 1. the PECL source snapshots. added control over persistent connections. and introduced performance features such as the ability to do statement caching and a new array bind function.1 OCI8 1. the OCI8 extension included in the PHP source code is now labeled with the same version number as the equivalent PECL release. Based on PHP 4. These features are discussed in a later chapter.3. OCI8 1. PECL OCI8 Version OCI8 1.2. A major refactoring of the extension for PHP 5.2.3 18 . Refactored connection management gives better handling of restarted databases and adds support for Oracle's external authentication. As a result of a recent PHP version numbering overhaul.2 Main Features First PECL release. and Zend Core for Oracle are not fully synchronized.3 will be included in PHP 5. It greatly improved stability.
as needed.html. You could do this without changing any of your underlying table structure or code. Free to download. The editions are: ● ● ● ● Express Edition Standard Edition One Standard Edition Enterprise Edition All the editions are built using the same code base. You could start off with the Express Edition. Debian. Oracle Database Editions There are a number of editions of the Oracle database. That is. but different features are implemented in each edition.CHAPTER 4 INSTALLING ORACLE DATABASE 10G EXPRESS EDITION This Chapter contains an overview of. whereas the Express Edition has a limited feature set. they all have the same source code. Free to distribute with your applications. free. small footprint database. but still has all the reliability and performance of the Enterprise Edition.oracle. Yes. The installation instructions are given for Linux. Free to develop against. move up to another edition as your scalability and support requirements change. Windows.oracle. Oracle Database XE is a good choice for development of PHP applications that require a free.com/database/product_editions. This book discusses working with Oracle Database XE. This is the free edition. Enterprise Edition has all the bells and whistles. Ubuntu and Kubuntu. Oracle Database 10g Express Edition (Oracle Database XE). Oracle Database XE is available on the Oracle Technology Network (http://otn. licensing options and costs. and. and installation instructions for. that is free. each with different features. There is a comprehensive list of the features for each Oracle edition at http://www. free! Oracle Database XE Oracle Database XE is available on 32-bit Windows and Linux platforms.com/xe) for the following operating systems: ● ● Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 or later Windows Server 2003 19 . Just change the Oracle software and you're away.
96.0/MIRACLE LINUX V4.0 Inside) Debian 3. you will need to pay Oracle for the license costs. even if multiple CPUs exist 1GB RAM used. Installing Oracle Database XE on Linux If you do not have a version of libaio over release 0. Download the Oracle Database XE from http://otn.oracle.96 There are some limitations with Oracle Database XE: ● ● ● ● 4GB of data Single database instance Single CPU used. 4.oracle.1 The following libraries are required for the Linux-based operating systems: ● ● glibc release 2.0.0. and use these for application development and testing. If you need a fully supported version for the Oracle database.2 libaio release 0.i386. which is populated by peers and product experts.0/Haansoft Linux 2006 Server (Asianux 2. Install the RPM: # rpm -ivh oracle-xe-univ-10. Log in or su as root: # su Password: 3. You cannot buy support from Oracle for Oracle Database XE.3.Installing Oracle Database 10g Express Edition ● ● ● ● ● ● ● Windows XP Professional Service Pack 1 or later Oracle Enterprise Linux 4 and 5 Red Hat Enterprise Linux RHEL 3. Support for Oracle Database XE is through an Oracle Technology Network (http://otn.2. Oracle Application Express.1-1. but when you go production.3. 2.com/) discussion forum. and 5 Suse SLES-9 Fedora Core 4 Red Flag DC Server 5.rpm 20 . To install Oracle Database XE: 1.3. even if more RAM is installed Oracle Database XE has a browser-based management interface. you need to install this library before you can install Oracle Database XE.com/xe. You can download all the editions of the Oracle Database from the Oracle Technology Network. you should consider Oracle Standard Edition or Enterprise Edition.
the bc package is installed by default on the desktop version. you need to make sure that you have already installed the libaio and bc packages. add the following to the file /etc/apt/sources.oracle. Enter Y or N for whether you want the database to start automatically on reboot.0. Ubuntu. follow the configuration step 4 onwards. and Kubuntu There is an Advanced Package Tool (apt-get) repository available on the Oracle Open Source web site for Oracle Database XE. 4.com/xe).com/debian unstable main non-free libaio and bc are included in the repository. 3. Configure the database # /etc/init. The database and database listener are configured and started. 6. follow these steps: 1. Log in or su as root # su Password: 2. To install Oracle Database XE on Debian. If you are using Ubuntu or Kubuntu. but not on the server version.2. you can download Oracle Database XE from http://otn. you can install Oracle DatabaseXE with: # up2date oracle-xe After this download completes.com/xe.1-1. If you use the Oracle Unbreakable Linux Network and have the Oracle Software channel enabled. 7.list: deb http://oss.oracle. Accept the default ports of 8080 for Application Express. Installing Oracle Database XE on Debian.oracle. Enter and confirm the password for the default users.deb Oracle Database XE installs. and 1521 for the Database Listener.Installing Oracle Database XE on Linux Oracle Database XE installs. Ubuntu and Kubuntu. To include this repository. and will be installed from the repository if you do not already have them installed.d/oracle-xe configure 5.0_i386. If you download Oracle Database XE from the Oracle Technology Network (http://otn. Configure the database 21 . Install Oracle Database XE # apt-get update # apt-get install oracle-xe If you have not added the apt-get repository. and run the following command to begin the install: # dpkg -i downloads/oracle-xe-universal_10.
select I accept and click Next. In the Choose Destination Location window. either accept the default or click Browse to select a different installation directory. 7. Enter Y or N for whether you want the database to start automatically on reboot. 6. 3. 4. Figure 5: Oracle Database XE install welcome dialog. 2.oracle. delete it using the Control Panel > System dialog.com/xe. follow these steps: 1. Double click on the OracleXEUniv. Log on to Windows as a user with Administrative privileges. 6. 5.Install Wizard welcome window. Download the Oracle Database XE from http://otn.exe file. Enter and confirm the password for the default users. In the License Agreement window. Installing Oracle Database XE on Windows To install Oracle Database XE on Windows. The database and database listener are configured and started. Accept the default ports of 8080 for Application Express.d/oracle-xe configure 4. If an ORACLE_HOME environment variable has been set. 5. Click Next. click Next. In the Oracle Database XE .Installing Oracle Database 10g Express Edition # /etc/init. and 1521 for the Database Listener. 22 .
enter and confirm the password to use for the sys and system database accounts. 9. 8. In the Summary window. Click Install. 23 . In the Specify Database Passwords window.Installing Oracle Database XE on Windows Figure 6: Oracle Database XE install location dialog. you are prompted to enter another port number. Oracle Database XE requires a number of ports and selects a number of default ports. review the installation settings. If these ports are already being used. Figure 7: Oracle Database XE database password dialog. 10. Click Next.
Installing Oracle Database 10g Express Edition Figure 8: Oracle Database XE install summary dialog.0. click Launch the Database homepage to display the Database Home Page. Testing the Oracle Database XE Installation To test the installation of Oracle Database XE: 1. 24 . In the InstallShield Wizard Complete window. Figure 9: Oracle Database XE home page login screen.1:8080/apex 2. 11. If you do not already have the Database homepage displayed in your web browser. The Database homepage is displayed. open a web browser and enter: http://127. Click Finish.0.
2.0/server/bin/oracle_env.0/server/bin/oracle_env. Bash or Korn shell.bash_profile or . Run the appropriate script for your shell to set your Oracle Database XE environment variables. Setting the Oracle Database XE Environment Variables on Linux On Linux platforms a script is provided to set the Oracle environment variables after you log in. Configuring Oracle Database XE There are a number of environment settings and configuration options you can set for Oracle Database XE.sh (Note the space after the period).Testing the Oracle Database XE Installation 3. add the following lines to your . The script for Bourne. The more commonly used settings are discussed here. Log in as user system with the password you entered during the installation. /usr/lib/oracle/xe/app/oracle/product/10.2. To add the script to your login profile for C and tcsh shells.csh 25 .0/server/bin/oracle_env. use oracle_env.cshrc file: source /usr/lib/oracle/xe/app/oracle/product/10. Figure 10: Oracle Database XE home page.csh. To add the script to your Bourne. You should now be logged into the Oracle Database homepage.login or . Bash and Korn shells: /usr/lib/oracle/xe/app/oracle/product/10. You can also add this script to your login profile to have the environment variables set up automatically when you log in.2.sh For C and tcsh shells.bashrc file: . add the following lines to your .
run the following command in your shell: # /etc/init. To start the database. On Linux with KDE: Select K Menu > Oracle Database 10g Express Edition > Stop Database.d/oracle-xe restart To stop the listener and database on Linux platforms using the command line. To start the listener and database from the Desktop Services dialog. add the user name to the dba group using the System Settings. Select oracle-xe from the list of services and select Start. select Applications > System Settings > Server Settings > Services. To enable this functionality. This applies to all the methods of starting and stopping the database. To stop the listener and database from the Desktop Services dialog. 26 . After installing Oracle Database XE. the options and commands for this are listed below. the listener and database should already be running. To shut down the database on Linux platforms using the desktop. do one of the following: ● ● On Linux with Gnome: Select Applications > Oracle Database 10g Express Edition > Stop Database. and you may have requested during the installation that the listener and database should be started when the operating system starts up. Select oracle-xe from the list of services and select Stop. you must log in as a user who is a member of the operating system dba user group. Starting and Stopping the Listener and Database on Linux To start up the listener and database on Linux platforms using the desktop. do one of the following: ● ● On Linux with Gnome: Select Applications > Oracle Database 10g Express Edition > Start Database. The database is another process that runs in memory. On Linux with KDE: Select K Menu > Oracle Database 10g Express Edition > Start Database. and needs to be started before Oracle Net can handle connection requests to it. select Applications > System Settings > Server Settings > Services.Installing Oracle Database 10g Express Edition Enabling Database Startup and Shutdown from Menus on Linux You may not be able to start and stop the database using the menu on Linux platforms. If you need to manually start or stop the database listener. This is because your user is not a member of the operating system dba group.d/oracle-xe stop You can also use the Services dialog from the Desktop to start and stop the listener and database. The database listener must be running to handle these requests. To start the listener and database on Linux platforms using the command line. run the following command in your shell: # /etc/init. Starting and Stopping the Listener and Database The database listener is an Oracle Net program that listens for and responds to requests to the database.
The listener and database are now stopped. A Window is displayed showing the status of the listener and database startup process. open the Services dialog using Start > Settings > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services. and select the OracleXETNSListener service. Type exit and press Enter to close the Window. Figure 11: Start Database dialog. A Window is displayed showing the status of the listener and database shutdown process. select Start > Oracle Database 10g Express Edition > Start Database. You can also start and stop the listener separately on Windows platforms using the Services dialog.Configuring Oracle Database XE Starting and Stopping the Listener and Database on Windows To start the listener and database on Windows platforms. select Start > Oracle Database 10g Express Edition > Stop Database. To stop the listener and database on Windows platforms. Figure 12: Stop Database dialog. 27 . Right click on the Listener service. The listener and database are now started. Type exit and press Enter to close the Window. To start the listener on Windows platforms. and select Start.
you use the similar command from the operating system command prompt: # lsnrctl stop After starting the listener. enter the following at the command line prompt: # sqlplus /nolog The SQL*Plus command line starts. and select the OracleServiceXE service. Right click on the Listener service. and select Stop. Right click on the database service. On Windows. To shut down the database. Make sure that you are logged in as a privileged user and have your operating system environment set up correctly as discussed in an earlier section of this chapter.Installing Oracle Database 10g Express Edition To stop the listener on Windows platforms. and select the OracleXETNSListener service. connections to the database will fail. For this. This is the sys user in default installations. If you want to shut down the listener manually. open the Services dialog using Start > Settings > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services. it can take a short while before the database registers with the listener. to control the listener. To stop the database using the Services dialog on Windows platforms. If you start the database before starting the Oracle Net listener. you need to log in as sysdba. Until it this happens. Starting and Stopping the Listener and Database Using SQL*Plus You can also use the command line shell and SQL*Plus command line to start and stop the database. you also need to start the database using SQL*Plus. or you can use operating system authentication if you are on the local machine in the operating system dba group. At the SQL*Plus command line prompt. and select the OracleServiceXE service. To start up a database using SQL*Plus. open the Services dialog using Start > Settings > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services. and select Start. you must log in as a database user with the sysdba role. use the Services dialog as discussed above. Right click on the database service. and select Stop. enter the following commands to connect to the database and start it up: SQL> connect / as sysdba SQL> startup The database is started. You can also start SQL*Plus from the Applications > Oracle Database 10g Express Edition > Run SQL Command Line on Linux. To start up the listener on Linux. You can also start and stop the database separately on Windows platforms using the Services dialog. open the Services dialog using Start > Settings > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services. open a terminal window and run the following command: # lsnrctl start Oracle Net starts the listener and it is ready to take database requests. or Start > Programs > Oracle Database 10g Express Edition > Run SQL Command Line on Windows. Log into SQL*Plus as before and issue the following command: 28 . and issue the SHUTDOWN IMMEDIATE command. To start the database using the Services dialog on Windows platforms.
4. To enable connection to the Oracle Database XE home page from remote machines. you should be aware that HTTPS cannot be used (only HTTP). Select Manage HTTP Access from the Tasks option.1:8080/apex Log in as the system user.0. and are not encrypted. 5. Select Administration from the home page. so your login credentials are sent in clear text. 2. Enabling Remote Client Connection The Oracle Database XE home page is only available from the local machine. log into SQL*Plus as system.0. 29 . it is more secure to leave it as the default setup. 3. You can also use SQL*Plus command line to enable access from remote clients.SETLISTENERLOCALACCESS(FALSE). not remotely. Check the Available from local server and remote clients radio button. Open a web browser and load the Oracle Database XE home page: http://127. so if you don't need to set this up.Configuring Oracle Database XE SQL> connect / as sysdba SQL> shutdown immediate The SQL*Plus User's Guide and Reference gives you the full syntax for starting up and shutting down the database if you need more help. If you want to enable access from a remote client. and run the following command: SQL> EXEC DBMS_XDB. To use SQL*Plus command line to change this setting. follow these steps: 1. Click Apply Changes.
Installing Oracle Database 10g Express Edition 30 .
3. 2. There is no default system password set by the Oracle Installer.com) as a standalone product for other versions and editions of the database. not covered in this book. SQL*Plus and Oracle SQL Developer applications that you can use to perform database development and administration.CHAPTER 5 USING ORACLE DATABASE This Chapter contains an overview of the Oracle Application Express.0. Open a web browser and enter the URL: http://127.1:8080/apex The Oracle Application Express login screen is displayed. Figure 13: Oracle Application Express login screen. 31 .oracle. The password you enter here is the password you entered when you installed Oracle. Logging In To Oracle Application Express To start and log in to Oracle Application Express: 1. Oracle Application Express Oracle Application Express is a browser-based application builder for the Oracle database.0. Log in as system. The release of Oracle Application Express installed with Oracle Database XE has an additional module for performing database administration. It is installed with Oracle Database XE and is also available for download from Oracle Technology Network (http://otn. It also contains a database development tool. monitoring and maintenance.
Log in to Oracle Application Express as shown in the previous section.Using Oracle Database Figure 14: Oracle Application Express interface. and other Oracle books use the hr user. Unlocking the HR User Many of the examples in this book. 2. Figure 15: Manage Database Users menu. which is automatically installed and configured during an Oracle database installation. Select Administration > Database Users > Manage Users. You may want to unlock this user now so that many of the examples in this book work correctly. To unlock the hr user: 1. 32 .
and click the Alter User button. Change Account Status to Unlocked. To unlock the hr user. Figure 16: Manage Database Users screen. enter a password in the Password and Confirm Password fields. The examples in later chapters use the password hrpwd. The hr account is now unlocked. Select the HR icon. Figure 17: User screen. Creating Database Objects The Oracle Application Express Object Browser can be used to create or edit the following objects: ● ● ● Table View Index 33 . 4.Oracle Application Express 3.
On the Database home page. The Object Browser page is displayed. To create a new table: 1. Figure 18: Oracle Application Express create object screen. click the Object Browser icon.Using Oracle Database ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● Sequence Collection Type Package Procedure Function Trigger Database Link Materialized View Synonym Oracle Application Express uses wizards to guide you through creating these database objects. but you will see that the interface is wizard-based and creating and editing different objects can all be performed through the Object Browser. The following example covers creating a table. 34 .
and details for each column. 4. Figure 19: Oracle Application Express create table object screen. 6. Enter a table name in the Table Name field. From the list of object types. 3. Add foreign keys (optional). select Table. Click Create. Click Next. Figure 20: Oracle Application Express table definition screen.Oracle Application Express 2. 5. 35 . Define the primary key for this table (optional).
Click Finish. Figure 22: Oracle Application Express table created confirmation screen. The SQL that is generated to create the table is: CREATE table "MYTABLE" ( "FIRST_NAME" CHAR(100) NOT NULL. 8. Add a constraint (optional). Click Create. Figure 21: Oracle Application Express confirm create table screen.Using Oracle Database 7. To view the SQL used to create the table. 9. 36 . "BIRTHDATE" DATE ) / You could also run this command in SQL*Plus command line to create the table. "SECOND_NAME" CHAR(100) NOT NULL. click SQL Syntax. "SALARY" NUMBER. The table is created and a description of the table is displayed.
click the SQL icon. Select objects from the Object Selection pane. it is displayed in the Design pane.Oracle Application Express Working with SQL Scripts The SQL Console enables you to: ● ● ● Write SQL and PL/SQL Load and save SQL scripts Graphically build SQL The following example guides you through creating a SQL script. Click the Query Builder icon. To access Query Builder: 1. 3. log in as the hr user. When you click on the object name. 2. Figure 23: Oracle Application Express SQL options screen. This example uses the Query Builder to graphically create a SQL script to query data. 37 . To access the tables used. On the Database home page.
8. 5. Click Run to execute the query and view the results. Figure 25: Oracle Application Express SQL query results screen. 7. 38 On the Database home page. Creating a PL/SQL Procedure To enter and run PL/SQL code in the SQL Commands page: 1. Select columns from the objects in the Design pane to select which columns to include in the query results. Establish relationships between objects by clicking on the right-hand column of each table (optional). click the SQL icon to display the SQL page. Create query conditions (optional). . Click the SQL Commands icon to display the SQL Commands page. 4.Using Oracle Database Figure 24: Oracle Application Express SQL query builder screen. You can save your query using the Save button. 2. 6.
'999.99')). BEGIN DBMS_OUTPUT.2) a.department_id=e. This procedure.Oracle Application Express 3.PUT_LINE('-------------------------').department_name) LOOP DBMS_OUTPUT.d. END. DBMS_OUTPUT. and is encapsulated in a PL/SQL package called emp_sal. EmpStatVar EmpStatTyp. On the SQL Commands page. You need to enter each block separately.department_id group by d.999. employees e where d.a. Dept_avg number).16. create or replace package emp_sal as procedure emp_stat. emp_stat.' ')|| TO_CHAR(EmpStatVar.PUT_LINE('Department Avg Salary').department_name b from departments d. and click Run. / Figure 26: Oracle Application Express PL/SQL and SQL command screen. Click Run to execute the PL/SQL. end emp_sal. END LOOP. enter some PL/SQL code. For EmpStatVar in (select round(avg(e.PUT_LINE(RPAD(EmpStatVar.salary).999.b. averages the salary for departments in the hr schema. Here is some PL/SQL code to try if you aren't familiar with PL/SQL. 39 . Then enter the following code: create or replace package body emp_sal as Procedure emp_stat is TYPE EmpStatTyp is record (Dept_name varchar2(20).
click the Administration icon. Click the Database Users icon. log into Oracle Application Express as the system user. end. 5. This account is considered an administrator account because it has DBA privileges (SYSDBA). begin emp_sal.emp_stat. Figure 27: Oracle Application Express Administration screen. On the Database home page. Click Run. 40 . 4. You can execute the stored procedure by entering the following PL/SQL code and clicking Run. If you want to save the PL/SQL code for future use. click Save. The PL/SQL code is executed. To perform database administration such as creating new users. Creating a Database User The Administration console is used to manage database: ● ● ● ● Storage Memory Users Activity of sessions and operations The installation process creates an account named system. To create a database user: 1.Using Oracle Database end emp_sal.
Enter user information into text fields: In the Username field. Figure 29: Oracle Application Express Create Database User screen. 4. 3. Grant all create object system privileges by clicking Check All at the lower right-hand corner of the User Privileges box. 5. enter a password. On the Manage Database Users page. 41 . click Create. enter a new username. 6.Oracle Application Express Figure 28: Oracle Application Express Manage Database Users screen. 2. In the Password and Confirm Password fields. The Create Database User page is displayed.
gives the user the ability to create schema objects in other users' schemas. This enables you to determine the users who are currently logged in to the database and what applications they are running. Monitoring Database Sessions You can use the Oracle Database XE graphical user interface to monitor the current database sessions. To view the current sessions: 42 . The DBA privilege. and to create other users. You can also use the Oracle Database XE graphical user interface to kill a session—to cause it to be disconnected and its resources to be relinquished. The Manage Database Users page displays a confirmation that the user was created. 8. you can view: ● ● ● All sessions Active sessions only Sessions that match a search string You should be logged in as the system user to perform any database administration. Figure 30: Oracle Application Express Manage Database Users screen.Using Oracle Database 7. Click Create. The DBA role is by default not selected. When you view sessions.
Oracle Application Express 1. On the Database Monitor page. click the Administration icon. 43 . On the Database home page. 2. Figure 31: Oracle Application Express Administration screen. Click Monitor. click Sessions. Figure 32: Oracle Application Express Administration Monitor screen.
Input/Output (I/O). Oracle Database XE includes backup and restore scripts that you access using menu on your desktop. the server parameter file (SPFILE). Client Information. The Session Details page enables you to kill the session. 6. Offline backups are backups that run when the database is shut down. Database Backup and Recovery Backing up and restoring Oracle Database XE is based on protecting the physical files that make up the database: the datafiles. A session is shown if any of the following fields contain the search text: SID. and Module. Figure 33: Oracle Application Express Sessions screen. (An example of an idle session is a SQL*Plus command line session that is not currently running a command. and deletes obsolete backups and archived logs at the end of each backup job.Using Oracle Database 3. database backup and recovery is handled by Recovery Manager (RMAN). The page displays all sessions. the control file. all archived logs required for media recovery from either backup are also retained. (Optional) Under the SID column. Database User. including idle sessions. Client Identifier. and store backup files in the flash recovery area. The Sessions page is displayed and shows the current active sessions. 4.) (Optional) Narrow down the sessions list by entering search text into the Search field and clicking Go. The backup script performs online backups of databases in ARCHIVELOG mode and offline backups of databases in NOARCHIVELOG mode. These scripts perform a full backup and restore of the entire database. 44 . Machine. The restore script restores the database differently depending on whether log archiving is on or off. In ARCHIVELOG mode. Waits. OS User. (Optional) In the Status list. and click Go. The database automatically manages backups and archived logs in the flash recovery area. In Oracle Database XE. select All. 5. (Optional) Click any of the hyperlinks above the Search field to view the following information for all sessions: Locks. Online backups are backups that can run while the database is running. 7. running SQL statements. and. and open cursors. Oracle Database XE implements a backup retention policy that dictates that two complete backups of the database must be retained. the redo log files. click a session ID to view the Session Details page for that session. if in ARCHIVELOG mode.
● ● 3. select K Menu > Oracle Database 10g Express Edition > Backup Database. If prompted. After the backup is complete. and then uses the online and archived redo log files to recover the database to the state it was in before the software or media failure occurred. On Windows. Do one of the following: ● On Linux with Gnome. Log in to the Oracle Database XE host computer as a user who is a member of the dba user group. On Linux with KDE. 2. If running in ARCHIVELOG mode. and any uncommitted transactions that were under way when the failure took place are rolled back (using undo data from the restored undo tablespace). All committed transactions that took place after the last backup are recovered. the script displays the following output: Figure 34: Oracle Application Express backup dialog. the script displays the following output: 45 . select Start > Programs > Oracle Database 10g Express Edition > Backup Database. Log archiving off (NOARCHIVELOG mode) restores the database to its state at the last backup. answer y to confirm the database shutdown and begin the backup. Backing Up The Database To back up the database: 1. A console window opens so that you can interact with the backup script. select Applications > Oracle Database 10g Express Edition > Backup Database.Oracle Application Express Log archiving on (ARCHIVELOG mode) restores the backed up database files. Any transactions that took place after the last backup are lost.
On Windows. Logs containing the output from the backups are stored in the following locations: $ORACLE_HOME/oxe_backup_current. On Linux with KDE. Do one of the following: ● On Linux with Gnome. Log in to the Oracle Database XE host computer as a user who is a member of the dba user group. A console window opens so that you can interact with the restore script. select Start > Programs > Oracle Database 10g Express Edition > Restore Database.Using Oracle Database Figure 35: Oracle Application Express backup successful message.log Restoring the Database To restore a database from a backup: 1. The script displays the following output: 46 .log $ORACLE_HOME/oxe_backup_previous. ● ● 3. Press any key to close the Backup Database window. select K Menu > Oracle Database 10g Express Edition > Restore Database. select Applications > Oracle Database 10g Express Edition > Restore Database. 4. 2.
which is described in the next section. For easy development.log Oracle SQL*Plus SQL*Plus is Oracle's traditional command line tool.Oracle Application Express Figure 36: Oracle Application Express restore dialog. 47 . the script displays the following output: Figure 37: Oracle Application Express restore successful message. Its command set is limited but it allows ad-hoc queries. use SQL*Plus to show SQL examples. including this one. 5. scripting and fundamental database administration. 4. It is available whenever the database is installed. Answer y to confirm the database shutdown and begin the restore. Many books. Press any key to close the Restore Database window. After the restore is complete. you may prefer to use SQL Developer. A log containing the output from the restore is stored in: $ORACLE_HOME/oxe_restore.
set the environment with: $ .1. it is common to put the username. the sqlplus executable must be in your PATH and several environment variables need to be set explicitly. Type the desired SID and press enter.Using Oracle Database Starting SQL*Plus Oracle Database XE sets up a menu option to run SQL*Plus.0. Enter user-name: hr Enter password: Connected to: Oracle Database 10g Express Edition Release 10. . and then use the CONNECT command: $ sqlplus /nolog .sh Note the space after the period. Type EXIT to quit. use: $ . in general.0/server/bin/oracle_env.2. 48 . If you are running SQL*Plus on a machine remote from the database server.0 . Once the environment is set. The prompt SQL> is shown.Production SQL> The password you enter is not displayed.2. /usr/lib/oracle/xe/app/oracle/product/10. SQL> connect hr/hrpwd@localhost/XE Connected. Another way is to start SQL*Plus without attempting to log on. In the Bash shell. if you want to run SQL*Plus from a terminal window.Production on Thu Nov 6 11:17:09 2008 Copyright (c) 1982. The available SIDs can be seen in /etc/oratab. On Linux. password and database that you want to connect to all on the command line. All rights reserved. SQL*Plus can be started with the sqlplus command: $ sqlplus SQL*Plus: Release 10. for Oracle Database XE.2. /usr/local/bin/oraenv ORACLE_SID = [] ? You will be prompted for the system identifier ("SID") of the database on this machine that you intend to connect to. Oracle. but beware that entering the password like this is a security risk: sqlplus hr/hrpwd@localhost/XE A better practice is to run: sqlplus hr@localhost/XE This will prompt for the password.0. the /usr/local/bin/oraenv or /usr/local/bin/coraenv (for users of Cshell) scripts set the environment. Type HELP INDEX to find a list of commands.1. . you need to manually set the environment. These are pre-set in the registry on Windows.0 . On other editions of the Oracle database. However. In development. 2005.
CLOB or (with SQL*Plus 11g) from BLOB columns. or with a single slash (/): SQL> select * from locations 2 / This last example also shows SQL*Plus prompting for a second line of input. SQL*Plus returns to the main prompt and does not execute the statement: SQL> select * from locations 2 SQL> Controlling Query Output in SQL*Plus SQL*Plus has various ways to control output display. 3 end. first login to the operating system as a user in the dba group and then use: $ sqlplus / as sysdba or sqlplus /nolog SQL> connect / as sysdba Executing SQL and PL/SQL Statements in SQL*Plus SQL statements such as queries must be terminated with a semi-colon (. For example. must end with a slash in addition to the PL/SQL code's semi-colon: SQL> begin 2 myproc().Oracle SQL*Plus SQL> To connect as a privileged user for database administration. to change the page size (how often table column names repeat) and the line size (where lines wrap): SQL> set pagesize 80 SQL> set linesize 132 If you are fetching data from LONG. If a blank line (in SQL) or a single period (in SQL or PL/SQL) is entered. increase the maximum number of characters that will display (the default is just 80): 49 . Tools other then SQL*Plus will use different methods to indicate "end of statement". PL/SQL. 4 / The terminating semi-colon or slash is not part of the statement. Code in Oracle's procedural language.): SQL> select * from locations. The SET command controls some formatting.
A traditional query from the CAT view gives a short summary: SQL> select * from cat.0 Output can be spooled to a file with the SPOOL command: SQL> spool /tmp/myfile.---------------------------------------.---------FR France 1 SQL> column country_name format a20 SQL> column region_id format 99. here setting the COUNTRY_NAME output width to 20 characters.sql.---------FR France 1. CO COUNTRY_NAME REGION_ID -. Information On Tables in SQL*Plus Queries from inbuilt views like USER_TABLES and USER_INDEXES will show information about the objects you own.-------------------.sql Because SQL*Plus doesn't have a full history command. The column width of queries can be changed with the COLUMN command.Using Oracle Database SQL> set long 1000 Note these are local commands to SQL*Plus and do not need a semi-colon. and the REGION_ID column to a numeric format with a decimal place: SQL> select * from countries where country_id = 'FR'.0 SQL> select * from countries where country_id = 'FR'.sql or from the SQL*Plus prompt: SQL> @myscript. they can be executed with the @ command either from the terminal prompt: $ sqlplus hr@localhost/XE @myscript. CO COUNTRY_NAME REGION_ID -. writing statements in scripts using an external editor and running them this way is recommended. TABLE_NAME -----------------------------COUNTRIES DEPARTMENTS DEPARTMENTS_SEQ EMPLOYEES 50 TABLE_TYPE ----------TABLE TABLE SEQUENCE TABLE .log Running Scripts in SQL*Plus If multiple SQL statements are stored in a script myscript.
Windows and Mac OS X. there are no database connections configured. The default SQL Developer screen is shown in Figure 38.com/technology/products/database/sql_developer. and give feedback to the SQL Developer product team. execute and debug PL/SQL statements. documentation. Oracle SQL Developer In addition to Oracle Application Express or SQL*Plus.0. so the first thing you need to do is create one. SQL Developer includes some prebuilt reports. You can download SQL Developer from the Oracle Technology Network at http://www. Oracle SQL Developer is a free. you can also use Oracle SQL Developer for database development and maintenance. and you can create and save your own reports. Creating a Database Connection When you start SQL Developer for the first time. This sets the password to hrpwd.oracle.2. or simply use the DESCRIBE command to give an overview: SQL> describe countries Name Null? ----------------------------------------. query the USER_TAB_COLUMNS view. connect as a privileged user and execute an ALTER USER command: SQL> connect system/systempwd SQL> alter user hr identified by hrpwd account unlock. 51 . thick-client graphical tool for database development. located in the hr schema.1 onwards. extensions. and other resources from this site. You can use SQL Developer to execute SQL statements. SEQUENCE TABLE TABLE TABLE SEQUENCE TABLE To find out about the columns of a table.-------COUNTRY_ID NOT NULL COUNTRY_NAME REGION_ID Type ---------------------------CHAR(2) VARCHAR2(40) NUMBER Accessing the Demonstration Tables in SQL*Plus This book uses the Human Resource sample tables. There is also a discussion forum for you to ask questions of other users.Oracle SQL*Plus EMPLOYEES_SEQ JOBS JOB_HISTORY LOCATIONS LOCATIONS_SEQ REGIONS 10 rows selected. and is available on Linux. To unlock this account and set the password after the database has been installed. SQL Developer can connect to Oracle databases from version 9. and to run a few SQL*Plus commands (like DESCRIBE). You can also download patches.
52 . Enter the login credentials for the Oracle Database XE with the username hr. right click and select New Connection. the hostname localhost. A message is displayed at the bottom left side of the dialog to tell you whether the test connection succeeded. Click the Test button to test the connection. To create a database connection to the local Oracle Database XE database: 1.Using Oracle Database Figure 38: Oracle SQL Developer login screen. Figure 39: Oracle SQL Developer Connection screen. 2. Select Connections in the left pane. Click the Connect button to save the connection and connect to it. and password you created for the hr user. and the SID XE.
When you have connected to a database. you can browse through the database objects displayed in the left pane. You can add rows. 53 .Oracle SQL Developer Figure 40: Oracle SQL Developer main screen. Select the Data tab for the employees table to display the records available. Figure 41: Oracle SQL Developer Data Grid. there are context sensitive menus. In Figure 40. and the right pane shows the contents of the object. the records are marked with an asterisk. If you make any changes. the employees table is displayed. update data and delete rows using the data grid. Figure 41 shows the choice of context menus available in the data grid. Throughout SQL Developer. Editing Data You can view and edit data using the Data tab for a table definition.
To create a new table: 1. To create a database object. and follow the dialogs. foreign keys. types and other parameters as required. 54 . and partitions. Figure 42: Oracle SQL Developer Create Table screen. indexes.Using Oracle Database Creating a Table You can create database objects such as tables. You can use this method to create any of the database objects displayed in the left pane. The Create Table dialog is displayed. The new table mytable is now listed in the left pane. Click OK to create the table. indexes. Select Tables in the left pane. Enter the column names. Figure 43: Oracle SQL Developer Advanced Create Table screen. 2. views. right click on the database object type you want to create. Click the Advanced check box to see more advanced options like constraints. and PL/SQL procedures using SQL Developer. right click and select Create Table.
Some SQL*Plus commands can also be executed. To execute a SQL statement in SQL Developer: 1. If the tab is not available. The SQL Worksheet component is displayed.Oracle SQL Developer Figure 44: Oracle SQL Developer screen showing the new table. mytable. such as the Data tab. Click on the tabs displayed in the right pane to see the options available on the table. sort. delete. which enables you to add. modify. This is the connection created earlier in Creating a Database Connection. 55 . Executing a SQL Query The SQL Worksheet component included in SQL Developer can be used to execute SQL and PL/SQL statements. and filter rows in the table. and shows an area to enter statements. and a set of tabs below that for further options. select the menu Tools >SQL Worksheet. Select the Database Connection tab in the right hand pane. You are prompted for the database connection name.
Both the lines of this script are run and the output is displayed in tabs below. by using F5. Click the Run Script icon (the second from the left in the right hand pane). You can view the output of the SELECT statement in the Results tab. using F9. 56 . Figure 46: Oracle SQL Developer screen showing SQL Worksheet with output. and the output of the whole script (including the DESCRIBE and SELECT statements) in the Script Output tab. If you have used Oracle's command line tool SQL*Plus. the output in the Script Output window is likely to be familiar to you. 2.Using Oracle Database Figure 45: Oracle SQL Developer screen showing SQL Worksheet. or press F5.EMPLOYEES. Enter the following two statements in the SQL Worksheet: DESCRIBE HR.EMPLOYEES SELECT * FROM HR.
If you want to execute a single line of the two-line statement. Figure 47: Oracle SQL Developer screen showing SQL Worksheet with output. Figure 48: Oracle SQL Developer screen showing code snippets. Add the name 57 . 1. the SELECT statement (second line) is selected. or press F9. run. Right click the Procedures node and select New Procedure from the context menu. select the line you want to execute and click on the Execute Statement icon (the first from the left in the right hand pane). In this case. Editing. compile. Snippets are a handy set of SQL and PL/SQL code snippets that you can drag into the SQL Worksheet component. and the results are shown in the Results tab. and debug PL/SQL.Oracle SQL Developer 3. Compiling and Running PL/SQL You can use SQL Developer to browse. create. You should also take a moment to click on the Snippets on the top right hand of the interface. edit.
Replace or add the text so that your code is as follows: CREATE OR REPLACE PROCEDURE ADD_DEPT (NAME IN DEPARTMENTS. NAME. Compile the code by selecting the compile icon in the toolbar.DEPARTMENT_NAME%TYPE. 3.NEXTVAL. If there are errors. DEPARTMENT_NAME.LOCATION_ID%TYPE) IS BEGIN INSERT INTO DEPARTMENTS(DEPARTMENT_ID. END ADD_DEPT. LOCATION_ID) VALUES(DEPARTMENTS_SEQ. LOC).Using Oracle Database ADD_DEPT and click OK. 2. The PL/SQL Editor is opened. they will appear in the Message-Log window below 58 . LOC IN DEPARTMENTS. Figure 49: SQL Developer new procedure dialog.
5. Training and 1800. The green arrow icon runs the code. SQL Developer provides dialog with an anonymous block to help test and run your code. all the tables owned by a user. Figure 51: SQL Developer Run PL/SQL dialog. Run the procedure. 59 . Find and replace the NULL values with values of your own. Running Reports There are a number of reports included with SQL Developer that may be useful to you. for example.Oracle SQL Developer Figure 50: SQL Developer PL/SQL Code Editor. getting lists of all users in a database. 4. Query the Departments table to see the results added. or all the views available in the data dictionary. for example.
Click the Run Report in SQL Worksheet icon (next to Refresh). 2. and include them in SQL Developer. The source code is written to the SQL Worksheet. Figure 52: Oracle SQL Developer screen showing output from a report. Navigate down to Reports > Data Dictionary Reports > About Your Database > Version Banner. To display the version numbers of the database components using one of the supplied reports: 1. You can also export the supplied reports to edit and add back as user defined reports. Figure 53: Oracle SQL Developer screen showing the source code of a report. 60 . The report is run and the results are displayed in the right hand pane. Select the Reports tab in the left hand pane.Using Oracle Database You can also create your own reports (using SQL and PL/SQL).
Select the folder you created and right click to select Add Report. select User Defined Reports. to categorize them. 1. Figure 54: SQL Developer User Defined Reports 2. Right click the User Defined Reports node and select Add Folder. Complete the details in the dialog. You can use this folder to import or add new reports. You can test the report to ensure your SQL is correct. EMPLOYEES E WHERE(D. CITY FROM DEPARTMENTS D. LOCATIONS L. Give the report a name and description and enter the following SQL text. 3. Notice that the default style is table. DEPARTMENT_NAME.DEPARTMENT_ID= D. SELECT Last_name.LOCATION_ID = L.Oracle SQL Developer Creating Reports To create your own reports.EMPLOYEE_ID) AND(E. DEPARTMENT_NAME 4. It is good practice to create folder for your reports.DEPARTMENT_ID) order by CITY.LOCATION_ID) AND(D. and right click. Click the Test button on the Details tab.MANAGER_ID= E. without leaving the dialog. 61 .
62 . supplied and user defined. import and share your reports. Tabular Report You can create tabular reports. Figure 56: SQL Developer User Defined. You are prompted for a database connection. Click Apply to save and close. drill down reports and master/detail reports. To run the report. select it in the Reports Navigator. you can export. For all reports. 6. charts.Using Oracle Database Figure 55: SQL Developer Create Report Dialog 5.
tar file.org/download. The procedure to install on other Linux platforms is the same as for Oracle Enterprise Linux.apache. Configure and build the web server: # cd httpd-2.CHAPTER 6 INSTALLING APACHE HTTP SERVER This Chapter gives you the steps needed to install and configure the Apache HTTP Server for use with PHP. The installation shown in this Chapter may need some variation if this latest version is used.tar file. you can skip this chapter.bz2 If you are familiar with the tar command on UNIX systems.apache. Log in as the root user and extract the files: # tar -jxvf httpd-2. the option --enable-module=so allows PHP to be compiled as a Dynamic Shared Object (DSO).0.0.59 from http://httpd. 3. Steps are given for Oracle Enterprise Linux and Windows XP Professional Edition. If you downloaded the . which has a new -j flag to automatically uncompress a bzipped .59 # . 63 . The instructions uses Apache HTTP Server Release 2.cgi.59. the --prefix= option sets where Apache HTTP Server will be installed during the command make install.gz gzipped file.cgi. If you already have Apache installed. you could have used the -z flag instead.9 is the latest version available. Note: Apache release 2.org/download.59.2. Installing Apache HTTP Server on Linux To install the Apache HTTP Server for use with PHP on Oracle Enterprise Linux. Download the Apache HTTP Server from http://httpd. Linux includes the GNU version of tar./configure --prefix=/usr/local/apache --enable-module=so # make # make install When configuring the web server.0. Also. 1.tar.bz2.0. you may be wondering why we did not need to invoke bunzip2 to extract the . 2.tar. The version used in this installation is httpd-2.
operating systems. Now stop Apache so it can be configured for PHP: # /usr/local/apache/bin/apachectl stop Note: If you are using Oracle Database10g Release 10. 64 . check your httpd.0.1/ to display the Apache home page. With Oracle Database 10g Release 10. Configuring Apache HTTP Server on Linux When you use Apache HTTP Server with PHP OCI8. Errors may also be recorded in /usr/local/apache/logs/error_log. you must give the nobody user access to files in the Oracle directory.ini configuration files for any incorrect settings.sh to do this.0. there is a script located in $ORACLE_HOME/install/changePerm. Installing Apache HTTP Server on Windows The following procedure describes how to install the Apache HTTP Server on Windows. or OCI8 functions. If there are errors. If you have problems. but not Oracle Database XE.0. Which variables you need to set are determined by how PHP is installed.conf and php. because thread-safety of many of the PHP libraries is not known. Use this script to start and stop Apache HTTP Server.2. Variables should be set prior to Apache starting. they are displayed on your screen. and make corrections. Note: Do not set Oracle environment variables in PHP scripts with putenv(). To start Apache HTTP Server: # /usr/local/apache/bin/apachectl start You should test that Apache has been installed properly and is started on your machine by opening your web browser to http://localhost/ or http://127. you should use the default pre-fork MPM ("Multi-Processing Module").2 onwards. you must set some Oracle environment variables before starting the web server.2. how you connect. web servers. Information about setting the environment is in Setting Oracle Environment Variables for Apache in the chapter Connecting to Oracle Using OCI8. Starting and Stopping Apache HTTP Server The apachectl script is installed in the Apache bin directory. Using putenv() causes hard to track errors as the behavior is not consistent for all variables. The web server may load Oracle libraries and initialize Oracle data structures before running your script.Installing Apache HTTP Server Note: With Apache 2. and what optional settings are desired.
59-win32-x86-no_ssl.0.Installing Apache HTTP Server on Windows 1.0. 3. use the Apache options added to your Windows Start menu.0. the Apache HTTP Server is started. Your system tray has an Apache Monitor control that makes it easy to stop and restart the Apache HTTP Server when needed. 2.apache.msi. Follow the Apache HTTP Server installation wizards. Starting and Stopping Apache HTTP Server As part of installation.59.59-win32-x86-no_ssl. Download the Apache HTTP Server Windows binaries from http://www. because the only for the Current User alternative will clash with Oracle Database Express Edition's default port 8080. 65 .1/ to display the Apache home page.org/dist/httpd/binaries/win32/. You should now test that Apache HTTP Server has been installed properly and started on your machine by opening your web browser to http://localhost/ or http://127. Alternatively.0. Double click the downloaded file apache_2.0. and the downloaded file is named apache_2.msi. You should select to install Apache HTTP Server for All Users. on Port 80. The release used in this installation is Apache HTTP Server 2.
