This document summarizes top gotchas or issues with older Oracle database versions, providing examples of outdated syntax or features no longer supported. It covers 20 topics such as using record types for inserts, temporary tables, analytic functions, writing BLOBs to files, and limitations of DBMS_OUTPUT in earlier versions. The document aims to help users of aged Oracle databases avoid problems by being aware of limitations and using alternative approaches as needed.

1. Old Oracle Versions
Top 20 Gotchas
Jeffrey Kemp
AUSOUG Perth Conference, October 2012

2. Poll
• Oldest Oracle
database version
worked with
• Past 12 months
(approximately)

3. Database Versions & Extended Support
v7
v8
8i
9i
9iR2
10g
10gR2
11g
11gR2
2015
2010
2005
2000
1995
1992
12c

4. Disclaimer
The following is intended to outline the general product direction
way back in the distant past. It is intended for information purposes
only, and may not always be perfectly syntactically correct. It is not a
commitment to deliver any material, code, or functionality, and
should not be relied upon in making purchasing decisions (if you’re
thinking of buying 8i or 9i, you should probably get out from under
that rock). The development, release, and timing of any features or
functionality described for Oracle’s products remains at the sole
discretion of Oracle… who cares, give us the new features now!

5. “Be grateful for what you have...”

6. vs.

7. #20: insert from record type
INSERT INTO mytable
VALUES rec;

8. #20: insert from record type
INSERT INTO mytable
VALUES rec;
INSERT INTO mytable
(col1, col2, col3, …)
VALUES
(rec.col1, rec.col2, rec.col3, …);

9. #19: temporary tables
CREATE GLOBAL TEMPORARY TABLE t...

10. #19: temporary tables
BEGIN
TRUNCATE TABLE ordinary_tmp;
INSERT INTO ordinary_tmp ...;
-- etc…
END;

11. #18: error messages
EXCEPTION
DBMS_OUTPUT.put_line(
DBMS_UTILITY.format_error_backtrace
);
RAISE;
END;

12. #18: error messages
EXCEPTION
DBMS_OUTPUT.put_line(
DBMS_UTILITY.format_error_backtrace
SQLERRM
);
RAISE;
END;

13. #17: queries on DBMS_RANDOM
SELECT DBMS_RANDOM.value FROM dual;
ORA-00600 internal error
http://www.angelfire.com/home/jasonvogel/oracle_plsql_random_number_generator.html

14. #16: TIMESTAMP & INTERVAL
the_exact_time TIMESTAMP
:= SYSTIMESTAMP;

15. #16: TIMESTAMP & INTERVAL
the_exact_time TIMESTAMP
:= SYSTIMESTAMP;
Java - timestamp.getTime()
(number of milliseconds since January 1, 1970, 00:00:00
GMT)

16. #15: DIRECTORY objects
CREATE DIRECTORY mydir AS '/usr/example';

17. #15: DIRECTORY objects
CREATE DIRECTORY mydir AS '/usr/example';
ALTER SYSTEM
SET UTL_FILE_DIR='/usr/example' SCOPE=SPFILE;
- restart database
f := utl_file.fopen( '/usr/example'
, 'myfile.txt'
, 'rw');

18. #14: SQL analytic functions
BEGIN
FOR r IN (
SELECT RANK(a)
OVER (PARTITION BY b
ORDER BY c) q
FROM t) LOOP ...

19. #14: SQL analytic functions
BEGIN
FOR r IN (
SELECT RANK(a)
OVER (PARTITION BY b
ORDER BY c) q
FROM t) LOOP ...
CREATE VIEW v AS
SELECT RANK(a) OVER (PARTITION BY b ORDER BY c) q FROM t;
BEGIN
FOR r IN (SELECT q FROM t) LOOP ...
(alternatively, use dynamic SQL instead)
Analytic functions were added in 8iR2, but they only work in plain SQL – PL/SQL embedded SQL didn’t use the same engine.
R2

20. #13: write BLOB to file
l_file := UTL_FILE.fopen
('BLOBS','MyImage.gif','w', 32767);
WHILE l_pos < l_blob_len LOOP
DBMS_LOB.read(l_blob, l_amount, l_pos, l_buffer);
UTL_FILE.put_raw(l_file, l_buffer, TRUE);
l_pos := l_pos + l_amount;
END LOOP;
UTL_FILE.fclose(l_file);

21. #13: write BLOB to file
l_file := UTL_FILE.fopen
('BLOBS','MyImage.gif','w', 32767);
WHILE l_pos < l_blob_len LOOP
DBMS_LOB.read(l_blob, l_amount, l_pos, l_buffer);
UTL_FILE.put_raw(l_file, l_buffer, TRUE);
l_pos := l_pos + l_amount;
END LOOP;
UTL_FILE.fclose(l_file);
Java - http://www.oracle-base.com/articles/8i/export-blob.php

22. #12: external tables
CREATE TABLE t ... ORGANIZATION EXTERNAL

23. #12: external tables
CREATE TABLE t ... ORGANIZATION EXTERNAL
CREATE OR REPLACE VIEW diy$extfile AS
SELECT *
FROM TABLE(
CAST(read_file_into_array()
AS my_array_type)
);
(using UTL_FILE) - http://www.oracle-base.com/articles/8i/diydynamic-views.php

24. #11: XMLTYPE
CREATE TABLE t (myxml XMLTYPE);

25. #11: XMLTYPE
CREATE TABLE t (myxml XMLTYPE);
xmlparser.parse( v_parser
, 'C:emp.xml');
v_doc := xmlparser.getDocument
(v_parser);
http://www.oracle-base.com/articles/8i/parsexml-documents-8i.php

26. #10: NULL datatype conversion
SELECT null, null, null
FROM dual
UNION ALL
SELECT 'abc', 123, DATE '2012-01-01'
FROM dual;
ORA-01790: expression must have same datatype as
corresponding expression
?

