Description
PowerBuilder and InfoMaker provide the Oracle 8.0 native database interface that accesses Oracle database servers Version 8.0.3 or higher.
The Oracle 8.0 database interface goes through Oracle Net8 client software Version 8.0.3 or higher to make the connection. Therefore, you must have Oracle Net8 Version 8.0.3 or higher for your platform installed on the client machine to use the interface.
Supported platforms
The Oracle 8.0 database interface is available on the following operating system platforms:
- Windows NT
- Windows 95
- UNIX (Solaris, HP-UX, and AIX)
- PowerBuilder for Unicode
Purpose
Use the Oracle 8.0 database interface when you want to access an Oracle Version 8.0.3 or higher database server in PowerBuilder or InfoMaker through Oracle Net8 client software Version 8.0.3 or higher. PowerBuilder and InfoMaker have been enhanced to support several new Oracle 8 DBMS features when you use the Oracle 8.0 database interface to access the database.
Supported DBMS features
The Oracle 8.0 database interface supports the following DBMS features:
- All features up to and including those supported in the Oracle 7.3 database interface
- Native implementation of the Oracle Call Interface (OCI) for Oracle Version 8.0
Oracle has completely redesigned their OCI in Version 8.0, including replacing cursors with statement handles. Powersoft's Oracle 8 interface supports this new architecture. This provides better performance in PowerBuilder and InfoMaker when accessing an Oracle 8 database server, and makes it easier to implement support for new DBMS features as requested. However, it is not recommended that you connect to Oracle 7.x database servers when using the Oracle 8.0 interface.
- New Oracle 8 LOB data types
The Oracle 8 Blob and Clob data types are supported through the SELECTBLOB and UPDATEBLOB statements. The Oracle 8 Bfile data type is supported through the SELECTBLOB statement.
- Graphical representation and handling of Oracle 8 user-defined types (object columns) in the DataWindow, Database, and Table painters
PowerBuilder or InfoMaker resolves any object columns down to their leaf-level scalar attributes (which may include nested objects) and uses structure ->member notation to represent table columns that reference user-defined types.
For more information and an example, see Using Oracle 8 user-defined types.
Usage
The information in Connecting to Your Database about using the ORACLE 7.x database interfaces also applies when you are using the Oracle 8.0 database interface, with the following differences:
Required client software To use the Oracle 8.0 database interface in PowerBuilder or InfoMaker, make sure the following software is installed on the client machine as appropriate for your operating system platform:
- Oracle Net8 Version 8.0.3 or higher
- PowerBuilder or InfoMaker Version 6.0
- Oracle 8.0 database interface that comes with PowerBuilder or InfoMaker
DBMS identifier When you specify the DBMS identifier in a PowerBuilder application script, you must use OR8 to connect to the database through the Oracle 8.0 interface. (You no longer need to specify the DBMS identifier in a database profile. When you create a new profile for any installed Powersoft database interface, PowerBuilder or InfoMaker generates the correct DBMS connection syntax automatically.)
- To specify the OR8 DBMS identifier in a PowerBuilder script:
Type the following in your PowerBuilder application script:
SQLCA.DBMS="OR8"
When you select OR8 Oracle v8.0 in the Database Profiles dialog box and click New to create a new profile, this syntax displays on the Preview tab in the Database Profile Setup - Oracle 8.0 dialog box. You can copy the syntax from the Preview tab into your script.
Server name When you specify the server name value in a database profile (to connect in the development environment) or in a script (to connect in a PowerBuilder application), you must use the following format to connect to the database through the OR8 Oracle 8.0 interface:
You do not need to specify @TNS: before OracleServiceName as you do when you are using earlier versions of the Oracle client software.
For example, to use the Oracle 8.0 interface to connect to the service name ORA8, do either of the following:
- To specify the server name in a database profile:
Type the Oracle Service Name (ORA8) in the Server box on the Connection tab in the Database Profile Setup - Oracle 8.0 dialog box.
- To specify the server name in a PowerBuilder script:
Type the following in your PowerBuilder application script:
SQLCA.ServerName = "ORA8"
When you specify a value for the server name in your database profile, this syntax displays on the Preview tab in the Database Profile Setup - Oracle 8.0 dialog box. You can copy the syntax from the Preview tab into your script.
DBParm parameters
The Oracle 8.0 database interface supports the same set of DBParm parameters as the Oracle 7.3 database interface, with two exceptions. Due to limitations in the OCI, the Oracle 8.0 database interface does not support the following DBParm parameters:
Async
DBGetTime
Additionally, the ThreadSafe DBParm parameter is supported on both Windows and UNIX when you use the Oracle 8.0 interface. (When you use ThreadSafe with the Oracle 7.3 database interface, it is not supported on UNIX due to OCI limitations on that platform.)
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