Installing Apache HTTP Server 66 .
Configure PHP with OCI8: # export ORACLE_HOME=/usr/lib/oracle/xe/app/oracle/product/10. The path can be found in /etc/oratab.net/downloads. 4.php. use the same version of the Oracle libraries as were used during the build process.2.conf and the module directory is /usr/local/apache/modules.3 instead of Apache 2. for example /usr/local/apache/bin/apxs. You might come across other situations that require a combination of steps to be followed. Installation on other systems such as Solaris and Mac OS X is similar to the Linux steps. 67 .gz file. the APXS utility is in /usr/local/apache/bin/apxs. extract it with tar -zxf.bz2 # cd php-5.2./configure \ > --with-apxs2=/usr/sbin/apxs \ > --with-oci8=$ORACLE_HOME \ > --enable-sigchild Use the appropriate path to your Oracle software installation. Installing PHP with OCI8 on Linux These steps assume the default Apache httpd RPM package in used on Oracle Enterprise Linux 5.7 from http://www. login as the root user: 1. The Apache HTTP Server need to be installed before installing PHP. Shutdown Apache: # /usr/sbin/apachectl stop 2. Download PHP 5. then the command to start and stop Apache is /usr/local/apache/bin/apachectl. change the –-with —apxs2 option to –-with-apxs.php.tar. Installing OCI8 Using a Local Database To install OCI8 on Oracle Enterprise Linux which has a database installed.7 If you downloaded the . the configuration file is in /usr/local/apache/conf/httpd.7.0/server # . use the appropriate path to the Apache extension tool. When running PHP. and a database must be accessible in your network. The main installation scenarios are covered. 3.CHAPTER 7 INSTALLING PHP This Chapter discusses ways of installing PHP on Linux and Windows. If you installed your own Apache. if you manually installed Apache in /usr/local/apache.2.tar. Log in as the root user and extract the PHP source code: # tar -jxf php-5. If you have Apache 1. However.2.
ini files parsed: /usr/local/lib (none) (none) (none) This shows the path is /usr/local/lib.php. Before continuing.ini-recommended /usr/local/lib/php. To find the destination directory. Copy PHP's supplied initialization file php. add it too: LoadModule php5_module /usr/lib/httpd/modules/libphp5. Edit Apache's configuration file /etc/httpd/conf/httpd. To list all the options. For testing it is helpful to edit php. use the --ini option to command line PHP: # php --ini Configuration File (php. Copy the file to that directory: # cp php.so 10. review the output and make sure the "checking for Oracle (OCI8) support" line was marked as "yes". LD_LIBRARY_PATH and NLS_LANG. Make sure you change this configuration option back to Off before making your application available to users.ini files in: Additional . Make and install PHP: # make # make install 6.ini and set display_errors to On so you see any problems in your code. prior to PHP 5.Installing PHP Note: Although configure fails if it cannot find the Oracle software.4 it silently ignores a misspelled option name.phps files # AddType application/x-httpd-php .ini) Path: Loaded Configuration File: Scan for additional . use the command: configure –-help 5. 68 . . such as ORACLE_HOME.conf and add the following lines: # # This section will call PHP for . Other desired options and extensions can be used in the configure command. See Setting Oracle Environment Variables for Apache in the chapter Connecting to Oracle Using OCI8.2. Set any required Oracle environment variables. If a LoadModule line was not already inserted by the PHP install.phps 8.phtml AddType application/x-httpd-php-source . and .php AddType application/x-httpd-php .phtml.ini 7.ini-recommended. 9.
7. The files should be unzipped together so the SDK is in $HOME/instantclient_11_1/sdk.1.php.i386. To install with Oracle Instant Client: 1.1/client/lib and the second creates headers in /usr/include/oracle/11.0-1.Installing PHP with OCI8 on Linux 11.1-basic-11.com/technology/tech/oci/instantclient/instantclient.htm l Collectively. Configure PHP: # cd php-5. if its character set and error message language restrictions do not impact your application. If Instant Client was installed from the ZIP files. the two packages are about 41 MB in size.so 7.php.7./configure \ 69 . 188.8.131.52.2.tar.1 libclntsh.bz2 If you downloaded the . Download the RPM or ZIP files for the Basic and SDK Instant Client packages from the Instant Client page on the Oracle Technology Network: http://www. then a small set of libraries called Oracle Instant Client can be used.11. unzip the Basic and the SDK packages to a directory of your choice. 4. Download PHP 5.tar.oracle.0-1. 6. extract it with tar -zxf.rpm The first RPM puts the Oracle libraries in /usr/lib/oracle/11.rpm # rpm -Uvh oracle-instantclient11. 3. Extract the PHP source code: # tar -jxf php-5. If you are using the Instant Client ZIP files.i386. If you are using the RPMs.7 # . create a symbolic link: # cd $HOME/instantclient_11_1 # ln -s libclntsh. If PHP is not installed on the database host machine.1-devel-11.gz file.so. The even smaller Basic-lite package can be substituted for Basic.1.7 from http://www.net/downloads.1/client.0.2. Shutdown Apache: # /usr/sbin/apachectl stop 2. Restart Apache: # /usr/sbin/apachectl start Installing OCI8 Using Oracle Instant Client PHP links with Oracle libraries. for example $HOME/instantclient_11_1. install the RPMs as the root user: # rpm -Uvh oracle-instantclient11.
extract it with tar -zxf. 2.3 will build with PHP 4.3.ini 10. The instructions are equivalent for other versions of PHP.9. This section uses PHP 4 as the example target PHP distribution (OCI8 1. Extract the file: # tar -jxf php-4.9.gz file. Note PHP 4 is no longer maintained by the PHP community and should not be used for new projects.Installing PHP > > > --with-apxs2=/usr/sbin/apxs \ --with-oci8=instantclient. Upgrading OCI8 as a Static Library on Linux If OCI8 is (or will be) statically linked with PHP. Upgrading OCI8 is strongly recommended if you must use PHP 4. See Setting Oracle Environment Variables for Apache in the chapter Connecting to Oracle Using OCI8.tar.9 onwards).3 is also more recent than the OCI8 extension in PHP 5.1/client64/lib 8.tar.tar. OCI8 1. 3.bz2 from http://www.2. Restart the Apache HTTP Server: # /usr/sbin/apachectl start Upgrading PHP with PECL OCI8 on Linux The latest OCI8 package from PECL can be used to upgrade OCI8 in a full PHP source bundle – if the PECL version is more recent than that included in PHP.4. 70 Delete the default oci8 extension: . 11. Copy PHP's supplied initialization file: # cp php./usr/lib/oracle/11. use: --with-oci8=instantclient.bz2 If you downloaded the .ini-recommended /usr/local/lib/php.net/downloads. Set any required Oracle environment variables such as LD_LIBRARY_PATH and NLS_LANG.php./usr/lib/oracle/11.1/client/lib \ --enable-sigchild If you are using the ZIP files then change the --with-oci8 option to the unzipped directory: --with-oci8=instantclient. Rebuild PHP: # make # make install 9.4. PHP must be rebuilt using the new extension source code.$HOME/instantclient_11_1 If you are using Instant Client RPMs on 64 bit Linux. To build and install PHP 4 on Oracle Enterprise Linux: 1.php. Download php-4.
Extract the files and move the directory to ext/oci8: # tar -zxf oci8-1. Remove any existing OCI8 extension: # pecl uninstall oci8 3. pecl and phpize executables on Enterprise Linux.13 7. To install: 1.cache autom4te. If you have both old and new packages installed. Download the latest OCI8 extension from http://pecl. 4. The php-pear and php-devel RPM packages are required to get the default pear. Before running buildconf.4. These steps can also be used to add OCI8 to the default PHP that Oracle Enterprise Linux comes with. Rebuild the configuration script with the updated extension's options: # cd php-4.4. if you intend to use Oracle Instant Client.4. you might need to install the autoconf213 package.tgz # mv oci8-1. Download and install OCI8: # pecl install oci8 71 .conf # .com:80/ 4. set the proxy.3. Configure and build PHP following step 4 onward in the previous section Installing OCI8 Using a Local Database or.13 export PHP_AUTOHEADER=autoheader-2.4. for example: # pear config-set http_proxy http://example.9/ext/oci8 If you only rename the oci8 directory the configure script will not be properly created.3. If you are behind a firewall. by following the step 4 onwards in the section Installing OCI8 Using Oracle Instant Client. Upgrading OCI8 on Linux Using the PECL Channel PHP's PECL packaging system can also be used to install or upgrade OCI8 as a shared library.9 # rm –rf configure config./buildconf –-force PHP prefers older versions of the operating system build tools. 5. for example with: export PHP_AUTOCONF=autoconf-2. later versions of PHP can be forced to use the appropriate version.4 php-4.php. Shutdown Apache: # /usr/sbin/apachectl stop 2.net/package/oci8.9/ext/oci8 6.Upgrading PHP with PECL OCI8 on Linux # rm -rf php-4.
3. Set any required Oracle environment variables such as LD_LIBRARY_PATH and NLS_LANG. If OCI8 was previously installed. backup or remove the oci8.net/package/oci8 Extract and prepare the new code: # tar -zxf oci8-1. 4. See Setting Oracle Environment Variables for Apache in the chapter Connecting to Oracle Using OCI18.104.22.168.4 extension from PECL./usr/lib/oracle/11.2.php.4 # phpize 5. Edit php. If you have a local database.1. Restart Apache: # /usr/sbin/apachectl start Upgrading OCI8 as a Shared Library on Linux These steps are the manual equivalent to the previous pecl install oci8 command.1/client/lib On 64 bit Linux with Instant Client RPMs the line would be instantclient. Shutdown Apache: # /usr/sbin/apachectl stop 2.Installing PHP Respond to the prompt as if it were a configure –-with-oci8 option.so If extension_dir is not set. Configure OCI8.so was installed. http://pecl. To install OCI8 on an existing PHP installation as a shared library: 1.7 RPMs.tgz # cd oci8-1.1/client64/lib 5.so 3. type the full path to the software location: /usr/lib/oracle/xe/app/oracle/product/10. for example: extension_dir = /usr/lib/php/modules 6.ini and add: extension = oci8.0/server Otherwise if you have Oracle Instant Client 11./usr/lib/oracle/11. If you have a local database. use: # . 7. set it to the directory where oci8. Download the OCI8 1./configure –-with-oci8=shared. type: instantclient.$ORACLE_HOME 72 .so file # rm /usr/lib/php/modules/oci8.4.
3. Install the library: # cd oci8-1. Double click on the downloaded file php-5. 11. The PHP Windows installer starts.Upgrading PHP with PECL OCI8 on Linux Otherwise if you have Oracle Instant Client 11. Refer to the PHP documentation for those steps. To install OCI8 on Windows. Build the shared library: # make 7. set it to the directory where oci8. for example: extension_dir = /usr/lib/php/modules 10.2.7-win32-installer. Apache is also required. These can be from a local database.ini and add this line: extension = oci8. Edit /etc/php. 73 . If extension_dir is not set.net/downloads. PHP binaries for Windows come in thread-safe and non. Accept the license agreement by checking the box and click Next.1. The non. or from Oracle Instant Client.so 9.7 use: # > . 4.php. 5. See Setting Oracle Environment Variables for Apache in the chapter Connecting to Oracle Using OCI8.2. Click Next on the Welcome screen.thread-safe version requires the web server to be in a non-threaded mode.7 installer package from http://www.instantclient.0./configure –-with-oci8=\ shared. 2./usr/lib/oracle/11. Set any required Oracle environment variables such as LD_LIBRARY_PATH and NLS_LANG.msi.so was installed. PHP is also installable from ZIP files.1/client/lib 6. Select the installation location of the PHP files and click Next. the Oracle 10g or 11g client libraries are required.php. Restart Apache: # /usr/sbin/apachectl start Installing PHP With OCI8 on Windows This section discusses the PHP Windows MSI installer. Installing OCI8 Using a Local Database on Windows To install OCI8 on Windows XP Professional Edition: 1. The license agreement is displayed. Download the PHP 5.4 # make install 8.3.thread-safe bundles.
x Module and click Next. If you have errors. 14. Unzip the downloaded file into the new directory. In the Web Server Setup screen.1. the standard configuration directory is C:\Program Files\ApacheGroup\Apache2\ conf\ In the Choose Items to Install screen. Restart Apache with Start > Programs > Apache HTTP Server 2. For Apache 2. 3. before any other Oracle directories. scroll down to the Extensions branch and add the Oracle 8 extension to the installation. click Install.types file has been updated. Click OK.log. to the PATH environment variable.0.0 module option. to use Oracle 10g Instant Client you may need to locate a copy of msvcr71.0. 12.ini files. Click Finish. Installing OCI8 with Instant Client on Windows After installing the Apache HTTP Server. 13. A final confirmation message is displayed to confirm that the PHP installation has completed. C:\instantclient_11_1. double check your httpd. 8.6.0. On some Windows installations.7 screen. A dialog is displayed asking whether you want to configure Apache. and edit PATH in the System Variables list.2. Click Yes.com/technology/tech/oci/instantclient/instantclient. 2.0.oracle.html The Windows 32 bit ZIP file is called instantclient-basic-win32-11. on Windows XP. you can install Oracle Instant Client and configure PHP to connect to a remote Oracle database. A confirmation message is displayed to confirm that the mime. For example. This installation uses the Apache 2. In the Apache Configuration Directory screen. use Start > Settings > Control Panel > System > Advanced > Environment Variables. 10. The installer installs PHP.Installing PHP 6. To install: 1. This opens a console window showing any error messages. Errors may also be recorded in C:\Program Files\Apache Group\Apache2\logs\error. 74 . In the Ready to Install PHP 5. C:\instantclient_11_1). If you need to connect to Oracle 8i. Click Next. 11. Edit the Windows environment and add the location of the Oracle Instant Client files.dll and put it in your PATH.conf and php. and correct any problems.zip and is around 42 MB in size. then install the Oracle 10g Instant Client. Click OK.conf file has been updated. 9. Download the Instant Client Basic package for Windows from the Instant Client page on the Oracle Technology Network: http://www. select the location of the Apache conf directory and click Next. 7. select the web server you want to use.0. Select Apache 2. A confirmation message is displayed to confirm that the httpd.59 > Control Apache Server > Restart. Create a new directory (for example.
Edit php.ini and perform the following: ● Change extension_dir to C:\php-4. 4. Delete the old OCI8 extension file C:\php-4.9-Win32\extensions\php_oci8. 7. Unset any Oracle environment variables that are not required. Copy C:\php-4.Installing PHP With OCI8 on Windows If you are using a tnsnames. Download the PHP 4.4 branch from http://pecl4win. and set the user environment variable TNS_ADMIN to C:\instantclient_11_1. 75 ● .ora file to define Oracle Net connect names (database aliases). such as NLS_LANG.dll and the other PHP extensions.9-Win32\cli directory too.9-Win32\php4ts. such as ORACLE_HOME and ORACLE_SID.4. If nothing is set.4.4.4. 4.9-Win32. copy the tnsnames.zip to a directory called C:\php-4. 3.4. 6. This section has been retained for reference.dll and move it to C:\php-4. Note: The OCI8 DLLs for Windows require the Oracle 10g or 11g Client libraries. The Windows build team in the PHP community is working on a replacement for pecl4win.php.9-Win32\extensions\php_oci8.php.dll.ini-recommended to C:\Program Files\Apache Group\Apache2\conf\php.4.dll. Restart the Apache HTTP Server.php. Upgrading OCI8 on Windows The pecl4win site mentioned here is no longer maintained and the steps no longer apply to recent versions of PHP. Uncompress php-4. 2. or build PHP yourself.4. To install PHP 4 on Windows XP Professional Edition: 1. 5. Uncomment (remove the semicolon from the beginning of the line) the option extension=php_oci8. Copy php.9-Win32\sapi directory. See the Globalization chapter.9 ZIP file from http://www. the default local environment is used. Installing OCI8 Using a Local Database on Windows.dll into the C:\php-4.dll for the 4.4.ini.9-Win32\extensions.net/ext. Current alternatives are to upgrade your complete PHP distribution. Download php_oci8. Install PHP following the steps in the previous section.net/downloads. If you run the PHP command line interface copy it to the C:\php-4. which is the directory containing php_oci8.php/php_oci8.ora file to C:\instantclient_11_1. for more information on globalization with PHP and Oracle. 5. Set any other required Oracle globalization language environment variables.9-Win32.dll.4.
1.phps extension will be displayed as formatted source code. Oracle Support will ask you to revert the changes before beginning investigation.2. The technical problem faced with building PHP is that the Oracle libraries for AS do not include header files. Restart Apache. regardless of whether they are PHP related.phps files # AddType application/x-httpd-php . 76 .0 of the Application Server (AS) comes with PHP 4. These steps are very version and platform specific. .4. Note: Changing the version of PHP in AS is not supported (and hence is not recommended) but is technically possible in some circumstances. They may not be technically feasible in all deployments of AS.phtml AddType application/x-httpd-php-source . Files with a . The AS 10. Files with . Edit the file httpd.1. so you see any problems in your code. For testing.dll # # This section will call PHP for .2 patchset adds PHP 5.1. Apache is repeated twice).11.php.php AddType application/x-httpd-php . Installing OCI8 with Oracle Application Server on Linux Oracle includes PHP with its mid-tier Application Server 10g Release 3 allowing you to use the same web server for PHP and for J2EE applications.php or .3. Otherwise you will get errors or unpredictable behavior.conf and add the following lines.phps # # This is the directory containing php.ini # PHPIniDir "C:/Program Files/Apache Group/Apache2/conf" 10.phtml. The Oracle HTTP Server document root is $ORACLE_HOME/Apache/Apache/htdocs (Yes. PHP is enabled by default. This can be overcome by linking PHP with Oracle Instant Client but care needs to be taken so that AS itself does not use the Instant Client libraries.3. 9. you may be able to compile your own PHP release using these steps. and .Installing PHP 8. Version 10.phtml extensions in this directory will be executed by PHP. it is helpful to set display_errors to On. Make sure to use forward slashes / instead of back slashes \: # # This will load the PHP module into Apache # LoadModule php4_module C:/php-4. If you have a strong need to use a different version of PHP without installing a new web server.9-Win32/sapi/php4apache2. Make sure to unset it when your application is released. For any AS support calls.3.
Download the Oracle 10g or 11g Basic and SDK Instant Client ZIP packages from the Instant Client page on the Oracle Technology Network: http://www. in which case this last step is unnecessary.3-20061115.1.3 is assumed.so. Shut down the Apache HTTP Server: $ $ORACLE_HOME/opmn/bin/opmnctl stopproc ias-component=HTTP_Server 8. Set environment variables required for the build to complete: $ export PERL5LIB=$ORACLE_HOME/perl/lib $ export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$ORACLE_HOME/lib:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH $ export CFLAGS=-DLINUX 77 . Extract the ZIP files: $ unzip instantclient-basic-linux32-10.1 libclntsh. 5. the commented line will be: #LoadModule php5_module libexec/libphp5. Download PHP 5.7.10. Set the ORACLE_HOME environment variable to your AS install directory: $ export ORACLE_HOME=$HOME/product/10.1.so since it will be replaced.2.3.so: $ cd instantclient_10_2 $ ln -s libclntsh.net/downloads. Change to the Instant Client directory and symbolically link libclntsh.0.1.7 from http://www. 10.oracle. Back up $ORACLE_HOME/Apache/Apache/libexec/libphp5. To install a new version of PHP: 1.2.10. The opmnctl tool may fail with the error Main: NLS Initialization Failed!!.tar.php and extract the file: $ tar -jxf php-5.3-20061115.zip 4.2.com/technology/tech/oci/instantclient/instantclient. Edit $ORACLE_HOME/Apache/Apache/conf/httpd.2. Be wary of having Instant Client in /etc/ld.so.so If you had enabled PHP 5 for AS 10. Log on as the oracle user and change to the home directory: $ cd $HOME 2.so The Instant Client RPMs could also be used.2.bz2 6.so.zip $ unzip instantclient-sdk-linux32-10.so 9.php.3/OracleAS_1 7.1 to libclntsh.conf and comment out the PHP 4 LoadModule line by prefixing it with #: #LoadModule php4_module libexec/libphp4.conf since Instant Client libraries can cause conflicts with AS.Installing OCI8 with Oracle Application Server on Linux A previous installation of AS 10.html 3.0.
0.1. Installing PHP With PDO To use PDO with Oracle.so 13.2. Refer to $HOME/php-5. You can install PDO_OCI and OCI8 at the same time by combining the appropriate options to configure or by selecting both extensions during installation on Windows.7.7.conf.3. install the PDO extension and the PDO_OCI database driver for Oracle.ini with options for PHP 5. Make and install PHP $ make $ make install The installation copies the binaries and updates $ORACLE_HOME/Apache/Apache/conf/httpd. Apache 2. The installation shown uses PHP 5. 14.ini-recommended for new options.7 $ .2. automatically adding the line: LoadModule php5_module libexec/libphp5. 11.3.2. Oracle Enterprise Linux. and they should not be used in production environments. 78 .2 and older Instant Client releases.7/php. and Windows XP Professional Edition. some users reportedly also specified --disable-rpath. 12.Installing PHP There is no need to set CFLAGS if you have AS 10./configure \ > --prefix=$ORACLE_HOME/php \ > --with-config-file-path=$ORACLE_HOME/Apache/Apache/conf \ > --with-apxs=$ORACLE_HOME/Apache/Apache/bin/apxs \ > --with-oci8=instantclient. Configure PHP: $ cd php-5. The Oracle HTTP Server can now be restarted: $ $ORACLE_HOME/opmn/bin/opmnctl startproc ias-component=HTTP_Server Reminder: these steps invalidates all support for AS.59. not just for the PHP component.0 to avoid a duplicate prototype error with gethostname() that results in compilation failure.1.2. The PDO extension and drivers are included in PHP from release 5. It is needed with AS 10. This procedure works for all versions of PHP after release 5.1. for example all the new oci8 directives.1.2. Back up and update $ORACLE_HOMEApache/Apache/conf/php.$HOME/instantclient_10_2 \ > --enable-sigchild With the older AS 10.1.
gz file. 3. Continue from step 6 of the previous Linux section Installing OCI8 Using a Local Database to create the 79 .bz2 # cd php-5.php.1. Configure PHP: # export ORACLE_HOME=/usr/lib/oracle/xe/app/oracle/product/10.1 in the package name and installation path.so./usr.tar. 4. change the –-with-pdo-oci option to: --with-pdo-oci=instantclient.0./configure \ > --with-apxs2=/usr/sbin/apxs \ > --enable-pdo \ > --with-pdo-oci=$ORACLE_HOME \ > --enable-sigchild Note there is no "8" in the –-with-pdo-oci option name.net/downloads.2.1 (or the appropriate version) is missing.11.7 If you downloaded the . With Instant Client ZIP files. If Instant Client ZIP files are used. Log in as the root user and extract the PHP source code using the following commands: # tar -jxf php-5.2. Download PHP 5.2. Note the Oracle 11. extract it with tar -zxf.1.so to libclntsh.2.11.0/server # . 2. if the error I'm too dumb to figure out where the libraries are in your Instant Client install is shown it means the symbolic link from libclntsh. Review the output of configure and check that the extension was enabled successfully before continuing.7 from http://www.1. # make # make install 5.Installing PHP With PDO Installing PDO on Linux To install PDO on Oracle Enterprise Linux: 1.7.php. Make and install PHP.tar.6 Instant Client RPMs have 11.$HOME/instantclient_11_1.0. If you want to build PDO_OCI with the Oracle Instant Client RPMs. the option should be: --with-pdo-oci=instantclient. This link must be manually created unless the RPM files are used.11.1 The trailing version number in this command for ZIP installs is only used for sanity checking and display purposes.1 This indicates to use the Instant Client in /usr/lib/oracle/11.
In PHP 5.Installing PHP php. 5.6 and earlier you can select the Oracle 7 option if you have Oracle 8i or 9i client libraries. This choice is not available in PHP 5.7 onwards. add the PDO extension by also selecting to install PHP > Extensions > PDO > Oracle10g Client and above In PHP 5. create a script that shows the PHP configuration settings.conf file. Checking OCI8 and PDO_OCI Installation To confirm PHP was installed correctly.2. The file should be in a directory Apache can read. 2. Figure 57: PDO Installation on Windows. 80 . Continue with the rest of the PHP installation.2. On Oracle Enterprise Linux the directory is /var/www/html. Restart the Apache HTTP Server. The Oracle PDO_OCI extension is now installed and configured with PHP. Install an Oracle Client or Oracle Database. See the section Installing OCI8 With Oracle Instant Client for steps on installing Oracle Instant Client. 3.ini script and configure Apache. the option is called Oracle 8i +. 4. Follow the steps in Installing OCI8 on Windows. At step 8.6 and earlier. Installing PDO on Windows To install PDO on Windows XP Professional Edition: 1. such as the document root.2. specified by the DocumentRoot setting in the httpd.
Checking OCI8 and PDO_OCI Installation Script 4: phpinfo. ?> Load the script in your browser: http://localhost/phpinfo. its configuration section will look like: 81 . check the Loaded Configuration File entry shows the php.php <?php phpinfo(). If OCI8 was installed. If PDO_OCI was installed. The parameter values are discussed in later chapters: Figure 58: phpinfo() output when OCI8 is enabled. there will be a section for it.ini that the previous installation steps set up. the script can be run in a terminal window with command-line PHP: $ php phpinfo. The Environment section should show the Oracle environment variables.php Alternatively. See Setting Oracle Environment Variables for Apache in the chapter Connecting to Oracle Using OCI8.php In the output.
82 .Installing PHP Figure 59: phpinfo() when PDO_OCI is enabled.
Zend Core for Oracle release 2. Zend Core for Oracle is supported by Zend on the following operating systems: ● ● ● ● ● Oracle Enterprise Linux Linux SLES V9 & V10 on x86. 7 Oracle HTTP Server Zend Core for Oracle is supported against Oracle Database 11g.4.x (compiled in prefork mode only) Apache 2.0. x86-64 Linux RHEL V4 & V5 on x86.5. That means that you can have a fully supported stack of database.3.x Apache 2. So you can use this procedure on all supported operating systems. Installing Zend Core for Oracle on Linux To install Zend Core for Oracle on Linux: 1. 6. It is a pre-built stack that makes it easier to get started with PHP and Oracle.2. There are some slight differences. Vista (32 & 64 bit) Solaris V8. Oracle Instant Client.5. Installing Zend Core for Oracle This procedure installs Zend Core for Oracle on Linux and Windows platforms. as all the hard work of installation and configuration has been done for you.CHAPTER 8 INSTALLING ZEND CORE FOR ORACLE This Chapter shows you how to install Zend Core for Oracle Release 2. like the names and locations of the web server. but the installation is similar on all platforms. and an optional Apache HTTP Server 2. 10g and 9i. the refactored OCI8 driver. web server and PHP.2. V9 & V10 on Sparc The web servers that are supported are: ● ● ● ● ● Apache 1. The procedure to install on other operating systems is similar as the installer is the same on all operating systems. Download the Zend Core for Oracle file from the Oracle Technology Network 83 .2. a fully tested and supported PHP distribution that includes integration with Oracle Database 10g client libraries. x86-64 Windows XP & 2003 (32 bit).x (compiled in prefork mode only) IIS 5. The collaboration between Oracle and Zend reinforces Oracle's commitment to the open source PHP community.5 includes PHP 5.
Extract the contents of the downloaded Zend Core for Oracle software file.com/php). 5.Installing Zend Core for Oracle (http://otn.5. Figure 60: Zend Core for Oracle Installation screen. 84 .0-linux-glibc23-amd64 and start the Zend Core for Oracle installation: # cd ZendCoreForOracle-2.5.5./install -g The Zend Core for Oracle Installation screen is displayed. $ su Password: 3. If you are using the 32-bit install. Click OK.0-linux-glibc23-amd64.tar. Change directory to ZendCoreForOracle-2.oracle.0-linux-glibc23-amd64 # .5. The Zend Core for Oracle license agreement is displayed. # tar -zxf ZendCoreForOracle-2.0-linux-glibc23-amd64. 2. This example uses the Linux 64-bit install.gz Files are extracted to a subdirectory called ZendCoreForOracle-2. the file name may vary slightly. 4. Log in or su as root if you are not already.
The Zend Core for Oracle installation location screen is displayed. 6. Click Yes. or enter your preferred location. Figure 62: Zend Core for Oracle installation location screen. 7. Click OK. The Zend Core for Oracle password screen is displayed. Specify the location for installing Zend Core for Oracle: accept the default. 85 .Installing Zend Core for Oracle Figure 61: Zend Core for Oracle License Agreement screen.
The Zend Core for Oracle select web server screen is displayed. This is the password for the web-based interface to Zend Core for Oracle. If you have not registered. 8.Installing Zend Core for Oracle Figure 63: Zend Core for Oracle password screen. or do not want to track updates. make sure the Configure Zend Network is not selected. Figure 64: Zend Core for Oracle installation options screen. You may optionally enter your Zend network user ID and password to be able to use the Zend Core Console to track when updates to Zend Core and PHP components are available. 9. Enter a password for the Zend Core for Oracle Administration Console. and Install Oracle Client. 86 . We suggest you select Configure Apache Webserver. The Zend Core for Oracle installation options screen is displayed. Click OK. Confirm the password and click OK. Select the Zend Core for Oracle components you want to install.
select Install the Zend Core bundled Apache. If you want to install and configure Apache. Zend Core for Oracle can install Apache if you don't have it on your system. The Zend Core for Oracle Apache configuration details screen is displayed. and click OK. 11. Figure 66: Zend Core for Oracle virtual host selection screen. 87 . Select Configure Zend Core on the main host. select the web server from the list.Installing Zend Core for Oracle Figure 65: Zend Core for Oracle select web server screen. This installation assumes that you have selected to use an existing Apache server already installed on your machine. screen is displayed. The Zend Core for Oracle virtual host selection screen. or if you want to use an existing web server. 10. Click OK.
Select Apache Module as the installation method. Figure 68: Zend Core for Oracle Apache installation method screen.Installing Zend Core for Oracle Figure 67: Zend Core for Oracle Apache configuration details screen. You can also use the FastCGI option if you prefer. 88 . 12. 13. Confirm the configuration details for your Apache installation. Click OK. The installer unpacks the installation files and installs Zend Core for Oracle. and click OK. The Zend Core for Oracle Apache installation method screen is displayed. The Zend Core for Oracle further installation options screen is displayed.
15. The Zend Core for Oracle installation successful screen is displayed. Figure 70: Zend Core for Oracle installation successful screen. 14. Testing the Zend Core for Oracle Installation on Linux To test the Zend Core for Oracle installation on Linux platforms: 1. As root. Configure Apache to use a public virtual directory. The Zend Core for Oracle installation is now complete. edit APACHE_HOME/conf/httpd.Installing Zend Core for Oracle Figure 69: Zend Core for Oracle further installation options screen.conf and add a comment to the following line: #UserDir "disable" 89 . This screen contains useful configuration commands and the URL for the Zend Core for Oracle Administration Console. Select Finish installation and click OK. Take note of the information.
php that contains the following PHP code: <?php echo "Hello world!".oracle. Create a file called hello. The Zend Core for Oracle Welcome screen is displayed. or a user with system administrator privileges. Log in as a system administrator.exe to start the Zend Core for Oracle installation.Installing Zend Core for Oracle 2. 2.0. Any errors in your PHP code are displayed as you have configured PHP to display errors.0.php The line Hello world! appears in the browser. As your normal user (not root). 6.0-Windows-x86. create a directory called public_html in your home directory. 90 . enter the following commands in a command window: # cd $HOME # mkdir public_html # cd public_html 4.1/~username/hello. 3. Make sure the permissions on any files in the public_html directory. and change directory to the newly created directory. Double click on the file named ZendCoreforOracle-2. ?> 5. Download the Zend Core for Oracle.com/php. and the directories above it are set to 755 so the web server can read and execute them.5. Then remove the # from the following line: UserDir public_html 3. Installing Zend Core for Oracle on Windows To install Zend Core for Oracle on Windows platforms: 1. There is a link to the Zend site available on the Oracle Technology Network at http://otn. Open a web browser and enter the following URL in your browser: http://127.
click Next. 5. The Zend Core for Oracle License Agreement screen is displayed. 4. Figure 72: Zend Core for Oracle License Agreement screen. In the Zend Core for Oracle Welcome screen. Read and accept the terms of the license. 91 . The Zend Core for Oracle Setup Type screen is displayed. and click Next.Installing Zend Core for Oracle Figure 71: Zend Core for Oracle Welcome screen.
This installation procedure assumes you select the Custom installation. accept the default. 7. or a Custom installation. The Zend Core for Oracle Choose Destination Location screen is displayed. Specify the location for installing Zend Core for Oracle. If you prefer. Figure 74: Zend Core for Oracle Choose Destination Location screen. On Windows platforms. or enter your preferred location. select the Complete installation for the default install options. The Zend Core for Oracle Select Feature screen is displayed. Click Next. 6. 92 . Click Next.Installing Zend Core for Oracle Figure 73: Zend Core for Oracle Setup Type screen. you can choose to perform a Complete installation.
Installing Zend Core for Oracle Figure 75: Zend Core for Oracle Select Features screen. 9.2. Click Next. the Zend Core for Oracle Apache port number screen is displayed. 93 . Zend Core Administration. Select Zend Core PHP and Extensions. select Specify Apache's location. or if you do not have Apache installed. If you have an Apache install already. and optionally Oracle Instant Client and Zend Framework. 8.4. The Zend Core for Oracle Web Server Selection screen is displayed. Click Next. Figure 76: Zend Core for Oracle Web Server Selection screen. select Install Zend Core's bundled Apache 2. If you selected to install Zend Core's bundled Apache server.
Click Next. 10. The Zend Core for Oracle Administration Password screen is displayed. If you have chosen to install a new Apache server. select the port number you want Apache to listen on. 94 . If you have chosen to use an existing Apache install. Select the extensions you want to associate with PHP from the check boxes and click Next. Figure 78: Zend Core for Oracle Extension Association screen.Installing Zend Core for Oracle Figure 77: Zend Core for Oracle Apache port number screen. select the Apache root folder. The Zend Core for Oracle Extension Association screen is displayed. 11.
or do not want to track updates. Confirm the password and click Next.Installing Zend Core for Oracle Figure 79: Zend Core for Oracle Administration Password screen. select No. 95 . If you have not registered. Enter a password for the Administration Console. The Zend Core for Oracle Proxy Configuration screen is displayed. The Zend Core for Oracle Zend Network Subscription screen is displayed. 13. 12. Figure 80: Zend Core for Oracle Zend Network Subscription screen. Click Next. On the Zend Network Subscription screen you may optionally enter your Zend network user ID and password to be able to use the Zend Core Console to track when updates to Zend Core and PHP components are available.
The Zend Core for Oracle Installation Complete screen is displayed. The installer runs through the installation. 15.Installing Zend Core for Oracle Figure 81: Zend Core for Oracle Proxy Configuration screen. select Yes to enter the the proxy server information. If you use a proxy server to connect to the Internet. The Zend Core for Oracle Ready to Install screen is displayed. Otherwise. select No. Click the Install button to begin the installation. 96 . Figure 82: Zend Core for Oracle Ready to Install screen. Click Next. 14.
0.Installing Zend Core for Oracle Figure 83: Zend Core for Oracle Installation Complete screen.php The line Hello world! appears in the browser. you configure environment variables and Zend Core directives that control default error reporting in web pages. ?> 2.1/ZendCore 97 . Testing the Zend Core for Oracle Installation on Windows To test the Zend Core for Oracle installation on Windows platforms: 1. 16.0.1/hello. Create a file called hello. You may need to restart Windows if you see that some of the PHP extensions aren't loaded correctly. Enter the following URL in a web browser to access the Zend Core for Oracle Administration console: http://127. The final installation page is displayed confirming the installation is complete. Click Finish. 1. Zend Core for Oracle is installed.php in the Apache C:\Program Files\Apache Group\Apache2\htdocs directory that contains the following PHP code: <?php echo "Hello world!". Any errors in your PHP code are displayed if you have configured PHP to display errors.0. Open a web browser and enter the following URL in your browser: http://127. Configuring Zend Core for Oracle In this section.0.
Make sure you set this back to Off before you release any applications you build as users will see the errors and gain information about your system that you otherwise don't want them to see or know. 4. 2. 3. 5. Click the Configuration tab to display the configuration options. Set the display_errors directive to On to enable the display of errors in the HTML script output during development. Figure 85: Zend Core for Oracle configuration screen. 98 .Installing Zend Core for Oracle Figure 84: Zend Core for Oracle login screen. the "Unsaved configuration" message appears under the page header. Click Save Settings to save the configuration change. Because there are unsaved changes. Enter the GUI password that you provided during Zend Core for Oracle installation. Click the + icon to expand the Error Handling and Logging configuration entry. 6. Click the login >>> icon.
or the Apache Monitor in the system tray. you must restart the Apache web server. If you are using a Windows operating system. you should restart the Apache server using the Services dialog in Control Panel. 8. Click Restart Server to restart the Apache server. Under the page header notice the "Please Restart Apache" message reminding you to do so.Configuring Zend Core for Oracle 7. Click Logout to exit the Zend Core for Oracle Administration page. 99 . Because you have made configuration changes.
Installing Zend Core for Oracle 100 .
$password. Multiple Unique Connections To get a totally independent connection use oci_new_connect(): $c = oci_new_connect($username. review the section Setting Oracle Environment Variables for Apache part way through this chapter and make sure that your environment is configured appropriately. a demonstration user account installed with the database. $dbname). Each method returns a connection resource that is used in subsequent OCI8 calls. Use Application Express or SQL*Plus to unlock the account and set a password. $dbname). You can call oci_connect() more than once in a script. A later chapter PHP Scalability and High Availability discusses connection pooling and how it applies to connection management. Oracle Connection Types There are three ways to connect to an Oracle database in a PHP application. Persistent Connections Persistent connections can be made with oci_pconnect(): $c = oci_pconnect($username. If you do this and use the same username and database name. then you get a pointer to the original connection. 101 . $password. environment variables that may affect connections. $dbname). or persistent connections. unique connections. The examples use the HR schema.CHAPTER 9 CONNECTING TO ORACLE USING OCI8 This Chapter covers connecting to an Oracle database from your PHP application. Before attempting to connect. including the types of Oracle connections. as described in the chapter Using Oracle Database. Standard Connections For basic connection to Oracle use PHP's oci_connect() call: $c = oci_connect($username. This can be useful when you want to do database operations independently from each other. using standard connections. This lets you have more than one database session open at the same time. and tuning your connections. $password. Each connection is separate from any other.
Figure 86: Persistent connections are cached in PHP and held open to the database. the connection cache is destroyed and all database connections closed. Oracle Database Name Connection Identifiers The $dbname connection identifier is the name of the local or remote database that you want to attach to. the character set and the connection privilege to ensure reconnections are the same as the original. the component of Oracle that handles the underlying connection to the database and establishes a connection through to the network "listener" on the database server. This means that for command line PHP scripts. Each cache entry uses the username. This makes oci_pconnect() fast for frequently used web applications. Reconnection does not require re-authentication to the database. The parameters for tuning persistent connections are discussed later in this chapter. Limits on the number of persistent connections in the cache can be set. When the PHP process terminates. and connections can be automatically expired to free up resources. the database name. persistent connections are equivalent to normal connections and there is no performance benefit. The connection identifier can be one of: ● ● ● An Easy Connect string A Connect Descriptor string A Connect Name 102 . It is interpreted by Oracle Net.Connecting to Oracle Using OCI8 Persistent connections are not automatically closed at the end of a PHP script and remain open in PHP's persistent connection cache for reuse in other scripts.
The Oracle 10g syntax is: [//]host_name[:port][/service_name] If PHP links with Oracle 11g libraries.0. 1521. The server is the type of process that Oracle uses to handle the connection.1. Handler(s): "DEDICATED" established:55 refused:0 state:ready LOCAL SERVER . Handler(s): "DEDICATED" established:0 refused:0 LOCAL SERVER Service "XE" has 1 instance(s).1/XE'). '127.0 .Production on 01-OCT-2008 18:17:10 Copyright (c) 1991...2. see the chapter on Database Resident Connection Pooling for an example. you may need to use the equivalent IP address: $c = oci_connect('hr'.0. Instance "XE". status UNKNOWN. Oracle. it is relatively rare that a database will be installed with the service name set to the host name. The lsnrctl command on the database server shows the service names that the Oracle Net listener accepts requests for.0. you could connect to the HR schema with: $c = oci_connect('hr'. $ lsnrctl services LSNRCTL for Linux: Version 10. 'mymachine/XE'). 103 .Oracle Database Name Connection Identifiers Easy Connect String If you are running Oracle Database XE on a machine called mymachine. . Instance "PLSExtProc". All rights reserved. we assume the database is on the same machine as Apache and PHP so we use localhost: $c = oci_connect('hr'. has 1 handler(s) for this service. 'hrpwd'. has 1 handler(s) for this service. The Easy Connect string is JDBC-like. 'hrpwd'. 2005.. You will almost always need to specify the connection identifier as at least host_name/service_name. 'localhost/XE'). the enhanced 11g syntax can be used: [//]host_name[:port][/service_name][:server_type][/instance_name] The prefix // is optional.. Depending on your network configuration. . The instance name is used when connecting to a specific machine in a clustered environment. and the PHP-enabled web server is on the same machine. 'hrpwd'. The service name defaults to same name as the database's host computer name.. Service "PLSExtProc" has 1 instance(s). The port number defaults to Oracle's standard port. status READY. Connecting to (DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=IPC)(KEY=EXTPROC_FOR_XE))) Services Summary. While it is common for Oracle database sites to use port 1521.. In this guide.
ora /etc/tnsnames. then set ORACLE_HOME before starting the web server.ora will then automatically be found. depending on the database and Oracle Net features used. Oracle10g. by using the full syntax. $db = '(DESCRIPTION = (ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP) (HOST = mymachine. For example. Database Connect Name You can store the connect descriptor string in a file called tnsnames.MYDOMAIN)))'. $ORACLE_HOME is: 104 . $c = oci_connect($username.1). $password.ora $ORACLE_HOME/network/admin/tnsnames. The directory paths that Oracle searches for tnsnames. PHP needs to be able to find the tnsnames. and Oracle11g databases as long as PHP is linked with Oracle 10g or greater libraries. This syntax is usable in Zend Core for Oracle. The Easy Connect syntax does not allow this flexibility. The syntax can be more complex than this example. In Oracle Database XE. On Linux.MYDOMAIN))) In PHP you would use the connect name MYA to connect to the database: $c = oci_connect($username. The pre-supplied $ORACLE_HOME/network/admin/tnsnames. you can enable features like load balancing and tweak packet sizes.ora MYA = (DESCRIPTION = (ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP) (HOST = mymachine. the search path includes: $TNS_ADMIN/tnsnames.mydomain)(PORT = 1521)) (CONNECT_DATA = (SERVER = DEDICATED) (SERVICE_NAME = MYDB. $db).ora and refer to it in PHP using a connect name: # tnsnames. Database Connect Descriptor String The full Oracle Net connect descriptor string gives total flexibility over the connection. Oracle9i.Connecting to Oracle Using OCI8 This shows the service XE is available. More information on the syntax can be found in the Oracle® Database Net Services Administrator's Guide 11g Release 1 (11.ora If PHP was compiled using the Oracle libraries in an ORACLE_HOME-style install. You can use the Easy Connect syntax to connect to Oracle8i.ora file to resolve the MYA name.ora depend on your operating system.mydomain)(PORT = 1521)) (CONNECT_DATA = (SERVER = DEDICATED) (SERVICE_NAME = MYDB. $password. 'MYA').