27. #10: NULL datatype conversion
SELECT null, null, null
FROM dual
UNION ALL
SELECT 'abc', 123, DATE '2012-01-01'
FROM dual;
SELECT null, TO_NUMBER(null), TO_DATE(null)
FROM dual
UNION ALL
SELECT 'abc', 123, DATE '2012-01-01'
FROM dual;

28. vs.

29. #9: MERGE
MERGE INTO d
USING (SELECT * FROM src) s
ON (d.id = s.id)
WHEN MATCHED THEN
UPDATE d.a = s.a, d.b = s.b
WHERE s.a = 'x'
DELETE WHERE s.a = 'z'
WHEN NOT MATCHED THEN
INSERT (s.id, s.a, s.b)
WHERE s.b = 'y';
WHEN MATCHED and WHEN NOT MATCHED are optional*
* DELETE WHERE must be part of a WHEN MATCHED clause, however

30. #9: MERGE
MERGE INTO d
USING (SELECT * FROM src) s
ON (d.id = s.id)
WHEN MATCHED THEN
UPDATE d.a = s.a, d.b = s.b
WHERE s.a = 'x'
DELETE WHERE s.a = 'z'
WHEN NOT MATCHED THEN
INSERT (s.id, s.a, s.b)
WHERE s.b = 'y';
WHEN MATCHED and WHEN NOT MATCHED are mandatory

31. #9: MERGE
MERGE INTO d
USING (SELECT * FROM src) s
ON (d.id = s.id)
WHEN MATCHED THEN
UPDATE d.a = s.a, d.b = s.b
WHEN NOT MATCHED THEN
INSERT (s.id, s.a, s.b);
FOR s IN (SELECT * FROM src) LOOP
UPDATE d SET d.a = s.a, d.b = s.b WHERE d.id = s.id;
IF SQL%ROWCOUNT = 0 THEN
INSERT INTO d VALUES (s.id, s.a, s.b);
END IF;
END LOOP;

32. #8: FORALL on sparse array
FORALL i IN INDICES OF arr
INSERT INTO t (arr(i));

33. #8: FORALL on sparse array
FORALL i IN INDICES OF arr
INSERT INTO t (arr(i));
un-sparse that array, then…
FORALL i IN 1..arr.COUNT
INSERT INTO t (arr(i));

34. #7: UTL_MAIL

35. #7: UTL_SMTP

36. #6: string literals
v_sql := q'[SELECT q'{She said 'Hello'.}' FROM t]';

37. #6: string literals
v_sql := q'[SELECT q'{She said 'Hello'.}' FROM t]';
single-quotes-masquerading-as-double-quotes hell…
v_sql := 'SELECT ''She said ''''Hello''''.'' FROM t';

38. #5: Regular Expressions
• REGEXP_INSTR
• REGEXP_REPLACE
• REGEXP_SUBSTR

39. #5: Regular Expressions
• Try this homegrown solution:
http://phil-sqltips.blogspot.com.au/2009/06/regexpreplaceregexplike-for-oracle-9i.html
• Or just do it old-school – INSTR, SUBSTR,
LIKE, TRANSLATE, etc.

40. #4: PLS_INTEGER vs. BINARY_INTEGER
PLS_INTEGER = BINARY_INTEGER

41. #4: PLS_INTEGER vs. BINARY_INTEGER
• PLS_INTEGER uses native arithmetic = faster
• PLS_INTEGER
- overflow exception
• BINARY_INTEGER overflow
- no overflow exception*
* If a 9i BINARY_INTEGER operation overflows, no exception is raised if the result is being assigned to a NUMBER. In 10g, this is not true –
PLS_INTEGER and BINARY_INTEGER are identical, both raise an exception on overflow.

42. #3: DBMS_OUTPUT
Max size: unlimited
Line size: 32KB

43. #3: DBMS_OUTPUT
Max size: 1 million bytes*
Line size: 255 bytes
*default = 20,000 bytes

44. #2, #1, #0
• no PL/SQL conditional compilation
• no Recycle Bin for dropped tables
• no flashback table*
*NOTE: in my original presentation I claimed “no flashback query” in 9i, but this is incorrect.
(Thanks to Tom Kyte for the correction!)

45. Moral of the story?
• Use appropriate
features when available
• Be professional
• Keep old Oracle
documentation URLs

46. Images Attribution
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ib6RKHzuEaU/Tb4aaXaqYI/AAAAAAAANVk/s5RPjflt4hU/s1600/cadillac-car-wreck.jpg
http://images.brisbanetimes.com.au/2012/03/08/3109605/Women%20vote.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f189/captjeremy/ace_ventura_pet_detective_fake
_pict.jpg
http://rlv.zcache.com/vintage_business_mailman_mail_carrier_delivering_postcardp239921576489667584envli_400.jpg
http://technology.amis.nl/2006/04/04/back-to-the-future-oracle-41-vm-appliance/

47. Thank you
http://jeffkemponoracle.com