http://erpschools.

com/articles/sql-loader-part-2 SQL Loader Part 1

Overview:

SQL LOADER is an Oracle utility used to load data into table given a datafile which has the records that need to be loaded. SQL*Loader takes data file, as well as a control file, to insert data into the table. When a Control file is executed, it can create Three (3) files called log file, bad file or reject file, discard file.

Log file tells you the state of the tables and indexes and the number of logical records already read from the input datafile. This information can be used to resume the load where it left off.

Bad file or reject file gives you the records that were rejected because of formatting errors or because they caused Oracle errors.

Discard file specifies the records that do not meet any of the loading criteria like when any of the WHEN clauses specified in the control file. These records differ from rejected records.

Structure of the data file:

The data file can be in fixed record format or variable record format.

Fixed Record Format would look like the below. In this case you give a specific position where the Control file can expect a data field:

7369 SMITH

CLERK

7902 12/17/1980

800

7499 ALLEN

SALESMAN 7698 2/20/1981

1600

7521 WARD

SALESMAN 7698 2/22/1981

1250

7566 JONES

MANAGER 7839 4/2/1981

2975

7654 MARTIN

SALESMAN 7698 9/28/1981

1250

7698 BLAKE

MANAGER 7839 5/1/1981

2850

7782 CLARK

MANAGER 7839 6/9/1981

2450

7788 SCOTT

ANALYST

7566 12/9/1982

3000

7839 KING

PRESIDENT

11/17/1981

5000

7844 TURNER

SALESMAN 7698 9/8/1981

1500

7876 ADAMS

CLERK

7788 1/12/1983

1100

7900 JAMES

CLERK

7698 12/3/1981

950

7902 FORD

ANALYST

7566 12/3/1981

3000

7934 MILLER

CLERK

7782 1/23/1982

1300

Variable Record Format would like below where the data fields are separated by a delimiter.

Note: The Delimiter can be anything you like. In this case it is |

1196700|9|0|692.64

1378901|2|3900|488.62

1418700|2|2320|467.92

1418702|14|8740|4056.36

1499100|1|0|3.68

1632800|3|0|1866.66

1632900|1|70|12.64

1637600|50|0|755.5

Structure of a Control file:

Sample CTL file for loading a Variable record data file:

OPTIONS (SKIP = 1) The first row in the data file is skipped without loading

LOAD DATA

INFILE $FILE

Specify the data file path and name

APPEND

type of loading (INSERT, APPEND, REPLACE, TRUNCATE

INTO TABLE APPS.BUDGET the table to be loaded into

FIELDS TERMINATED BY |

Specify the delimiter if variable format datafile

OPTIONALLY ENCLOSED BY the values of the data fields may be enclosed in

TRAILING NULLCOLS

columns that are not present in the record treated as null

(ITEM_NUMBER

TRIM(:ITEM_NUMBER), Can use all SQL functions on columns

QTY

DECIMAL EXTERNAL,

REVENUE

DECIMAL EXTERNAL,

EXT_COST

DECIMAL EXTERNAL TERMINATED BY WHITESPACE (TRIM(:EXT_COST)) ,

MONTH

to_char(LAST_DAY(ADD_MONTHS(SYSDATE,-1)),DD-MON-YY) ,

DIVISION_CODE datafile

CONSTANT AUD Can specify constant value instead of Getting value from

OPTION statement precedes the LOAD DATA statement. The OPTIONS parameter allows you to specify runtime arguments in the control file, rather than on the command line. The following arguments can be specified using the OPTIONS parameter.

SKIP = n Number of logical records to skip (Default 0)

LOAD = n Number of logical records to load (Default all)

ERRORS = n Number of errors to allow (Default 50)

ROWS = n

Number of rows in conventional path bind array or between direct path data saves

(Default: Conventional Path 64, Direct path all)

BINDSIZE = n Size of conventional path bind array in bytes (System-dependent default)

SILENT = {FEEDBACK | ERRORS | DISCARDS | ALL} Suppress messages during run

(header, feedback, errors, discards, partitions, all)

DIRECT = {TRUE | FALSE} Use direct path (Default FALSE)

PARALLEL = {TRUE | FALSE} Perform parallel load (Default FALSE)

LOADDATA statement is required at the beginning of the control file.

INFILE: INFILE keyword is used to specify location of the datafile or datafiles.

INFILE* specifies that the data is found in the control file and not in an external file. INFILE $FILE, can be used to send the filepath and filename as a parameter when registered as a concurrent program.

INFILE /home/vision/kap/import2.csv specifies the filepath and the filename.

Example where datafile is an external file:

LOAD DATA

INFILE /home/vision/kap/import2.csv

INTO TABLE kap_emp

FIELDS TERMINATED BY ,

( emp_num, emp_name, department_num, department_name )

Example where datafile is in the Control file:

LOAD DATA

INFILE *

INTO TABLE kap_emp

FIELDS TERMINATED BY ,

( emp_num, emp_name, department_num, department_name )

BEGINDATA

7369,SMITH,7902,Accounting

7499,ALLEN,7698,Sales

7521,WARD,7698,Accounting

7566,JONES,7839,Sales

7654,MARTIN,7698,Accounting

Example where file name and path is sent as a parameter when registered as a concurrent program

LOAD DATA

INFILE $FILE

INTO TABLE kap_emp

FIELDS TERMINATED BY ,

( emp_num, emp_name, department_num, department_name )

TYPE OF LOADING:

INSERT If the table you are loading is empty, INSERT can be used.

APPEND If data already exists in the table, SQL*Loader appends the new rows to it. If data doesnt already exist, the new rows are simply loaded.

REPLACE All rows in the table are deleted and the new data is loaded

TRUNCATE SQL*Loader uses the SQL TRUNCATE command.

INTOTABLEis required to identify the table to be loaded into. In the above example INTO TABLE APPS.BUDGET, APPS refers to the Schema and BUDGET is the Table name.

FIELDS TERMINATED BY specifies how the data fields are terminated in the datafile.(If the file is Comma delimited or Pipe delimited etc)

OPTIONALLY ENCLOSED BY specifies that data fields may also be enclosed by quotation marks.

TRAILINGNULLCOLS clause tells SQL*Loader to treat any relatively positioned columns that are not present in the record as null columns.

Loading a fixed format data file:

LOAD DATA

INFILE sample.dat

INTO TABLE emp

empno

POSITION(01:04) INTEGER EXTERNAL,

ename

POSITION(06:15) CHAR,

job

POSITION(17:25) CHAR,

mgr

POSITION(27:30) INTEGER EXTERNAL,

sal

POSITION(32:39) DECIMAL EXTERNAL,

comm

POSITION(41:48) DECIMAL EXTERNAL,

deptno

POSITION(50:51) INTEGER EXTERNAL)

Steps to Run the SQL* LOADER from UNIX:

At the prompt, invoke SQL*Loader as follows:

sqlldr USERID=scott/tiger CONTROL=<control filename> LOG=<Log file

name>

SQL*Loader loads the tables, creates the log file, and returns you to the system prompt. You can check the log file to see the results of running the case study.

Register as concurrent Program:

Place the Control file in $CUSTOM_TOP/bin.

Define the Executable. Give the Execution Method as SQL*LOADER.

Define the Program. Add the Parameter for FILENAME.

Skip columns:

You can skip columns using the FILLER option.

Load TRAILING ( name Empno sal )

Data

NULLCOLS

Filler, ,

here the column name will be skipped.