Common Connection Errors If Zend Core for Oracle is not used. some environment variables need to be set before starting the web server. There is something wrong with your system Users of older versions of OCI8 may see the one of the equivalent errors: OCIEnvCreate() failed. In some ORACLE_HOME-style installs. There is something wrong with your system This environment initialization problem is common on Windows when multiple Oracle environments are installed and PHP is not using the correct one. You may also optionally want to set the environment to control Oracle's globalization settings.0/server If PHP was built with Oracle Instant Client. then put tnsnames. If an error like this occurs: 105 .ora. There is something wrong with your system or OCIEnvInit() failed.ora file. and to script runtime errors like: PHP Fatal error: Call to undefined function oci_connect() This error means that the OCI8 extension is not available. you may need to give the Apache process access to Oracle's libraries and globalization data. Not finding the libraries can lead to Apache startup errors (see the Apache error log file) about OCI8 not being initialized. or PATH on Windows are valid.2.sh script in later Oracle patchsets. Using mismatched versions of Oracle libraries and files can lead to PHP returning errors such as: ORA-12705: Cannot access NLS data files or invalid environment specified or: OCIEnvNlsCreate() failed. or set TNS_ADMIN to the directory containing it prior to starting the web server. If you are using an Oracle Database 10g Release 2 database other than the Express Edition (Oracle Database XE). Note: Do not set Oracle environment variables in PHP scripts with putenv() because Oracle libraries may be loaded and initialized before the scripts run. The OCI8 extension always needs to find Oracle libraries. Check that ORACLE_HOME and/or LD_LIBRARY_PATH on Linux. or Zend Core for Oracle is used. (Some users move the Instant Client DLLs to the Apache or PHP directory as a quick solution). Refer to the $ORACLE_HOME/install/changePerm. Another potential source of problems is having multiple installations of Oracle libraries. Make sure Apache has read permissions on tnsnames.Oracle Database Name Connection Identifiers /usr/lib/oracle/xe/app/oracle/product/10.ora in /etc. the default permissions on the file are restrictive. error message data and optionally needs the tnsnames.
This directory must be accessible by the Apache process. The result is that OCI8 does not know which machine to connect to. indicating Oracle's message files were not found. most likely because ORACLE_HOME is not correctly set. or the tnsnames. The variable is not needed if PHP uses Oracle Instant Client or if Zend Core for Oracle is installed. The bottom line is that your environment should be set correctly and consistently. 106 . ?> Look at the Environment section (not the Apache Environment section) and make sure the Oracle variables are set to the values you expect. but the expected database is not running on that computer. The second problem is the "Error while trying to retrieve text" message. Setting Oracle Environment Variables for Apache When you use OCI8. a connection error ORA-12154 occurred. The Apache process must have access to Oracle libraries and configuration files.ora file (if one is being used) wasn't readable. you must set some Oracle environment variables before starting the web server. how you connect. A similar error: ORA-12514 TNS:listener does not currently know of service requested in connect descriptor means that OCI8 was able to contact a machine hosting Oracle. Table 5: Common Oracle environment variables on Linux. Environment variables such as $ORACLE_HOME must be set in the shell that starts Apache. if Oracle Database XE is currently running on your computer and you try to connect to localhost/abc you will get this error. The expected description for ORA-12154 is actually: ORA-12154: TNS:could not resolve service name indicating that the connection string is not valid. and what optional settings are desired. The variables needed are determined by how PHP is installed. Oracle Environment Variable ORACLE_HOME Purpose The directory containing the Oracle software. For example. If you have environment related problems – unexpected connection errors like those above are typical – then check the output from the PHP phpinfo() function: Script 5: phpinfo.php <?php phpinfo().Connecting to Oracle Using OCI8 Error while trying to retrieve text for error ORA-12154 it means two problems happened. First.
the /usr/local/bin/oraenv or /usr/local/bin/coraenv scripts set the environment. To simplify things.2. Not commonly set for PHP. This command allows the script to set the environment of the shell itself.0/server LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$ORACLE_HOME/lib:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH NLS_LANG=AMERICAN_AMERICA. for example $ORACLE_HOME/lib or $HOME/instantclient_11_1.0/server/bin/oracle_env. /usr/local/bin/oraenv ORACLE_SID = [] ? orcl If your database is on a remote machine. The location of the tnsnames. /usr/lib/oracle/xe/app/oracle/product/10.WE8MSWIN1252 export ORACLE_HOME LD_LIBRARY_PATH NLS_LANG echo "Oracle Home: $ORACLE_HOME" echo Starting Apache #export > /tmp/envvars # uncomment to debug 107 . a default value will be chosen by Oracle.conf linker path file. On other editions of the Oracle database.sh script: # . If not set. Zend Core for Oracle sets this variable if necessary.sh Note the space after the period. LD_LIBRARY_PATH NLS_LANG TNS_ADMIN With Oracle Database XE. such as with the /etc/ld.ora file is used in the OCI8 connect functions and the tnsnames.2.ora and other Oracle Net configuration files. Setting this is recommended. Set this to include the Oracle libraries.ora file is not in $ORACLE_HOME/network/admin.ora file is used).Setting Oracle Environment Variables for Apache Oracle Environment Variable ORACLE_SID Purpose The Oracle Net connect name of the database. you can set the shell's environment by using the oracle_env. you may create a script to set the environment and start Apache. Determines the "national language support" globalization options for OCI8. you will have to set the environment manually. Not used for Oracle Instant Client or Zend Core for Oracle. Only used when PHP is on same machine as the database and the connection identifier is not specified in the PHP connect function. Not needed if Easy Connect syntax is being used in the connect functions (unless a sqlnet.so. for example: Script 6: start_apache #! /bin/sh ORACLE_HOME=/usr/lib/oracle/xe/app/oracle/product/10. Run one of these scripts before starting Apache. See the chapter Globalization for more details. You will be prompted for the database to connect to: # . Not needed if the libraries are located by an alternative method. Only needed if a database connect name from a tnsnames.
instead of creating a shell script to call apachectl. Only do this if there is no other Oracle software in use on the machine. Make sure you preserve this file inclusion if you later modify the apachectl script. (See the chapter on connection pooling for caveats).Connecting to Oracle Using OCI8 /usr/sbin/apachectl start On Oracle Enterprise Linux. 108 . or OCI8 functions. Using putenv() causes hard to track errors as the behavior is not consistent for all variables. The removes the need to set LD_LIBRARY_PATH everywhere. connections opened with oci_connect() or oci_new_connect() are automatically closed. The web server may load Oracle libraries and initialize Oracle data structures before running your script..2. export ORACLE_HOME=/usr/lib/oracle/xe/app/oracle/product/10.0/server export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$LD_LIBRARY_PATH:$ORACLE_HOME/lib export NLS_LANG=AMERICAN_AMERICA.1. Zend Core for Oracle is automatically configured to use Oracle Instant Client. it can be convenient to create a file /etc/ld.d/instantclient. The envvars file is called by apachectl. If Apache is started automatically when your machines boots.so. Variables should be set prior to Apache starting. You can also explicitly close them by calling: oci_close($c). The Oracle environment variables you may want to set explicitly for Zend Core for Oracle are NLS_LANG and TNS_ADMIN. you will need to make sure Apache has the environment set at boot time. Any uncommitted data is rolled back. If you have multiple versions of Oracle installed. it modifies /usr/local/Zend/apache2/bin/envvars to add LD_LIBRARY_PATH. Note: Do not set Oracle environment variables in PHP scripts with putenv(). As part of the install.conf containing the path to the Instant Client libraries: /usr/lib/oracle/11.0. PHP should be run using the same version of the Oracle libraries as were used to build the PHP library and executables.. but upgrading requires remembering to change the path. The function has no effect on persistent connections. The important thing is to set the environment before Apache loads any Oracle library. you might be able to use LD_PRELOAD or equivalent to force Apache to load the desired Oracle libclntsh.so file. Using Apache's SetEnv directive is sometimes insufficient.conf. If PHP was built with Oracle Instant Client. operating systems. you can add environment variables to the end of /etc/sysconfig/httpd: .1/client/lib Run ldconfig to rebuild the system's library search path. Closing Oracle Connections At the end of each script. web servers.WE8MSWIN1252 Some Apache 2 installations use an "envvars" script in the Apache bin directory to set variables.
The reference count will decrease if the variables goes out of scope or are assigned new values. oci_fetch_all($s. This is because the oci_parse() call creating the statement resource $s internally increases the reference count on $c. and in turn have their own reference count which must be zero before they can destroyed.Closing Oracle Connections If a long running script only spends a small amount of time interacting with the database. and never actually closed a connection. oci_close($c). if you query as a privileged user: SQL> select username from v$session where username is not null. If this freeing call is uncommented in the example. // oci_free_statement($s). That is. you will see that HR is still shown as connected until the sleep() finishes and the script terminates. "hrpwd".php <?php $c = oci_connect("hr". You could not explicitly close connections even if you wanted to! You can revert to this old behavior with a php. sleep(10). close connections as soon as possible to free database resources for other users. 109 . echo "Sleeping . . oci_execute($s). A common idiom is to assign null to the statement resource: $s = null.ini setting: oci8. "localhost/XE"). This example shows the effect of reference counting: Script 7: close. $s = oci_parse($c.". $res). An oci_free_statement($s) call will explicitly decrease the reference count on $c allowing the oci_close() to have an immediate effect. Only when all PHP references to the database connection are finished will it actually be closed and database resources freed. all database connections are closed. Variables and other kinds of resources may also increase the reference count on a connection. it had no functional code. .php is sleeping. The database connection is not closed until PHP's end-of-script processing destroys $s. the SQL*Plus query will show the database connection was explicitly closed before the sleep() starts. ?> While close. "select * from locations"). echo "Done". When the Apache or PHP command line process terminates. The oci_close() function was a "no-op" prior to the re-factoring of OCI8.old_oci_close_semantics = On Close Statement Resources Before Closing Connections The oci_close() function works by reference counting.
The physical database connection is released only when $c1 and c2 are both closed. 'select user from dual'). Making sure data is committed or rolled back first can prevent hard to debug edge cases where data is not being stored as expected. 'select user from dual'). The next chapter covers database transactions in detail. var_dump($res). Avoid letting database transactions remain open if a second oci_connect() or oci_pconnect() call with the same user credentials is executed within a script.Connecting to Oracle Using OCI8 In the next example. oci_execute($s). 'select user from dual'). oci_fetch_all($s. $query) { $s = oci_parse($c. echo "<pre>". 'localhost/XE'). // Reuses $c1 DB connection do_query($c1. 'hrpwd'. 'localhost/XE'). The script outcome is that the first and third queries succeed but the second one fails.php <?php function do_query($c. oci_close($c2). $c1 and $c2 are the one database connection (because oci_connect() returns the same connection resource when called more than once in a script). which happens automatically when do_query() completes and $s goes out of scope. Also the statement resource must be freed. Transactions and Connections Uncommitted data is rolled back when a connection is closed or at the end of a script. 'hrpwd'. do_query($c1. $c2 = oci_connect('hr'. For oci_pconnect() this means subsequent scripts reusing a cached database connection will not see any data that should not be shared. echo "</pre>". oci_close($c1). (The Oracle term session is effectively the same as the PHP term connection). } $c1 = oci_connect('hr'. Script 8: close2. $res). or if oci_close() is used. ?> // // // // // Query 1 works DB connection doesn't get closed Query 2 fails Query 3 works DB connection is now closed Variable $c1 is not usable after oci_close($c1) is executed: PHP has dissociated it from the connection. $query). do_query($c2. One example is the globalization setting for the date format: 110 . Session State with Persistent Connections It is possible for a script to change session attributes for oci_pconnect() that are not reset at the end of the script.
$s = oci_parse($c. The second is different because the ALTER SESSION command changed the date format. This setting determines how Oracle translates data when it is transferred from the database to PHP. which will have the original default date format. JA16UEC or AL32UTF8: $c = oci_connect("hr". Calling the script a second time gives: 2007-04-18 14:21:10 2007-04-18 14:21:10 The persistent connection has retained the session setting and the first query no longer uses the system default format. If the database character set is not equivalent to the OCI8 character set. The first time this is called in a browser. do_query($c. or all connections may need the same values anyway. do_query($c. "hrpwd". "alter session set nls_date_format='YYYY-MM-DD HH24:MI:SS'"). some data may get converted abnormally. This only happens if the same Apache process serves both HTTP requests.Closing Oracle Connections $c = oci_pconnect("hr". 111 . "select sysdate from dual"). Optional Connection Parameters The oci_connect(). Oracle Database XE is available in two distributions. When not specified or NULL. Your applications may never need to do anything like it. the two dates returned by the queries are: 18-APR-07 2007-04-18 14:21:09 The first date has the system default format. the NLS_LANG environment variable setting is used. one with a database character set of WE8MSWIN1252 and the other of AL32UTF8 (Oracle's name for UTF-8). $r = oci_execute($s). "localhost/XE"). for example. make sure your application resets values after connecting. (Also the system will have two persistent connections left open instead of one. "select sysdate from dual"). If a new Apache process serves the second request then it will open a new connection to the database.) Session changes like this may not be a concern. It is recommended to set this parameter to improve performance and guarantee a known value is used. "localhost/XE". If there is a possibility incorrect settings will be inherited. oci_new_connect() and oci_pconnect() functions take an optional extra two parameters: ● ● Connection character set Connection session mode Connection Character Set The character set is a string containing an Oracle character set name. "hrpwd". 'AL32UTF8').
perform data recovery. Operating System Authenticated Privileged Connections You can have the operating system perform the authentication for privileged connections based around the user that is running the web server system process. but it and SYSOPER can manually be granted to other users. and even access the database when it has not fully started. null. Privileged connections are disabled by default. the SYSDBA privilege is assigned only to user sys. Connection Privilege Level The OCI8 extension allows privileged SYSDBA and SYSOPER connections. Connection Session Mode The session mode parameter allows privileged or externally authenticated connections to be made. perhaps by using PHP's mb_string.ini using: oci8. that is. all these must be true: ● ● The operating system process user is run as a member of the OS dba group PHP is linked with the ORACLE_HOME software (that is. "". They can be enabled in php. null. Be very careful about exposing this on customer facing web sites. or Zend Core for Oracle) that the database is using The database is your default local database. Scripts that contain operating system authenticated privileged connection calls will connect successfully: $c = oci_connect("/". By default. for example. An operating system authenticated privileged connection is equivalent to the SQL*Plus connection: $ sqlplus / as sydba For / as sysdba access (where no username and password is used) in PHP. specified by the ORACLE_SID environment variable ● This would be typically be done by compiling and running PHP with the Oracle libraries used by the database. When you installed Oracle. do not do it! It might be useful for command line PHP scripts in very special circumstances.privileged_connect = 1 The SYSDBA and SYSOPER privileges give you the ability to change the state of the database. All base tables and views for the database data dictionary are stored in the SYS schema – they are critical for the operation of Oracle. 112 . iconv or intl extensions. not Oracle Instant Client.Connecting to Oracle Using OCI8 It is up to your application to handle returned data correctly. Globalization is discussed in more detail in the Globalization chapter. the sys administrative user account was automatically created with the password that you supplied. OCI_SYSDBA).
If this parameter is not set to EXCLUSIVE. An extra Oracle password file needs to be created and a password needs to be used in the database connection.----------. On Windows. AS SYSOPER access is available for members of the oper group.pwd \ > password=secret entries=10 This creates a password file named acct. These connections are considered "remote" from the database because the libraries used by PHP are not those used by the running database. and enables you to have multiple users connect to the database as themselves. In PHP use OCI_SYSOPER in oci_connect(). 113 . log in to the operating system shell as the Oracle database software owner. The file is initially created with the password secret for users connecting with the username sys. a username and password must be given when connecting.pwd that allows up to 10 privileged users with different passwords (this number can be changed later). Remote Privileged Access With Zend Core for Oracle and any other PHP based on Oracle Instant Client. To do this. From the operating system shell. create an Oracle password file: $ $ORACLE_HOME/bin/orapwd file=$ORACLE_HOME/dbs/acct. in the operating system dba group. In SQL*Plus a privileged session would be started like: $ sqlplus username/password@sid as sysdba The database will not permit the (possibly physically) "remote" operating system to authorize access. Remote users can make privileged connections only when they have been given the appropriate Oracle access. and start SQL*Plus: $ sqlplus / as sysdba SQL> show parameter remote_login_passwordfile NAME TYPE VALUE ----------------------------. the operating system groups are called ORA_DBA and ORA_OPER. Also the nobody user must be in the privileged Oracle group. This is the default value. Similarly. for example. This is not recommended.Optional Connection Parameters If PHP is invoked by Apache.-----------remote_login_passwordfile string EXCLUSIVE A setting of EXCLUSIVE means the password file is only used with one database and not shared among several databases on the host. and not just as sys. To set up a password file. the library path needs to contain the same Oracle libraries. you can change the value with the SQL*Plus and enter a command similar to the following command: SQL> alter system set remote_login_passwordfile='exclusive' 2 scope=spfile sid='*'. To add a new user to the password file use SQL*Plus: SQL> create user c1 identified by c1pw. check the database initialization parameter remote_login_passwordfile is EXCLUSIVE.
To use external authentication. OCI_SYSDBA). Note: oci8. any OCI_SYSDBA connection will show the user as sys not c1. null. OCI_CRED_EXT). External Authentication OCI8 1. 'localhost/XE'. Refer to Oracle documentation for details. One feature of a privileged connection is that if you issue a SELECT USER FROM DUAL statement. oci_password_change($c. 'hr'. In OCI8. USERNAME SYSDBA -----------------------------. 'hrpwd'. 'localhost/XE').privileged_connection may be On or Off. 'newhrpwd'). null.privileged_connection needs to be On for OCI_SYSDBA and OCI_SYSOPER use. SQL> select * from v$pwfile_users. OCI_CRED_EXT+OCI_SYSOPER).Connecting to Oracle Using OCI8 SQL> grant connect to c1. Instead of storing a username and password in PHP scripts and authenticating against a username and password stored in the database. The operating system user running the Apache process could be granted read access to the wallet using Access Control Lists. The php. For example: $c = oci_connect("/".3 supports Oracle External Authentication. $db. The external authentication feature is not available in OCI8 on Windows for security reasons. $db. first configure the database to use an external authentication method. OCI_CRED_EXT can only be used with username of "/" and a empty password. null.-----SYS TRUE C1 TRUE SYSOPER ------TRUE FALSE Now in PHP you can use the following connection command: $c = oci_connect("c1". "c1pw". a password can be changed with oci_password_change(): $c = oci_connect('hr'. Changing the Database Password The OCI8 extension allows Oracle database passwords to be changed. Changing Passwords On Demand After connecting. 'hrpwd'.ini parameter oci8. The flag may be combined with the existing OCI_SYSOPER or OCI_SYSDBA modes. pass the flag OCI_CRED_EXT as the session_mode parameter to oci_connect(). credentials can be authenticated by an outside system such as Oracle Wallet. A connection made with OCI_SYSOPER will show a user of public. oci_new_connect() or oci_pconnect(): $c = oci_connect("/". "". "". SQL> grant sysdba to c1. Subsequent scripts may now connect using: 114 .
Script 9: connectexpired. $pw. exit.php <?php $un = "peregrine"."x". oci_password_change() can be used to re-connect and change the password one operation. $c = oci_connect($un. } } 115 . } else { $m = oci_error(). grant create session to peregrine. $db) { echo "Calling oci_connect()<br>\n". if ($c) { echo "Connected successfully<br>\n". $pw = "abc". alter user peregrine password expire. 'localhost/XE'). $m["message"]. Changing Expired Passwords Sometimes connection may fail because the password is no longer valid. For example. The next example shows this in action. $db). In this case. $db = "localhost/XE". or may have expired a password immediately with ALTER USER forcing the user to choose a new password the very first time they connect. 'newhrpwd'. $pw. the DBA may have set a password policy to expire passwords at a certain time by using CREATE PROFILE. } else { echo "Error: ". Script 10: connectexpired.Changing the Database Password $c = oci_connect('hr'. // Initial password for $un // Database to connect to function do_connect($un. their password is recognized but they get an ORA-28001: the password has expired message and will not be able to complete their log on. $db). if ($m['code'] == 28001) { // Connect and change the password to a new one formed by // appending 'x' to the original password. instead of the user having to bother the DBA to manually reset the expired password. "<br>\n". $pw. echo "Connection failed: the password for $un has expired<br>\n".sql drop user peregrine cascade. When the user tries to connect. // In an application you could prompt the user to choose // the new password. $pw. $c = change_and_connect($un. // New temporary user to be created. create user peregrine identified by abc.
$pw1. $db) { echo "Calling oci_password_change() to connect<br>\n".php is: Calling oci_connect() Connection failed: the password for peregrine has expired Calling oci_password_change() to connect Connected and changed password to abcx You are connected as PEREGRINE The password change call oci_password_change($db. as the first parameter instead of passing the connection resource of an already opened connection. the user would be prompted for the new password. $pw1. } // Connect as $un and confirm connection succeeded $c = do_connect($un. This method of connecting with oci_password_change() also works if the password has not expired. Subsequent scripts will be able to connect using the new password. $db). } else { echo "Connected and changed password to $pw2<br>\n". $m["message"]. change_and_connect() is called to change the password and connect in a single step. $res). } function change_and_connect($un.sql When oci_connect() in do_connect() fails with an ORA-28001 error. if (!$c) { $m = oci_error(). "<br>\n". $pw2. This new usage connects to the database and changes the password to $pw2 all at the same time. first run connectexpired. $pw1.sql as a privileged user: $ sqlplus system/systempwd@localhost/XE @connectexpired. $un. 116 . echo "You are connected as {$res['USER'][0]}<br>\n". echo "Error: ". $pw2). oci_execute($s). oci_fetch_all($s. $pw. } return($c). In this example. localhost/XE. $pw2). show_user($c). $un.Connecting to Oracle Using OCI8 return($c). The output of connectexpired. In an application. } function show_user($c) { $s = oci_parse($c. the new password is simply formed by concatenating an "x" to the current password. $c = oci_password_change($db. "select user from dual"). ?> Before running the PHP script. differs from the example in the previous section Changing Passwords On Demand in that it passes a database connection identifier identifier.
However if currently unused. $db). $s = oci_parse($c. return $c. $pw.Tuning Oracle Connections in PHP Tuning Oracle Connections in PHP Connections to Oracle can be tuned by changing the way OCI8 calls are made. For example. When oci_connect() is called multiple times in the one script or when persistent connections are used. physical connection to the database does not have to be created if one already exists in PHP's cache. If you do not enter a character set. the ALTER SESSION can be moved to a logon trigger. A logon trigger can be created using SQL*Plus by connecting as a privileged database user: $ sqlplus system/systempwd@localhost/XE 117 . Do Not Set the Date Format Unnecessarily You can often remove ALTER SESSION statements used after connecting. Each PHP connection will have the required date format automatically. A new. if your connection routine always sets the date format: function my_connect($un. Use the appropriate character set for your requirements. } One way to optimize this is to simply set the environment variable NLS_DATE_FORMAT in the shell that starts the web server. Pass the Character Set Explicitly passing the client character set name as the fourth parameter to the connection functions improves performance: $c = oci_connect("hr". "alter session set nls_date_format='YYYY-MM-DD HH24:MI:SS'"). by changing the network configuration. open persistent connections consume too much memory on the database server. The trigger does not fire when subsequent connect calls return a cached connection. "hrpwd". $pw. or by tuning the database. "localhost/XE". consider tuning the timeout parameters or using connection pooling. oci_execute($s). This is because session settings are retained in cached connections. 'WE8DEC'). Sometimes different database users should have different session values so setting NLS_DATE_FORMAT globally is not possible. Using a trigger means the date format is only set when the physical database connection is created the first time. PHP has to determine a client character set to use. This may involve a potentially expensive environment lookup. Use the Best Connection Function Using oci_pconnect() makes a big improvement in overall connection speed of frequently used applications because it uses the connection cache in PHP. $db) { $c = oci_pconnect($un.
sql create or replace trigger my_set_date after logon on database begin if (user = 'HR') then execute immediate 'alter session set nls_date_format = ''YYYY-MM-DD HH24:MI:SS'' '. OCI_ASSOC). $s = oci_parse($c. "<br>\n". return $c. $db). and you need more than one session value changed.sql: Script 11: logontrig. $row = oci_fetch_array($s. $pw. oci_execute($s). When PHP later uses a cached connection it will already have the desired date format. Note the use of single quotes. 118 . $c = my_connect('hr'. This connects as hr and queries the current date. $db) { $c = oci_pconnect($un. In PHP. If you cannot use a trigger because each PHP invocation needs different settings. the connection function can simply become: function my_connect($un. It shows the new format set by the trigger: 2007-05-04 13:50:35 If the connection is any user other than hr the standard default date format will be displayed: 04-MAY-07 Using a trigger like this only works when the required session setting is the same for all PHP application users that share the same database user name. end if. you can put the statements inside a PL/SQL procedure. 'localhost/XE').Connecting to Oracle Using OCI8 Then run logontrig. which is one oci_execute() call to the database. The suggested practice is to use LOGON triggers only for setting session attributes and not for executing per PHP-connection logic such as custom logon auditing. echo $row['SYSDATE'] . / This trigger sets the session's date format every time hr connects to the database from any client tool. } Oracle does all the work setting the date format when the physical database connection is originally established and first used. instead of multiple calls to execute ALTER SESSION statements. $pw. end my_set_date. which is the Oracle method of nesting single quotes inside a quoted string. After connecting you can call the PL/SQL procedure. 'select sysdate from dual'). The date format string is enclosed in a pair of two quotes. 'hrpwd'.
ini directives and Apache configuration settings. all oci_pconnect() calls are treated like oci_connect() calls and are closed at the end of the script. It is a not a system-wide restriction on database usage. Maximum Number of Persistent Connections Allowed oci8. which will affect the time taken to establish a connection. Setting this parameter to -1 (the default) means there is no timeout. regardless of whether OCI8 calls were made. Luckily Oracle 11g connection pooling makes this issue irrelevant. and on memory availability. Timeout for Unused Persistent Connections oci8. If your PHP scripts connect using the same database credentials. This is an unresolvable weakness with PHP: you want idle connections to be closed. Setting it to -1 (the default) means there is no limit. It is not an asynchronous timer. the connection to the database may have become unusable due to a network error. or being expired by the DBA. each PHP process will only have one connection entry in its cache. but if PHP is idle then no scripts execute and the timeout is not triggered. The drawback is persistent connections use Oracle resources even when no one is accessing the application or database. oci_pconnect() appears to be successful but an error is thrown when the connection is later used. The expiry check happens whenever any PHP script finishes.max_persistent This parameter limits the number of persistent connections cached by each Apache-PHP process. If a connection has been expired.persistent_timeout This parameter is the length in seconds that an Apache process maintains an idle persistent connection. During the time PHP stored an unaccessed connection resource in its cache. for example in oci_execute(). The ping interval is an easy way to improve connection reliability for persistent connections. The chapter PHP Scalability and High Availability discusses connection pooling in Oracle Database 11g which provides an advanced solution to connection management. Pinging for Closed Persistent Connections oci8. a database error. The proliferation of connections can be controlled to some extent with php.ping_interval There is no guarantee that the connection descriptor returned by oci_pconnect() represents a usable connection to the database. And if Apache spawns a number of server processes. 119 .Managing Persistent Connections Managing Persistent Connections Persistent connections are great if the cost of opening a connection is high. If this happens. What you consider high depends on your application requirements and on implementation issues such as whether the web server and database are on the same host. the next time oci_pconnect() is called a new connection is created. When the limit is reached by a PHP process. each of them may have its own set of connections to the database.
Apache Configuration Parameters You can also tune Apache to kill idle processes. 120 . In any application there are a number of potential points of failure including the network.ping_interval. Oracle itself may be configured to close idle connections and release their database resources. Parameter MaxRequestsPerChild MaxSpareServers KeepAlive Purpose Sets how many requests Apache will serve before restarting. This is a quick operation. or the Oracle network layer may time out the network. Many sites use MaxRequestsPerChild to restart PHP occasionally. the hardware and user actions such as shutting down the database. Setting MaxRequestsPerChild too low will cause persistent connections to be closed more often than perhaps necessary. For highest reliability and scalability it is generally recommended that you do not use oci8. removing any potential performance gain of caching. which will also free up Oracle resources used by persistent connections. The default value is 60 seconds. Defines whether Apache can serve a number of documents to the one user over the same HTTP connection.ping_interval. Regardless of the value of oci8.ping_interval physically sends a message to the server.Connecting to Oracle Using OCI8 This parameter is the number of seconds that pass before OCI8 does a ping during a oci_pconnect() call. Table 6: Apache configuration parameters. oci_pconnect() will always check an internal Oracle client-side value to see if the server was known to be available the last time anything was received from the database. causing a "round-trip" over the network. PHP checks the database each time oci_pconnect() is called. John Coggeshall's article Improving Performance Through Persistent Connections discusses Apache configuration in more depth. You need to balance performance (no pings) with having to handle disconnected Oracle sessions (or other changes in the Oracle environment) in your PHP code. To disable pinging. When set to 0. a new connection is transparently created and returned by oci_pconnect(). but do error recovery in your application code. If the ping determines the connection is no longer usable. set the value to -1. The database administrator may have installed user profiles with CREATE PROFILE IDLE_TIMEOUT. Table 6 lists the Apache configuration parameters that can be used to tune PHP. This is a "bad thing" for scalability. Reducing Database Server Memory Used By Persistent Connections There are several techniques that can be used if database server memory is limited but persistent connections are required for performance. Setting oci8. Sets how many servers to keep in memory that are not handling requests. avoiding any potential memory leaks or other unwanted behaviors. Good application design gracefully recovers from failures.
Managing Persistent Connections
● ● ● ●
Use Oracle Database 11g connection pooling. See the chapter on PHP Scalability and High Availability. Set oci8.persistent_timeout. Expire Apache processes with Apache configuration parameters. Reduce the number of database user credentials used by the application. Each persistent connection that uses a different set of credentials will create a separate process on the database host. If the application connects with a large number of different schemas, the number of persistent connections can be reduced by connecting as one user who has been granted permission to the original schemas' objects. The application can either be recoded to use explicit schema names in queries:
select * from olduser.mytable;
Or, if the application is large, the first statement executed can set the default schema. Subsequent queries will return:
alter session set current_schema = olduser; select * from mytable;
Setting the default schema this way requires an extra database operation but, depending on the application, it may be bundled in a PL/SQL block that does other operations.
Oracle Net and PHP
Oracle Net has sophisticated control over network connection management for basic connectivity, performance and features such as encryption of network traffic between PHP and the database. This section gives an overview of some Oracle Net features of interest to PHP applications. Tuning the OS, hardware and TCP/IP stack will also substantially help improve performance and scalability. Some of the Oracle Net settings are configured in a file called sqlnet.ora that you can create. For PHP, it should be put in the same directory as the tnsnames.ora file if you use one. Otherwise, set the TNS_ADMIN environment variable to the directory containing sqlnet.ora. The database server can also have a sqlnet.ora file, which should be in $ORACLE_HOME/network/admin. This directory on the database server also contains listener.ora, a file automatically created during database installation, which configures the Oracle Network listener process.
Connection Rate Limiting
Large sites that have abnormal spikes in the number of users connecting can prevent database host CPU overload by limiting the rate that connections can be established. The database listener.ora file can specify a RATE_LIMIT clause to set the maximum number of requests per second that will be serviced:
LISTENER=(ADDRESS_LIST= (ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=tcp)(HOST=sales)(PORT=1521)(RATE_LIMIT=4))
Connecting to Oracle Using OCI8
The value will depend on the hardware in use.
Setting Connection Timeouts
From Oracle 10.2.0.3 onwards, you can specify a connection timeout in case there is network problem. This lets PHP return an Oracle error to the user faster, instead of appearing to "hang". Set SQLNET.OUTBOUND_CONNECT_TIMEOUT in the client side (the PHP-side) sqlnet.ora file. This sets the upper time limit for establishing a connection right through to the database, including the time for attempts to connect to other database services. In Oracle 11g, a slightly lighter-weight solution TCP.CONNECT_TIMEOUT was introduced. It is also a sqlnet.ora parameter. It bounds just the TCP connection establishment time, which is mostly where connection problems occur.
Configuring Authentication Methods
There are many ways to configure connection and authentication. For example a connection:
$c = oci_connect("hr", "hrpwd", "abc");
could be evaluated by Oracle 10g as using the Easy Connect syntax to host machine abc (using the default port and database service) or using a net alias abc configured in a tnsnames.ora file. The flexibility can cause a delay in getting an error back if the connection details are invalid or a database is not operational. Both internal connection methods may be tried in sequence adding to the time delay before a PHP script gets the error. This depends on your Oracle Net and DNS settings. How Oracle is configured to authenticate the user's credentials (here a username and password) can also have an effect. The issue is not specific to PHP. In SQL*Plus the connection:
$ sqlplus hr/hrpwd@abc
would be the same. In a basic Oracle 10g or 11g installation, one way to return an error as soon as possible is to set this in your OCI8 sqlnet.ora file:
This DIRECTORY_PATH value disables Easy Connect's hostname:port/service syntax. Instead of using Easy Connect syntax, a connect name and tnsnames.ora file would be needed. (This may also add a small measure of security if your scripts accidentally allow arbitrary connection identifiers. It stops users guessing database server hostnames they should not know about.) Setting AUTHENTICATION_SERVICES to NONE stops different authentication methods being tried. Although this may prevent privileged database connections, which require operating system authorization, this, again, might be beneficial. Check the Oracle Net documentation for details and for other authentication methods and authentication-type specific timeout parameters.
Oracle Net and PHP
Detecting Dead PHP Apache Sessions
If a PHP Apache process hangs, its database server process will not be closed. This will not prevent other PHP processes from continuing to work, unless a required lock was not released. The TCP Keepalive feature will automatically detect unusable connections based on the operating system timeout setting, which is typically some hours. This detection is enabled on the database server by default. Oracle Net itself can also be configured to detect dead connections. This is configured by SQLNET.EXPIRE_TIME in the database sqlnet.ora. A starting recommendation is to set it to 10 minutes. If a dead or terminated connection is identified, the server process exits. Both settings will use some resources. Avoid setting them too short, which may interrupt normal user activity.
Other Oracle Net Optimizations
Oracle Net lets you tune a lot of other options too. Check the Oracle Net Services Administrator's Guide and the Oracle Net Services Reference for details and more features. A few tips are mentioned below. The best session data unit size will depend on the application. An 8K size (the new default in Oracle 11g) is suitable for many applications. If LOBs are used, a bigger value might be better. It should be set the same value in both the database server sqlnet.ora and the OCI8 tnsnames.ora file. For sites that have a large number of connections being made, tune the QUEUESIZE option in the listener.ora file. Keeping the PATH short for the oracle user on the database machine can reduce time for forking a database server process. This is of most benefit for standard PHP connections. Reducing the number of environment variables also helps.
Tracing Oracle Net
Sometimes your network is the bottleneck. If you suspect this is the case, turn on Oracle Net tracing in your OCI8 sqlnet.ora file and see where time is being spent. The example sqlnet.ora in $ORACLE_HOME/network/ admin/sample has some notes on the parameters that help. For example, with a USER level trace in sqlnet.ora:
trace_level_client = USER trace_directory_client = /tmp
And the PHP code:
$c = oci_connect("hr", "hrpwd", "#c"); // invalid db name
The trace file, for example /tmp/cli_3232.trc, shows:
... [10-MAY-2006 09:54:58:100] nnftmlf_make_system_addrfile: system names file is ... [10-MAY-2006 09:55:00:854] snlinGetAddrInfo: Name resolution failed for #c ...
Connecting to Oracle Using OCI8
The left hand column is the timestamp of each low level call. Here, it shows a relatively big time delay doing name resolution for the non-existent host #c. The cause is the configuration of the machine network name resolution. The logging infrastructure of Oracle 11g changed significantly. Look for tracefiles in a sub-directory of the Oracle diagnostic directory, for example in $HOME/oradiag_cjones/diag/clients/user_cjones for command line PHP. For Oracle Net log files created by a web server running PHP, look in /root/oradiag_root if no other path was configured.
Connection Management in Scalable Systems
Oracle achieved its well-known scalability in part through a multi-threaded architecture. PHP instead has a multi-process architecture. This difference means care is required when designing scalable applications. Using persistent connections is common for web sites that have high numbers of connections being established. Reusing a previously opened connection is significantly faster than opening a fresh one. Large sites should benchmark Oracle Shared Servers also known as "Multi Threaded Servers" (MTS), and Oracle 11g connection pooling. See the chapter PHP Scalability and High Availability. Make sure that you understand the lifetime of your applications connections. Reuse connections where possible, but do not be afraid to create new connections. Close connections when no longer needed. Each connection will take some Oracle memory, so overall load can be reduced if idle connections are closed with Apache process timeouts or with the php.ini parameters to expire persistent connections. For sites with hundreds of connections a second, tune the cache size of an internal sequence generator, sys.audses$. A starting point is to change it to perhaps 10000:
SQL> alter sequence sys.audses$ cache 10000;
This is also recommended if you are using Oracle RAC ("Real Application Clusters"). For both RAC and non-RAC database, the DBMS_SERVICE package lets you specify workload management goals. This is a detailed topic; refer to Oracle's manuals for more information. Finally, make sure that your applications are as efficient as possible. This minimizes the length of time connections are held.
This Chapter discusses using SQL statements with the PHP OCI8 extension, including how statements are executed, the functions available, transactions, tuning queries, and some useful tips and tricks.
SQL Statement Execution Steps
Queries using the OCI8 extension follow a model familiar in the Oracle world: parse, execute and fetch. Statements like CREATE and INSERT require only parsing and executing. Parsing is really just a preparatory step, since Oracle's actual text parse can occur at the execution stage. You can optionally bind local values into a statement similar to the way you use %s print format specifications in strings. This improves performance and security. You can also define where you want the results to be stored, but almost all scripts let the OCI8 fetch functions take care of this. The possible steps are: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Parse: Prepares a statement for execution. Bind: Optionally lets you bind data values, for example, in the WHERE clause, for better performance and security. Define: Optional step allowing you to specify which PHP variables will hold the results. This is not commonly used. Execute: The database processes the statement and buffers any results. Fetch: Gets any query results back from the database.
There is no one-stop function to do all these steps in a single PHP call, but it is trivial to create one in your application and you can then add custom error handling requirements. To safeguard from run-away scripts, PHP will terminate if a script takes longer than 30 seconds. If your SQL statements take longer, change the php.ini parameter max_execution_time or use the set_time_limit() function. You may also need to alter the configuration of your web server. Similarly, if you are manipulating large amounts of data, you may need to increase the php.ini parameter memory_limit, which caps the amount of memory each PHP process can consume.
Query Example
A basic query in OCI8 is: Script 12: query.php
<?php 125
} print '</table>'.3 introduces a NOWDOC syntax that is useful for embedding quotes and dollar signs in strings. executions from v$sql END. oci_execute($s). such as this example that queries one of Oracle's administration views V$SQL: $sql = <<<'END' select parse_calls. $s = oci_parse($c. or by using both quoting styles. 126 . must enclosed in double quotes: $s = oci_parse($c.Executing SQL Statements With OCI8 $c = oci_connect("hr". "select * from locations where city = 'Sydney'"). foreach ($row as $item) print '<td>'.php is: Figure 87: Output from query. oci_free_statement($s). The next example shows single quotes around the city name. To make the query a PHP string it. Strings with embedded quotes can be made by escaping the nested quotes with a backslash. OCI_NUM+OCI_RETURN_NULLS)) { print '<tr>'. postal_code from locations').php. "localhost/XE").'</td>'. print '<table border="1">'. print '</tr>'. ?> The output from the script query. single and double quotes are used for strings. therefore. "hrpwd". while ($row = oci_fetch_array($s. In PHP. PHP 5.htmlentities($item). 'select city.
This allows resources to be reused efficiently. VARCHAR2. Fetch Functions There are a number of OCI8 fetch functions. $sql). The common built-in Oracle datatypes are: ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● CHAR VARCHAR2 NUMBER DATE TIMESTAMP INTERVAL BLOB CLOB BFILE XMLType The CHAR. Oracle Datatypes Each column has a datatype. Freeing Statements In long scripts it is recommended to close statements when they are complete: oci_free_statement($s). For brevity. which is associated with a specific storage format. and NCLOB types are not supported in the OCI8 extension. NUMBER. all documented in the PHP Oracle OCI8 Manual. and BFILE datatypes use PHP descriptors and are shown in the Using Large Objects in OCI8 chapter. TIMESTAMP and INTERVAL datatypes are stored directly in PHP variables. . 127 . most code snippets in this book do not follow this practice. Table 7 lists the functions. DATE. . . and because the examples execute quickly. as discussed in the Using XML with Oracle and PHP chapter. Oracle's NCHAR. BLOB. NVARCHAR2. CLOB.SQL Statement Execution Steps $s = oci_parse($c. XMLTypes are returned as strings or LOBs.
OCI8 Function oci_fetch_all() oci_fetch_array() oci_fetch_assoc() oci_fetch_object() oci_fetch_row() oci_fetch() Purpose Gets all the results at once. "<br>\n". Table 8 lists the available modes. The mode is optional. while ($res = oci_fetch_array($s. OCI_NUM)) { echo $res[0] . Some of the functions have optional parameters. oci_execute($s). postal_code from locations").LOB resource. This is the default. } 128 . Refer to the PHP manual for more information. The oci_fetch_assoc() and oci_fetch_row() functions are special cases of oci_fetch_array(). " . $res[1] . OCI_NUM + OCI_RETURN_NULLS). Used with oci_result(). Fetching as a Numeric Array A basic example to fetch results in a numerically indexed PHP array is: $s = oci_parse($c. Table 8: oci_fetch_array() options. $mode). Return results as both associative and numeric arrays. "select city. Return PHP NULL value for NULL data. The function commonly used is oci_fetch_array(): $rowarray = oci_fetch_array($statement. Gets the next row as an integer indexed array." . Gets a new row as an object. Return results as a numerically indexed array. which returns the result of a given field or with oci_define_by_name() which presets which variable the data will be returned into. Gets the next row as an associative array. Return the actual LOB data instead of an OCI. Parameter OCI_ASSOC OCI_NUM OCI_BOTH OCI_RETURN_NULLS OCI_RETURN_LOBS Purpose Return results as an associative array. Modes can be used together by adding them: $rowarray = oci_fetch_array($s. Gets the next row as an array of your choice.Executing SQL Statements With OCI8 Table 7: OCI8 fetch functions.
