ABSTRACT
A very important aspect of any large information system is how it handles diverse and complex file exchange procedures. Interfaces to external files can play a key role in many areas (for example, when migrating to Oracle from legacy systems or supporting international standards such as Visa or Europay). In addition to the complexity associated with application logic, there are strong requirements for file exchange solutions to be fast, secure, and reliable. When data is stored in Oracle database, developers can rely on three basic Oracle tools when designing and implementing file exchange solutions: SQL*Loader, PL/SQL, and Pro*C. This chapter discusses how these powerful tools can be used in file exchange procedures; in particular, how to develop robust and reliabile file exchange solutions. Also shown is how to develop a safe file exchange daemon. Assume that Oracle database server is running on the UNIX platform and has Pro*C Precompiler software installed and is configured to work with the GNU version of C compiler.