Either use associative arrays so the column names are directly associated with their values. while ($res = oci_fetch_array($s.1689 Hiroshima . $res["MYREG"] . "select postal_code from locations"). while ($res = oci_fetch_array($s. countries. OCI_ASSOC)) { echo $res["REGION_NAME"] . oci_execute($s).10934 Tokyo . If you join tables where the same column name occurs with different meanings in both tables. Some of the fetch functions do not return NULL data by default.Fetch Functions The two columns are index 0 and index 1 in the result array. This contrived example selects the region_id column twice: $s = oci_parse($c. " . or specify the OCI_RETURN_NULLS flag: $res = oci_fetch_array($s." . OCI_ASSOC)) { echo $res["POSTAL_CODE"] . oci_execute($s).region_id from countries inner join regions on countries. This can be tricky when using numerically indexed arrays. .6823 Southlake – 26192 . 129 .00989 Venice . Otherwise only one of the similarly named columns will be returned by PHP. . Fetching as an Associative Array Associative arrays are keyed by the uppercase column name. "<br>\n".region_id"). In an associative array there is no table prefix for the column name. and you can't always tell which column was NULL. country_name. . OCI_NUM+OCI_RETURN_NULLS). regions. " " . The result array can appear to have fewer columns than selected.region_id = regions. $s = oci_parse($c. use a column alias in the query.region_id as myreg. "select region_name. This displays: Roma . . } This displays: 00989 10934 1689 6823 26192 .
Belgium 1 2 .Argentina 2 Australia 3 . } The query column alias MYREG is used as the index to the result array for one of the region_id columns. } This shows each row is an object and gives its properties. "<br>\n". " " . . "<br>\n". If the loop is changed to: while ($row = oci_fetch_object($s)) { echo "Address is " . while ($row = oci_fetch_object($s)) { var_dump($row). . This function is commonly used for debugging PHP scripts. . $s = oci_parse($c. oci_execute($s). $row->STREET_ADDRESS .Executing SQL Statements With OCI8 $res["COUNTRY_NAME"] . } the output is: Address is 1297 Via Cola di Rie Address is 93091 Calle della Testa 130 . The output is: object(stdClass)#1 (6) { ["LOCATION_ID"]=> string(4) "1000" ["STREET_ADDRESS"]=> string(20) "1297 Via Cola di Rie" ["POSTAL_CODE"]=> string(5) "00989" ["CITY"]=> string(4) "Roma" ["STATE_PROVINCE"]=> NULL ["COUNTRY_ID"]=> string(2) "IT" } . . 2 . $res["REGION_ID"] .Canada 2 Fetching as an Object Fetching as objects allows property-style access to be used.Brazil 2 2 . " " . The script output is: Americas Asia 3 Europe 1 Americas Americas . The var_dump() function prints and automatically formats the variable $row. 'select * from locations').
or consider using PHP's bcmath extension. Roma Venice Tokyo Hiroshima Southlake The oci_define_by_name() function has an optional type parameter that is useful. for example. The result is: City is City is City is City is City is . . If your application depends on numeric accuracy with financial data. 'select city from locations'). to specify that the PHP variable should be an integer instead of a string. The var_dump() function shows the PHP datatype for numeric columns is string: 131 . and the difference between doing arithmetic in PHP and the database.Fetch Functions Address is 2017 Shinjuku-ku Address is 9450 Kamiya-cho Address is 2014 Jabberwocky Rd . 70. . . 'CITY'. This example shows how by default PHP fetches numbers as strings. Fetching and Working with Numbers Numbers are fetched as strings by OCI8 which can have implications for subsequent PHP arithmetic. PHP code to fetch the row is: $s = oci_parse($c. commit. . "select cn1. Defining Output Variables Explicitly setting output variables can be done with oci_define_by_name(). "<br>\n". while (oci_fetch($s)) { echo "City is " .cn2 as diff from dt"). OCI_ASSOC). The column name in the oci_define_by_name() call must be in uppercase. } The define is done before execution so Oracle knows where to store the output. oci_execute($s). cn2 number). // column name is uppercase oci_execute($s). do arithmetic in Oracle SQL or PL/SQL. Also PHP and Oracle differ in their precision so a choice must be made where to do calculations. cn1 .6). SQL statements to create the number data are: create table dt (cn1 number. oci_define_by_name($s. cn2) values (71. $row = oci_fetch_array($s. insert into dt (cn1. $city . var_dump($row). $city). cn2. This example fetches city names: $s = oci_parse($c.
echo "Hire date is " . By default it is set to 14. The previous example showed the result of the subtraction was the expected value. In this example the default format was the Oracle American standard of DD-MON-YY so the output is: Hire date is 17-SEP-87 Dates inserted are expected to be in the default format too: $s = oci_parse($c. $diff . $diff = $row['CN1'] . If the code is changed to do the subtraction in PHP: $row = oci_fetch_array($s. "insert into mydtb (dcol) values ('04-AUG-07')"). $row = oci_fetch_array($s. Oracle's default formats can be changed easily and it is recommended to explicitly set them so your scripts are portable.$row['CN2']. "select hire_date from employees where employee_id = 200").ini parameter precision which determines how many significant digits are displayed in floating point numbers. $row['HIRE_DATE']. In some regions the decimal separator for numbers might be a comma. $s = oci_parse($c. Oracle's date arithmetic makes calendar work easy. DATE. See Oracle Number Formats in the chapter Globalization. Arithmetic calculations are handled with different precision in PHP. "\n". oci_execute($s). similar to the PHP returns Oracle's numeric types. oci_execute($s). Dates and times with user specified precisions can be stored. "\n". The output shows: PHP difference is 0.40000000000001 PHP has a php. supporting various needs. Fetching and Working with Dates Oracle has capable date handling functionality. 132 . echo "PHP difference is " . OCI_ASSOC).4" } The conversion from number to string is done by Oracle and means Oracle formats the data according to its globalization settings. causing problems if PHP later casts the string to a number for an arithmetic operation. OCI_ASSOC). The DATE type has resolution to the second but the default format is often just the day. DATETIME and INTERVAL types are fetched from Oracle as strings. This example shows the output from a date column.Executing SQL Statements With OCI8 array(3) { ["CN1"]=> string(2) "71" ["CN2"]=> string(4) "70.6" ["DIFF"]=> string(2) ". month and year.
"Time is " . "insert into mydtb (dcol) values (to_date('2006/01/01 05:36:50'. echo "Date is " . echo "Time is " . SYSTIMESTAMP. The output is: Time is 2007-08-01 15:28:44 Oracle's TIMESTAMP type stores values precise to fractional seconds.233887 PM -07:00 An INTERVAL type represents the difference between two date values. = oci_fetch_array($s.44. $row["NOW"] . oci_execute($s). Intervals are useful for Oracle's analytic functions. OCI_ASSOC). "select to_char(dcol. In PHP they are fetched as strings. 'YYYY-MM-DD HH24:MI:SS') as now from dual"). "select to_char (sysdate. $row["DCOL"] . use the SYSDATE function. any statement can use its own custom format. 133 .28. "\n". See the chapter Globalization. Here the date and time returned by SYSDATE are displayed: $s = oci_parse($c. like DATE and TIMESTAMP are fetched. $row = oci_fetch_array($s. The output is: Time is 01-AUG-07 03. When inserting. oci_execute($s). oci_execute($s). "select systimestamp from dual"). You can optionally store a time zone or local time zone.Fetch Functions The default format can be changed with Oracle's globalization settings before or after PHP starts. OCI_ASSOC). $row["SYSTIMESTAMP"] . For an example. // fetch a date $s = oci_parse($c. For PHP. $row = oci_fetch_array($s. Regardless of the default. "\n". 'YYYY/MM/DD HH:MI:SS'))"). When querying. which may not be relevant to user located remotely. The output is: Date is 01/01/06 To find the current database server time. use TO_DATE(): // insert a date $s = oci_parse($c. gives the current server time stamp and time zone: $s = $r = $row echo oci_parse($c. OCI_ASSOC). which is analogous to SYSDATE. $r = oci_execute($s). "\n". use the TO_CHAR() function. 'DD/MM/YY') as dcol from mydtb"). the local time zone would be the time zone of the web server.
oci_execute($s). or none of them. Such problems may not be apparent in normal conditions. like CREATE and INSERT. But take care with committing and rolling back. Except in special cases. It is also causes extra processing and more IO to the database files. "create table i1test (col1 number)"). Delete. Use inline views.Executing SQL Statements With OCI8 Insert. Create and Drop Executing Data Definition Language (DDL) and Data Manipulation Language (DML) statements. In some cases "global temporary tables" might be useful but one caveat is that temporary tables have no statistics for the Oracle optimizer to evaluate. This can easily be overridden in OCI8. simply requires a parse and execute: $s = oci_parse($conn. To maximize efficiency. Figure 88: Each round trip between PHP and the Database reduces scalability. but an abnormal event might cause only part of a transaction to be committed. OCI8's default commit behavior is like other PHP extensions and different from Oracle's standard. and it is expensive to do so. Hidden transactional consistency problems can be created by not understanding when commits or rollbacks occur. you want either all your changes to be committed. Unnecessarily committing or rolling back impacts database performance as it causes unnecessary network traffic (round trips) between PHP and the database. use transactions where appropriate. Problems can also be caused by programmers trying to squeeze out absolutely optimal performance by committing or rolling back only when absolutely necessary. Update. The only-run-once installation sections of applications should contain almost all the CREATE TABLE statements used. The default mode of oci_execute() is OCI_COMMIT_ON_SUCCESS to commit changes. 134 . Applications in Oracle do not commonly need to create temporary tables at run time. Transactions Using transactions to protect the integrity of data is as important in PHP as any other relational database application. or join tables when required.
even though it is unnecessary. To rollback. OCI_DEFAULT). In the following example a new record is committed when the oci_execute() call is called: $s = oci_parse($c. but transactional and performance requirements should be thought about before using the default mode everywhere. In PHP a better name would have been NO_AUTO_COMMIT. use: oci_execute($s). do: oci_commit($c). oci_execute($s. 135 . This is a feature of the Oracle database that cannot be altered. Any CREATE or DROP statement will automatically commit regardless of the oci_execute() mode. since you may commit at incorrect times. be careful at the end of scope if the transaction state is uncommitted. "insert into testtable values ('my data')"). executing a query will commit an outstanding transaction if OCI_DEAFULT is not used in the query's oci_execute() call. Note: Be careful mixing and matching oci_execute() calls with both commit modes in one script. or are calls to PL/SQL packages that handle transactions internally. You specify not to auto-commit but to begin a transaction with: $s = oci_parse($c. If you pass OCI_DEFAULT. To commit any un-committed transactions for your connection. In particular. Any outstanding transaction is automatically rolled back when a connection is closed or at the end of the script. do: oci_rollback($c).Transactions Scripts that call a connection function more than once with the same credentials should make sure transactions are complete before re-connecting. Similarly. oci_execute($s). where the value of the C macro with the same name is actually the default value when nothing else is specified. "insert into testtest values ('my data 2')"). If all your database calls in a script are queries. but we are stuck with the awkward name. // not committed The PHP parameter name OCI_DEFAULT is borrowed from Oracle's Call Interface. Auto-committing can be handy for single INSERTs and UPDATEs. PHP will send an explicit rollback to the database at the end of every script. // automatically committed Other users of the table will immediately be able to see the new record.
an audit record can be inserted even if the user decides to rollback their main change. the autonomous transaction commits to the log table. create or replace procedure updatelog(p_event in varchar2) as pragma autonomous_transaction. PL/SQL. An autonomous transaction can be committed or rolled back without affecting the main transaction. // don't commit oci_rollback($c). create table mytable (c1 varchar2(10)). 'hrpwd'. An example is: Script 13: logger.Executing SQL Statements With OCI8 Autonomous Transactions Oracle's procedural language for SQL. $s = oci_parse($c. oci_execute($s. end. After running logger. "begin updatelog('INSERT attempted'). "insert into mytable values ('abc')"). This might be useful for logging data access . no rows selected SQL> select * from logtable. EVENT -----------------------------INSERT attempted 136 . oci_execute($s. the tables contain: SQL> select * from mytable. drop table logtable. commit. ?> Even though OCI_DEFAULT is used. // don't commit $s = oci_parse($c. / You could call the PL/SQL function from PHP to log events: Script 14: logger. OCI_DEFAULT). This commit does not commit the script insert into mytable. 'localhost/XE'). create table logtable (event varchar2(30)). end.php <?php $c = oci_connect('hr'.php. OCI_DEFAULT). which are effectively sub-transactions.sql drop table mytable. begin insert into logtable (event) values(p_event)."). allows you to do autonomous transactions.
"hrpwd". echo "<pre>". } $c1 = oci_connect("hr". date('j:M:y') . do_query($c2. // first connection $s = oci_parse($c1. "select * from mytable"). // does not commit do_query($c1. "localhost/XE").php <?php function do_query($c. OCI_DEFAULT). use SQL*Plus to create a table with a single date column: SQL> create table mytable (col1 date). Using an oci_connect() connection lets you query the newly inserted (but uncommitted) data both times because $c1 and $c2 refer to the same Oracle connection. "select * from mytable"). oci_execute($s. "hrpwd". Using oci_pconnect() is the same as oci_connect(). OCI_DEFAULT). $query).php a few times. $res). "localhost/XE"). oci_execute($s. $query) { $s = oci_parse($c. changing oci_connect() to oci_new_connect() and oci_pconnect(): Script 15: transactions. "')").Transactions The Transactional Behavior of Connections To see the transactional behavior of the three connection functions. $c2 = oci_connect("hr". "insert into mytable values ('" . The output is: array(1) { ["COL1"]=> array(1) { [0]=> string(9) "16-JUN-07" } } array(1) { ["COL1"]=> array(1) { [0]=> string(9) "16-JUN-07" } 137 . ?> // second connection The script inserts (but does not commit) using one connection and queries back the results with the original and a second connection. Rerun transactions. oci_fetch_all($s. var_dump($res). // PHP debugging function for displaying output echo "</pre>".
'localhost/XE'). For example. use the oci_error() function.ini value of display_errors. to see all errors displayed. Depending on the php. To display OCI8 errors. true). It returns an array. as shown later. You do not want to leak internal information to web users. and you do not want application pages containing ugly error messages. 'hrpwd'. although this impacts performance: $c = @oci_connect('hr'. the partially complete page contents can be discarded and an error page created instead. PHP's output buffering functions may be useful. Check all return codes. Expect the unexpected. The output shows the second query does not fetch any rows: array(1) { ["COL1"]=> array(1) { [0]=> string(9) "16-JUN-07" } } array(1) { ["COL1"]=> array(0) { } } PHP Error Handling The PHP installation chapter recommended setting display_errors to On in php. In a production system you should make sure error output is logged instead of displayed. ini_set('display_errors'. You might consider also enabling the E_STRICT level for the error_reporting parameter so you can catch any potential problems that will cause upgrade issues.ini to aid debugging. you might consider using PHP's @ prefix to completely suppress automatic display of function errors. scripts can set: error_reporting(E_ALL). The function requires a different argument depending on the calling context. If an error occurs part way during creation of the HTML page being output. Handling OCI8 Errors The error handing of any solid application requires careful design. Error handling can also be controlled at runtime. 138 .Executing SQL Statements With OCI8 } Using oci_new_connect() for $c2 gives a new connection which cannot see the uncommitted data. This means that errors may occur during later OCI8 calls than you might expect. To trap output and recover from errors. Oracle may piggy-back calls to the database to optimize performance.
with persistent connections PHP can return a cached connection without knowing if the database is still available. However OCI8 will then mark the connection as invalid and the next time the Apache/PHP process tries to connect. Variable $e["code"] $e["message"] $e["offset"] $e["sqltext"] Description Oracle error number Oracle error message Column position in the SQL statement of the error The text of the SQL statement For information on getting extra information for errors during creation of PL/SQL procedures. For example. if (!$c) { $e = oci_error(). an OCI8 call might return an Oracle error when it tries to reuse a persistent connection. Even so. Since there was no SQL statement involved. or even if the DBA issued an ALTER SESSION KILL command to close the user's database session. // No parameter passed var_dump($e). If the database has restarted since the time of first connection. logon denied" ["offset"]=> int(0) ["sqltext"]=> string(0) "" } The output shows that $e is an array. a new connection will be successfully created and usable.3 connection management makes it better at automatically recovering from database unavailability errors. } With the invalid password.PHP Error Handling Table 9: Error array after $e = oci_error(). the output is: array(4) { ["code"]=> int(1017) ["message"]=> string(50) "ORA-01017: invalid username/password. consider a script that uses a persistent connection: <?php 139 . OCI8 Connection Errors For connection errors. no argument to oci_error() is needed: $c = oci_connect("hr". the sqltext is empty and the offset is 0. The internal reimplementation of OCI8 1. or the DBA had enabled resource management that limited the maximum connection time for a user. "localhost/XE"). see the chapter Using PL/SQL with OCI8. "not_hrpwd". The code entry 1017 matches the error number in the error message.
var_dump($e). // Connection resource passed echo $e["message"] . "select city from not_locations"). ?> After the script completes. pass oci_error() the connection resource: $s = oci_parse($c. "<br>\n". the next time the script is run it will display the error: ORA-00028: your session has been killed However if the script is run a third time it will connect and run to completion normally. if (!$rc) { $e = oci_error($s). $rc = oci_execute($s). var_dump($e). // Statement resource passed var_dump($e). if (!$rc) { $e = oci_error($s).Executing SQL Statements With OCI8 $c = oci_pconnect('hr'.. } . pass oci_error() the statement resource: $rc = oci_execute($s). 'localhost/XE'). } OCI8 Execution and Fetching Errors For execution and fetching errors. $results). } 140 . OCI8 Parse Errors For parse errors. if (!$rc) { $e = oci_error($s). if (!$c) { $e = oci_error().. "<br>\n". if the DBA issues an ALTER SESSION KILL command for the database connection created. } // Statement resource passed $rc = oci_fetch_all($s. exit. "select city from locations"). 'hrpwd'. echo $e['message'] . if (!$s) { $e = oci_error($c). } An example of an execution error is when the table being queried does not exist: $s = oci_parse($c.
It is almost always more efficient to select the minimum amount of data necessary and only return rows and columns that will be used by PHP. It also contains the text of the statement and the column offset position of the error in that statement.PHP Error Handling The output shows the message number and text. Oracle must reparse and cache multiple statements. They let you re-execute a statement with different values for the variables and get different results. SQL tuning will help make efficient use of table design. indexes and the Oracle optimizer. transaction management can help reduce round trips from PHP to the database and reduce processing overheads. Consider using PL/SQL packages for complex data operations to minimize data transfers. If you do not bind. 141 . Using Bind Variables Bind variables are just like %s print format specifiers. On the OCI8 side. and finally tune the database. Column 17 is the table name not_locations. Efficient caching of statements by having reusable code and using bind variables are fundamental in improving database performance. next tune the SQL. Make sure to commit only when necessary. Database tuning maximizes throughput and allows efficient use of buffering and I/O strategies. The database-centric approach to tuning is to first tune the application. array(4) { ["code"]=> int(942) ["message"]=> string(39) "ORA-00942: table or view does not exist" ["offset"]=> int(17) ["sqltext"]=> string(30) "select city from not_locations" } Tuning SQL Statements in PHP Applications Tuning is an art and a science. In the PHP community statements like this are known as prepared statements. SQL tuning and Database tuning are covered in the Oracle documentation.
Executing SQL Statements With OCI8 Figure 89: Not binding wastes database resources. then it may be possible for a malicious user to execute a SQL statement of their choice instead of the one you intended. If the user input is not carefully checked. In Oracle. $s = oci_parse($c. Oracle is more likely to find the matching statement in its cache and be able to reuse the execution plan and context for that statement. Figure 90: Binding improves performance and security. Bind variables are also an important way to prevent SQL injection security attacks. Binding is highly recommended. It can improve overall database throughput. SQL injection may occur when SQL statements are hard coded text concatenated with user input: $w = "userid = 1". a bind variable is a colon-prefixed name in the SQL text. 142 . even if someone else originally executed it. A oci_bind_by_name() call tells Oracle which PHP variable to actually use when executing the statement. "select * from mytable where $w").
you can omit the type parameter. This is discussed in the chapter on PL/SQL. $row['LAST_NAME'] . $row['LAST_NAME'] . The following code would work when appended to the end of bindvar. "hrpwd". It is recommended to pass the length if a query is being re-executed in a script with different bind values. The default type is the string type. oci_execute($s). oci_execute($s). $row = oci_fetch_array($s. Since a callby-reference clean up in the implementation of PHP."<br>\n". "localhost/XE").php: // No need to re-parse or re-bind $myeid = 102. $myeid). ":eidbv".Tuning SQL Statements in PHP Applications Script 16: bindvar. $bindvarname. For example when binding a number. $s = oci_parse($c. oci_bind_array_by_name(). ?> The output is the last name of employee 101: Last name is: Kochhar There is no need to (and for efficiency you should not) re-parse the SQL statement if you just want to change the value of the bind variable. 143 .php <?php $c = oci_connect("hr". "select last_name from employees where employee_id = :eidbv"). this syntax has been deprecated and may cause problems. $phpvariable."<br>\n". echo "Last name is: ". The syntax of oci_bind_by_name() is: $rc = oci_bind_by_name($statement. SQLT_CHR. Oracle will convert most basic types to or from this as needed. $row = oci_fetch_array($s. Some older PHP examples use & with oci_bind_by_name() parameters. OCI_ASSOC). $myeid = 101. For example when binding. Passing the length also avoids potential edge-case behavior differences if a script runs with multiple different Oracle character sets. echo "Last name is: ". and passed to PL/SQL blocks. oci_bind_by_name($s. Do not do this. OCI_ASSOC). Re-running bindvar. Multiple values can be bound with another function. $type) The length and type are optional. pass the length of the largest potential string. $length.php now gives: Last name is: Kochhar Last name is: De Haan You can bind a single value with each oci_bind_by_name() call.
It is a common problem with binding in a foreach loop: $ba = array(':dname' => 'IT Support'. $ba = array(':dname' => 'IT Support'. Oracle does not use question mark '?' for bind variable placeholders at all and OCI8 supports only named placeholders with a colon prefix. $s = oci_parse($c. ':loc' => 1700). "hrpwd". foreach ($ba as $key => $val) { oci_bind_by_name($s. "localhost/XE").Executing SQL Statements With OCI8 A bind call tells Oracle which memory address to read data from. 'select * from departments where department_name = :dname and location_id = :loc'). $ba[$key]). This has an unpredictable outcome. } oci_execute($s). Some PHP database abstraction layers will simulate support for question marks by scanning your statements and replacing them with supported syntax. Finally." ". $val). then Oracle may read an invalid memory location if the execute occurs after the function has returned. the optimizer does not have any information about the value you may eventually use when the statement is executed. That address needs to contain valid data when oci_execute() is called. foreach ($ba as $key => $val) { oci_bind_by_name($s. $key. 144 . ':loc' => 1700). } echo "<br>\n". you might want to hard code values. Changing the bind call in the loop to use $ba[$key] solves the problem: Script 17: bindloop. For example. OCI_ASSOC))) { foreach ($row as $item) { echo $item. But if the data is derived from user input be sure to sanitize it. If the bind call is made in a different scope from the execute call there could be a problem. if the bind is in a function and a function-local PHP variable is bound. } ?> There is one case where you might decide not to use bind variables. while (($row = oci_fetch_array($s. } The problem here is that $val is local to the loop (and is reused). The SQL statement will not execute as expected. If your data is highly skewed. $key. When queries contain bind variables.php <?php $c = oci_connect("hr".
REGEXP_SUBSTR. "hrpwd".php is cities and states where the city starts with 'South': array(2) { ["CITY"]=> array(3) { [0]=> string(15) "South Brunswick" [1]=> string(19) "South San Francisco" [2]=> string(9) "Southlake" } ["STATE_PROVINCE"]=> array(3) { [0]=> string(10) "New Jersey" [1]=> string(10) "California" [2]=> string(5) "Texas" } } Oracle also supports regular expression matching with functions like REGEXP_LIKE. where '%' means match anything. ?> This uses Oracle's traditional LIKE syntax. var_dump($res).php <?php $c = oci_connect("hr". The output from bindlike. oci_execute($s). $city = 'South%'. In a query from PHP you might bind to REGEXP_LIKE using: 145 . and REGEXP_REPLACE. oci_bind_by_name($s. oci_fetch_all($s. $res). "localhost/XE"). you can bind the value used in a pattern-matching SQL LIKE or REGEXP_LIKE clause: Script 18: bindlike. "select city. An underscore in the pattern string '_' would match exactly one character.Tuning SQL Statements in PHP Applications Binding with LIKE and REGEXP_LIKE Clauses Similar to the simple example above. state_province from locations where city like :bv"). REGEXP_INSTR. $s = oci_parse($c. $city). ":bv".
Because of this. oci_execute($s). "select last_name from employees where employee_id in (101. } This displays both surnames but it leads to the scaling and security issues that bind variables overcome. $city). :bv)").*ing. var_dump($res). $res). oci_bind_by_name($s. ":bv". "select last_name from employees where employee_id in (:eidbv)"). oci_fetch_all($s. "localhost/XE").102".*'. $s = oci_parse($c. $myeids). $city = '. The common use case is when allowing a web user to choose multiple options from a list and wanting to do a query on all values. oci_fetch_all($s.php <?php $c = oci_connect("hr". "select city from locations where regexp_like(city. $name .Executing SQL Statements With OCI8 Script 19: bindregexp."<br>\n".102)"). foreach ($res['LAST_NAME'] as $name) { echo "Last name is: ". oci_execute($s). oci_bind_by_name($s. Hard coding multiple values in an IN clause in the SQL statement works: $s = oci_parse($c. not as multiple values. $res). 146 . Trying to emulate the query with a bind variable does not work: $s = oci_parse($c. ?> This displays all the cities that contain the letters 'ing': array(1) { ["CITY"]=> array(2) { [0]=> string(7) "Beijing" [1]=> string(9) "Singapore" } } Binding Multiple Values in an IN Clause User data for a bind variable is always treated as pure data and never as part of the SQL statement. oci_execute($s). trying to use a comma separated list of items in a single bind variable will be recognized by Oracle only as a single value. $myeids = "101. "hrpwd". ":EIDBV".
"select last_name from employees where employee_id in (:e1. $s = oci_parse($c. foreach ($res['LAST_NAME'] as $name) { echo "Last name is: ". Using Bind Variables to Fetch Data As well as what are called IN binds. This means the length parameter should also be passed to oci_bind_by_name() when returning a number otherwise digits may be truncated: oci_bind_by_name($s. (See the chapter on using PL/SQL). oci_bind_by_name($s. $res). numbers are converted to and from strings when they are bound. ":E3". These are mostly used to return values from PL/SQL procedures and functions. $res). you need to specify the optional length parameter. there are also OUT binds that return values. // pretend we were not given this value oci_bind_by_name($s. "localhost/XE"). If the PHP variable associated with an OUT bind does not exist. NULLs can be bound for any unknown values: Script 20: bindinlist. $mye3). small number of values in the IN clause is to use individual bind variables. All this gives is the error ORA-01722: invalid number because the $myeids string is treated as a single value and is not recognized as a list of numbers."<br>\n". ":E1". $mye3 = NULL. The solution for a fixed. By default in OCI8. "hrpwd". ":E2". :e3)"). $mb. oci_fetch_all($s. ":MB". $name .php <?php $c = oci_connect("hr". which pass data into Oracle. $mye1). Another case when the length should be specified is when returning numbers. } ?> The output is: Last name is: Ernst Last name is: Hunold Tom Kyte discusses the general problem and gives solutions for other cases in the March – April 2007 Oracle Magazine. $mye1 = 103. $mye2). 10).Tuning SQL Statements in PHP Applications oci_fetch_all($s. $mye2 = 104. :e2. oci_execute($s). oci_bind_by_name($s. 147 .
In this example. } $s = oci_parse($c.php <?php $c = oci_connect('hr'.Executing SQL Statements With OCI8 There is also an optional fifth parameter. and binding its rowid in the WHERE clause of an UPDATE statement. ":ob". Binding in an ORDER BY Clause Some applications allow the user to choose the presentation order of results. try using a SQL CASE statement: $s = oci_parse($c. $ob). which is the datatype. 148 . the length was set to –1 meaning use the native data size of an integer. -1. ":MB". This avoids the type conversion cost: oci_bind_by_name($s. changing the data. break. $vs). 'localhost/XE'). Typically the number of variations for an ORDER BY clause are small and so having different statements executed for each condition is efficient: switch ($v) { case 1: $ob = ' order by first_name'. break. is to specify the datatype as SQLT_INT. and the columns are of the same type. last_name from employees order by case :ob when 'FIRST_NAME' then first_name else last_name end"). 'hrpwd'. Using ROWID Bind Variables The pseudo-column ROWID uniquely identifies a row within a table. Script 21: rowid. default: $ob = ' order by last_name'. One micro-optimization when numbers are known to be integral. $mb. // Fetch a record $s = oci_parse($c. oci_execute($s). 'select first_name. This example shows fetching a record. But if your tuning indicates that binding in a ORDER BY clause is necessary. This mostly used for binding LOBS and result sets as shown in a later chapter. "select first_name. SQLT_INT). oci_bind_by_name($s. last_name from employees' .
default_prefetch bytes. The database returns the specified number of rows to a cache in its client buffers. because Oracle dynamically allocates space.3. oci_bind_by_name($s. OCI_B_ROWID). ?> After running rowid. OCI_DEFAULT). Prior to OCI8 1.Tuning SQL Statements in PHP Applications 'select rowid. The default value is 100.default_prefetch = 100 This parameter sets the number of rows returned in a batch when each fetch call to the database occurs. Subsequent OCI8 fetches will consume the data in the cache until eventually another batch of records is fetched from the database. $rid = $row['ROWID']. $locid = 3000. // location to fetch oci_bind_by_name($s. $addr = $row['STREET_ADDRESS']. // Save new value $s = oci_parse($c. The cache is managed by Oracle. OCI_ASSOC+OCI_RETURN_NULLS).php. $row = oci_fetch_array($s. $addr). oci_execute($s. ':r_bv'. 149 . 'update locations set street_address = :a_bv where rowid = :r_bv'). Testing will show the optimal size for your queries. oci_execute($s). PHP functions like oci_fetch_array() return one row to the user per call regardless of the prefetch size. -1. ':a_bv'. There is no benefit using too large a prefetch value. the address has been changed from Murtenstrasse 921 to MURTENSTRASSE 921 Tuning the Prefetch Size You can tune PHP's overall query performance with the configuration parameter: oci8. ':l_bv'. Increasing the prefetch value can significantly improve performance of queries that return a large number of rows. there is little to be gained by reducing the value too small. It minimizes database server round-trips by returning as much data as possible each time a request to the database is made. the default was 10 and the OCI8 extension also capped the memory used by the prefetch buffer at 1024 * oci8. $locid). oci_bind_by_name($s. // Change the address to upper case $addr = strtoupper($addr). $rid. street_address from locations where location_id = :l_bv for update'). Conversely.
oci_set_prefetch($s.statement_cache_size = 20 The recommendation is to use the number of statements in the application's working set of SQL as the value. You can change the size with the php. which returns all query rows to the user. Caching can be disabled by setting the size to 0. Prefetching is not used when queries contain LONG or LOB columns.Executing SQL Statements With OCI8 Figure 91: The first request to the database fetches multiple rows to the cache. In turn.ini directive: oci8. PHP OCI8) statement caching feature. You can also change the prefetch value at runtime with the oci_set_prefetch() function: $s = oci_parse($c. "select city from locations"). For oci_fetch_all(). PHP OCI8 internally fetches all the records in batches of the specified prefetch size. Tuning the Statement Cache Size Performance is improved with Oracle's "client" (that is. The client-side statement cache is in addition to the standard database statement cache. OCI_ASSOC). the database does not need to transfer meta-information about the statement back to PHP. or when fetching from a REF CURSOR. The client cache means even the text of the statement does not need to be transmitted to the database more than once. Subsequent fetches read from the cache. 150 . 200). reducing network traffic and database server load. In the PHP extension the default statement cache size is 20 statements. oci_execute($s). The database can directly look up the statement context in its cache without even having to hash the statement. $row = oci_fetch_array($s.
OCI8 clears the cache if a statement returns a database error. The cache is per-Oracle session so this feature is more useful when persistent connections are used. With the default mode. The Oracle® Call Interface Programmer's Guide. The client-side cache is per PHP process. This can be seen. "select /*+ result_cache */ * from employee"). It can reduce PHP statement processing time and significantly reduce database CPU usage. These store the final result of queries. queries for which you want results to be cached need a hint added: $s = oci_parse($c.Tuning SQL Statements in PHP Applications Figure 92: The second time a statement is issued. The statement cache also means slightly more load is put on the PHP host. The database cache is enabled with the RESULT_CACHE_MODE database parameter. there is a time/memory trade-off when tweaking this parameter. Using the Server and Client Query Result Caches Oracle Database 11g introduces "server-side"and "client-side" result caches. 151 . The client cache is ideal for small queries from infrequently modified tables. the statistic should show an improvement. which has several modes. Like many tuning options. When caching is effective. No PHP changes are required – applications will immediately benefit from the server cache. the client cache is assumed stale. such as lookup tables. the statement text is not sent to the database. 11g Release 1 (11.1) contains the best description of the feature and has more about when to use it and how to manage it.statement_cache_size to your satisfaction. for example. If no round trip has happened with a configurable "lag" time. Oracle will check the client cache entries each time any round trip to the database occurs. allowing the database to handle more PHP processes and users. Adjust the value of oci8. To tune the statement cache size. monitor general web server load and the database statistic "bytes sent via SQL*Net to client". in Automatic Workload Repository (AWR) reports. A key feature of the caches is that Oracle automatically handles cache entry invalidation when a database change invalidates the stored results.
run crc. run this query in the SQL*Plus session: SQL> select parse_calls. sql_text from v$sql where sql_text like '%employees%' 152 . sql_text from v$sql where sql_text like '%employees%' This shows the database being accessed when the query is executed. executions. the database parameter CLIENT_RESULT_CACHE_SIZE can be set to a non zero value and the Oracle database restarted: $ sqlplus / as sysdba SQL> alter system set client_result_cache_size=64M scope=spfile. $res). executions. Initially it shows just the monitoring query itself. 'hrpwd'.Executing SQL Statements With OCI8 To demonstrate client caching. $ php crc. 'localhost/orcl'). sql_text 2 from v$sql 3 where sql_text like '%employees%'. "select /*+ result_cache */ * from employees where rownum < 2").--------------------------------------------------2 2 select /*+ result_cache */ * from employees where rownum < 2 2 2 select parse_calls. SQL> startup force In PHP. executions. ++$i) { $s = oci_parse($c. PARSE_CALLS EXECUTIONS SQL_TEXT ----------. OCI_DEFAULT).--------------------------------------------------1 1 select parse_calls. for ($i = 0. oci_execute($s. once for the initial execution and the second time by a subsequent cache validation check: PARSE_CALLS EXECUTIONS SQL_TEXT ----------.php Re-running the monitoring query shows that during the 1000 loop iterations.---------. oci_fetch_all($s. } ?> Before executing crc. the key to using the client-cache is to pass OCI_DEFAULT to oci_execute(): Script 22: crc.php from the command line or run it in a browser – it doesn't display any results. In another terminal window.php. $i < 1000. the database executed the PHP query just twice.php <?php $c = oci_pconnect('hr'.---------.
$numrows = 5. It is not in the SQL standard and the vendors that use it have different implementations. Limiting Rows and Creating Paged Datasets Oracle's SQL does not have a LIMIT keyword. it may not give meaningful results and V$SQL can be more useful. For short tests like this example where the process quickly runs and terminates. var_dump($res). This is implemented by the extension.com: select * from ( select a.including the order by) a where rownum <= MAX_ROWS ) where rnum >= MIN_ROWS Here. the client cache was used for the results. $firstrow = 3. with no database access required. sql_text from v$sql where sql_text like '%employees%' A dedicated view CLIENT_RESULT_CACHE_STATS$ is periodically updated with statistics on client caching. There are several alternative ways to limit the number of rows returned in OCI8.oracle. oci_execute($s). oci_fetch_all($s. All rows preceding those you want still have to be fetched from the database. Re-run the script: $ php crc. The canonical paging query for Oracle8i onwards is given on http://asktom. The oci_fetch_all() function has optional arguments to specify a range of results to fetch. MIN_ROWS is the row number of first row and MAX_ROWS is the row number of the last row to return.php The monitoring query now shows the modified query was executed another 1000 times. $numrows). This means the client query result cache was not used and each iteration had to be processed in the database: PARSE_CALLS EXECUTIONS SQL_TEXT ----------.---------. not by Oracle's native functionality.Tuning SQL Statements in PHP Applications This means that 998 of the times the statement was performed. rownum as rnum from (YOUR_QUERY_GOES_HERE -. In PHP you might do this: 153 . Now edit crc. executions. $firstrow. It is more efficient to let Oracle do the row selection and only return the exact number of rows required.*.--------------------------------------------------4 1002 select /*+ result_cache */ * from employees where rownum < 2 3 3 select parse_calls. $res. or once per loop iteration.php and remove OCI_DEFAULT from the execute call: oci_execute($s).
oci_execute($s). $minrow = 4. oci_fetch_all($s. $mystmt = "select city from locations order by city". $res). so you cannot bind the text of the statement and expect it to be executed. oci_bind_by_name($s. $minrow). var_dump($res). ?> Note that $mystmt is not bound. Bind data is not treated as code. The output of the script is: array(2) { ["CITY"]=> array(5) { [0]=> string(6) "Geneva" [1]=> string(9) "Hiroshima" [2]=> string(6) "London" [3]=> string(11) "Mexico City" [4]=> string(6) "Munich" } ["RNUM"]=> array(5) { [0]=> string(1) "4" [1]=> string(1) "5" [2]=> string(1) "6" 154 . "localhost/XE"). oci_bind_by_name($s. // row number of last row to return $pagesql = "select * from ( select a.Executing SQL Statements With OCI8 Script 23: limit. "hrpwd".*. $maxrow). $pagesql). // row number of first row to return $maxrow = 8. $s = oci_parse($c. ":maxrow". ":minrow".php <?php $c = oci_connect("hr". Beware of SQL injection security issues if SQL statements are constructed or concatenated. rownum as rnum from ( $mystmt ) a where rownum <= :maxrow) where rnum >= :minrow".
Sequence generators are defined in the database and return Oracle numbers. The query: select last_name. Sequence numbers are generated independently of tables. By turning this into a subquery and using a WHERE condition any range of names can be queried.Limiting Rows and Creating Paged Datasets [3]=> string(1) "7" [4]=> string(1) "8" } } An alternative and preferred query syntax uses Oracle's analytic ROW_NUMBER() function.---------Abel 1 Ande 2 Atkinson 3 . the same sequence generator can be used for more than one table or anywhere that you want to use a unique number. row_number() over (order by last_name) as myr from employees) where myr between 11 and 20 In SQL*Plus the output is: LAST_NAME ------------------------Bissot Bloom Bull Cabrio Cambrault Cambrault Chen Chung Colmenares Davies Auto-Increment Columns Auto-increment columns in Oracle can be created using a sequence generator and a trigger. You can get a new value from a 155 . row_number() over (order by last_name) as myr from employees returns two columns identifying the last name with its row number: LAST_NAME MYR ------------------------. . . For example to get the 11th to 20th names the query is: select last_name FROM (select last_name. Sequence generation is useful to generate unique primary keys for your data and to coordinate keys across multiple tables. Therefore.
"insert into mytable (mydata) values ('Bye')"). This gives the next available number and increments the generator. a sequence number can be "lost". The similar CURRVAL operator returns the current value of a sequence without incrementing the generator.nextval. end. oci_execute($s). In SQL*Plus an auto increment column myid can be created like: Script 24: autoinc. create trigger mytrigger before insert on mytable for each row begin select myseq. In PHP insert two rows: Script 25: autoinc. ?> Querying the table in SQL*Plus shows the MYID values were automatically inserted and incremented: SQL> select * from mytable. MYID ---------1 2 MYDATA -------------------Hello Bye The identifier numbers will be unique and increasing but may not be consecutive.myid from dual.nextval into :new. "hrpwd". A trigger is a PL/SQL procedure that is automatically invoked at a predetermined point. "localhost/XE"). create table mytable (myid number primary key. / In Oracle Database11g you can replace the SELECT with: :new.Executing SQL Statements With OCI8 sequence generator using the NEXTVAL operator in a SQL statement. $s = oci_parse($c. 156 . $s = oci_parse($c. For example if someone rolls back an insert.myid := myseq. In this example a trigger is invoked whenever an insert is made to a table. oci_execute($s).php <?php $c = oci_connect("hr".sql create sequence myseq. "insert into mytable (mydata) values ('Hello')"). mydata varchar2(20)).
echo "Data inserted with id: $id\n". either with environment variables. has a lot of useful information. or per session: alter session set nls_sort = binary_ci. Instead.php <?php $c = oci_connect("hr". ?> This returns the value of the myid column for the new row into the PHP variable $id. Tom Kyte's popular site.com. oci_bind_by_name($s. "insert into mytable (mydata) values ('Hello') return myid into :id"). ":id". the insert would be: Script 26: insertid. oci_execute($s). $id.php were previously executed. "localhost/XE").oracle. They are left for you to explore. Exploring Oracle Explore the SQL and PL/SQL languages. Keeping a thin interface between your application layer and the database is also good programming practice. oci_execute($s). Using the table and trigger created above in autoinc. $rid. Data is a core asset of your business. Oracle's general guideline is to let the database manage data and to transfer the minimum amount across the network. -1. "insert into mytable (mydata) values ('Hello') return rowid into :rid"). ":rid".sql. OCI_D_ROWID). $s = oci_parse($c. SQLT_INT). OCI_B_ROWID). use a RETURN INTO clause and a bind variable. It should be treated consistently across your applications. A couple are mentioned below. change the session attributes NLS_SORT and NLS_COMP first.Getting the Last Insert ID Getting the Last Insert ID OCI8 does not have an explicit "insert_id" function. http://asktom. 20. is: Data inserted with id: 3 You could similarly return the ROWID of the new row into a descriptor: $rid = oci_new_descriptor($c. Make maximum reuse of functionality that already exists. Case Insensitive Queries If you want to do queries that sort and match data in a case insensitive manner. There are many more useful SQL and Database features than those described in this book. oci_bind_by_name($s. assuming the two inserts of autoinc. "hrpwd". $s = oci_parse($c. Avoid shipping data from the database to PHP for unnecessary post processing. 157 . alter session set nls_comp = linguistic. The output.
Executing SQL Statements With OCI8 Analytic Functions in SQL Oracle's Analytic functions are a useful tool to compute aggregate values based on a group of rows. Here is an example of a correlation. since it depends on table data not available to hr: select max_extents. Other analytic functions allow you to get basic information like standard deviations or do tasks such as ranking (for Top-N or Bottom-N queries) or do linear regressions. 158 . corr(max_trans. initial_extent) from all_tables group by max_extents. You must be connected as the system user in this particular example. CORR() returns the coefficient of correlation of a set of number pairs.
As with SQL. queuing. stored language that is easyto-use..put_line('No results returned'). A PL/SQL block has three basic parts: ● ● ● A declarative part (DECLARE) An executable part (BEGIN . dbms_output. END) An exception-handling (EXCEPTION) part that handles error conditions For example: declare sal_l pls_integer. and can use it to efficiently insert and fetch data. for example to make sure your financial data is not affected by PHP's floating point semantics. the cost of data transfer across the network and the re-usability of the code. consider your skill level in the languages. It is a server-side. optimizing and debugging features. you can create these to be fired when an event such as an insert or a user logon occurs. job scheduling and TCP access. If you write in PL/SQL. begin select salary into sal_l from employees where employee_id = 191.. In Oracle's SQL*Plus it is run by entering the text at the prompt and finishing with a single / to tell SQL*Plus to execute the code. exception when no_data_found then dbms_output. including PHP. sending emails. Some functionality should only ever be in the database.CHAPTER 11 USING PL/SQL WITH OCI8 PL/SQL is Oracle's procedural language extension to SQL. and a 'wrap' code obfuscation facility to protect the intellectual property of your applications. Packages exist for full text indexing. In Oracle. such as data change triggers. When deciding whether to write PHP on the client or PL/SQL in the server. You can create stored procedures. PL/SQL enables you to mix SQL statements with procedural constructs. then SQL*Plus will display the output messages after execution: SQL> set serveroutput on SQL> declare 159 . You can run this in many tools. PL/SQL Overview There are a number of pre-supplied PL/SQL packages to make application development easier. end. functions and packages so your business logic is reusable in all your applications. PHP can call PL/SQL blocks to make use of advanced database functionality. all your Oracle applications in any tool or client language can reuse the functionality. just to name a few. change notification.put_line('Salary is ' || sal_l). PL/SQL has an inbuilt native compiler (in Oracle Database 11g). the PL/SQL language gives applications easy access to Oracle's better date and number handling. If you turn on SET SERVEROUTPUT beforehand.
Oracle stores its parsed representation in the database for efficient reuse. Packages and Triggers PL/SQL code can be categorized as one of the following: ● ● ● ● Anonymous block Stored procedure or function Package Trigger Anonymous Blocks An anonymous block is a PL/SQL block included in your application that is not named or stored in the database. they are generally for one-time use in a SQL script. 3 begin 4 select salary into sal_l 5 from employees 6 where employee_id = 191. Instead of executing multiple SQL statements. Blocks. Because these blocks are not stored in the database.put_line('Salary is ' || sal_l). PHP only needs to execute one PL/SQL call. 7 dbms_output. Procedures. If an application performs several SQL statements at one time. 8 exception 9 when no_data_found then 10 dbms_output. This reduces the number of round trips between PHP and the database. and can improve overall performance. or for simple code dynamically submitted to the Oracle server. Functions return a value when executed. They can be enabled and disabled to prevent them being used. The previous example is an anonymous block. Stored or Standalone Procedures and Functions A stored procedure or function is a PL/SQL block that Oracle stores in the database and can be called by name from an application.put_line('No results returned'). 12 / Salary is 2500 Other tools have different ways of indicating the end of the statements and how to switch server output on. They may also have an invalid state. When you create a stored procedure or function. Procedures can be created in SQL*Plus like: 160 . 11 end. Procedures and functions can be used from other procedures or functions. it can be efficient to bundle them together in a single PL/SQL procedure.Using PL/SQL With OCI8 2 sal_l pls_integer. The declarative and exception hander parts are optional. Only the executable part of a PL/SQL block is required. if anything they reference is not available.
See below for handling PL/SQL errors in PHP. PL/SQL functions are created in a similar way using the CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION command. If that definition is unchanged. i_p). SQL> create or replace package mypack as 2 function myfunc(i_p in number) return varchar2. i_p in number) as begin insert into yourtab (mydata. Programs like PHP can run it later.Blocks. / Warning: Procedure created with compilation errors. it is helpful to turn SET ECHO ON to see the line numbers. 6 return d_l.----------------------------------------------------------------4/3 PL/SQL: SQL Statement ignored 4/15 PL/SQL: ORA-00942: table or view does not exist If you are running a SQL script file in SQL*Plus. This helps minimizes recompilation of dependent objects. 3 end mypack. myid) values (d_p. If you have creation errors. The package specification defines the signatures of the functions and procedures. Packages and Triggers SQL> create table mytab (mydata varchar2(40). 4 begin 5 select mydata into d_l from mytab where myid = i_p. i_p in number) as 3 begin 4 insert into mytab (mydata. Packages Typically. use the SQL*Plus SHOW ERRORS command to display any messages. 5 end. i_p). creating a procedure that references an invalid table causes an error: SQL> 2 3 4 5 6 create or replace procedure myproc(d_p in varchar2. 6 / The procedure is only created. code that invokes it will not need to be recompiled even if the implementation in the package body changes. SQL> create or replace procedure 2 myproc(d_p in varchar2. SQL> show errors Errors for PROCEDURE MYPROC: LINE/COL ERROR -------. Procedures. not run. 7 end. For example. stored procedures and functions are encapsulated into packages. end. 161 . 4 / SQL> create or replace package body mypack as 2 function myfunc(i_p in number) return varchar2 as 3 d_l varchar2(20). myid) values (d_p. myid number).
Using PL/SQL With OCI8 8 end mypack; 9 /
A database trigger is a stored procedure associated with a database table, view, or event. The trigger can be called after the event, to record it, or take some follow-up action. A trigger can also be called before an event, to prevent erroneous operations or fix new data so that it conforms to business rules. Triggers were shown earlier as a way to optimize setting date formats (see Do Not Set the Date Format Unnecessarily in the chapter on Connecting) and as a way of creating auto-increment columns (see Auto-Increment Columns in the previous chapter).
Creating PL/SQL Stored Procedures in PHP
Procedures, functions and triggers can be created using PHP. For example, to create the procedure myproc the code is: Script 27: createmyproc.php
<?php $c = oci_connect('hr', 'hrpwd', 'localhost/XE'); $plsql = "create or replace procedure " . "myproc(d_p in varchar2, i_p in number) as " . "begin " . "insert into mytab (mydata, myid) values (d_p, i_p);" . "end;"; $s = oci_parse($c, $plsql); $r = oci_execute($s); if ($r) { echo 'Procedure created'; } ?>
Note the last character of the PL/SQL statement is a semi-colon (after PL/SQL keyword end), which is different to the way SQL statements are terminated. PHP string concatenation was used to build the statement. If you don't do this and are on Windows, see the end-of-line terminator issue mentioned below. Similar to the performance advice on creating tables, avoid creating packages and procedures at runtime in an application. Pre-create them as part of application installation.
End of Line Terminators in PL/SQL with Windows PHP
On Windows, multi-line PL/SQL blocks won't run if the line terminators are incorrect. The problem happens when the end of line characters in a multi-line PL/SQL string are Windows carriage-return linefeeds:
Creating PL/SQL Stored Procedures in PHP $plsql = "create or replace procedure myproc(d_p in varchar2, i_p in number) as begin insert into mytab (mydata, myid) values (d_p, i_p); end;";
If showcompilationerrors() function, shown later, is used, its additional messages will show:
PLS-00103: Encountered the symbol "" when expecting one of the following:
This error, with its seemingly empty token representing the unexpected end-of-line syntax, is followed by a list of keywords or tokens the PL/SQL parser was expecting. Use one of these solutions to fix the problem:
Write the PL/SQL code on a single line:
$plsql = "create or replace procedure myproc . . .";
Use PHP string concatenation with appropriate white space padding between tokens:
$plsql = . . . . "create or replace procedure " "myproc(d_p in varchar2, i_p in number) as " "begin " "insert into mytab (mydata, myid) values (d_p, i_p); " "end;";
Convert the file to use UNIX-style line-feeds with a conversion utility or editor.
Calling PL/SQL Code
Calling PL/SQL Procedures
To invoke the previously created PL/SQL procedure, use BEGIN and END to create an anonymous block: Script 28: anonplsql.php
<?php $c = oci_connect('hr', 'hrpwd', 'localhost/XE'); $s = oci_parse($c, "begin myproc('Alison', 456); end;"); oci_execute($s); ?>
The block contains a single procedure call, but you could include any number of other PL/SQL statements. You can also use the SQL CALL statement like: Script 29: callplsql.php
<?php 163
Using PL/SQL With OCI8
$c = oci_connect('hr', 'hrpwd', 'localhost/XE'); $s = oci_parse($c, "call myproc('Chris', 123)"); oci_execute($s); ?>
The call command is actually a SQL command and does not have a trailing semi-colon.
Calling PL/SQL Functions
Calling a PL/SQL function needs a bind variable to hold the return value. Using the function myfunc() created previously: Script 30: plsqlfunc.php
<?php $c = oci_connect('hr', 'hrpwd', 'localhost/XE'); $s = oci_parse($c, "begin :ret := mypack.myfunc(123); end;"); oci_bind_by_name($s, ':ret', $r, 20); oci_execute($s); echo "Name is: ".$r; ?>
The := token is the assignment operator in PL/SQL. Here it assigns the return value of the function to the bind variable. The bind call specifies that 20 bytes should be allocated to hold the result. The script output is:
Name is: Chris
This example also shows how to call a function or procedure inside a package using the syntax packagename.functionname().
Binding Parameters to Procedures and Functions
PL/SQL procedure and functions arguments can be marked IN, OUT or IN OUT depending on whether data is being passed into or out of PL/SQL. Single value parameters can be bound in PHP with oci_bind_by_name(). In the myproc() example the parameters were IN parameters so the code could be:
$s = oci_parse($c, "call myproc(:data, :id)"); $data = "Chris"; $id = 123 oci_bind_by_name($s, ":data", $data); oci_bind_by_name($s, ":id", $id); oci_execute($s);
Calling PL/SQL Code
For OUT and IN OUT parameters, make sure the length is specified in the bind call. As mentioned in the previous chapter, specifying the length for IN binds is often a good idea too, if the one statement is executed multiple times in a loop.
Array Binding and PL/SQL Bulk Processing
OCI8 1.2 (PHP 5.1.2) introduced a new function, oci_bind_array_by_name(). Used with a PL/SQL procedure, this can be very efficient for insertion or retrieval, requiring just a single oci_execute() to transfer multiple values. The following example creates a PL/SQL package with two procedures. The first, myinsproc(), will be passed a PHP array to insert. It uses Oracle's "bulk" FORALL statement for fast insertion. The second procedure, myselproc(), selects back from the table using the BULK COLLECT clause and returns the array as the OUT parameter p_arr. The p_count parameter is used to make sure PL/ SQL does not try to return more values than the PHP array can handle. Script 31: arrayinsert.sql
drop table mytab; create table mytab(name varchar2(20)); create or replace package mypkg as type arrtype is table of varchar2(20) index by pls_integer; procedure myinsproc(p_arr in arrtype); procedure myselproc(p_arr out arrtype, p_count in number); end mypkg; / show errors create or replace package body mypkg as procedure myinsproc(p_arr in arrtype) is begin forall i in indices of p_arr insert into mytab values (p_arr(i)); end myinsproc; procedure myselproc(p_arr out arrtype, p_count in number) is begin select name bulk collect into p_arr from mytab where rownum <= p_count; end myselproc; end mypkg; / show errors
To insert a PHP array $a into mytab, use: Script 32: arrayinsert.php
<?php $c = oci_connect('hr', 'hrpwd', 'localhost/XE');
Using PL/SQL With OCI8 $a = array('abc', 'def', 'ghi', 'jkl'); $s = oci_parse($c, "begin mypkg.myinsproc(:a); end;"); oci_bind_array_by_name($s, ":a", $a, count($a), -1, SQLT_CHR); oci_execute($s); ?>
The oci_bind_array_by_name() function is similar to oci_bind_by_name(). As well as the upper data length, it has an extra parameter giving the number of elements in the array. In this example, the number of elements inserted is count($a). The data length –1 tells PHP to use the actual length of the character data, which is known to PHP. To query the table in PHP, the myselproc() procedure can be called. The number of elements $numelems to be fetched is passed into myselproc() by being bound to :n. This limits the query to return four rows. The value is also used in the oci_bind_array_by_name() call so the output array $r is correctly sized to hold the four rows returned. The value 20 is the width of the database column. Any lower value could result in shorter strings being returned to PHP. Script 33: arrayfetch.php
<?php $c = oci_connect("hr", "hrpwd", "localhost/XE"); $numelems = 4; $s = oci_parse($c, "begin mypkg.myselproc(:p1, :n); end;"); oci_bind_array_by_name($s, ":p1", $r, $numelems, 20, SQLT_CHR); oci_bind_by_name($s, ":n", $numelems); oci_execute($s); var_dump($r); // print the array ?>
The output is:
array(4) { [0]=> string(3) [1]=> string(3) [2]=> string(3) [3]=> string(3) }
"abc" "def" "ghi" "jkl"
A number of other Oracle types can be bound with oci_array_bind_by_name(), for example SQLT_FLT for floating point numbers. There are more examples of oci_bind_array_by_name() in the automated OCI8 tests bundled with the PHP source code, see ext/oci8/tests.
'localhost/XE'). if ($m['code'] == 24344) { // A PL/SQL "success with compilation error" echo "Warning is ".PL/SQL Success With Information Warnings PL/SQL Success With Information Warnings A common PL/SQL error when creating packages.php <?php $c = oci_connect('hr'. PHP code to check for informational errors and warnings is shown in plsqlerr. // do not automatically show PHP errors // PL/SQL statement with deliberate error: not_mytab does not exist $plsql = "create or replace procedure myproc(d_p in varchar2. false). It creates a procedure referencing a non-existent table and then queries the USER_ERRORS table when the ORA-24344 error occurs: Script 34: plsqlerr.LINE. $r = @oci_execute($s). procedures or triggers is: Warning: oci_execute(): OCI_SUCCESS_WITH_INFO: ORA-24344: success with compilation error This error is most likely to be seen during development of PL/SQL which is commonly done in SQL*Plus or SQL Developer. i_p).ATTRIBUTE. showcompilationerrors($c).' || TEXT FROM USER_ERRORS ORDER BY NAME. i_p in number) as begin insert into not_mytab (mydata. } else { // A normal SQL-style error echo "Error is ". $m['message']. end. It can also be seen during application installation if PL/SQL packages. 'hrpwd'. oci_execute($s). 167 . "\n". ini_set('display_errors'. "SELECT NAME || ': ' || ATTRIBUTE || ' at character ' || POSITION || ' of line ' || LINE || ' . if (!$r) { $m = oci_error($s). "\n". myid) values (d_p. procedures or functions have an unresolved dependency.".MESSAGE_NUMBER").php.POSITION. $plsql). } } // Display PL/SQL errors function showcompilationerrors($c) { $s = oci_parse($c. $m['message']. $s = oci_parse($c.
sql create or replace procedure myproc(p1 out sys_refcursor) as begin open p1 for select last_name from employees where rownum <= 5. It is simply executed like a normal query and used in a fetch loop. while ($row = oci_fetch_array($s. we create a PL/SQL package with a procedure that queries the employees table. As an example. } print "\n".PL/SQL: SQL Statement ignored MYPROC: ERROR at character 25 of line 4 . } print "</pre>". In PHP you bind an OCI_B_CURSOR variable to a PL/SQL REF CURSOR procedure parameter and retrieve the rows of the result set in a normal fetch loop. It is used because the size of the REF CURSOR is fixed by Oracle. Once the PL/SQL procedure has completed then the value in $refcur is treated like a prepared statement identifier.PL/SQL: ORA-00942: table or view does not exist Looking at the PL/SQL code creating the procedure. Your output may also include errors from creating earlier blocks. end.think of them like a pointer to results. / show errors In PHP the oci_new_cursor() function returns a REF CURSOR resource. Character 25 is the table name not_mytab. OCI_ASSOC+OCI_RETURN_NULLS)) { foreach ($row as $item) { print ($item?htmlentities($item):""). The PL/SQL procedure contains the code: Script 35: refcur1. 168 . You can insert a WHERE clause before the ORDER BY to restrict the error messages: where name = 'MYPROC' Using REF CURSORS for Result Sets REF CURSORS let you return a set of query results to PHP . The procedure returns a REF CURSOR containing the employees' last names.Using PL/SQL With OCI8 print "<pre>\n". character 13 on line 4 of the PL/SQL code is the INSERT statement. This is bound to :rc in the call to myproc(). The bind size of -1 means "ignore the size passed". } ?> This displays: Warning is ORA-24344: success with compilation error MYPROC: ERROR at character 13 of line 4 .
Using REF CURSORS for Result Sets
Script 36: refcur1.php
<?php $c = oci_connect('hr', 'hrpwd', 'localhost/XE'); // Excute the call to the PL/SQL stored procedure $s = oci_parse($c, "call myproc(:rc)"); $refcur = oci_new_cursor($c); oci_bind_by_name($s, ':rc', $refcur, -1, OCI_B_CURSOR); oci_execute($s); // Execute and fetch from the cursor oci_execute($refcur); // treat as a statement resource echo "<table border='1'>\n"; while($row = oci_fetch_array($refcur, OCI_ASSOC)) { echo "<tr>"; foreach ($row as $c) { echo "<td>$c</td>"; } echo "</tr>\n"; } echo "</table>\n"; ?>
The output is:
Abel Ande Atkinson Austin Baer
This next example uses a user-defined type for the REF CURSOR, making the cursor "strongly typed". The type is declared in a package specification. Script 37: refcur2.sql
create or replace package emp_pack as type contact_info_type is record ( fname employees.first_name%type, lname employees.last_name%type, phone employees.phone_number%type, email employees.email%type); type contact_info_cur_type is ref cursor return contact_info_type; procedure get_contact_info( p_emp_id in number, p_contact_info out contact_info_cur_type);
Using PL/SQL With OCI8 end emp_pack; / show errors create or replace package body emp_pack as procedure get_contact_info( p_emp_id in number, p_contact_info out contact_info_cur_type) as begin open p_contact_info for select first_name, last_name, phone_number, email from employees where employee_id = p_emp_id; end; end emp_pack; / show errors
The PHP code is very similar to refcur1.php, except in the call to the procedure. The procedure name has changed and, for this example, an employee identifier of 188 is used.
$s = oci_parse($c, "call emp_pack.get_contact_info(188, :rc)"); $refcur = oci_new_cursor($c); oci_bind_by_name($s, ':rc', $refcur, -1, OCI_B_CURSOR); oci_execute($s); // Execute and fetch from the cursor oci_execute($refcur); // treat as a statement resource . . .
The output is the record for employee 188. The four values match the contact_info_type:
Kelly Chung 650.505.1876 KCHUNG
Closing Cursors
To avoid running out of Oracle cursors (which have a database-configured, per-session limit open_cursors set by the DBA), make sure to explicitly free cursors. The example in refcur3.php is a script that implicitly creates cursors. Script 38: refcur3.php
<?php // Create a table with 400 rows function initialize($c) { $stmtarray = array("drop table mytab", "create table mytab(col1 varchar2(1))");
Using REF CURSORS for Result Sets foreach ($stmtarray as $stmt) { $s = oci_parse($c, $stmt); @oci_execute($s); } $s = oci_parse($c, "insert into mytab values ('A')"); for ($i = 0; $i < 400; ++$i) { oci_execute($s); }
$c = oci_connect('hr', 'hrpwd', 'localhost/XE'); initialize($c); $s = oci_parse($c, 'select cursor(select * from dual) from mytab'); oci_execute($s); while ($refcur = oci_fetch_array($s, OCI_NUM)) { // get each REF CURSOR oci_execute($refcur[0]); // execute the REF CURSOR while ($row = oci_fetch_array($refcur[0], OCI_NUM)) { foreach ($row as $item) echo "$item "; echo "\n"; } oci_free_statement($refcur[0]); // free the ref cursor } ?>
The query is contrived. The outer select from MYTAB returns not rows, but a CURSOR per row of MYTAB. Those cursors each represent the result from the inner query. That is, there are 400 queries from the DUAL table. The outer while loop fetches each of the 400 REF CURSORs in turn. The inner while loop fetches from each REF CURSOR. The result is a stream of X's (which is the single row of data in DUAL) being displayed:
This script works, but if the oci_free_statement() line is commented out:
// oci_free_statement($refcur[0]); // free the ref cursor
then the script can reach the database limit on the number of cursors. After some iterations through the loop, an error is displayed:
PHP Warning:oci_fetch_array(): ORA-00604: error occurred at recursive SQL level 1 ORA-01000: maximum open cursors exceeded
The number of iterations before getting the messages depends on the database configuration parameter open_cursors.
Using PL/SQL With OCI8
In Oracle Database XE you can monitor the number of cursors that each PHP connection has open by logging into Oracle Application Express as the system user and navigating to Administration > Monitor > Sessions > Open Cursors.
Converting from REF CURSOR to PIPELINED Results
Records returned by REF CURSORS cannot currently take advantage of row pre-fetching. For performance critical sections of code, evaluate alternatives such as doing direct queries, writing a wrapping function in PL/SQL that has types that can be bound with oci_bind_array_by_name(), or writing a wrapping function that pipelines the output. A pipelined PL/SQL function gives the ability to select from the function as if it were a table. To convert the myproc() procedure from refcur1.sql to return pipelined data, create a package: Script 39: rc2pipeline.sql
create or replace package myplmap as type outtype is record ( -- structure of the ref cursor in myproc last_name varchar2(25) ); type outtype_set is table of outtype; function maprctopl return outtype_set pipelined; end; / show errors create or replace package body myplmap as function maprctopl return outtype_set pipelined is outrow outtype_set; p_rc sys_refcursor; batchsize pls_integer := 20; -- fetch batches of 20 rows at a time begin myproc(p_rc); -- call the original procedure loop fetch p_rc bulk collect into outrow limit batchsize; for i in 1 .. outrow.count() loop pipe row (outrow(i)); end loop; exit when outrow.count < batchsize; end loop; end maprctopl; end myplmap; / show errors
This calls myproc() and pipes each record. It can be called in PHP using a simple query with the table operator: Script 40: rc2pipeline.php
<?php $c = oci_connect('hr', 'hrpwd', 'localhost/XE'); 172
Using REF CURSORS for Result Sets
$s = oci_parse($c, "select * from table(myplmap.maprctopl())"); oci_execute($s); oci_fetch_all($s, $res); var_dump($res); ?>
If the REF CURSOR query in myproc() selected all columns, then outtype_set could simply be have been declared as:
type outtype_set is table of employees%rowtype;
Oracle Collections in PHP
Many programming techniques use collection types such as arrays, bags, lists, nested tables, sets, and trees. To support these techniques in database applications, PL/SQL provides the datatypes TABLE and VARRAY, which allow you to declare index-by tables, nested tables, and variable-size arrays. A collection is an ordered group of elements, all of the same type. Each element has a unique subscript that determines its position in the collection. Collections work like the arrays found in most thirdgeneration programming languages. Also, collections can be passed as parameters. So, you can use them to move columns of data into and out of database tables or between client-side applications and stored subprograms. Oracle collections are manipulated in PHP by methods on a collection resource, which is allocated with oci_new_collection(). In a simple email address book demonstration, two VARRAYs are created, one for an array of people's names, and one for an array of email addresses. VARRAYs (short for variable-size arrays) use sequential numbers as subscripts to access a fixed number of elements. Script 41: addressbook.sql
drop table emails; create table emails ( user_id varchar2(10), friend_name varchar2(20), email_address varchar2(20)); create or replace type email_array as varray(100) of varchar2(20); / show errors create or replace type friend_array as varray(100) of varchar2(20); / show errors create or replace procedure update_address_book( p_user_id in varchar2, p_friend_name friend_array, p_email_addresses email_array) 173
$i < count($friends_names).-------------------cjones alison firstname.lastname@example.com'. OCI_B_NTY). Script 42: updateaddresses. p_email_addresses(i)). oci_execute($s). $friends_emails = array('alison@example. :emails). p_friend_name(i).php code creates a collection of names and a collection of email addresses using the append() method to add elements to each array. 'hrpwd'. When address_book() is executed. 'aslam'). ++$i) { $friend_coll->append($friends_names[$i]).Using PL/SQL With OCI8 is begin delete from emails where user_id = p_user_id. end update_address_book."). The size -1 is used because Oracle internally knows the size of the type. 'FRIEND_ARRAY'). ':un'. ':emails'. $email_coll->append($friends_emails[$i]). } $s = oci_parse($c. OCI_B_NTY). end. for ($i = 0. 'localhost/XE'). -1. -1.com'). "begin update_address_book(:un. 'EMAIL_ARRAY'). $user_name). $email_coll = oci_new_collection($c. $email_coll. email_address) values (p_user_id. oci_bind_by_name($s.-------------------. oci_bind_by_name($s. friend_name. $friend_coll = oci_new_collection($c. The updateaddresses. :friends.com 174 . $friend_coll. ?> The emails table now has the inserted data: SQL> select * from emails. $friends_names = array('alison'. ':friends'. / show errors The update_address_book() procedure loops over all elements of the address collection and inserts each one and its matching name. These collections are bound as OCI_B_NTY ("named type") to the arguments of the PL/SQL address_book() call. forall i in indices of p_email_addresses insert into emails (user_id. $user_name = 'cjones'. USER_ID FRIEND_NAME EMAIL_ADDRESS ---------. oci_bind_by_name($s.php <?php $c = oci_connect('hr'. 'aslam@example. the names and email addresses are inserted into the database.
5 loop p_p(i).Oracle Collections in PHP cjones aslam aslam@example. end SuppliedPkg.random.Package "SuppliedPkg" simulates Oracle Text's CTX_THES. This section gives more examples. ctx. context queries). Previous sections have introduced some methods.sql in SQL*Plus: $ sqlplus hr/hrpwd@localhost/XE @ctx. p_p(i).Create some random data p_p. (Oracle Text is a database component that uses standard SQL to index. end SuppliedPkg. / show errors create or replace package body SuppliedPkg as procedure SuppliedProc(p_p in out nocopy SuppliedTabType) is begin -. type SuppliedTabType is table of SuppliedRec index by binary_integer.com Other OCI8 collection methods allow accessing or copying data in a collection. and not exhaustive.. It can perform linguistic analysis on documents. some techniques will work better in some situations than in others. / show errors Run the file ctx.sql. Here it just returns random data in the parameter: Script 43: ctx.id := i.sql -. and on the web. for i in 1.It has a procedure that returns a PL/SQL type. as well as search text using a variety of strategies including keyword searching. -. It is a brief guide. create or replace package SuppliedPkg as type SuppliedRec is record ( id number. sets up an example package with a similar interface to CTX_THES. in files. See the PHP manual for more information. Also. This example. search. Using PL/SQL and SQL Object Types in PHP Sometime you have to work with Oracle object types or call PL/SQL procedures that are designed for interacting with other PL/SQL code.delete. procedure SuppliedProc(p_p in out nocopy SuppliedTabType). end SuppliedProc. end loop. The first example simulates the Oracle Text CTX_THES package procedures.sql 175 .data := 'Random: ' || i || (1+ABS(MOD(dbms_random. data varchar2(100) ).100000))). and analyze text and documents stored in the database. These return Oracle object types.
"hrpwd".SuppliedProc(l_results). Use SQL*Plus to run myproc. p_data. 176 .get results from existing procedure SuppliedPkg.Using PL/SQL With OCI8 This is the "fixed" part of the problem.delete. end MyProc.. p_data(i) := l_results(i).id. p_data.sql -. create a wrapper function in PL/SQL to convert the PL/SQL type SuppliedTabType to a pair of SQL types. / show errors Now you can call MyProc(): Script 45: ctx.delete. 'begin MyProc(:res_id.copy to a type we can pass back to PHP p_id. "localhost/XE").extend.php <?php $c = oci_connect("hr". p_data in out MyDataRec) as l_results SuppliedPkg. $s = oci_parse($c. / show errors create or replace procedure MyProc (p_id in out MyIdRec.Create a wrapper procedure that calls the pre-supplied -.count loop p_id. end. for i in 1.l_results.SuppliedProc() and converts its output to SQL types. create or replace type MyIdRec as table of number. begin -.').data. -. 'MYIDREC').SuppliedTabType. Using OCI8 Collection Functions To call SuppliedProc() using collection functions. :res_data). p_id(i) := l_results(i). representing the pre-supplied functionality you need to work with.extend. / show errors create or replace type MyDataRec as table of varchar2(100). end loop.sql: Script 44: myproc. $res_id = oci_new_collection($c.
$data = $res_data->getElem($i). 4.5 loop outdata. $i++) { $id = $res_id->getElem($i). / show errors create or replace type mytabletype as table of mytype. ':res_id'.sql drop type mytabletype. / show errors 177 . drop type mytype. 3. / show errors create or replace procedure mycreatedata(outdata out mytabletype) as begin outdata := mytabletype(). -1. end loop. 2. $res_data. for i in 1. echo "Id: $id. for ($i = 0. the collection method getElem() is used to access each value returned. end. -1. oci_bind_by_name($s. This example shows an object type. outdata(i) := mytype(i * 2. } ?> This allocates two collections and binds them as the parameters to MyProc(). mydata varchar2(20)). oci_execute($s).. $res_id.Using PL/SQL and SQL Object Types in PHP $res_data = oci_new_collection($c. Data: Data: Data: Data: Data: Random: Random: Random: Random: Random: 155942 247783 365553 487553 589879 Using a REF CURSOR If the data can be converted to a REF CURSOR. oci_bind_by_name($s. 'MYDATAREC'). a straightforward query can be used to fetch results. 'some name ' || i). 5. The output is similar to: Id: Id: Id: Id: Id: 1.extend. create or replace type mytype as object (myid number. ':res_data'. OCI_B_NTY). OCI_B_NTY). The procedure mycreatedata() creates the original data. Data: $data<br>\n". $i < $res_id->size(). Script 46: object. it returns an object table containing five rows. When it is called. After MyProc() has been called.
var_dump($res). end mywrapper1.Using PL/SQL With OCI8 Data of type mytabletype can be converted to a REF CURSOR using a wrapper function: Script 47: objectrc. $rc. ?> The output is: array(2) { ["MYID"]=> array(5) { [0]=> string(1) "2" [1]=> string(1) "4" [2]=> string(1) "6" [3]=> string(1) "8" [4]=> string(2) "10" } ["MYDATA"]=> array(5) { [0]=> string(11) "some name 1" [1]=> string(11) "some name 2" [2]=> 178 . -. / show errors This can be called in PHP like: Script 48: objectrc. oci_execute($s). OCI_B_CURSOR)."). $s = oci_parse($c. $res). $rc = oci_new_cursor($c). ':myrc'.php <?php $c = oci_connect("hr". oci_execute($rc). oci_fetch_all($rc. "localhost/XE").create some values open rc for select * from table(cast(origdata as mytabletype)). "hrpwd". end. -1. oci_bind_by_name($s.sql create or replace procedure mywrapper1(rc out sys_refcursor) as origdata mytabletype. "begin mywrapper1(:myrc). begin mycreatedata(origdata).
$s = oci_parse($c.number_table. pename out dbms_sql. oci_bind_array_by_name($s. :mydata). "begin mywrapper2(:myid. SQLT_CHR). -. end. The wrapper procedure looks like: Script 49: objectba. oci_execute($s). 10."). var_dump($myid). Using a PIPELINED function or array bind can be much faster.php <?php $c = oci_connect("hr". 10. var_dump($mydata). ":mydata". mydata bulk collect into pempno. SQLT_INT).Using PL/SQL and SQL Object Types in PHP string(11) "some name 3" [3]=> string(11) "some name 4" [4]=> string(11) "some name 5" } } Oracle's lack of pre-fetching for REF CURSORS needs to be considered if performance is important.sql create or replace procedure mywrapper2( pempno out dbms_sql. "localhost/XE"). pename from table(cast(origdata as mytabletype)).create some values select myid. Binding an Array An alternative solution lets you use the fast oci_bind_array_by_name() function. ":myid". end mywrapper2.varchar2_table) as origdata mytabletype. 20. / show errors This can be called from PHP with: Script 50: obejctba. begin mycreatedata(origdata). $mydata. ?> This technique can be used when the number of items to return is known. oci_bind_array_by_name($s. The output is: array(5) { [0]=> int(2) [1]=> 179 . $myid. -1. "hrpwd".
-. begin mycreatedata(origdata). end mywrapper3.Using PL/SQL With OCI8 int(4) [2]=> int(6) [3]=> int(8) [4]=> int(10) } array(5) { [0]=> string(11) [1]=> string(11) [2]=> string(11) [3]=> string(11) [4]=> string(11) } "some name 1" "some name 2" "some name 3" "some name 4" "some name 5" Using a PIPELINED Function The wrapper function to convert to a PIPELINED function is: Script 51: objectpl. function mywrapper3 return plrow pipelined.php <?php 180 . / show errors create or replace package body myplpkg as function mywrapper3 return plrow pipelined is origdata mytabletype.create some values for i in 1 . end loop. / show errors This can be called from PHP with: Script 52: objectpl.sql create or replace package myplpkg as type plrow is table of mytype. end. end myplpkg. origdata..count() loop pipe row (origdata(i)).
get_line() procedure: $s = oci_parse($c. The PL/SQL procedure or block that calls DBMS_OUTPUT runs to completion before any output is returned to the user. make sure your application does not print wider lines. If you bind this size. when it was then changed to 32Kb. -1. $s = oci_parse($c. if you bind less than the full size. // status: 1 means no more lines while (($succ = oci_execute($s)) && !$st) { echo "$ln\n". :st). In the worst case it might be slower than the simple code. Other database connections cannot access your buffer. ":ln". and then later fetches from the buffer. so benchmark your application carefully. then it is easy to slow performance or get memory errors. calls something that puts output in the buffer. $ln. end. ?> The output is the same as from objectrc. status integer. especially if the database is running in Oracle's shared server mode. "hrpwd". you can use oci_bind_array_by_name() and call another DBMS_OUTPUT package that returns multiple lines. "begin dbms_output.mywrapper3())"). $res). // output line oci_bind_by_name($s. / show errors create or replace function mydofetch return dorow pipelined is line varchar2(4000). Alternatively. SQLT_INT). $st. begin 181 .sql create or replace type dorow as table of varchar2(4000). In SQL*Plus create the function: Script 53: dbmsoutput. DBMS_OUTPUT is like a buffer. } The variable :ln is arbitrarily bound as length 255. 255). "select * from table(myplpkg. A more consistent and fast DBMS_OUTPUT fetching implementation uses a custom pipelined PL/SQL function. get_lines(). Getting Output with DBMS_OUTPUT The DBMS_OUTPUT package is the standard way to "print" output from PL/SQL. Avoid binding 32Kb. oci_fetch_all($s.2. "localhost/XE"). The drawback is that it is not asynchronous. The performance of this is generally better but it does depend on how big the bind array is. This was the DBMS_OUTPUT line size limit prior to Oracle Database 10g Release 10. how much data is returned and how the code is structured.php. However. var_dump($res). A basic way to fetch DBMS_OUTPUT in PHP is to bind an output string to the PL/SQL dbms_output.Using PL/SQL and SQL Object Types in PHP $c = oci_connect("hr". oci_execute($s). oci_bind_by_name($s.get_line(:ln."). (The limitation on the number of lines was also raised). Your code turns on buffering. ":st".
return. world!')"). oci_execute($s)."). // Create some output $s = oci_parse($c.inc"). end. / show errors Because we will fetch the data in a query as a SQL string. A function to turn on output buffering is shown in dbmsoutput. } ?> The next script uses these functions to show "printing" output from PL/SQL blocks: Script 55: dbmsoutput. 182 .php <?php include("dbmsoutput. "call dbms_output.Using PL/SQL With OCI8 loop dbms_output.inc <?php // Turn DBMS_OUTPUT on function enabledbmsoutput($c) { $s = oci_parse($c. end. "select * from table(mydofetch())"). $res). oci_execute($s).enable(null). pipe row (line). } // Returns an array of DBMS_OUTPUT lines function getdbmsoutput($c) { $res = false. $r = oci_execute($s). "begin dbms_output. // Turn output buffering on enabledbmsoutput($c).get_line(line.put_line('Hello. status). the maximum length is 4000 bytes. return $res['COLUMN_VALUE']. oci_fetch_all($s. $c = oci_connect("hr". end loop. "localhost/XE"). "hrpwd". return $r.inc along with getdbmsoutput() which returns an array of the output lines: Script 54: dbmsoutput. exit when status = 1. $s = oci_parse($c.
Getting Output with DBMS_OUTPUT // Create more output // Any PL/SQL code being run can insert into the output buffer $s = oci_parse($c. "begin dbms_output. The cache contains the generated result of a previous function call. 183 . a normal function is created with the result_cache option: Script 56: frc. return l_data. begin select mydata into l_data from mytab where myid = p_id. and they must be IN only.put_line('Hello again')."). in particular not using REF CURSOR or PIPELINED results. If the function is re-run with the same parameter values. world! Hello again Hello finally If you expect large amounts of output. dbms_output. you may want to stream results as they are fetched from the database instead of returning them in one array from getdbmsoutput(). There are some restrictions including that only basic types can be used for parameters. The cache will age out results if more memory is required. oci_execute($s).put_line('Hello finally'). // Display the output $output = getdbmsoutput($c). The cached results are available to any user. If DBMS_OUTPUT does not suit your application. end. ideal for repeated lookup operations. the result from the cache is returned immediately without needing to re-execute the code. } } ?> The output is all the dbms_output.put_line() text: Hello. To use the cache. you can also get output from PL/SQL by logging it to database tables or by using packages like UTL_FILE and DBMS_PIPE to asynchronously display output to a separate terminal window. Return types are similar restricted. PL/SQL Function Result Cache Oracle Database 11g introduced a cache for PL/SQL function results. if ($output) { foreach ($output as $line) { echo "$line<br>\n".sql create or replace function mycachefunc(p_id in varchar2) return varchar2 result_cache relies_on(mytab) as l_data varchar2(40).
Create these tables in SQL*Plus before continuing: http://download.102/b28004/xe_locator. Oracle Locator makes use of PL/SQL types such as collections.231445. 'Chicago'.Using PL/SQL With OCI8 end. The next time the function is called. See the Oracle Database PL/SQL Language Reference 11g Release 1 (11.php <?php $c = oci_connect('hr'. These can not always be directly fetched into PHP. $s = oci_parse($c.001254. than the cache is automatically invalidated by Oracle. 'localhost/XE').1) manual for more details about the feature.NULL). Script 57: loc1. Queries Returning Scalar Values Before fetching data. 'A'. Often the data can be processed in Oracle SQL or PL/SQL efficiently and easily.ht m#CIHEAIGJ Inserting Locator Data Inserting Locator data is simply a matter of executing the appropriate INSERT statement: $sql = "insert into customers values (100. NULL))". $sql). oci_execute($s). a comprehensive mapping library. 184 . determine if this is. it will execute completely and update the cache appropriately. / show errors The relies_on() clause is a comma separated list of tables. in fact. This example finds the three closest customers to the store with CUSTOMER_ID of 101. 12345. SDO_GEOMETRY(2001. 'hrpwd'. Using Oracle Locator for Spatial Mapping Oracle Locator is a subset of Oracle Spatial.12. If any of these tables change. 'B'. Queries returning scalar values from Locator objects are no different to other PHP queries. Oracle Locator is powerful itself and is available in all Oracle Database editions. A great introduction to Oracle Locator is in the Oracle Database Express Edition 2 Day Plus Locator Developer Guide.oracle. '111 Reese Ave'. The examples use the tables shown in the Oracle Database Express Edition 2 Day Plus Locator Developer Guide sample scenario. This section shows some techniques to use Locator data in PHP.com/docs/cd/B25329_01/doc/appdev. SDO_POINT_TYPE(-69. NULL. 'IL'. 8307. necessary. The query uses the inbuilt Spatial function SOD_NN() to determine the nearest neighbor relationship.
var_dump($res). c. $sql).store_id = :sid and sdo_nn(c.cust_geo_location. $sid).last_name from stores s. $sid = 101. c. s.store_geo_location. customers c where s.first_name. oci_bind_by_name($s. // return 3 results oci_bind_by_name($s.customer_id. :nres) = 'TRUE'". ":nres". $nres). oci_execute($s). $s = oci_parse($c. ?> The output is: array(3) { ["CUSTOMER_ID"]=> array(3) { [0]=> string(4) "1001" [1]=> string(4) "1003" [2]=> string(4) "1004" } ["FIRST_NAME"]=> array(3) { [0]=> string(9) "Alexandra" [1]=> string(6) "Marian" [2]=> string(6) "Thomas" } ["LAST_NAME"]=> array(3) { [0]=> string(7) "Nichols" [1]=> string(5) "Chang" [2]=> string(8) "Williams" } } 185 .Using Oracle Locator for Spatial Mapping $sql = "select /*+ ordered */ c. $res). ":sid". oci_fetch_all($s. $nres = 'sdo_num_res=3'.
Selecting Vertices Using SDO_UTIL. This example uses the COLA_MARKETS table from example 1-8 of the Oracle Database Express 2 Day Plus Locator Developer Guide: http://download.y from customers.72347" } } Using a Custom Function Sometimes you may need to create a PL/SQL function to decompose spatial data into simple types to return them to PHP. $s = oci_parse($c. in-built functions will convert objects to scalar values that can be returned to PHP.GETVERTICES() function: Script 58: loc2. t. use the inbuilt SDO_UTIL.getvertices(customers.php <?php $c = oci_connect('hr'. table(sdo_util. 'localhost/XE').102/b28004/xe_locator. $sql = "select t. oci_fetch_all($s.cust_geo_location)) t where customer_id = :cid". 'hrpwd'. oci_execute($s). ?> The output is: array(2) { ["X"]=> array(1) { [0]=> string(9) "-71.GETVERTICES For some Locator types. FIRST_NAME and LAST_NAME columns are scalar NUMBER and VARCHAR2 columns returned directly into a PHP array.com/docs/cd/B25329_01/doc/appdev. $cid). $res).48923" } ["Y"]=> array(1) { [0]=> string(8) "42. var_dump($res). For example. to fetch the coordinates from a geometry for customer 1001. ":cid".oracle.ht m#CIHEBIDA 186 . $sql). oci_bind_by_name($s. $cid = 1001.x.Using PL/SQL With OCI8 The CUSTOMER_ID.
insert a sample row. end. oci_bind_by_name($s. oci_bind_by_name($s. $i++) { 187 . "begin myproc(:id. end.y) ordinates which are given as pairs in the SDO_ORDINATE_ARRAY array: Script 59: cm1.list of X. -.two-dimensional polygon null. 5. -1. null.1. ":ords". $s = oci_parse($c.shape.php <?php $c = oci_connect('hr'. for ($i = 0.market ID number 'polygon'. -. "SDO_ORDINATE_ARRAY"). This allows the sdo_ordinates collection to be included as a select column: Script 60: cm2. 8. commit.1. Note the alias cm (an alias here is also known as a correlation name) for the table in the query. and create the index. -.1003. The row describes a polygon of (x. / show errors The coordinates can now be retrieved in PHP as a collection: Script 61: cm. sdo_elem_info_array(1. 8. OCI_B_NTY). ":id".sdo_ordinates into p_o from cola_markets cm where mkt_id = p_id.Y coordinates ) ). $ords. sdo_geometry ( 2003.one polygon (exterior polygon ring) sdo_ordinate_array(5. $id = 301. $ords = oci_new_collection($c. 5. :ords). A decomposition function helps query the coordinates in PHP. p_o out sdo_ordinate_array) as begin select cm.").6. insert the meta-data into user_sdo_geom_metadata table. Next.Using Oracle Locator for Spatial Mapping Before continuing.7.sql insert into cola_markets values ( 301. $i < $ords->size().sql create or replace procedure myproc(p_id in number. $id).1). execute the three statements given in the manual to create the table. 'localhost/XE'). 'hrpwd'.1) -. oci_execute($s).
photo_id number). The photo site application might initiate the name change. For the photo site example. connect hr/hrpwd drop table tag_table. allowing it to be used by another page request. The DBMS_SCHEDULER package can be used to start background database tasks.Using PL/SQL With OCI8 $v = $ords->getElem($i). It can also be used to invoke operating system programs. 188 . create some data with the incorrect tag weeding: Script 62: dschedinit. In Oracle 9i. For example. The user can continue viewing photos without having to wait for the renaming process to complete. or those techniques in the earlier section Using PL/SQL and SQL Object Types in PHP can be used to fetch other Locator data. but return the user an HTML page saying Your request is being processed and will soon complete. there might be some database cleanup to be run periodically. } ?> The output is the list of coordinates that were inserted in the SDO_ORDINATE_ARRAY: Value: Value: Value: Value: Value: Value: Value: Value: Value: Value: 5 1 8 1 8 6 5 7 5 1 Similar techniques to these example given. create table tag_table (tag varchar2(20). or started when events are received. It has a lot of functionality. Scheduling Background or Long Running Operations Sometimes a web page starts a database operation that can run in the background while the user continues other work. echo "Value: $v\n". if required. 2034).sql connect system/systempwd grant create job to hr. including allowing tasks to be repeated at intervals. insert into tag_table values ('weeding'. Another example is when a user of a photo site decides to change the name of a tag associated with images. It can also free up an Apache server that would otherwise be blocked. This technique can improve user satisfaction. the DBMS_JOB package can be used instead of DBMS_SCHEDULER.
argument_value => :newval). a procedure changetagname() can be created: Script 63: dbsched. var_dump($res). number_of_arguments => 2). 2035). job_type => 'STORED_PROCEDURE'.sql create or replace procedure changetagname(old in varchar2. $res). The following PHP script uses an anonymous block to create a job calling changetagname().set_job_argument_value ( job_name => :jobname. commit.create_job( job_name => :jobname. / show errors This script creates a sample table and the procedure to update tags.enable(:jobname). "hrpwd". long running database operation. 4540). } // Schedule a task to change a tag name from 'weeding' to 'wedding' $stmt = "begin dbms_scheduler. // procedure to call 189 . Script 64: dsched. The procedure is artificially slowed down to simulate a big. job_action => 'changetagname'. function doquery($c) { $s = oci_parse($c. argument_value => :oldval). -. end. dbms_scheduler. To change the tag weeding to wedding. argument_position => 1.simulate slow transaction update tag_table set tag = new where tag = old. dbms_scheduler. oci_execute($s).100000000 loop b := 1.set_job_argument_value ( job_name => :jobname. argument_position => 2.Scheduling Background or Long Running Operations insert into tag_table values ('weeding'. dbms_scheduler. commit.. new in varchar2) as b number. insert into tag_table values ('sanfrancisco'. oci_fetch_all($s. end loop. begin for i in 1.php <?php $c = oci_connect("hr". "localhost/XE"). "select tag from tag_table").
$stmt). echo "<pre>Your request is being processed and will soon complete\n".Using PL/SQL With OCI8 end.". ":newval". // gives old results sleep(10). // gives new results ?> The PHP call to the anonymous PL/SQL block returns quickly. $s = oci_parse($c. oci_bind_by_name($s. The background PL/SQL call to changetagname() will take several more seconds to complete (because of its for loop). $oldval = 'weeding'. the second doquery() call shows the updated values: Your request is being processed and will soon complete array(1) { ["TAG"]=> array(3) { [0]=> string(7) "weeding" [1]=> string(7) "weeding" [2]=> string(12) "sanfrancisco" } } Your request has probably completed array(1) { ["TAG"]=> array(3) { [0]=> string(7) "wedding" [1]=> string(7) "wedding" [2]=> string(12) "sanfrancisco" } } 190 . $newval). after PHP has given the job time to conclude. doquery($c). $newval = 'wedding'. incorrect tag values. $jobname = uniqid('ut'). $oldval). echo "Your request has probably completed\n". oci_bind_by_name($s. $jobname). oci_execute($s). ":oldval". Then. so the first doquery() output shows the original. ":jobname". oci_bind_by_name($s. doquery($c).
begin owa. htp. line varchar2(256). 'Salutation Heading').bodyClose.init.Reusing Procedures Written for MOD_PLSQL Reusing Procedures Written for MOD_PLSQL Oracle's mod_plsql gateway allows a Web browser to invoke a PL/SQL stored subprogram through an HTTP listener. consider a stored procedure for mod_plsql that was created in SQL*Plus: Script 65: myowa. htp.headClose.sql create or replace procedure myowa as begin htp.'. htp. irows integer. htp. world! </BODY> </HTML> To reuse the procedure directly in PHP. loop 191 . htp. htp.header(1. htp. / show errors This generates HTML output to the gateway: <HTML> <HEAD> <TITLE>Greeting Title</TITLE> </HEAD> <BODY> <H1>Salutation Heading</H1> Hello. Existing user-created PL/SQL procedures written for this gateway can be called from PHP using a wrapper function. htp. end. This is the interface used by Oracle Application Express.vc_arr. use SQL*Plus to create a mapping function that pipes the output from the HTP calls: Script 66: mymodplsql.sql create or replace type modpsrow as table of varchar2(512). world!'). end.headOpen.bodyOpen.p('Hello.htmlClose. For example. / show errors create or replace function mymodplsql(proc varchar2) return modpsrow pipelined is param_val owa. htp.htmlOpen.title('Greeting Title').init_cgi_env(param_val). execute immediate 'begin '||proc||'.
oci_bind_by_name($stmt.get_line(irows).sql for details. oci_execute($stmt). } else { if ($row["COLUMN_VALUE"] == "\n") $content = true. end loop.Using PL/SQL With OCI8 line := htp. $func). end. $func = 'myowa'. OCI_ASSOC)) { if ($content) { print $row["COLUMN_VALUE"]. / show errors This is fundamentally similar to the previous pipelined examples. exit when line is null. return. else header($row["COLUMN_VALUE"]). $stmt = oci_parse($c. In modpsrow() you can optionally use param_val to set CGI values.cgi_env() in $ORACLE_HOME/rdbms/admin/privowa. } } ?> When called in a browser. ':proc'. See the definition of init. 'localhost/XE'). 'hrpwd'. the new wrapper can be called like: Script 67: mymodplsql. 192 . the output is the expected rendition of the HTML fragment shown earlier. while ($row = oci_fetch_array($stmt. In PHP. 'select * from table(mymodplsql(:proc))'). $content = false. pipe row (line).php <?php $c = oci_connect('hr'.
the Oracle database has made it easier to work with LOBs. Note querying BLOB columns in SQL*Plus is not possible unless SQL*Plus 11g is used.php <?php $c = oci_connect('hr'. These example show BLOBs. Develop and test your LOB application with the Oracle client libraries and database that will be used for deployment so you can be sure all the expected functionality is available. The default value of 80 means that only the first 80 characters of data will be displayed by a query. $myblobid = 123. EMPTY_BLOB()) returning blobdata into :blobdata'). A pre-supplied DBMS_LOB package makes manipulation in PL/SQL easy. LOBs are generally manipulated using a descriptor. Inserting and Updating LOBs In PHP. There are various creation options to specify optimal Oracle table storage. and some string to LOB conversions are now transparent so data can be handled directly as strings. The examples use a table created in SQL*Plus containing a BLOB column called blobdata: SQL> create table mybtab (blobid number primary key. blobdata blob).CHAPTER 12 USING LARGE OBJECTS IN OCI8 Oracle Character Large Object (CLOB) and Binary Large Object (BLOB) types can contain very large amounts of data. $s = oci_parse($c. Using CLOBs is almost identical to using BLOBs: the descriptor type is OCI_D_CLOB. check if open_basedir allows file access. When reading or writing files to disk. Working with LOBs In successive versions. 193 . Tables with CLOB columns can be queried in all versions of SQL*Plus. 'hrpwd'. Oracle also has a BFILE type for large objects stored outside the database. When working with large amounts of data. where it will display a hexadecimal version of the data. $myv = 'a very large amount of binary data'. 'localhost/XE'). PHP code to insert into mybtab is: Script 68: blobinsert. They can be used for table columns and for PL/SQL variables. The output of BLOB and CLOB data can be controlled in SQL*Plus with the SET LONG command. Along the way "Temporary LOBs" were added.ini otherwise PHP may terminate early. 'insert into mybtab (blobid. set memory_limit appropriately in php. and tables must obviously contain a CLOB column. the bind type becomes OCI_B_CLOB. blobdata) values (:myblobid.
Using Large Objects in OCI8 $lob = oci_new_descriptor($c, OCI_D_LOB); oci_bind_by_name($s, ':myblobid', $myblobid); oci_bind_by_name($s, ':blobdata', $lob, -1, OCI_B_BLOB); oci_execute($s, OCI_DEFAULT); // use OCI_DEFAULT so $lob->save() works $lob->save($myv); oci_commit($c); $lob->close(); ?>
// close LOB descriptor to free resources
The RETURNING clause returns the Oracle LOB locator of the new row. By binding as OCI_B_BLOB, the PHP descriptor in $lob references this locator. The $lob->save() method then stores the data in $myv into the BLOB column. The OCI_DEFAULT flag is used for oci_execute() so the descriptor remains valid for the save() method. The commit concludes the insert and makes the data visible to other database users. If the application uploads LOB data using a web form, it can be inserted directly from the upload directory with $lob->import($filename). PHP's maximum allowed size for uploaded files is set in php.ini using the upload_max_filesize parameter. To update a LOB, use the same code with this SQL statement:
$s = oci_parse($c, 'update mybtab set blobdata = empty_blob() returning blobdata into :blobdata');
Fetching LOBs
When fetching a LOB, OCI8 returns the LOB descriptor and the data can be retrieved by using a load() or read() method: Script 69: blobfetch.php
<?php $c = oci_connect('hr', 'hrpwd', 'localhost/XE'); $myblobid = 123; $query = 'select blobdata from mybtab where blobid = :myblobid'; $s = oci_parse ($c, $query); oci_bind_by_name($s, ':myblobid', $myblobid); oci_execute($s); $arr = oci_fetch_array($s, OCI_ASSOC); if (is_object($arr['BLOBDATA'])) { // protect against a NULL LOB $data = $arr['BLOBDATA']->load(); $arr['BLOBDATA']->free(); echo $data; } ?>
It is important to free all returned LOB locators to avoid leaks:
Working with LOBs while (($arr = oci_fetch_array($s, OCI_ASSOC))) { echo $arr['BLOBDATA']->load(); // do something with the BLOB $arr['BLOBDATA']->free(); // cleanup before next fetch }
If LOBS are not freed, the ABSTRACT_LOBS column in the V$TEMPORARY_LOBS table will show increasing values. Instead of using locators, LOB data can alternatively be returned as a string:
$arr = oci_fetch_array($s, OCI_ASSOC+OCI_RETURN_LOBS); echo $arr['BLOBDATA'];
If the returned data is larger than expected, PHP may not be able to allocate enough memory. To protect against this, use a locator with the read() method, which allows the data size to be limited.
Temporary LOBs
Temporary LOBs make some operations easier. Inserting data with a Temporary LOB does not use a RETURNING INTO clause: Script 70: tempblobinsert.php
<?php $c = oci_connect('hr', 'hrpwd', 'localhost/XE'); $myblobid = 124; $myv = 'a very large amount of binary data'; $s = oci_parse($c, 'insert into mybtab (blobid, blobdata) values (:myblobid, :blobdata)'); $lob = oci_new_descriptor($c, OCI_D_LOB); oci_bind_by_name($s, ':myblobid', $myblobid); oci_bind_by_name($s, ':blobdata', $lob, -1, OCI_B_BLOB); $lob->writeTemporary($myv, OCI_TEMP_BLOB); oci_execute($s, OCI_DEFAULT); oci_commit($c); $lob->close(); // close lob descriptor to free resources ?>
Temporary LOBs also simplify updating values:
$s = oci_parse($c, 'update mybtab set blobdata = :bd where blobid = :bid');
If you want to either insert a new row or update existing data if the row turns out to exist already, the SQL statement can be changed to use an anonymous block :
$s = oci_parse($c, 'begin' . ' insert into mybtab (blobdata, blobid) values(:blobdata, :myblobid);' . ' exception' . ' when dup_val_on_index then' 195
Using Large Objects in OCI8 . ' update mybtab set blobdata = :blobdata where blobid = :myblobid;' . 'end;');
LOBs and PL/SQL procedures
Temporary LOBs can also be used to pass data to PL/SQL IN, and returned from OUT parameters. Given a PL/SQL procedure that accepts a BLOB and inserts it into mybtab: Script 71: inproc.sql
create or replace procedure inproc(pid in number, pdata in blob) as begin insert into mybtab (blobid, blobdata) values (pid, pdata); end; / show errors
PHP code to pass a BLOB to INPROC would look like: Script 72: inproc.php
<?php $c = oci_connect('hr', 'hrpwd', 'localhost/XE'); $myblobid = 125; $myv = 'a very large amount of binary data'; $s = oci_parse($c, 'begin inproc(:myblobid, :myblobdata); end;'); $lob = oci_new_descriptor($c, OCI_D_LOB); oci_bind_by_name($s, ':MYBLOBID', $myblobid); oci_bind_by_name($s, ':MYBLOBDATA', $lob, -1, OCI_B_BLOB); $lob->writeTemporary($myv, OCI_TEMP_BLOB); oci_execute($s); $lob->close(); ?>
If the PL/SQL procedure returns a BLOB as an OUT parameter: Script 73: outproc.sql
create or replace procedure outproc(pid in number, pdata out blob) as begin select blobdata into pdata from mybtab where blobid = pid; end; / show errors
PHP code to fetch and display the BLOB would look like:
Working with LOBs
Script 74: outproc.php
<?php $c = oci_connect('hr', 'hrpwd', 'localhost/XE'); $myblobid = 125; $s = oci_parse($c, "begin outproc(:myblobid, :myblobdata); end;"); $lob = oci_new_descriptor($c, OCI_D_LOB); oci_bind_by_name($s, ':MYBLOBID', $myblobid); oci_bind_by_name($s, ':MYBLOBDATA', $lob, -1, OCI_B_BLOB); oci_execute($s, OCI_DEFAULT); if (is_object($lob)) { // protect against a NULL LOB $data = $lob->load(); $lob->free(); echo $data; } ?>
Other LOB Methods
A number of other methods on the LOB descriptor allow seeking to a specified offset, exporting data directly to file, erasing data, and copying or comparing a LOB. This code snippet shows seeking to the 10th position in the result descriptor, and then storing the next 50 bytes in $result:
$arr['BLOBDATA']->seek(10, OCI_SEEK_SET); $result = $arr['BLOBDATA']->read(50);
The full list of LOB methods and functions is shown in Table 10. Check the PHP manual for usage.
Table 10: LOB methods and functions.
PHP Function or Method OCI-Lob->close OCI-Lob->eof OCI-Lob->erase OCI-Lob->export OCI-Lob->writeToFile OCI-Lob->flush OCI-Lob->free Flushes buffer of the LOB to the server Frees database resources associated with the LOB Action Close a LOB descriptor Test for LOB end-of-file Erases a specified part of the LOB Write a LOB to a file
Using Large Objects in OCI8
PHP Function or Method OCI-Lob->getBuffering OCI-Lob->import OCI-Lob->saveFile OCI-Lob->load OCI-Lob->read OCI-Lob->rewind OCI-Lob->save OCI-Lob->seek OCI-Lob->setBuffering OCI-Lob->size OCI-Lob->tell OCI-Lob->truncate OCI-Lob->write OCI-Lob->writeTemporary oci_lob_copy oci_lob_is_equal
Action Returns current state of buffering for the LOB Loads data from a file to a LOB
Returns LOB contents Returns part of the LOB Moves the LOB's internal pointer back to the beginning Saves data to the LOB Sets the LOB's internal position pointer Changes LOB's current state of buffering Returns size of LOB Returns current pointer position Truncates a LOB Writes data to the LOB Writes a temporary LOB Copies a LOB Compare two LOB locators for equality
Working with BFILEs
A BFILE is an Oracle large object (LOB) data type for files stored outside the database. BFILEs are a handy way for using relatively static, externally created content. They are also useful for loading text or binary data into Oracle tables. In SQL and PL/SQL, a BFILE is accessed via a locator, which is simply a pointer to the external file. There are numerous pre-supplied functions that operate on BFILE locators. To show how BFILEs work in PHP this section creates a sample application that accesses and displays a single image. The image will not be loaded into the database but the picture description is loaded so it can be queried. The BFILE allows the image to be related to the description. Also the application could be extended in future to use PL/SQL packages to read and manipulate the image.
conf and map a URL to the directory containing the file. $s = oci_parse($c. Start SQL*Plus as: $ sqlplus system/systempwd@localhost/XE Then run bfile. The image data is not loaded into this table.Working with BFILEs In this example. PHP code to insert the image name into the FileTest table looks like: Script 76: bfileinsert.jpg.php <?php $c = oci_connect("hr". grant read on directory TestDir to hr.jpg loads the picture in /tmp/cj. the browser is redirected to the image URL of the external file. "localhost/XE"). "values (:fnum. This is Oracle's pointer to the operating system and forms part of each BFILE. This significantly reduces the amount of data that needs to be handled by the application. bfilename('TESTDIR'. "hrpwd". the BFILE in the table is a pointer to the file on your file system.sql: Script 75: bfile. create a DIRECTORY alias for /tmp. For example if the file is /tmp/cj.deny Allow from all </Directory> Using /tmp like this is not recommended for anything except testing! Restart Apache and use a browser to check that http://localhost/tmp/cj. connect hr/hrpwd@localhost/XE create table FileTest ( FileNum number primary key. and the BFILE itself. $fdsc = "Some description to search". :name))"). FileDesc. "insert into FileTest (FileNum. Image bfile). Instead. edit httpd.jpg". the image data is not loaded and printed in PHP. 199 . In Oracle. $fnum = 1. a text description of the file. FileDesc varchar2(30). :fdsc. The directory must be on the same machine that the database server runs on.jpg add: Alias /tmp/ "/tmp/" <Directory "/tmp/"> Options None AllowOverride None Order allow. To allow Apache to serve the image. Image) " . $name = "cj. This gives the hr user access to the /tmp directory and creates a table FileTest containing a file number identifier.sql create directory TestDir AS '/tmp'.
$name. // This is a BFILE descriptor echo "<pre>". SQLT_CHR). the query condition is the file number of the new record. SQLT_CHR). ?> The bfilename() constructor inserts into the BFILE-type column using the TESTDIR directory alias created earlier.php can be replaced with: Script 78: showpic. oci_execute($s). oci_execute($s. This new BFILE can be queried back in PHP: Script 77: bfilequery1. Alternatively. $fnum = 1. oci_commit($c). 200 . ":fnum". oci_bind_by_name($s. "select Image from FileTest where FileNum = :fnum"). $row = oci_fetch_assoc($s). -1. Unfortunately there is no direct method in PHP to get the filename from the descriptor. -1. Here an anonymous block is used. $fnum). oci_bind_by_name($s. $fnum. In real life it might use a regular expression on the FileDesc field like: select Image from FileTest where regexp_like(FileDesc. an Oracle procedure can be created to do this. $fdsc. ?> This displays the BFILE descriptor: object(OCI-Lob)#1 (1) { ["descriptor"]=> resource(7) of type (oci8 descriptor) } For simplicity. ":fnum". "hrpwd".php <?php $c = oci_connect("hr". However. oci_bind_by_name($s. $bf = $row['IMAGE']. The previous query code in bfilequery1. a more efficient method is to do both in PL/SQL. "localhost/XE"). Instead of executing the query in PHP and using PL/SQL to find the filename. "localhost/XE"). 'somepattern') Now what? In this example the file name is needed so the browser can redirect to a page showing the image. echo "</pre>". OCI_DEFAULT). ":fdsc".php <?php $c = oci_connect("hr".Using Large Objects in OCI8 oci_bind_by_name($s. SQLT_INT). var_dump($bf). $s = oci_parse($c. -1. ":name". a procedure could be used. Bind variables are used for efficiency and security. "hrpwd".
Finally.FILEEXISTS(). 'da_l varchar2(255). This could be loaded into a BLOB table column. You can have dangling references to BFILEs because Oracle does not check the validity of BFILEs until the data is explicitly read (this allows you to pre-create BFILEs or to change the physical data on disk).FILEGETNAME() function.Working with BFILEs $s = oci_parse($c.' .' . oci_bind_by_name($s. 'dbms_lob. 'b_l bfile. BFILE data does not participate in transactions. but BLOBs may be better in some circumstances. $fnum = 1. ":fnum". which can be used to check whether the FileTest table contains references to images that do not exist. SQLT_CHR). If any text is printed before the header() is output. The header() function redirects the user to the image. ":name". header("Location: http://localhost/tmp/$name"). manipulated in PL/SQL. there might be times you should use BLOBs to store images inside the database to ensure data and application consistency but BFILEs are there if you want them. 'declare ' . ?> The filename cj. 'begin ' . da_l. oci_bind_by_name($s. BFILE data files are read-only and cannot be changed within Oracle.filegetname(b_l. oci_execute($s). the HTTP headers will not be correct and the image will not display. Another example is DBMS_LOB. BFILEs are very useful for many purposes including loading images into the database.' . :name). 'end. BFILEs are easy to work with in PL/SQL because the pre-supplied DBMS_LOB package has a number of useful functions. If you have problems. 255. 201 . Changes to BFILE locators can be rolled back or committed but since the files themselves are outside the database. comment out the header() call and echo $name to check it is valid. 'select image into b_l from filetest where filenum = :fnum.jpg is returned in $name courtesy of the :name bind variable argument to the DBMS_LOB. BFILEs need to be backed up manually. or even returned to PHP using OCI8's LOB features.LOADFROMFILE() reads BFILE data from the file system into a PL/SQL BLOB or CLOB. For example DBMS_LOB. $name.' . $fnum). Because of these points.').
Using Large Objects in OCI8 202 .
employees. employees. When tables are created."<br>\n". 'hrpwd'. xmlelement("Name". 'localhost/XE'). It also shows how to access data over HTTP directly from the database. while ($row = oci_fetch_array($s.employee_id)) as result from employees where employee_id > 200'. allowing lots of choice for processing information. OCI_NUM)) { foreach ($row as $item) { echo htmlentities($item).CHAPTER 13 USING XML WITH ORACLE AND PHP Both Oracle and PHP 5 have excellent XML capabilities.php <?php $c = oci_connect('hr'. The returned values are XML fragments. $s = oci_parse($c. Fetching Relational Rows as XML One useful feature of XML DB is that existing relational SQL tables can automatically be retrieved as XML. All editions of Oracle contain what is known as "XML DB". or according to the structure of your XML schema. Script 79: xmlfrag. and not fully formed XML documents. This Chapter covers the basics of returning XML data from Oracle to PHP. $query = 'select xmlelement("Employees". XML can be stored in linear LOB format. } } ?> The output is: <Employees><Name>Hartstein</Name><Id>201</Id></Employees> <Employees><Name>Fay</Name><Id>202</Id></Employees> <Employees><Name>Mavris</Name><Id>203</Id></Employees> <Employees><Name>Baer</Name><Id>204</Id></Employees> <Employees><Name>Higgins</Name><Id>205</Id></Employees> <Employees><Name>Gietz</Name><Id>206</Id></Employees> 203 .last_name). the XML capabilities of the database. oci_execute($s). xmlelement("Id". $query).
OCI_NUM). $query = "select dbms_xmlgen. This package returns a fully formed XML document. echo "</pre>\n". with the XML header. Queries that use DBMS_XMLGEN() return a CLOB column. The XML functions can have embedded double-quotes. $query). ?> The value of $mylob is: <?xml version="1. oci_execute($s). This is the exact opposite of standard SQL queries.Using XML with Oracle and PHP Tip: Watch out for the quoting of XML queries. The following example queries the first name of employees in department 30 and stores the XML marked-up output in $mylob: Script 80: getxml. so the initial result needs to be treated in PHP as a LOB descriptor. See the Oracle Database SQL Reference. 'localhost/XE'). echo "<pre>\n". There is effectively no length limit for CLOBs.php <?php $c = oci_connect('hr'. 'hrpwd'. There are a number of other XML functions that can be similarly used.getxml(' select first_name from employees where department_id = 30') xml from dual". $mylob = $row[0]->load(). which can have embedded single quotes. $row = oci_fetch_array($s. echo htmlentities($mylob). // treat result as a LOB descriptor $row[0]->free(). $s = oci_parse($c. Fetching Rows as Fully Formed XML Another way to create XML from relational data is to use the PL/SQL package DBMS_XMLGEN().0"?> <ROWSET> <ROW> <FIRST_NAME>Den</FIRST_NAME> </ROW> <ROW> <FIRST_NAME>Alexander</FIRST_NAME> </ROW> <ROW> 204 .
Note the cast to binary which ensures consistent encoding. var_dump($xo). Following on from the previous example the query results can be converted with: $xo = simplexml_load_string((binary)$mylob).Fetching Rows as Fully Formed XML <FIRST_NAME>Shelli</FIRST_NAME> </ROW> <ROW> <FIRST_NAME>Sigal</FIRST_NAME> </ROW> <ROW> <FIRST_NAME>Guy</FIRST_NAME> </ROW> <ROW> <FIRST_NAME>Karen</FIRST_NAME> </ROW> </ROWSET> Using the SimpleXML Extension in PHP You can use PHP 5's SimpleXML extension to convert XML to a PHP object. The output is: object(SimpleXMLElement)#2 (1) ["ROW"]=> array(6) { [0]=> object(SimpleXMLElement)#3 ["FIRST_NAME"]=> string(3) "Den" } [1]=> object(SimpleXMLElement)#4 ["FIRST_NAME"]=> string(9) "Alexander" } [2]=> object(SimpleXMLElement)#5 ["FIRST_NAME"]=> string(6) "Shelli" } [3]=> object(SimpleXMLElement)#6 ["FIRST_NAME"]=> string(5) "Sigal" } [4]=> object(SimpleXMLElement)#7 ["FIRST_NAME"]=> string(3) "Guy" } [5]=> object(SimpleXMLElement)#8 { (1) { (1) { (1) { (1) { (1) { (1) { 205 .
an error is thrown: PHP Warning: oci_fetch_array(): ORA-19011: Character string buffer too small When the rows are short there is no error. queries may fail in some cases depending on the data length. here is a basic query on the RESOURCE_VIEW (which is a way access the Oracle XML DB repository from SQL). $r->FIRST_NAME . When the string is too long. } This output from the loop is: Name: Name: Name: Name: Name: Name: Den Alexander Shelli Sigal Guy Karen There are more examples of using SimpleXML with XML data in PHP's test suite under the ext/simplexml/tests directory of the PHP source code bundle. Fetching XMLType Columns Data in XMLType columns could be longer than Oracle's 4000 byte string length limit. avoiding the string size limit problem. "<br>\n". When data is fetched as a string. The RES column is an XMLType: $s = oci_parse($c. 'select res from resource_view').GETCLOBVAL() function to force XMLType conversion to return a CLOB. } This is likely to successfully fetch and display some rows before failing. As an alternative to SimpleXML you could use PHP's older DOM extension. oci_execute($s). Standard OCI8 CLOB methods can be used on the returned data: 206 . The failure happens because the database does a conversion from XMLType to a string before returning results to PHP. During testing you could be tricked into thinking your query will always return a complete set of rows. OCI_ASSOC)) { var_dump($row). There is an article Using PHP5 with Oracle XML DB by Yuli Vasiliev in the July/August 2005 Oracle Magazine that discusses this.Using XML with Oracle and PHP ["FIRST_NAME"]=> string(5) "Karen" } } } This object can be accessed with array iterators or properties: foreach ($xo->ROW as $r) { echo "Name: " . Use the XMLTYPE. For example. while ($row = oci_fetch_array($s.
Script 82: xmlinsert.php <?php $c = oci_connect('hr'. commit. 'localhost/XE'). 'hrpwd'. xmltype('<?xml version="1.sql create table xwarehouses (warehouse_id number. while ($row = oci_fetch_array($s. 207 .0"?> <Warehouse> <WarehouseId>1</WarehouseId> <WarehouseName>Southlake. oci_execute($s). Texas</WarehouseName> <Building>Owned</Building> <Area>25000</Area> <Docks>2</Docks> <DockType>Rear load</DockType> <WaterAccess>true</WaterAccess> <RailAccess>N</RailAccess> <Parking>Street</Parking> <VClearance>10</VClearance> </Warehouse>')). $s = oci_parse($c. 'hrpwd'.getclobval(res) from resource_view'). This example updates a table without an XMLSchema. warehouse_spec) values (1.Fetching XMLType Columns Script 81: xmltype. and which stores the XMLType column as a CLOB. PHP code to update the number of available warehouse docks is: Script 83: xmlinsert. warehouse_spec xmltype) xmltype warehouse_spec store as clob. $row[0]->free(). insert into xwarehouses (warehouse_id.php <?php $c = oci_connect('hr'. 'select xmltype. } ?> Inserting into XMLType Columns You can insert or update XMLType columns by binding as a CLOB. 'localhost/XE'). OCI_NUM)) { var_dump($row[0]->load()).
'select xmltype. oci_execute($s).getclobval(warehouse_spec) from xwarehouses where warehouse_id = :id'). oci_execute($s). ':id'. oci_bind_by_name($s. // Manipulate the data using SimpleXML $sx = simplexml_load_string((binary)$row[0]->load()). $r = oci_bind_by_name($s. 208 . $lob->close(). WAREHOUSE_SPEC --------------------------------------------------<?xml version="1. ':id'. Texas</WarehouseName> <Building>Owned</Building> <Area>25000</Area> <Docks>1</Docks> <DockType>Rear load</DockType> <WaterAccess>true</WaterAccess> <RailAccess>N</RailAccess> <Parking>Street</Parking> <VClearance>10</VClearance> </Warehouse> See Using XML in SQL Statements in Oracle Database SQL Reference for more discussion of XMLType. $id = 1. $id). $lob. $sx->Docks -= 1. ':clob'.0"?> <Warehouse> <WarehouseId>1</WarehouseId> <WarehouseName>Southlake. $lob = oci_new_descriptor($c. OCI_D_LOB). $lob->writeTemporary($sx->asXml()). querying the record shows the number of docks has been decremented from 2 to 1: SQL> set long 1000 pagesize 100 SQL> select warehouse_spec from xwarehouses. OCI_NUM). $row[0]->free(). -1. OCI_B_CLOB). 'update xwarehouses set warehouse_spec = XMLType(:clob) where warehouse_id = :id'). A temporary LOB is created to pass the new XML value to the database. // change the data // Insert changes using a temporary CLOB $s = oci_parse($c. ?> The $sx->asXml() method converts the SimpleXML object to the text representation used to update the table.Using XML with Oracle and PHP $s = oci_parse($c. $row = oci_fetch_array($s. After running the PHP script. oci_bind_by_name($s. $id).
end. -1. first create a wrapper function that maps the XML data to a CLOB: Script 85: xmlfuncwrapper. OCI_D_LOB). / This can be called in PHP by binding a LOB descriptor to the return value of the function. end. create table mytab (id number.getclobval(). / To access this function in PHP. $bd->close().Fetching an XMLType from a PL/SQL Function Fetching an XMLType from a PL/SQL Function The GETCLOBVAL() function is also useful when trying to get an XMLType from a stored function. end. data) values (1. ":bv".sql create or replace function myf_wrapper(p_id number) return clob as begin return myf(p_id). 'localhost/XE'). oci_bind_by_name($s. 'hrpwd'. $s = oci_parse($c.sql creates a simple function returning query data for a given id value. OCI8 LOB methods like load() can be used on the descriptor: Script 86: xmlfunc. File xmlfunc. begin select data into loc from mytab where id = p_id. Script 84: xmlfunc. OCI_B_CLOB). $bd. oci_execute($s). return loc. insert into mytab (id.php <?php $c = oci_connect('hr'. echo htmlentities($bd->load()). ?> // Print output The output is the expected: <something>mydata</something> 209 . '<something>mydata</something>'). create or replace function myf(p_id number) return xmltype as loc xmltype. "begin :bv := myf_wrapper(1).").sql drop table mytab. $bd = oci_new_descriptor($c. data xmltype).
OCI_NUM)) { foreach ($row as $item) { echo htmlentities($item).Using XML with Oracle and PHP XQuery XML Query Language Oracle's support for XQuery was introduced in Oracle Database 10g Release 2. In PHP 5. Note the single quotes around the word END to differentiate it from a HEREDOC. A basic XQuery to return the records in the employees table is: for $i in ora:view("employees") return $i This XQuery syntax is embedded in a special SELECT: select column_value from xmltable('for $i in ora:view("employees") return $i') The different quoting styles used by SQL and XQuery need careful attention in PHP. XQuery is not available in the Oracle Database XE release. } } ?> The query could also be in a single PHP HEREDOC with XQuery variables escaped.$xq. while ($row = oci_fetch_array($s.3.php <?php $c = oci_connect('hr'. $s = oci_parse($c.'\')'. It can be coded: Script 87: xquery. Table rows are automatically wrapped in tags and returned: <ROW> <EMPLOYEE_ID>100</EMPLOYEE_ID> <FIRST_NAME>Steven</FIRST_NAME> <LAST_NAME>King</LAST_NAME> 210 ." ". but it is in the other editions of Oracle. $query = 'select column_value from xmltable(\''. to keep the footprint of Oracle Database XE small. oci_execute($s). $query = <<<'END' select column_value from xmltable('for $i in ora:view("employees") return $i') END. $query). Unfortunately. use the NOWDOC syntax so the XQuery variable $i does not need escaping. Note there cannot be whitespace on the last line before the token END: $query = <<<END select column_value from xmltable('for \$i in ora:view("employees") return \$i') END. 'hrpwd'. 'localhost/orcl'). $xq = 'for $i in ora:view("employees") return $i'.
while ($row = oci_fetch_array($s.getclobval(column_value) from xmltable('for \$i in ora:view("employees") return \$i') END.XQuery XML Query Language <EMAIL>SKING</EMAIL> <PHONE_NUMBER>515. $row[0]->free().8181</PHONE_NUMBER> <HIRE_DATE>1994-06-07</HIRE_DATE> <JOB_ID>AC_ACCOUNT</JOB_ID> <SALARY>8300</SALARY> <MANAGER_ID>205</MANAGER_ID> <DEPARTMENT_ID>110</DEPARTMENT_ID> You can also use RETURNING CONTENT to return a single document node: $query = <<<END select xmlquery('for \$i in ora:view("hr". "locations")/ROW return \$i/CITY' returning content) from dual END. } 211 . The returned column type is a LOB locator and so the fetch uses LOB methods.GETCLOBVAL() function to avoid string size limit issues: $query = <<<END select xmltype. such as load(): $s = oci_parse($c. "locations")/ROW return \$i/CITY' returning content)) from dual END. oci_execute($s).getclobval(xmlquery('for \$i in ora:view("hr".123. For both XMLTABLE() and XMLQUERY() you might want to use the XMLTYPE.4567</PHONE_NUMBER> <HIRE_DATE>1987-06-17</HIRE_DATE> <JOB_ID>AD_PRES</JOB_ID> <SALARY>24000</SALARY> <DEPARTMENT_ID>90</DEPARTMENT_ID> </ROW> … <ROW> </ROW> <EMPLOYEE_ID>206</EMPLOYEE_ID> <FIRST_NAME>William</FIRST_NAME> <LAST_NAME>Gietz</LAST_NAME> <EMAIL>WGIETZ</EMAIL> <PHONE_NUMBER>515.123. $query). and $query = <<<END select xmltype. OCI_NUM)) { var_dump($row[0]->load()).
Using XML with Oracle and PHP Accessing Data over HTTP with XML DB XML DB allows you to access data directly via HTTP. The Oracle Network listener will handle all these requests.delete if it already exists dbms_xdb.deleteResource('/public/test1. FTP or WebDAV.createResource('/public/test1. exception when others then null.don't forget to commit end. 212 .txt'). end. remove access control on the public resource: SQL> connect system/systempwd SQL> alter user anonymous identified by anonymous account unlock.create the file res := dbms_xdb.txt If you are accessing Oracle Database XE from a remote browser. There is extensive Oracle documentation on XML DB on the Oracle Technology network at http://otn. The file can now be accessed from a browser (or PHP application) using: http://localhost:8080/public/test1. 'the text to store'). you may need to enable remote client connection as described in the chapter Installing Oracle Database 10g Express Edition. / For testing. -.txt'. As an example of HTTP access. commit. begin begin -. use the PL/SQL DBMS_XDB package to create a resource.com/tech/xml/xmldb. which here is some simple text: SQL> 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 declare res boolean. -.oracle.
213 . This removes connection creation and destruction costs but incurs unnecessary memory overhead in the database. Clients that run in high availability configurations such as with Oracle Real Application Clusters (RAC) or Data Guard Physical Stand-By can take advantage of Fast Application Notification (FAN) events in PHP to allow applications to respond quickly to database node failures.CHAPTER 14 PHP SCALABILITY AND HIGH AVAILABILITY This chapter discusses two features supported by PHP OCI8 1. DRCP pools a set of dedicated database server processes (known as pooled servers). Without DRCP. A connection broker process manages the pooled servers at the database instance level. each PHP process creates and destroys database servers when connections are opened and closed. Database Resident Connection Pooling Oracle Database 11g DRCP addresses scalability requirements in environments requiring large numbers of connections with minimal database resource usage. This can be expensive and crippling to high scalability. Or alternatively. which can be shared across multiple applications running on the same or several hosts.3 that improve scalability and high availability: ● ● Oracle Database 11g Database Resident Connection Pooling (DRCP) Oracle Database 10g Release 2 or 11g Fast Application Notification (FAN) The Oracle features are usable separately or together. each process keeps connections open ("persistent connections") even when they are not processing any user scripts. Database Resident Connection Pooling (DRCP) is a new feature of Oracle Database 11g that addresses scalability requirements in environments requiring large numbers of connections with minimal database resource usage. as shown in Figure 93.
even if the rate of incoming user requests is low. either busy or now idle. another PHP process that needs a pooled server will take over one of the idle servers.PHP Scalability and High Availability Figure 93: Without DRCP. the dedicated association between the PHP process and the server is kept in anticipation that the PHP process will quickly become active again. Active pooled servers contain the Process Global Area (PGA) and the user session data. When the number of persistent connections is less than the number of pooled servers. When the connection is released. This release can be explicit with oci_close() or it will happen automatically at the end of the script. Each PHP process. Idle servers in the pool retain the user session for reuse by subsequent persistent PHP connections. A connection broker accepts incoming connection requests from PHP processes and assigns each a free server in the pool. Each PHP process that is executing a PHP script communicates with this Oracle server until the connection is released. the DRCP pool can grow to its maximum size (albeit typically a relatively small size). When the pool reaches its maximum size. the server process is returned to the pool and the PHP process keeps a link only to the connection broker. How DRCP Works The architecture of DRCP is shown in Figure 94. a "dedicated optimization" avoids unnecessarily returning servers to the pool when a PHP connection is closed. 214 . If PHP scripts are executed by numerous web servers. will be attached to its own pooled server. idle persistent connections from PHP still consume database resources. Instead.
a network connection a network connection to the to the dispatcher process is connection broker is established. created. Shared Servers Pooled Servers When the PHP connection is When the PHP connection is created. shared servers. there are now three types of database server process models that Oracle applications can use: dedicated servers. There is always at least one connection broker per database instance when DRCP is enabled. Dedicated Servers When the PHP connection is created. Also. 215 . shared servers and pooled servers. A session is created in the SGA. around 5% of the current pooled servers are reserved for authenticating new PHP connections. DRCP boosts the scalability of the database and the web server tier because connections to the database are held at minimal cost. at any time. Database memory is only used by the pooled servers. a network connection to a dedicated server process and associated session are created. and pooled servers. Authentication is performed when a PHP process establishes a connection to the connection broker. established. With the introduction of pooled servers used by DRCP. and scaling can be explicitly controlled by DRCP tuning options.Database Resident Connection Pooling Figure 94: DRCP Architecture. Table 11: Differences between dedicated servers. The pool size and number of connection brokers are configurable.
After connection. Idle PHP connections hold a server process and session resources. PHP OCI8 Connections and DRCP The PHP OCI8 extension has three functions for connecting to a database: oci_connect(). There is one session for each PHP connection. just like a dedicated server. Shared servers are not shown but behave similarly to dedicated servers with the exception that only the session and not the server is destroyed when a connection is closed. Closing a PHP connection causes the session to be destroyed and the pooled server to be released to the pool. which hands the work to a shared server. Pooled servers in use by PHP are similar in behavior to dedicated servers. which hands the network connection to a pooled server. Closing a PHP connection causes Closing a PHP connection the session to be freed and the causes the session to be freed. There is one session for each pooled server. Idle PHP connections hold session resources but not a server process. Memory usage is proportional to the number of server processes and sessions. 216 . Idle PHP connections hold a server process and session resources. Activity on a connection is Each action on a connection handled by the dedicated server. A network connection to the connection broker is retained. Memory usage is proportional to the number of pooled servers and their sessions. and oci_pconnect(). PHP directly communicates with the pooled server for all database operations. The server then handles subsequent requests directly. oci_new_connect(). The implementation of these functions was reworked in OCI8 1. Memory usage is proportional to the sum of the shared servers and sessions. Table 12 compares dedicated and pooled servers.3 and all benefit from using DRCP. server process to be terminated. goes through the dispatcher.PHP Scalability and High Availability Dedicated Servers Shared Servers Pooled Servers Activity on a connection wakes the broker. There is one server and one session for each PHP connection.
All PHP connections and the database servers are closed when the script ends or with oci_close(). even within the same script. 217 . The connection is not closed at the end of the script. The oci_pconnect() function reuses sessions. Subsequent calls to oci_pconnect() reuse the existing network connection to quickly get a server and session from the pool. Sessions are destroyed at that time. If oci_close() is not called. With Pooled Servers Gets a pooled server from the DRCP pool and creates a brand new session. Subsequent oci_connect() calls in the same script use the same connection.Database Resident Connection Pooling Table 12: Behavior of OCI8 connection functions for Dedicated and Pooled Servers. When the script completes. all three connection functions save on the cost of authentication and benefit from the network connection to the connection broker being maintained. All sessions are destroyed at the end of the script or with oci_close(). then this connection release happens at the end of the script. Similar to oci_connect() above. They also benefit from having pre-spawned server processes in the DRCP pool. The pooled servers are made available for other connections to use. The non-persistent connection functions create and destroy new sessions each time they are used. The connection is cached in the PHP process for reuse by subsequent oci_connect() calls in the same script. oci_new_connect() oci_pconnect() With DRCP. but an independent new PHP connection and server process is created every time this function is called. allowing even greater scalability. but an independent server in the pool is used and a new session is created each time this function is called in the same script. allowing less sharing at the cost of reduced performance. At the end of the script or with oci_close(). and the server and session are available for reuse by any subsequent oci_pconnect() call passing the same credentials. Similar to oci_connect() above. or oci_close() is called. Calling oci_close() releases the connection and returns the server with its session intact to the pool for reuse by other PHP processes. Creates a persistent PHP connection. the session is destroyed and the pooled server is available for other PHP connections to use. OCI8 Function oci_connect() With Dedicated Servers Creates a PHP connection to the database using a dedicated server. even for connections that are "closed" from PHP's point of view. the connection is closed and the server process and session are destroyed. Creates a persistent PHP connection which is cached in the PHP process.
For non-persistent PHP connections. When to use DRCP DRCP is typically preferred for applications with a large number of connections. Table 13: Example database host memory use for dedicated. Shared servers are useful for a medium number of connections and dedicated sessions are preferred for small numbers of connections. It improves scalability of databases and applications by reducing resource usage. after a brief warm-up period for the pool. The server is always connected and available whenever the PHP process needs it. for example date format settings and PL/SQL package state. DRCP can be useful when any of the following apply: ● A large number of connections need to be supported with minimum memory usage on the database host. But as the number of connections increases. and removes the need to reauthenticate for each connect call. The applications acquire a database connection. Dedicated Servers Database Server Memory 5000 * 4 MB Shared Servers 100 * 4 MB Pooled Servers 100 * 4 MB 218 . and the deployed application creates 5000 PHP connections. work on it for a relatively short duration. There is no broker or dispatcher overhead. Connections look identical in terms of session settings. normal dedicated servers can be fastest. On a 32 bit operating system the memory required for each server process could be 4 MB. If the number of pooled servers is configured at 100. DRCP can be fastest because the use of pooled server processes removes the need for PHP connections to create and destroy processes. The threshold sizes are relative to the amount of memory available on the database host. and DRCP could use 35 KB per connection (mostly in the connection broker). There are multiple web servers and web server hosts. Consider an application in which the memory required for each session is 400 KB. the number of shared servers is configured at 100. then the memory used by each type of server is estimated in Table 13. ● ● ● ● DRCP provides the following advantages: ● ● For persistent PHP connections. It enables resource sharing among multiple middle-tier client applications. DRCP allows reduced connection times in addition to the reuse benefits of pooling. shared and pooled servers. PHP applications mostly use the same database credentials for all connections.PHP Scalability and High Availability Overall. the memory cost of keeping connections open quickly reduces efficiency of the database system. and then release it.
3 GB 610 MB There is a significant memory saving when using DRCP. the client result cache feature does not work with DRCP. DRCP can still be a viable option if the PHP application needs database connections for only short periods of time. The different connection classes and resulting logical partitioning of the DRCP server pool is shown in Figure 95. Connections with the same username and connection class from any host will share the same sub-pool of servers.1. It is not available using bequeath connections. thereby improving overall performance. Pooled Servers 100 * 400 KB DRCP Connection Broker Overhead 5000 * 35 KB Total Memory 21 GB 2. With Oracle 11. Sharing the Server Pool DRCP guarantees that pooled servers and sessions initially used by one database user are only ever reusable by connections with that same userid. DRCP also further partitions the pool into logical groups or "connection classes". applications in a suite called RPT may be willing to share pooled servers between themselves but not with an application suite called HR. 219 . Subsequent persistent connections will reuse the session and inherit those settings if the username and connection class are the same as the previous connection.Database Resident Connection Pooling Dedicated Servers Session Memory 5000 * 400 KB Shared Servers 5000 * 400 KB Note: For Shared Servers. like the date format or an explicit role. Session-specific attributes.ini configuration file. session memory is allocated from the SGA. Even if sufficient memory is available to run in dedicated mode. may be re-usable by any connection in a particular application. Applications that need different state in the session memory should use different usernames and/or connection classes. A connection class is a user chosen name set in the php. For example. In this case the memory saved by using DRCP can be used towards increasing the SGA. Pooling is available when connecting over TCP/IP with userid/password based database authentication.
If no connection class is specified. If there are no pooled servers available. transactions do not span connections across scripts. then an idle server in the pool will be used and a new session created for it. Using DRCP in PHP Using DRCP with PHP applications involves the following steps: 1. If there are no free pooled servers matching a request for a userid in the specified connection class. If the server originally belonged to a different connection class. 220 Configuring and enabling the pool. Uncommitted data will be rolled back at the end of a PHP script. limiting sharing of connections to each process. the server will migrate to the new class. The connection class should be set to the same value for each instance of PHP running the same application where sharing of pooled connections is desired.PHP Scalability and High Availability Figure 95: The DRCP pool is logically partitioned by username and connection class. the connection request waits for one to become available. If DRCP is used but session sharing is not desirable under any condition. Deploying the application. system generated class name. Configuring PHP. Although session data may be reused by subsequent persistent connections. . and if the pool is already at its maximum size. use oci_connect() or oci_new_connect() which recreate the session each time. 3. This allows the database to continue without becoming overloaded. 2. each web server process will have a unique.
unless explicitly stopped with the dbms_connection_pool. max_think_time => 600.stop_pool() command: SQL> execute dbms_connection_pool.Using DRCP in PHP PHP applications deployed as Apache modules. User defined pools are currently not supported.alter_param( pool_name => 'SYS_DEFAULT_CONNECTION_POOL'. FastCGI.start_pool(). There is a dbms_connection_pool. Each pool has the identical configuration. PHP applications deployed as Apache modules or with FastCGI gain most. max_use_session => 500000. default connection pool. inactivity_timeout => 300.configure_pool( pool_name => 'SYS_DEFAULT_CONNECTION_POOL'. incrsize => 2. each database instance has its own connection broker and pool of servers. session_cached_cursors => 20.stop_pool(). maxsize => 40. When DRCP is used with RAC. For example all pools will have maxsize server processes. the pool automatically restarts when the instance restarts. The default pool can be configured and administered by a DBA using the DBMS_CONNECTION_POOL package: SQL> execute dbms_connection_pool. Alternatively the method dbms_connection_pool. such as statement caching. CGI and standalone applications can benefit from DRCP. The DRCP configuration options are described in Table 11.restore_defaults() procedure to reset all values. The pool needs to be started before connection requests begin. since they remain connected to the connection broker over multiple script executions and can take advantage of other optimizations. minsize => 4. The command below does this by bringing up the broker. max_lifetime_session => 86400). param_value => '1200'). 221 . Once enabled this way. A single dbms_connection_pool command will alter the pool of each instance at the same time.alter_param() can be used to set a single parameter: SQL> execute dbms_connection_pool. param_name => 'MAX_THINK_TIME'. which registers itself with the database listener: SQL> execute dbms_connection_pool. Configuring and Enabling the Pool Every instance of Oracle Database 11g uses a single.
The PHP script will get an ORA error if it later tries to use the connection. Note: this can only be set with alter_param(). Note: this can only be set with alter_param(). DRCP Option pool_name Description The pool to be configured. The default is 2. Maximum time of inactivity the PHP script is allowed after connecting. Maximum number of pooled servers in the pool. it is killed. If this limit is reached and all the pooled servers are busy. Maximum number of times a server can be taken and released to the pool before it is flagged for restarting. If a server remains idle in the pool for this time. Set the per-process file descriptor limit of the operating system sufficiently high so that it supports the number of connections specified. The default is 40000. The default is 1. minsize maxsize incrsize session_cached_cursors inactivity_timeout max_think_time max_use_session max_lifetime_session num_cbrok maxconn_cbrok 222 . This value is typically set to the size of the working set of frequently used statements. The default is 20. The default is 40. The default is 300 seconds. then connection requests wait until a server becomes free. The default is 86400 seconds. Time to live for a pooled server before it is restarted. The number of connection brokers that are created to handle connection requests. The default is 500000. The maximum number of connections that each connection broker can handle. This parameter helps to shrink the pool when it is not used to its maximum capacity. The cache uses cursor resources on the server.PHP Scalability and High Availability Table 14: DRCP Configuration Options. If the script does not issue a database call for this amount of time. The default is 4. Time to live for an idle server in the pool.ora parameter for setting the value for the whole database instance. Currently the only supported name is the default value SYS_DEFAULT_CONNECTION_POOL. the pooled server may be returned to the pool for reuse. The default is 120 seconds. Minimum number of pooled servers in the pool. Note: there is also an init. The pool option allows a DRCP-based application to override the instance setting. Indicates to turn on SESSION_CACHED_CURSORS for all connections in the pool. The number of pooled servers is increased by this value when servers are unavailable for PHP connections and if the pool is not yet at its maximum size.
3 to avoid query errors. neither of which has been released.3 has been loaded. This patch is not needed with 11.0.ini parameters for persistent connections. the max_think_time parameter can be set. otherwise server processes will continue to use old settings.6 must apply the database patch for bug 6474441.ini Parameter oci8.1. In general. use PHP's phpinfo() function to verify that OCI8 1.connection_class = MYPHPAPP The parameter can be set in php.3 from PECL. It also enables LOGON trigger support. the parameters still have an effect but it may be easier to use the DRCP pool configuration options. build and install PHP as normal.2 and higher. The OCI8 1.0. These were mainly used to limit idle resource usage. helping optimize database resources.1. To avoid pooled servers permanently being held onto by a dead web server process or a selfish PHP script. extract it and use it to replace the existing ext/oci8 directory in PHP. With DRCP. PHP will close the Oracle connection to the broker. The inactivity_timeout setting terminates idle pooled servers. however DRCP functionality is only available when PHP is linked with Oracle Database 11g client libraries and connected to Oracle Database 11g. It can also be set and retrieved programmatically using the PHP functions ini_set() and ini_get(). . This may be needed in cases where the operating system per-process descriptor limit is small.persistent_timeout Behavior with DRCP At the timeout of an idle PHP connection. Php.conf files. PHP 5. Download OCI8 1. the pool should be restarted. Once installed. The max_use_session and max_lifetime_session parameters help protect against any unforeseen problems affecting server processes. Table 15: Existing php. Users of Oracle Database 11. Alternatively use the pecl install command to build and install the OCI8 as a shared module.7 onwards. The OCI8 extension has several legacy php.Using DRCP in PHP Note: The parameters have been described here relative to their use in PHP but it is worth remembering that the DRCP pool is usable concurrently by other programs. oci8. Configuring PHP for DRCP PHP must be built with the DRCP-enabled OCI8 extension. if pool parameters are changed.htaccess or httpd. Before using DRCP. 223 . The default values will be suitable for most users.ini configuration parameters for tuning persistent connections.3 and PHP 6. The default is no timeout. Configure. the new php.ini parameter oci8.connection_class should be set to specify the connection class used by all the requests for pooled servers by the PHP application.3 extension can be used with Oracle client libraries version 9. contain the new extension by default.ini. The parameters num_cbrok and maxconn_cbrok can be used to distribute the persistent connections from the clients across multiple brokers. This is necessary with OCI8 1.
'myhost/sales:POOLED'). Then only the Oracle Network configuration file tnsnames.PHP Scalability and High Availability Php. Application Deployment for DRCP PHP applications must specify the server type POOLED in the connect string. This helps protect against the possibility of unusable connections being returned to PHP when there has been a database instance or node failure.ping_interval is also used for non-persistent connections when pooled servers are used. Adjust the statement cache size to your satisfaction. oci8. Note: The DRCP maxsize setting will still be enforced by the database independently from oci8. the use of FAN (see later) reduces the chance of idle connections becoming unusable. Also. To tune it. 'mypassword'. then tune the DRCP pool session_cached_cursors value. Once you are happy with the statement cache size. 224 . 'salespool').ini Parameter oci8. the PHP call to connect to the sales database on myhost would look like: $c = oci_pconnect('myuser'.ping_interval With OCI8 1.statement_cache_size being set. Soft parses can be calculated from parse count (total) minus parse count (hard).max_persistent. Web servers and the network should benefit from oci8. For best performance it should generally be larger than the size of the working set of SQL statements. Using Oracle's Easy Connect syntax. oci8. The latter statistic should benefit from not shipping statement meta-data to PHP. The default is no limit. 'mypassword'.dom. The default is 60 seconds.ora needs to be modified: salespool=(DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=tcp) (HOST=myhost.3. connections will not succeed and an error will be returned to PHP. The existing recommendation to set it to -1 to disable pinging and to use appropriate error checking still holds true with DRCP. monitor general web server load and the AWR bytes sent via SQL*Net to client values. Monitor AWR reports with the goal to make the session cursor cache hits close to the number of soft parses. When the limit is reached a new persistent connection behaves like oci_connect() and releases the connection at the end of the script.max_persistent Behavior with DRCP The maximum number of unique persistent connections that PHP will maintain to the broker. Or if PHP uses an Oracle Network connect name that looks like: $c = oci_pconnect('myuser'.com) (PORT=1521))(CONNECT_DATA=(SERVICE_NAME=sales) (SERVER=POOLED))) If these changes are made and the database is not actually configured for DRCP.
allowing maximum use of pooled servers: <?php // 1. PHP scripts that do not currently use oci_close() should be examined to see if they can use it to return connections to the pool. closing a persistent connection now releases the server to the pool allowing optimal pool usage. the connection is also released. Do some non-database work . '//myhost/sales:POOLED'). .3. allowing other concurrent scripts to make use of the pooled server. set the existing php. . 'mypassword'. .old_oci_close_semantics to On. the benefit is that scripts taking advantage of persistent connections can explicitly return a server to the pool when nondatabase processing occurs. oci_close($conn). For DRCP. oci_commit($conn). . For DRCP. oci_commit($conn). // Release the connection to the DRCP pool // 2. Do some more database operations $conn = oci_pconnect('myuser'. 'mypassword'. the recommendation is to release the connection when the script does a significant amount of processing that is not database related. closing oci_connect() and oci_new_connect() connections had an effect but closing an oci_pconnect() connection was a no-op. 225 . . // 3. . for example if the connection was opened in a function and the function has now finished. . Do some database operations $conn = oci_pconnect('myuser'. . oci_close() on a persistent connection rolls back any uncommitted transaction. Scripts coded like this can use oci_close() to take advantage of DRCP but still be portable to older versions of the OCI8 extension. With OCI8 1. Prior to OCI8 1.ini parameter oci8. Also the extension will do a roll back when all PHP variables referencing a persistent connection go out of scope.Using DRCP in PHP Closing Connections With the new version of the OCI8 extension. in addition to the rollback. If behavior where oci_close() is a no-op for all connection types is preferred. '//myhost/sales:POOLED'). ?> Remember to free statement and other resources that increase the reference count on the PHP connection and will stop a DB connection closing.3. Explicitly control commits and rollbacks so there is no unexpectedly open transaction when the close or end-of-scope occurs. oci_close($conn). With pooled servers. a subsequent oci_pconnect() may get a different connection.
For oci_connect() and oci_new_connect() connections this is with oci_close() or at the end of the script. If a database instance in a cluster is shut down.PHP Scalability and High Availability LOGON and LOGOFF Triggers with DRCP LOGON triggers are efficient for setting common session attributes such as date formats. pooling. For oci_pconnect() connections. Monitoring DRCP Data dictionary views are available to monitor the performance of DRCP. For RAC. The LOGON trigger will execute when oci_pconnect() creates the session. and the number of hits and misses in the pool against the total number of requests from clients. The caching. The views are: ● ● ● ● ● V$PROCESS V$SESSION DBA_CPOOL_INFO V$CPOOL_STATS V$CPOOL_CC_STATS The DRCP statistics are reset each time the pool is started.3: LOGOFF triggers fire when connections are closed. This recommendation is also true for persistent connections with dedicated or shared servers. Changing Passwords with DRCP Connections In general. With DRCP. Database actions that must be performed exactly once per OCI8 connection call should be explicitly executed in the PHP script. For example a trigger could be used to execute an ALTER SESSION statement to set a date format. in effect firing twice for the initial connection. and the session will be reused by subsequent persistent connections. It is not possible to depend on LOGON triggers for tracking PHP OCI8 connect calls. The suggested practice is to use LOGON triggers only for setting session attributes and not for executing per PHP-connection logic such as custom logon auditing. For non-pooled servers there is no change in OCI 1. and is the existing recommendation for earlier releases of the OCI8 extension. These record DRCP statistics across clustered instances. there is a further limitation . there are GV$CPOOL_STATS and GV$CPOOL_CC_STATS views corresponding to the instancelevel views. With pooled servers. 226 . Database administrators can check statistics such as the number of busy and free servers. timing out and recreation of sessions and connections with or without DRCP or the new extension can distort any record. the statistics for that instance are purged from the GV$ views. LOGON triggers are also useful for setting session attributes needed by each PHP connection. PHP applications that change passwords should avoid using persistent connections because connections stored persistently in PHP may allow application connections to succeed using the old password. PHP scripts that use oci_password_change() should continue to use dedicated or shared servers. LOGON triggers can fire at authentication and when the session is created.connections cannot be used to change passwords programmatically. it is when the web server process terminates or restarts. LOGOFF triggers do not fire for pooled servers.
Table 16: V$CPOOL_STATS View. on Linux this query shows one broker has been enabled: SQL> select program from v$process where program like 'oracle%(N%)'. Note the pool name column is called CONNECTION_POOL. Total number of busy and free servers in the pool (including the authentication servers).Monitoring DRCP V$PROCESS and V$SESSION Views The number of configured brokers per instance can be found from the V$PROCESS view. maxsize from dba_cpool_info. DBA_CPOOL_INFO View DBA_CPOOL_INFO displays configuration information about all DRCP pools in the database. Total number of busy servers in the pool (not including the authentication servers). with the addition of a STATUS column. CONNECTION_POOL STATUS MAXSIZE ---------------------------. Column POOL_NAME NUM_OPEN_SERVERS Description Name of the Database Resident Connection Pool. For example.---------------.configure_pool() settings described in Table 11.ADDR to correlate the views. to check whether the pool has been started and what the maximum number of pooled servers is set to: SQL> select connection_pool. NUM_BUSY_SERVERS NUM_AUTH_SERVERS NUM_REQUESTS 227 . status. The columns are equivalent to the dbms_connection_pool. Number of client requests. PROGRAM -----------------------------------------------oracle@localhost (N001) The V$SESSION view will show information about the currently active DRCP sessions. The status is ACTIVE if the pool has been started and INACTIVE otherwise. Number of authentication servers in the pool.---------SYS_DEFAULT_CONNECTION_POOL ACTIVE 40 V$CPOOL_STATS View V$CPOOL_STATS displays information about the DRCP statistics for an instance.PADDR = V$PROCESS. It can also be joined with V$PROCESS via V$SESSION. For example.
---------.PHP Scalability and High Availability Column NUM_HITS Description Total number of times client requests found matching pooled servers and sessions in the pool.---------64152 17941 46211 15118 228 . If the pool maxsize is too small for the connection load then NUM_WAITS is high: NUM_REQUESTS NUM_HITS NUM_MISSES NUM_WAITS -----------. Total number of client requests that had to wait due to nonavailability of free pooled servers.---------.---------.---------. Reserved for future use. This example query shows an application using the pool effectively. Even if the pool size is large. Total number of sessions purged by the pool.connection_class is set (allowing pooled servers and sessions to be reused) then NUM_MISSES is low. Increasing the number of pooled servers would reduce the number of waits: SQL> select num_requests. Total number of authentications of clients done by the pool.num_hits.---------. NUM_REQUESTS NUM_HITS NUM_MISSES NUM_WAITS -----------. The wait count shows just over 1% of requests had to wait for a pooled server to become available. session sharing is limited causing poor utilization of pooled servers and contention for them: NUM_REQUESTS NUM_HITS NUM_MISSES NUM_WAITS -----------. The low number of misses indicates that servers and sessions were reused.---------50352 50348 4 50149 If the connection class is left unset.---------.---------100031 99993 38 1054 If oci8. Reserved for future use. Total number of times client requests could not find a matching pooled server and session in the pool.num_misses. NUM_MISSES NUM_WAITS WAIT_TIME CLIENT_REQ_TIMEOUTS NUM_AUTHENTICATIONS NUM_PURGED HISTORIC_MAX The V$CPOOL_STATS view can be used to assess how efficient the pool settings are. the sharing of pooled servers is restricted to within each web server process.num_waits from v$cpool_stats where pool_name = 'SYS_DEFAULT_CONNECTION_POOL'. Maximum size that the pool has ever reached.
with a CCLASS_NAME column giving the name of the connection sub-pool the results are for: SQL> select cclass_name.-----------.connection_class. new sessions are created for each connection. The example shows that ten such connections were made as the user SCOTT. Also. Although these programs share the same connection class. the class name will be SHARED. Without FAN.---------. This view shows an application known as MYPHPAPP using the pool effectively. are automatically cleaned up. by which time the application may have exceeded PHP's maximum allowed execution time. Such an entry could be an indication that a php. By leveraging FAN events. FAN support in PHP may be used with or without DRCP – the two features are independent. High Availability with FAN and RAC Clients that run in high availability configurations such as with Oracle RAC or Data Guard Physical StandBy can take advantage of Fast Application Notification (FAN) events to allow applications to respond quickly to database node failures. The last line of the example output shows a system generated class name for an application that did not explicitly set oci8. PHP applications may be blocked waiting for a database response until a TCP timeout expires. Pooling is not effectively used in this case. 229 .MYPHPAPP 100031 99993 38 SCOTT. Errors are therefore delayed. PHP applications are quickly notified of failures that affect their established database connections. and persistent connections to the server processes or dispatcher in case of dedicated or shared server connections on the failed instances. sometimes up to several minutes.OCI:SP:SdjxIx1Ufz 1 0 1 For PHP.num_misses from v$cpool_cc_stats.num_requests. A subsequent PHP connection call will create a new connection to a surviving RAC node. Connections to a failed database instance are pro-actively terminated without waiting for a potentially lengthy TCP timeout. activated stand-by database.SHARED 10 0 10 HR.num_hits. CCLASS_NAME NUM_REQUESTS NUM_HITS NUM_MISSES -------------------.---------HR. This allows PHP scripts to recover quickly from a node or network failure. keeping each cleanly isolated from any unwanted session changes.Monitoring DRCP V$CPOOL_CC_STATS View V$CPOOL_CC_STATS displays information about the connection class level statistics for the pool per instance. or even the restarted single-instance database. the CCLASS_NAME value is composed of the value of the username and of the oci8.ini file is mis-configured. when a database instance or machine node fails unexpectedly.connection_class value used by the connecting PHP processes. The columns are similar to those of V$CPOOL_STATS described in Table 6. For programs like SQL*Plus that were not built using Oracle's Session Pooling APIs. The application can reconnect and continue processing without the user being aware of a problem. all inactive network connections cached in PHP to the connection broker in case of DRCP.
Typical errors returned after an instance failure are ORA-12153: TNS:not connected or ORA-03113: end-of-file on communication channel.ini configuration parameter oci8.modify_service( service_name => 'SALES'. the database service to which the applications connect must be enabled to post FAN events: SQL> execute dbms_service. The OCI8 1. so application error handling can remain unchanged. depending on timing. Application Deployment for FAN The error codes returned to PHP will generally be the same as without FAN enabled.3 extension. and be able to continue that work. the code below does some work (perhaps a series of update statements). If there is a connection failure.events = On FAN support is only available when PHP is linked with Oracle Database 10g Release 2 or 11g libraries and connecting to Oracle Database 10g Release 2 or 11g. As an example. applications can be enhanced to reconnect and retry actions. checks the transaction state and retries the work. Alternatively. but the user script must also determine that work failed.PHP Scalability and High Availability Configuring FAN Events in the Database To get the benefit of high availability.3 extension will detect the connection failure and be able reconnect on request. but errors including standard database errors may be returned. The example code detects connections errors so it can identify it needs to continue or retry work. It is generally important not to redo operations that already committed updated data. aq_ha_notifications => TRUE). Configuring PHP for FAN With the OCI8 1.events allows PHP to be notified of FAN events: oci8. it reconnects. why it failed. Other connection related errors are shown in the example. taking advantage of the higher level of service given by FAN. a php. function isConnectionError($err) { switch($err) { case 378: /* buffer pool param incorrect */ case 602: /* core dump */ case 603: /* fatal error */ case 609: /* attach failed */ case 1012: /* not logged in */ case 1033: /* init or shutdown in progress */ case 1043: /* Oracle not available */ case 1089: /* immediate shutdown in progress */ case 1090: /* shutdown in progress */ case 1092: /* instance terminated */ case 3113: /* disconnect */ 230 .
For example: SQL> execute dbms_service. Set the clb_goal parameter to CLB_GOAL_SHORT or CLB_GOAL_LONG. Table 17: CLB clb_goal parameter values. find what was committed. $err = checkApplicationStateAndContinueWork($conn). This is the default. Use for applications that have long-lived connections. $conn = doConnect().High Availability with FAN and RAC case 3114: /* case 3122: /* case 3135: /* case 12153: /* case 27146: /* case 28511: /* return true. CLB_GOAL_LONG No PHP script changes are needed. otherwise a CPU utilization is used. } RAC Connection Load Balancing with PHP PHP OCI8 1. It is recommended to use FAN and CLB together. This uses load balancing advisories if the goal parameter is not GOAL_NONE.clb_goal_long). } if ($err) { // end the application handleError($err). and retry $conn = doConnect(). $err = doSomeWork($conn). the database service must be modified using dbms_service to send load events.3 will automatically balance new connections across RAC instances with Oracle's Connection Load Balancing (CLB) to use resources efficiently. Parameter Value CLB_GOAL_SHORT Parameter Description Use for connection load balancing method for applications that have short-lived connections. clb_goal => dbms_service. 231 . if (isConnectionError($err)) { // reconnect.modify_service( service_name => 'SALES'. not connected */ closing window */ lost contact */ TNS: not connected */ fatal or instance terminated */ Lost RPC */ } } return false. The connection balancing is handled transparently by the Oracle Net listener. This uses a simple metric to distribute load. To enable CLB.
PHP Scalability and High Availability 232 .
and the rules used for sort order. It guarantees data integrity across all tiers. It addresses the basic tasks associated with developing and deploying global Internet applications. Building a global Internet application that supports different locales requires good development practices. resulting in data being converted to question marks. such as the correct date and number formats. This may reduce performance. Also an accurate mapping is not always be possible. see the Oracle documentation.<character set> For example. you can set NLS_LANG in /etc/profile: 233 . even if NLS_LANG is also set. Oracle locale behavior (including the client character set used in OCI applications) is defined by Oracle's national language support NLS_LANG environment variable. The section Configuring Apache HTTP Server on Linux in the Apache chapter discusses how environment variables can be set for Apache. and rules that apply to OCI also apply to PHP. NLS_LANG should be set to GERMAN_GERMANY. When Zend Core for Oracle is installed on Apache. and presenting data following the cultural conventions of the locale of the user. including developing locale awareness. The character set can also be passed as a parameter to the OCI8 connection functions. For information on NLS_LANG and other Oracle language environment variables.AL32UTF8 The language and territory settings control Oracle behaviors such as the Oracle date format. There are other environment variables that can be used to set particular aspects of globalization. error message language. It is important to present data with appropriate locale characteristics. Most Internet based standards support Unicode as a character encoding. Establishing the Environment Between Oracle and PHP Correctly setting up the connectivity between the PHP engine and the Oracle database is the first step in building a global application. If the character set used by PHP does not match the character set used by the database. This chapter focuses on using Unicode as the character set for data exchange. The character set AL32UTF8 is the Oracle name for UTF-8. A locale refers to a national language and the region in which the language is spoken. for a German user in Germany running an application in Unicode. The application itself must be aware of the locale preference of the user and be able to present content following the cultural conventions expected by the user. Oracle Database is fully internationalized to provide a global platform for developing and deploying global applications. OCI8 is an Oracle OCI application. constructing HTML content in the user-preferred language. This environment variable has the form: <language>_<territory>.CHAPTER 15 GLOBALIZATION This Chapter discusses global application development in a PHP and Oracle Database environment. Oracle will try to convert when data is inserted and queried. Doing this is recommended for performance reasons.
"\n". $res = oci_fetch_array($s. PHP may fail to connect to Oracle and give an error like ORA-12705: Cannot access NLS data files or invalid environment specified Some globalization values can be changed per connection. To find the language and territory currently used by PHP.xml: <ias-component id="HTTP_Server"> <process-type id="HTTP_Server" module-id="OHS"> <environment> <variable id="PERL5LIB" value="D:\oracle\1012J2EE\Apache\Apache\ mod_perl\site\5. Output is of the form: AMERICAN_AMERICA. execute: $s = oci_parse($c. 'language') as nls_lang from dual"). the next time the connection is used.1\lib"/> <variable id="PHPRC" value="D:\oracle\1012J2EE\Apache\Apache\conf"/> <variable id="NLS_LANG" value="german_germany. oci_execute($s). Caution: When changing the globalization settings for a persistent connection.6.AL32UTF8 If the globalization settings are invalid. Oracle error messages will be in German and the default date format will have changed. After executing this. OCI_ASSOC).Globalization export NLS_LANG GERMAN_GERMANY. oci_execute($s). "select sys_context('userenv'.WE8MSWIN1252 234 . and the character set with which the database stores data. echo $res['NLS_LANG'] ."alter session set nls_territory=germany nls_language=german"). If PHP is installed on Oracle HTTP Server. $s = oci_parse($c. the altered values will still be in effect.al32utf8"/> </environment> <module-data> <category id="start-parameters"> <data id="start-mode" value="ssl-disabled"/> </category> </module-data> <process-set id="HTTP_Server" numprocs="1"/> </process-type> </ias-component> You must restart the Web listener to implement the change. you must set NLS_LANG as an environment variable in $ORACLE_HOME/opmn/conf/opmn.
When you have enabled the mbstring extension and restarted the web server. Determining the Locale of the User In a global environment. Open the Zend Core for Oracle Administration Console by entering the URL in a web browser: http://machine_name/ZendCore Login and navigate to Configuration > Extensions > Zend Core Extensions. Save the configuration. Refresh the browser on the Extension Configuration page to see these mbstring configuration options. To handle other character sets. see the PHP mbstring reference manual at http://www. Your application code should use functions such as mb_strlen() to calculate the number of characters in strings. Usually a browser sends its locale preference setting to the HTTP server with the Accept Language HTTP header. and the application should fall back to a predefined default locale. several configuration options become available in the Zend Core for Oracle Administration Console.net/mbstring. For more information. then there is no locale preference information available. A common method to determine the locale of a user is from the default ISO locale setting of the browser. This may return different values than strlen(). 3. your application should accommodate users with different locale preferences. such as date. To enable the mbstring extension in PHP using the Zend Core for Oracle Administration Console: 1. $s = $_SERVER["HTTP_ACCEPT_LANGUAGE"] Developing Locale Awareness Once the locale preference of the user has been determined. It implements some International Components for Unicode (ICU) functionality and is likely to become popular. there are several extensions that can be used.Manipulating Strings Manipulating Strings PHP was designed to work with the ISO-8859-1 character set. 5. the application can call locale-sensitive functions. Restart Apache.func_overload to one of the Overload settings. Enable the mbstring extension. which returns the number of bytes in a string. 4. and monetary formatting to format the HTML pages according to the cultural conventions of the locale. If the Accept Language header is NULL.php. Recently a new intl package has been added to PECL. The following PHP code retrieves the ISO locale from the Accept-Language HTTP header through the $_SERVER Server variable. the application should construct HTML content in the language of the locale and follow the cultural conventions implied by the locale. 2. Once it has determined the preferred locale of the user. time. The common extensions are mbstring and iconv. 235 . You can change the behavior of the standard PHP string functions by setting mbstring.
Table 18: Locale representations in ISO.) Chinese (Taiwan) English (U.C.S.A) English (United Kingdom) French (Canada) French (France) German Italian Japanese Korean Portuguese (Brazil) Portuguese Spanish Locale ID zh-CN zh-TW en-US en-GB fr-CA fr-FR de it ja ko pt-BR pt es NLS_LANGUAGE SIMPLIFIED CHINESE TRADITIONAL CHINESE AMERICAN ENGLISH CANADIAN FRENCH FRENCH GERMAN ITALIAN JAPANESE KOREAN BRAZILIAN PORTUGUESE PORTUGUESE SPANISH NLS_TERRITORY CHINA TAIWAN AMERICA UNITED KINGDOM CANADA FRANCE GERMANY ITALY JAPAN KOREA BRAZIL PORTUGAL SPAIN Encoding HTML Pages The encoding of an HTML page is important information for a browser and an Internet application. Oracle recommends that you use UTF-8 (Unicode encoding) for all page encodings. For example.Globalization When you write global applications implemented in different programming environments. or in HTML page header. You can think of the page encoding as the character set used for the locale that an Internet application is serving. Locale Chinese (P. 236 . Table 18 shows how some commonly used locales are defined in ISO and Oracle environments. you should enable the synchronization of user locale settings between the different environments. Internet applications must know about the HTML page encoding so they can process input data from an HTML form. The PL/SQL UTL_I18N package contains mapping functions that can map between ISO and Oracle locales. SQL and PL/SQL programming environments. Instead of using different native encodings for the different locales.R. Specifying the Page Encoding for HTML Pages You can specify the encoding of an HTML page either in the HTTP header. The browser must know about the page encoding so that it can use the correct fonts and character set mapping tables to display the HTML pages. PHP applications that call PL/SQL procedures should map the ISO locales to the corresponding NLS_LANGUAGE and NLS_TERRITORY values and change the parameter values to match the locale of the user before calling the PL/SQL procedures. but it also enables multilingual content on a single page. This encoding not only simplifies the coding for global applications.
Your application must ensure that the server-generated pages are encoded in UTF-8. Enter UTF-8 for the default_charset parameter.Encoding HTML Pages Specifying the Encoding in the HTTP Header To specify HTML page encoding in the HTTP header. specify the character encoding in the HTML header as follows: <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html. Organizing the Content of HTML Pages for Translation Making the user interface available in the local language of the user is a fundamental task in globalizing an application.charset=utf-8"> The charset parameter specifies the encoding for the HTML page. As with the Content-Type HTTP Header. The Content-Type HTTP header has the following form: Content-Type: text/html. Open the Zend Core for Oracle Administration Console by entering the URL in a web browser: http://<machine_name>/ZendCore Login and navigate to Configuration > PHP > Data Handling. charset=utf-8 The charset parameter specifies the encoding for the HTML page.ini: default_charset = UTF-8 To enable character set encoding of HTML pages using the Zend Core for Oracle Administration Console. include the Content-Type HTTP header in the HTTP specification. Restart Apache. The possible values for the charset parameter are the IANA names for the character encodings that the browser supports. Save the configuration. To specify HTML page encoding in the HTML page header. It specifies the content type and character set. 3. This setting does not imply any conversion of outgoing pages. Specifying the Encoding in the HTML Page Header Use this method primarily for static HTML pages. 4. 2. the possible values for the charset parameter are the IANA (Internet Assigned Numbers Authority) names for the character encodings that the browser supports. Translatable sources for the content of an HTML page belong to the following categories: 237 . 5. Specifying the Page Encoding in PHP You can specify the encoding of an HTML page in the Content-Type HTTP header in PHP by setting the default_charset configuration variable in php. 1.
Depending on the application logic and the volume of data retrieved from the database. To differentiate the languages of the translated files. Some languages are collated according to the letter sequence in the alphabet. the symbol '. These text messages can be stored in flat files or database tables depending on the type and the volume of the data being translated. For example. Oracle offers many features that help to refine the presentation of data when the locale preference of the user is known. and some languages are ordered by the pronunciation of the words. whereas in the United Kingdom it means '12th November 2005'. Different languages have their own sorting rules.' is a decimal separator in the United States. so that the text is readily available for translation. To select the desired language. stage the static files of different languages in different directories or with different file names. PHP's gettext extension is often used for this purpose. Data from the Database Dynamic information such as product names and product descriptions is typically stored in the database. This can be a particular problem in PHP when database numbers are fetched as PHP strings. they should be translated into the corresponding language with UTF-8 as the file encoding. Presenting Data Using Conventions Expected by the User Data in the application must be presented in a way that conforms to the expectation of the user. images files. Presenting data not sorted in the linguistic sequence that your users are accustomed to can make searching for information difficult and time consuming. For example. you must include a WHERE clause in your query. the database schema holding this information should include a column to indicate the language. it may be more appropriate to format the data at the database level rather than at the application level. 238 . To differentiate various translations. in Germany this symbol is a thousand separator. Similar confusion exists for number and monetary formats of the users. Otherwise. the date '12/11/05' implies '11th December 2005' in the United States. some according to the number of stroke counts in the letter. The following sections provide examples of locale-sensitive operations in SQL.Globalization ● ● ● Text strings included in the application code Static HTML files. and template files such as CSS Dynamic data stored in the database Strings in PHP You should externalize translatable strings within your PHP application logic. When these files are translated. the meaning of the data can be misinterpreted. Static Files Static files such as HTML and text stored as images are readily translatable.
King 24. In the two territories.00 EMPID ---------100 101 102 103 104 SQL> alter session set nls_territory = germany.Kochhar 17.Ernst 6. substr(first_name.'||last_name "EmpName".1.00 B. EmpName Salary --------------------------.php <?php $c = oci_connect('hr'.00 N.1.000.De Haan 17.000.00 L.1)||'.000.De Haan 17.Kochhar 17. to_char(salary. 'hrpwd'.---------S. The conversion is done by Oracle and can be customized. The following examples illustrate the differences in the decimal character and group separator between the United States and Germany when numbers are converted to strings by Oracle. '99G999D99') "Salary" from employees where employee_id < 105.000. Session altered. 'localhost/XE'). SQL> alter session set nls_territory = america.Ernst 6.00 B.---------S.000.King 24.000.000. EmpName Salary --------------------------.00 EMPID ---------100 101 102 103 104 The format '99G999D99' contains the 'G' thousands separator and 'D' decimal separator at the appropriate places in the desired output number.Hunold 9.Presenting Data Using Conventions Expected by the User Oracle Number Formats OCI8 fetches numbers as PHP strings.000. SQL> 2 3 4 5 select employee_id EmpID.'||last_name "EmpName". '99G999D99') "Salary" from employees where employee_id < 105.00 A. to_char(salary.1)||'. SQL> 2 3 4 5 select employee_id EmpID.000. substr(first_name.00 A.00 N.00 L. Session altered. the actual character displayed is different. The equivalent PHP example is: Script 88: numformat. 239 . It is possible to lose decimal places or get errors in PHP when it internally converts strings not using the US formatting conventions.Hunold 9.000.
short. $n1 = $r['NUM']. such as the value in NLS_LANG. "select 123.. "alter session set nls_numeric_characters = '. ?> // value as fetched // now cast it to a number The output is: string(7) "123. SQL> alter session set nls_territory = america nls_language = american. It can be set as an environment variable: # export NLS_NUMERIC_CHARACTERS=". oci_execute($s).'"). var_dump($n1). 240 . oci_execute($s). $s = oci_parse($c. OCI_ASSOC). or by using an ALTER SESSION command in PHP: $s = oci_parse($c. $n2 = (float)$n1. The latter variable can be used to override the number format while other territory settings remain in effect. $r = oci_fetch_array($s. var_dump($n2). The following examples illustrate the differences between the short date and long date formats for both the United States and Germany..567 as num from dual"). and long dates. Changing it in PHP is likely to be the slowest of the methods. or the value of NLS_NUMERIC_CHARACTERS. The three different date presentation formats in Oracle are standard.567) The problem can also occur depending on the territory component of NLS_LANG. The tip Do Not Set the Date Format Unnecessarily in the chapter Connecting to Oracle Using OCI8 shows how an ALTER SESSION command can be used in a database logon trigger. oci_execute($s). SQL> select employee_id EmpID. "alter session set nls_territory = germany").567" float(123." # apachectl start or with a logon trigger.Globalization $s = oci_parse($c. Oracle Date Formats The basic date format used by Oracle depends on your Globalization settings.567" float(123) If NLS_TERRITORY had instead been set to america the output would have been correct: string(7) "123.
09.90 21. SQL> 2 3 4 5 6* select employee_id EmpID. "alter session set nls_date_format='YYYY-MM-DD HH24:MI:SS'"). 21. OCI_ASSOC). EmpName ---------------S. to_char(hire_date.Ernst Hiredate -------17. 1989 Wednesday.87 21.Kochhar L.De Haan A.'||last_name "EmpName". oci_execute($s).06. to_char(hire_date. 1993 Wednesday.91 Long HireDate -----------------------------Mittwoch. September 1989 Mittwoch.01. January 13.King N.Kochhar L.1)||'. or change it after connecting in PHP: $s = oci_parse($c.1.89 13.'DS') "Hiredate". $row["SYSDATE"] . "\n". "select sysdate from dual"). If the date format derived from the NLS_LANG setting is not the one you want for your PHP session. 13.'||last_name "EmpName".01. Mai 1991 EMPID ---------100 101 102 103 104 In addition to these three format styles you can customize the format using many other date format specifiers. oci_execute($s). May 21.'DL') "Long HireDate" from employees where employee_id <105. 1990 Tuesday. you can override the format by setting the environment variable NLS_DATE_FORMAT in the shell that starts your web server or PHP executable: # export NLS_DATE_FORMAT='YYYY-MM-DD HH24:MI:SS' # apachectl start Alternatively you can set it in a logon trigger. 21. Januar 1993 Mittwoch. "Date is " .Presenting Data Using Conventions Expected by the User 2 3 4 5 6* substr(first_name. Juni 1987 Donnerstag.1)||'. 17. = oci_fetch_array($s. Search the Oracle documentation for "datetime format elements" to see a list.1. to_char(hire_date.93 03.'DS') "Hiredate". 3. EmpName ----------------S. substr(first_name. June 17. 1991 EMPID ---------100 101 102 103 104 SQL> alter session set nls_territory=germany nls_language=german. Subsequent queries will return the new format: $s = $r = $row echo oci_parse($c. The output is: 241 . 1987 Thursday.Hunold B.Hunold B. Januar 1990 Dienstag. January 3.De Haan A.King N. September 21.'DL') "Long HireDate" from employees where employee_id <105. to_char(hire_date.05.Ernst Hiredate ---------06/17/1987 09/21/1989 01/13/1993 01/03/1990 05/21/1991 Long HireDate ----------------------------Wednesday.
"alter session set nls_date_format='YYYY-MM-DD HH24:MI:SS'"). ":dt". $s = oci_parse($c.Globalization Date is 2007-08-01 11:43:30 One advantage of setting the date format globally instead of using to_char() is it allows PHP and Oracle to share a common format for inserts and queries: Script 89: dateformat. var_dump($res). "select hire_date from employees where employee_id = 1"). oci_execute($s).com'. last_name. // This PHP Date format matches the new Oracle format $d = date('Y-m-d H:i:s'). The following examples illustrate the effect of using a Spanish sort against the employee names Chen and Chung. job_id) values (1. email. ordered after c. oci_execute($s). oci_fetch_all($s. $s = oci_parse($c. hire_date. 2 last_name "Last Name" 3 from employees 242 . respectively. ?> The output is: Inserting 2008-10-23 04:01:17 array(1) { ["HIRE_DATE"]=> array(1) { [0]=> string(19) "2008-10-23 04:01:17" } } Oracle Linguistic Sorts Spain traditionally treats ch. // Set default Oracle date format $s = oci_parse($c. 'hrpwd'. ll as well as ñ as unique letters. oci_bind_by_name($s. 'cj@example. $res). oci_execute($s). 'localhost/XE').php <?php $c = oci_connect('hr'. l and n. $d). SQL> select employee_id EmpID. echo "Inserting $d\n". SQL> alter session set nls_sort = binary. :dt. 'ST_CLERK')"). 'Jones'. "insert into employees (employee_id.
SQL> 2 3 4 5 select employee_id EmpID.Presenting Data Using Conventions Expected by the User 4 5 where last_name like 'C%' order by last_name. last_name "Last Name" from employees where last_name like 'C%' order by last_name. Consider the following server message: ORA-00942: table or view does not exist When the NLS_LANGUAGE parameter is set to French. the server message appears as follows: ORA-00942: table ou vue inexistante For more discussion of globalization support features in Oracle Database XE. see Working in a Global Environment in the Oracle Database Express Edition 2 Day Developer Guide. Last Name ------------------------Cabrio Cambrault Cambrault Chen Chung Colmenares EMPID ---------187 148 154 110 188 119 SQL> alter session set nls_sort = spanish_m. Last Name ------------------------Cabrio Cambrault Cambrault Colmenares Chen Chung EMPID ---------187 148 154 119 110 188 Oracle Error Messages The NLS_LANGUAGE parameter also controls the language of the database error messages being returned from the database. 243 . Setting this parameter prior to submitting your SQL statement ensures that the language-specific database error messages will be returned to the application.
Globalization 244 .
php. You should run the tests after building PHP on Linux. For the tests to run successfully some configuration is needed. either by editing the details. If PHP is running on the same machine as the database.inc. 245 . $password = "systempwd".2.7/ext/oci8/tests verify the behavior of the OCI8 extension. types. The tests rely on being able to create tables.net. The PHP source code includes tests for all the core functionality and extensions. you may have to grant that database user extra privileges. and so on. Set the Oracle connection details. then also set: $oracle_on_localhost = TRUE. You should also verify your applications work correctly with any new PHP binary before putting it into production. set the connection string for the database: $dbase = "localhost/XE". To run the OCI8 tests: 1. In older versions of PHP these variables are located in connect.inc test configuration file. stored procedures. This specifies to test functionality where the Oracle database directly accesses files created by PHP.php. This gives load and real-life testing not possible with PHP's command-line test suite. Adding tests that are relevant to your application reduces the risks of PHP developers breaking PHP features important to you. http://snaps. This ensures PHP continues doing what you need.7/ext/oci8/tests/details.inc and set the Oracle system user password for your database: $user = "system".net. If the database and PHP are not using the same file system.2. Running OCI8 Tests The tests in php-5. It is also a good idea to pro-actively test your applications with PHP "release candidates" and snapshots. this is not possible and the variable should be left FALSE. Please send new tests or report issues with PHP's test suite to php-qa@lists. Consider contributing new tests to the PHP community.CHAPTER 16 TESTING PHP AND THE OCI8 EXTENSION This Chapter discusses installing and running the PHP source code tests for OCI8 on Linux. To change the configuration file: Edit php-5. If you change $user. At the end of details.inc. or by setting environment variables. Please report problems so they can be fixed before each final PHP release.
set these environment variables. Alternatively.4 onwards. set: $test_drcp = TRUE To use DRCP.2. for example: variables_order = "EGPCS" Without this flag. with OCI8 1. 4. /usr/local/bin/oraenv ORACLE_SID = [] ? orcl If Oracle is on a different machine. Check that variables_order has E in your php. you may manually need to set the environment variables set by these scripts. At the shell. For example. for PHP linked with Oracle Database XE enter: $ export OH=/usr/lib/oracle/xe/app/oracle/product/10. the pool must be enabled and the connection string must specify that a pooled database server should be used. Set any necessary Oracle environment variables in your shell.2. and you are using Oracle Database 11g Connection Pooling. $OH/bin/oracle_env.7 $ make test If you want to run just the OCI8 tests use: $ make test TESTS=ext/oci8 Each test script is executed and its status reported. $ $ $ $ $ export export export export export PHP_OCI8_TEST_USER=system PHP_OCI8_TEST_PASS=systempwd PHP_OCI8_TEST_DB=localhost/XE PHP_OCI8_TEST_DB_ON_LOCALHOST=TRUE PHP_OCI8_TEST_DRCP=FALSE The variables correspond to the settings described above in section 1. environment variables can be set instead of editing details.3.inc. 2.sh Note the space after the full stop.2. ============================================================== 246 .Testing PHP and the OCI8 Extension Finally. For other database versions run oraenv and enter the identifier of your database: $ .0/server $ . the Oracle environment variables are not propagated through the test system and tests fail to connect. 3. Run PHP's test suite with: $ cd php-5. with PHP 5.ini.
2. but they could be different executables.phpt The TEST_PHP_EXECUTABLE variable contains the PHP binary with which to test demotest.2.6.php script directly and pass the test names as parameters.log File Contents Test framework script PHP file executed Test output Expected output as coded in the . do the following: $ export TEST_PHP_EXECUTABLE=/home/myhome/php-5.2.Linux def 2. if ext/oci8/tests/demotest.7/ext/oci8/tests: Table 19: Test files and their contents. call the run-tests. The test output is similar to the previous output.phpt] PASS oci_bind_array_by_name() and invalid values 2 [array_bind_002.out demotest.php script.phpt] PASS oci_bind_array_by_name() and invalid values 3 [array_bind_003.diff demotest.phpt demotest.exp demotest.phpt fails.2.Running OCI8 Tests PHP : /home/myhome/php-5.7/sapi/cli/php PHP_SAPI : cli PHP_VERSION : 5.INIs : CWD : /home/myhome/php-5. the same PHP binary is used to run the controlling run-tests. Successful tests begin with PASS. to run the demotest.ini More .phpt] ..0 PHP_OS : Linux .phpt.2. File name demotest.7 ZEND_VERSION: 2.7/sapi/cli/php run-tests.7 Extra dirs : ============================================================== Running selected tests. In the example. the following files will be in php-5. Running a Single Test To run only one or two tests.2.7/sapi/cli/php $ /home/myhome/php-5.phpt file Difference between actual and expected output Actual and expected output in a single file 247 .php demotest. For example. Tests that are to be skipped in the current configuration are marked SKIP.2. A summary of the failing tests is given at the completion of the tests.php \ > ext/oci8/tests/demotest.24-19-generic INI actual : /usr/local/apache/conf/php. Failing tests are marked FAIL. For example.phpt script.. PASS oci_bind_array_by_name() and invalid values 1 [array_bind_001. Tests that Fail The output of failing tests is kept for analysis.
?> ===DONE=== <?php exit(0). The SKIPIF section causes the test to be skipped when the OCI8 extension is not enabled in PHP. differences in PHP's var_dump() output will make tests appear to fail. ?> --FILE-<?php require dirname(__FILE__).'/connect. In PHP 5. If you use the latest OCI8 extension with an older version of PHP. or where the PHP test infrastructure doesn't practically allow tests to accept differences in versions of Oracle. oci_execute($s). "select user from dual").inc. ?> --EXPECT-array(1) { ["USER"]=> array(1) { [0]=> string(6) "SYSTEM" } } ===DONE=== The test begins with a comment that is displayed when the test runs. and not the expected output is displayed. The line ===DONE=== is outside the executed script and is echoed verbatim. oci_fetch_all($s.2. create a phpt file in php-5.7/ext/oci8/tests/connect. echo "Done\n". Some of the PHPT content is shown.3.phpt --TEST-Demo to test the Test system --SKIPIF-<?php if (!extension_loaded('oci8')) die("skip no oci8 extension"). create demotest. This can make it easier to quickly validate tests: 248 . $res).inc.inc is found in php-5.phpt: Script 90: demotest. $s = oci_parse($c. The extra PHP block containing exit(0) makes running the test directly in PHP a little cleaner. The file connect. It includes details. and returns the connection resource in $c. Creating OCI8 Tests To add a new OCI8 test. The EXPECT section has the expected output. but this will limit test compatibility. you can use PHP's inbuilt constant __DIR__ instead of dirname(__FILE__) to locate the correct included files. These might be for unfixed bugs.7/ext/oci8/tests using the test file format. The FILE section is the PHP code to be executed.2. verifying that the script completed.Testing PHP and the OCI8 Extension Occasionally a few tests are known to fail.inc'. var_dump($res). When you run make test the new file is automatically run. For example. but only the actual. connects to Oracle.
inc Each test should create any objects it needs and drop them at the end of the test.phpt --TEST-Demo to test the Test system --SKIPIF---FILE-array(1) { ["USER"]=> array(1) { [0]=> string(6) "SYSTEM" } } Done ===DONE=== The page Writing Tests at http://qa.7/ext/oci8/tests for creating and dropping basic tables and types: ● ● ● ● create_table. including ways to set arguments and php. For the errors above. which has smaller defaults.Creating OCI8 Tests $ php demotest. simple and self-diagnosing requires fine judgment and tidy programming.net/write-test. Configuring the Database For Testing Sometimes it is possible for rapidly executing OCI8 test scripts to flood the database with connections. there are several useful scripts in php-5. Application level testing brings even more challenges. Writing good units tests is an art. 249 .inc and details.2. There are several PHP test frameworks with sophisticated features that might be more suited to your application test suites. Random tests fail with errors like the following: ORA-12516 TNS:listener could not find available handler with matching protocol stack ORA-12520: TNS:listener could not find available handler for requested type of server The solution is to configure the database to suit the load.inc drop_type.php.ini parameters.inc.php shows other sections a test file can have.inc drop_table. This page also has generic examples and helpful information on writing tests. This may be noticeable with Oracle Database XE. accurate. the number of "processes" that Oracle can handle needs to be increased. OCI8 Test Helper Scripts Along with connect. Making a test portable.inc create_type. They include PHPUnit and SimpleTest.
Total System Global Area 289406976 bytes Fixed Size 1258488 bytes Variable Size 96472072 bytes Database Buffers 188743680 bytes Redo Buffers2932736 bytes Database mounted. 7.----------. 6. followed by the STARTUP command: SQL> shutdown immediate Database closed.. Use the SHOW PARAMETER PROCESSES command to confirm the new value is in effect: SQL> show parameter processes NAME TYPE VALUE ------------------------. $ORACLE_HOME/bin/oracle_env. System altered. for example: $ export ORACLE_HOME=/usr/lib/oracle/xe/app/oracle/product/10. processes integer 40 5. Database opened.Testing PHP and the OCI8 Extension To increase the number of processes in Oracle: 1. say. Check the current value of processes using the SHOW PARAMETER PROCESSES command: SQL> show parameter processes NAME TYPE VALUE ------------------------.sh 3.----------.. Use SQL*Plus to connect as a privileged database user: $ sqlplus / as sysdba 4. Increase the value to. SQL> startup ORACLE instance started..---------. Database dismounted.0/server $ . ORACLE instance shut down. Restart the database using the SHUTDOWN IMMEDIATE. You may need to su as the oracle user so you have operating system privileges to start SQL*Plus: $ su – oracle Password: 2.2.. 100: SQL> alter system set processes=100 scope=spfile. processes integer 100 250 . Set the Oracle environment variables needed by SQL*Plus.----------.
Exit SQL*Plus using the EXIT command: SQL> exit 9.Configuring the Database For Testing 8. Now the tests can be run again: $ make test TESTS=ext/oci8 251 .
Testing PHP and the OCI8 Extension 252 .
php <?php oci_internal_debug(1). "localhost/XE").c:2674) DEBUG L1: create_spool: (0x8959b70) at (/php/ext/oci8/oci8.c:2644) DEBUG: OCISessionPoolCreate at (/php/ext/oci8/oci8.c:3057) DEBUG: OCIContextGetValue at (/php/ext/oci8/oci8.c:3154) DEBUG: OCIMemoryAlloc at (/php/ext/oci8/oci8. "hrpwd".APPENDIX A TRACING OCI8 INTERNALS This Appendix discusses tracing the OCI8 internals. This is mostly useful for the maintainers of the OCI8 extension. For a script that connects and does an insert: Script 91: trace.c:2772) DEBUG: OCIHandleAlloc at (/php/ext/oci8/oci8.c:2690) DEBUG L1: using shared pool: (0x8959b70) at (/php/ext/oci8/oci8.c:3014) DEBUG: OCIAttrGet at (/php/ext/oci8/oci8.c:3027) DEBUG L1: (numopen=0)(numbusy=0) at (/php/ext/oci8/oci8. $s = oci_parse($conn.c:3059) DEBUG: OCIContextGetValue at (/php/ext/oci8/oci8. oci_execute($s. // turn on tracing $conn = oci_connect("hr".c:3055) DEBUG: OCIAttrGet at (/php/ext/oci8/oci8.c:2632) DEBUG: OCIHandleAlloc at (/php/ext/oci8/oci8.c:3026) DEBUG: OCIAttrGet at (/php/ext/oci8/oci8.c:2972) DEBUG: OCIHandleAlloc at (/php/ext/oci8/oci8.c:3161) DEBUG: OCIContextSetValue at (/php/ext/oci8/oci8. Enabling OCI8 Debugging output Tracing can be turned on in your script with oci_internal_debug().c:3029) DEBUG: OCISessionGet at (/php/ext/oci8/oci8.c:3002) DEBUG: OCIAttrSet at (/php/ext/oci8/oci8. OCI_DEFAULT).c:2983) DEBUG: OCIHandleAlloc at (/php/ext/oci8/oci8. you can turn on debugging output. "insert into testtable values ('my data')").c:3040) DEBUG: OCIAttrGet at (/php/ext/oci8/oci8.c:2662) DEBUG: OCIAttrSet at (/php/ext/oci8/oci8.c:2993) DEBUG: OCIAttrSet at (/php/ext/oci8/oci8. To see exactly what calls to the Oracle database the OCI8 extension makes.c:1867) DEBUG: OCIEnvNlsCreate at (/php/ext/oci8/oci8.c:3175) 253 . // do not auto-commit ?> You get output like: OCI8 OCI8 OCI8 OCI8 OCI8 OCI8 OCI8 OCI8 OCI8 OCI8 OCI8 OCI8 OCI8 OCI8 OCI8 OCI8 OCI8 OCI8 OCI8 OCI8 OCI8 OCI8 OCI8 DEBUG: OCINlsEnvironmentVariableGet at (/php/ext/oci8/oci8.c:1822) DEBUG L1: Got NO cached connection at (/php/ext/oci8/oci8.
c:2214) OCI8 DEBUG: OCIHandleFree at (/php/ext/oci8/oci8.c:396) OCI8 DEBUG: OCIStmtExecute at (/php/ext/oci8/oci8_statement. If you change to auto-commit mode you will not see a call to OCITransCommit() because the commit message is piggy-backed with Oracle's statement execution call.c:723) OCI8 DEBUG: OCIHandleFree at (/php/ext/oci8/oci8_statement. do the transaction management yourself.c:731) OCI8 DEBUG: OCITransRollback at (/php/ext/oci8/oci8.c:1119) Many of these calls just allocate local resources (handles) and set local state (attributes).c:3085) OCI8 DEBUG L1: New Non-Persistent Connection address: (0x88e0adc) at (/php/ext/oci8/oci8.c:72) OCI8 DEBUG: OCIAttrSet at (/php/ext/oci8/oci8_statement. 254 .c:2217) OCI8 DEBUG: OCISessionPoolDestroy at (/php/ext/oci8/oci8.c:420) OCI8 DEBUG: OCIStmtRelease at (/php/ext/oci8/oci8_statement.c:2095) OCI8 DEBUG: OCIHandleAlloc at (/php/ext/oci8/oci8_statement. num_links=(1) at (/php/ext/oci8/oci8.c:122) OCI8 DEBUG: OCIAttrGet at (/php/ext/oci8/oci8_statement. One of these is the OCITransRollback() call near the end of the script. Otherwise.c:3122) OCI8 DEBUG: OCIHandleFree at (/php/ext/oci8/oci8.c:3126) OCI8 DEBUG: OCIHandleFree at (/php/ext/oci8/oci8.c:3134) OCI8 DEBUG: OCIHandleFree at (/php/ext/oci8/oci8. If a script only inserts one row it is fine to auto-commit.c:2330) OCI8 DEBUG: OCIHandleFree at (/php/ext/oci8/oci8. As part of PHP's end of HTTP request shutdown at the conclusion of the script. thus saving a round-trip.c:3130) OCI8 DEBUG: OCIHandleFree at (/php/ext/oci8/oci8. The OCI_DEFAULT flag said not to auto-commit and there was no explicit oci_commit() call.c:2093) OCI8 DEBUG L1: num_persistent=(0).c:57) OCI8 DEBUG: OCIStmtPrepare2 at (/php/ext/oci8/oci8_statement.c:1114) OCI8 DEBUG: OCIHandleFree at (/php/ext/oci8/oci8.Tracing OCI8 Internals OCI8 DEBUG: OCIAttrSet at (/php/ext/oci8/oci8. but some require a round trip to the database. the rollback was issued.c:2167) OCI8 DEBUG: OCISessionRelease at (/php/ext/oci8/oci8.
c> php_admin_flag oci8. The parameter values can be changed in the PHP configuration file php.connection_class MYPHPAPP </IfModule> The web server must be restarted for any changes to take effect.ini using administrative privileges.APPENDIX B OCI8 PHP. for example: oci8.ini parameters Name oci8.connection_class Default null Valid Range Description A short string A user-chosen name for Oracle Database 11g Connection Pooling (DRCP).INI PARAMETERS This Appendix lists the php.old_oci_close_semantics On php_admin_value oci8. Can also be set with ini_set(). Discussion of their use is covered in previous chapters. Table 20: OCI8 php. Introduced in OCI8 1. use the same name for all web servers running the same application.ini. The location of php.conf: <IfModule mod_php5. ?> If you are using Windows Vista.php <?php phpinfo().ini parameters for the OCI8 extension. remember to edit php.ini and the current values of the OCI8 parameters can be found by running the command line PHP executable with the -i option. In general.3.default_prefetch = 75 Variables can also be set in httpd. or by loading this script in a browser: Script 92: phpinfo. 255 .
privileged_connect oci8. Introduced in OCI8 1. Improves database performance by caching the given number of SQL statements in PHP.ini Parameters Name oci8. oci8. Maximum number of persistent connections each PHP process caches. Toggles whether oci_close() uses the old behavior.ping_interval 60 oci8.OCI8 php.persistent_timeout Off -1 Off or On > -1 How many seconds a persistent connection is allowed to remain idle -1 means no before being terminated.events Default Off Valid Range Description Off or On Allows PHP to receive Fast Application Notification (FAN) events from Oracle to give immediate notification of a database node or network failure. The database must be configured to post events. timeout >= 0 How many seconds a persistent connection can be unused before an -1 means no extra check at connection verifies the extra database connection is still valid. checking Off or On oci8. which was a "no-op".3.statement_cache_size Off 20 Toggles whether SYSDBA and SYSOPER connections are permitted.max_persistent -1 >= -1 -1 means no limit oci8.old_oci_close_semantics oci8. >0 256 .
Steps to do this are given in this book.ini parameters) oci_close() oci_new_cursor() oci_free_statement() 257 . The old OCI8 names still exist as aliases. PECL OCI8 releases from 1. If you are using PHP 4 and cannot upgrade to PHP 5. PHP 4 functions like OCILogin() became oci_connect(). so PHP 4 scripts do not necessarily need to be changed. check both manual pages for user tips. or on the page for the new syntax.3 extension builds and runs with PHP 4 too.1 onwards have the name standardization change. Table 21 shows the OCI8 function names in PHP 4 and PHP 5 where names or functionality differ. One side effect of renaming the function names is that user contributed comments in the PHP manual (http://www. and so on. OCIParse() became oci_parse().APPENDIX C OCI8 FUNCTION NAMES IN PHP 4 AND PHP 5 In PHP 5 several extensions including OCI8 underwent name standardization. The comments are either on the page for the old syntax. Note: The OCI8 1.php. Function names in PHP are case insensitive and it is common to see the PHP 4 names written with a capitalized prefix.net/oci8) are found in two different places. Table 21: Relationship between OCI8's PHP 4 and PHP 5 function names. Operation Connection Action Open connection Open new connection Persistent connection Close connection Cursor Open cursor Close cursor PHP 4 Name ocilogon() ocinlogon() ociplogon() ocilogoff() ocinewcursor() ocifreecursor() ocifreestatement() PHP 5 Name oci_connect() oci_new_connect() oci_pconnect() (and new php. you should replace the OCI8 code with the new version to get improved stability and performance optimizations. Where a function has an alias.
OCI8 Function Names in PHP 4 and PHP 5 Operation Parsing Binding Action Parse statement PHP 4 Name ociparse() PHP 5 Name oci_parse() oci_bind_by_name() oci_bind_array_by_name() oci_define_by_name() Bind variable ocibindbyname() Bind array Not available ocidefinebyname() Defining Define output variables Execute statement Fetch row Fetch row Execution Fetching ociexecute() ocifetch() ocifetchinto() oci_execute() oci_fetch() oci_fetch_array() oci_fetch_row() oci_fetch_assoc() oci_fetch_object() Fetch all rows ocifetchstatement() Fetch column ociresult() Is the column ocicolumnisnull() NULL? Cancel Fetch Transaction Management Commit Rollback Descriptors ocicancel() ocicommit() ocirollback() ocinewdescriptor() ocifreedesc() Error Handling ocierror() oci_fetch_all() oci_result() oci_field_is_null() oci_cancel() oci_commit() oci_rollback() oci_new_descriptor() oci_free_descriptor() oci_error() 258 .
OCI8 Function Names in PHP 4 and PHP 5 Operation Long Objects (LOBs) Note: Methods on a collection object can be used in addition to these functions. ocifreecollection() ocicollappend() ocicollgetelem() ocicollassign() ocicollassignelem() ocicollsize() ocicollmax() ocicolltrim() Metadata Statement type ocistatementtype() oci_free_collection() oci_collection_append() oci_collection_element_get() OCI-Collection->assign() oci_collection_element_assign() oci_collection_size() oci_collection_max() oci_collection_trim() oci_statement_type() ocinewcollection() oci_lob_load() OCI-Lob->close() oci_new_collection() 259 . Action PHP 4 Name ocisavelob() PHP 5 Name oci_lob_save() ocisavelobfile() ociwritelobtofile() oci_lob_import() oci_lob_export() ociwritetemporarylob() OCI-Lob->writeTemporary() ociloadlob() ocicloselob() Collections Note: Methods on a collection object can be used in addition to these functions.
OCI8 Function Names in PHP 4 and PHP 5 Operation Action PHP 4 Name PHP 5 Name oci_field_name() oci_field_size() oci_field_type() oci_field_type_raw() oci_field_precision() oci_field_scale() oci_num_rows() oci_num_fields() ocicolumnname() Name of result column Size of result column ocicolumnsize() ocicolumntype() Datatype of result column ocicolumntyperaw() Datatype of result column ocicolumnprecision() Precision of result column Scale of result ocicolumnscale() column ocirowcount() Number of rows affected Number of columns returned Changing Password Tracing Server Version Tuning ocinumcols() ocipasswordchange() ociinternaldebug() ociserverversion() ocisetprefetch() oci_password_change() oci_internal_debug() oci_server_version() oci_set_prefetch() (and new php.ini parameter) 260 .
Paying some attention to transaction management and connection handling is wise to make sure all your data is committed when you expect it to be. and changing the ora_ function calls in your scripts. The functionality it offered was limited.APPENDIX D THE OBSOLETE ORACLE EXTENSION This Appendix discusses the obsolete Oracle PHP extension.ini parameters) oci_close() oci_new_cursor() oci_free_statement() oci_parse() oci_bind_by_name() oci_bind_array_by_name() oci_execute() Open connection ora_logon() Open new connection Persistent connection Not available ora_plogon() Close connection ora_logoff() Cursor Open cursor Close cursor Parsing Binding Parse statement Bind variable Bind array Execution Execute statement ora_open() ora_close() ora_parse() ora_bind() Not applicable ora_exec() 261 . Operation Connection Action ORA function (obsolete) OCI8 function oci_connect() oci_new_connect() oci_pconnect() (and new php. and upgrading to the new OCI8 extension might be as simple as enabling the newer OCI8 extension in the PHP binary. Very rarely you might come across PHP scripts that use the early Oracle extension. Oracle and OCI8 Comparison Table 22 shows the general relationship between the obsolete and current extensions. This extension is obsolete and is no longer included with PHP. Table 22: Relationship between the OCI8 and the obsolete Oracle extensions. This Chapter gives a comparison of the obsoleted Oracle PHP extension and the current OCI8 extension.
The Obsolete Oracle Extension Operation Action Prepare. execute and fetch ORA function (obsolete) ora_do() OCI8 function oci_parse() oci_execute() Followed by one of: oci_fetch_all() oci_fetch_array() oci_fetch_assoc() oci_fetch_object() oci_fetch_row() oci_fetch() Fetching Fetch row Fetch row ora_fetch() ora_fetch_into oci_fetch() oci_fetch_array() oci_fetch_row() oci_fetch_assoc() oci_fetch_object() Fetch all rows Fetch column Is the column NULL? Cancel Fetch Transaction Commit Management Commit mode Rollback Error Handling Not applicable ora_getcolumn() Not applicable Not applicable ora_commit() ora_commiton() ora_commitoff() ora_rollback() ora_error() ora_errorcode() oci_fetch_all() oci_result() oci_field_is_null() oci_cancel() oci_commit() Pass OCI_DEFAULT flag to oci_execute() oci_rollback() oci_error() 262 .
Oracle and OCI8 Comparison Operation Long Objects (LOBS) Action ORA function (obsolete) Not applicable OCI8 function OCI-Lob->append OCI-Lob->close OCI-Lob->eof OCI-Lob->erase OCI-Lob->export OCI-Lob->flush OCI-Lob->free OCI-Lob->getBuffering OCI-Lob->import OCI-Lob->load OCI-Lob->read OCI-Lob->rewind OCI-Lob->save OCI-Lob->saveFile OCI-Lob->seek OCI-Lob->setBuffering OCI-Lob->size OCI-Lob->tell OCI-Lob->truncate OCI-Lob->write OCI-Lob->writeTemporary OCI-Lob->writeToFile Collections Not applicable OCI-Collection->append OCI-Collection->assign OCI-Collection->assignElem OCI-Collection->free OCI-Collection->getElem OCI-Collection->max OCI-Collection->size OCI-Collection->trim Metadata Statement type Name of result column Not applicable ora_columnname() oci_statement_type() oci_field_name() 263 .
The Obsolete Oracle Extension Operation Action Size of result column ORA function (obsolete) ora_columnsize() OCI8 function oci_field_size() oci_field_type() oci_field_type_raw() oci_field_precision() oci_field_scale() oci_num_rows() oci_num_fields() oci_password_change() oci_internal_debug() oci_server_version() oci_set_prefetch() (and new php.ini parameter) Datatype of result ora_columntype() column Precision of result Not applicable column Scale of result column Number of rows effected Not applicable ora_numrows() ora_numcols() Number of columns returned Changing Password Tracing Server Version Tuning Not applicable Not applicable Not applicable Not applicable 264 .
com/technology/forums/php. and to other web sites of interest.oracle.oracle.com/technology/tech/php/index.oracle.oracle.com/ Oracle Documentation Oracle Documentation Portal http://tahiti.oracle.com/alison/ AskTom General Oracle language and application design help http://asktom.oracle.com/ Oracle Metalink Oracle Support web site http://metalink.com/technology/tech/php/pdf/underground-php-oraclemanual. resources and articles discussed in this book.com/opal/ Blog: Alison Holloway on PHP http://blogs. This book itself can be found online at: http://www.pdf General Information and Forums PHP Developer Center on Oracle Technology Network (OTN) http://www.com/ 265 .html Blog: Christopher Jones on OPAL http://blogs.oracle.oracle.oracle.html OTN PHP Discussion Forum http://www.com/ Oracle's Free and Open Source Software http://oss.APPENDIX E RESOURCES This Appendix gives links to documentation.
oracle. 2nd Edition 2007 266 .2) http://download.com/pls/xe102/homepage Oracle Database Express Edition. Apress. 2008 PHP Oracle Web Development Yuli Vasiliev.htm Oracle Database PL/SQL Language Reference Oracle Database 11g Release 1 (11. 2 Day Plus Locator Developer Guide Oracle Database 10g Release 2 (10.htm Oracle Database 10g Express Edition Documentation Oracle Database 10g Express Edition (XE) Release 2 (10. 2007 Application Development with Oracle & PHP on Linux for Beginners Ivan Bayross and Sharanam Shah.com/docs/cd/B25329_01/doc/appdev.1) http://download.htm Oracle Database Net Services Administrator's Guide Oracle Database 11g Release 1 (11.com/docs/cd/B25329_01/doc/appdev. Shroff Publishers & Distributers.Resources Oracle Call Interface Programmer's Guide Oracle Database 11g Release 1 (11.htm Selected PHP and Oracle Books Oracle Database AJAX & PHP Web Application Development Lee Barney and Michael McLaughlin.oracle.2) http://www.com/docs/cd/B28359_01/appdev.htm Oracle Database SQL Language Reference Oracle Database 11g Release 1 (11.com/docs/cd/B28359_01/network.oracle. Oracle Press.com/docs/cd/B28359_01/server.111/b28395/toc.oracle.1) http://download.102/b28004/toc.102/b25317/toc.oracle.111/b28370/toc.htm Oracle Database Express Edition 2 Day Plus PHP Developer Guide http://download.oracle. Packt Publishing.oracle.1) http://download. Jason Gilmore and Bob Bryla. 2007 Beginning PHP and Oracle: From Novice to Professional W.111/b28316/toc.111/b28286/toc.com/docs/cd/B28359_01/appdev.1) http://download.
2006 Easy Oracle PHP: Create Dynamic Web Pages with Oracle Data Mladen Gogala.pdf The PHP 5 Data Object (PDO) Abstraction Layer and Oracle Wez Furlong http://www. Rampant TechPress. Osbourne Oracle Press. Oracle Press. 2006 Articles and Other References http://www.com/technology/tech/php/htdocs/php_troubleshooting_faq. Improving Performance Through Persistent Connections John Coggeshall http://www.Selected PHP and Oracle Books Oracle Database 10g Express Edition PHP Web Programming Michael McLaughlin.php 267 . April 2008 http://www.html Using PHP 5 with Oracle XML DB Yuli Vasiliev http://www.pdf Oracle Database 11g PL/SQL Programming Michael McLaughlin.com/technology/tech/php/pdf/globalizing_oracle_php_applica tions.com/technology/pub/articles/php_experts/otn_pdo_oracle5.net/downloads.com/technology/pub/articles/oracle_php_cookbook/coggeshall _persist.oracle.oracle.oracle.oracle.oracle.oracle. 2008.com/technology/tech/php/pdf/php-scalability-ha-twp. Contains a PHP primer.ht ml Software and Source Code PHP Distribution Releases Source and Windows binaries http://www.com/technology/oramag/oracle/05-jul/o45php.php.html An Overview on Globalizing Oracle PHP Applications http://www.htm l PHP Scalability and High Availability Oracle Whitepaper.
com/technology/tech/php/zendcore/ Oracle Instant Client http://www.org/ 268 .net/ PHP Extension for JDeveloper http://www.com/technology/products/jdev/htdocs/partners/addins/exchan ge/php/index.com/technology/tech/oci/instantclient/ OCI8 Source Code in CVS http://cvs.de/ SimpleTest PHP Unit Tester http://www.html PHPUnit PHP Unit Tester http://www.net/ PECL OCI8 Source package http://pecl.oracle.php.cgi/php-src/ext/oci8/ Oracle SQL Developer Downloads and documentation http://www.com/technology/products/database/sql_developer/index.net/package/oci8 PECL PDO_OCI Source snapshot http://pecl.xdebug.php.oracle.php.oracle.html ADOdb Database Abstraction Library for PHP (and Python) http://adodb.oracle.simpletest.sourceforge.net/viewcvs.net/package/PDO_OCI Zend Core for Oracle http://www.phpunit.Debugger and Profiler Tool for PHP http://www.Resources PHP Snapshots Snapshots of PHP's source code and Windows binaries http://snaps.org/ Xdebug .php.
php.php.PHP Links PHP Links PHP Home Page http://www.net/ PHP Wiki http://wiki.net/ PHP Bug System http://bugs.net/oci8 PHP PDO Documentation http://www.php.net/docs.net/ 269 .php.php.php.net/pdo PHP Quality Assurance Site http://qa.php.net/ General PHP Documentation http://www.php PHP Oracle OCI8 Documentation http://www.
Resources 270 .
GLOSSARY Anonymous Block A PL/SQL block that appears in your application and is not named or stored in the database. BLOB The BLOB datatype stores unstructured binary data in the database. Used to store and report statistics on database performance. PL/SQL blocks can appear wherever SQL statements can appear. sets and trees. A BFILE column or attribute stores a file locator that points to an external file containing the data. A PL/SQL block groups related declarations and statements. 271 . for example. PL/SQL datatypes TABLE and VARRAY enable collection types such as arrays. Each element has a unique subscript that determines its position in the collection. CLOB and NCLOB The CLOB and NCLOB datatypes store up to 8 terabytes of character data in the database. Connection Identifier The string used to identify which database to connect to. bags. all of the same type. Because these blocks are not stored in the database. nested tables. CLOBs store database character set data. Collection Type A collection is an ordered group of elements. they are generally for one-time use. and NCLOBs store Unicode national character set data. localhost/XE. BFILE The BFILE datatype stores unstructured binary data in operating-system files outside the database. In many applications. AWR Automatic Workload Repository. Binding A method of including data in SQL statements that allows SQL statements to be efficiently reused with different data. lists. CHAR The CHAR datatype stores fixed-length character strings in the database.
It contains the username. Multiple applications can use the same database without any conflict by using different schemas. Also see Easy Connect. and a valid range of values. Data Dictionary A set of tables and views that are used as a read-only reference about the database. password and connect identifier. For example. NUMBER. Datatype Each column value and constant in a SQL statement has a datatype. typically a single Oracle database contains multiple schemas. CVS Concurrent Versions System. Database Link A pointer that defines a one-way communication path from an Oracle Database server to another database server. 272 . In PHP. A database link connection allows local users to access data on a remote database. for example. A person who administers the Oracle database. DDL SQL's Data Definition Language. Each database consists of one or more data files. DATE The DATE datatype stores point-in-time values (dates and times) in a database table. and would usually have SYSDBA access to the database. ALTER. Database A database stores and retrieves data. Although you may have more than one database per machine. SQL statements that define the database structure or schema. which is associated with a specific storage format.Glossary Connection String The full string used to identify which database to connect to commonly used for SQL*Plus. When you create a table. A schema is often equated with a user. hr/hrpwd@localhost/XE. DBA Database Administrator. and DROP. constraints. this is the text used in oci_connect() calls. This person is a specialist in Oracle databases. Database Name The name of the database. you must specify a datatype for each of its columns. like CREATE. an open source version control system used for development of PHP. or DATE.
Glossary DML SQL's Data Manipulation Language. a system global area (SGA) is allocated and Oracle background processes are started. like SELECT. See CLOB. 273 . Unlike an ordinary view. Indexes can be created to increase the performance of data retrieval. Instant Client The Oracle Instant Client is a small set of libraries. it requires minimal installation but has full functionality. and BFILE. LOB Locator A "pointer" to LOB data. BLOB. SQL statements that define or manage the data in the database. Index Indexes are optional structures associated with database tables. UPDATE and DELETE. When an Oracle database is started. A subset of the full Oracle Client. which does not take up any storage space or contain any data. LOB A large object. The combination of the background processes and memory buffers is called an Oracle instance. Instance The Oracle Instance is the running component of an Oracle database server. a materialized view contains the rows resulting from a query against one or more base tables or views. INSERT. Easy Connect A simple hostname and database name string that is used to identify which database to connect to. HR The sample user created by default with an Oracle seed database installation. Instant Client is downloadable from OTN and is usable and distributable for free. The hr user has access to the Human Resources demonstration tables in the HR schema. Materialized View A materialized view provides access to table data by storing the results of a query in a separate database schema object. LOBS may be persistent (stored in the database) or temporary. which allow you to connect to an Oracle Database.
Oracle Net The networking component of Oracle that connects client tools such as PHP to local or remote databases. 274 . and run as a unit to solve a specific problem or perform a set of related tasks.Glossary NCHAR and NVARCHAR2 NCHAR and NVARCHAR2 are Unicode datatypes that store Unicode character data in the database. Procedures. demonstration scripts and error message files for each component of Oracle. These installs contain all software required by PHP in a directory hierarchy. stored in the database. grouped together. Different object privileges are available for different types of schema objects. ORACLE_HOME install An Oracle Client or Oracle Database install. It also hosts software downloads and many discussion forums. utilities. This set of directories includes binaries. OTN The Oracle Technology Network is Oracle's free repository of articles on Oracle technologies. configuration scripts. including one on PHP. functions. functions. Package A group of PL/SQL procedures. or functions. Object Privilege A right to perform a particular action on a specific database schema object. and variable definitions stored in the Oracle database. and variables in packages can be called from other packages. The Oracle Net listener is a process that handles connection requests from clients and passes them to the target database. procedures. along with the cursors and variables they use. NUMBER The NUMBER datatype stores fixed and floating-point numbers in the database. Any program using Oracle typically requires the ORACLE_HOME environment variable to be set to the top level installation directory. Procedures and Functions A PL/SQL procedure or function is a schema object that consists of a set of SQL statements and other PL/SQL programming constructs. Packages A package is a group of related PL/SQL procedures and functions. The privilege to delete rows from the departments table is an example of an object privilege. stored together in the database for continued use as a unit.
ini can also be set at runtime using ini_set(). stored procedures. Schema A schema is a collection of database objects. PHP OCI8 functions may initiate zero or many round trips. Each round trip takes network time and machine CPU resources. stored functions. PL/SQL Oracle's procedural language extension to SQL. Round Trip A call and return sequence from PHP OCI8 to the Database performed by the underlying driver libraries. and packages.Glossary PEAR The PHP Extension and Application Repository (PEAR) is a repository for reusable packages written in PHP. It is a server-side. A schema is owned by a database user and has the same name as that user.ini The configuration file used by PHP. php. In Oracle. and packages. and indexes. functions. you can create and run PL/SQL program units such as procedures. Prepared Statement A SQL statement that has been parsed by the database. stored procedural language that enables you to mix SQL statements with procedural constructs. interpreted scripting language commonly used for web applications. Many (but not all) options that are set in php. the more scalable a system is likely to be. Schema objects include structures like tables. Oracle has several functions that accept regular expressions. views. PL/SQL program units generally are categorized as anonymous blocks. PHP A popular. Schema objects are the logical structures that directly refer to the database's data. With PL/SQL. Regular Expression A pattern used to match data. PHP is a recursive acronym for "PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor". PECL The PHP Extension Community Library (PECL) is a repository of PHP extensions that can be linked into the PHP binary. The fewer round trips performed. it is generally called a parsed statement. 275 .
276 . SQL*Plus The traditional command line tool for executing SQL statements available with all Oracle databases. user-defined object type. It is used during connection to identify which database to connect to. or another synonym. Functions are different than procedures in that functions return a value when executed. Stored Procedures and Functions A PL/SQL block that Oracle stores in the database and can be called by name from an application. When you create a stored procedure or function. SQL*Plus remains hugely popular. package. Oracle Instant Client has an SDK for building programs that use the Instant Client libraries. and stores its parsed representation in the database. Synonym A synonym is an alias for any database table. Although recently superseded by GUI tools like Oracle's free SQL Developer. function. SID (System Identifier) The system identifier is commonly used to mean the database name alias in the connection string. SID (Session Identifier) A session identifier is a unique number assigned to each database user session when they connect to the database. materialized view. view. sys has access to all base tables and views for the database data dictionary. Sequence A sequence (a sequential series of numbers) of Oracle integers of up to 38 digits defined in the database. type. You can obtain it from the SERVICE_NAMES parameter in the database initialization parameter file or by using SHOW PARAMETERS in SQL*Plus.Glossary SDK Software Development Kit. Oracle parses the procedure or function. SYS An Oracle database administrative user account name. procedure. It is also convenient to show examples using SQL*Plus. comprised of the database name and domain name. sequence. Java class schema object. Service Name A service name is a string that is the global database name.
ora The Oracle Net configuration file used for connecting to a database. by default. but with a limited set of privileges that allows basic administrative tasks without having access to user data. SYSTEM An Oracle database administrative user account name that is used to perform all administrative functions other than starting up and shutting down the database. The file maps an alias to a local or remote database and allows various configuration options for connections. For example. SYSOPER Similar to sysdba. the privileges to create tables and to delete the rows of any table in a database.Glossary SYSDBA An Oracle database system privilege that. Temporary Table A Global Temporary Table is a special table that holds session-private data that exists only for the duration of a transaction or session. Table Tables are the basic unit of data storage. or to perform an action on any database schema objects of a particular type. Database tables hold all user-accessible data. Each table has columns and rows. 277 . Tnsnames. The table is created before the application runs. Tablespaces are often created for individual applications because tablespaces can be conveniently managed. TNS stands for Transparent Network Substrate. A database is made up of default and DBA-created tablespaces. System privilege The right to perform a particular action. The alias is used in the PHP connection string. Temporary LOB See LOB. is assigned only to the sys user. Tablespace Tablespaces are the logical units of Oracle data storage made up of one or more datafiles. Users are assigned a default tablespace that holds all the data the users creates. It enables sys to perform high-level administrative tasks such as starting up and shutting down the database.
View Views are customized presentations of data in one or more tables or other views. referred to as the base tables of the views. 278 . view. or event. in the database. VARCHAR and VARCHAR2 These datatypes store variable-length character strings in the database. and has access to tables. or take some follow-up action. The trigger can be called before the event. to prevent erroneous operations or fix new data so that it conforms to business User A database user is often equated to a schema. A view can also be considered a stored query. The trigger can be called after the event. they derive their data from the tables on which they are based. The names are currently synonyms but VARCHAR2 is recommended to ensure maximum compatibility of applications in future. Rather.Glossary Transaction A sequence of SQL statements whose changes are either all committed. to record it. and so on. Views do not actually contain data. Trigger A stored procedure associated with a database table. Each user connects to the database with a username and secret password. XMLType XMLType is a database datatype that can be used to store XML data in table columns. or all rolled back.
and ZendCon. You may be a PHP programmer wanting to learn Oracle. Or you may just want to know the latest best practices. He also helps ensure that future versions of Oracle Database are compatible with PHP He is the author of various technical articles on . She has presented at various PHP conferences. He also helps present Oracle PHP tutorials and PHPFests worldwide. and has presented at conferences including PHP|Tek. the International PHP Conference.The Underground PHP and Oracle Manual About this Book This book is for PHP programmers developing applications for Oracle Database. PHP and Oracle technology. Alison Holloway is a senior product manager at Oracle with a number of years experience in advanced technology. source OCI8 extension and works closely with the PHP community. You may be unsure how to install PHP or Oracle. About the Authors Christopher Jones works for Oracle on dynamic scripting languages with a strong focus on PHP He is a lead maintainer of PHP's open . the O'Reilly Open Source Convention. . Most recently she has been working with Oracle VM. This book gives you the fundamental building blocks needed to create high-performance PHP Oracle Web applications. It bridges the gap between the many PHP and Oracle books available and shows how to use the PHP scripting language with Oracle Database. You may be starting out with PHP for your Oracle Database.
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