Oracle

[mccark]

Hello List!,

When trying to connect to an Oracle database, php4.x can I just call the function OCI_Plogin or write something like:

int OCIPLOGON( someuser, password, instance)

As a network engineer who is trying to change into some programming, I thank you in advance. !!

mccark

[gwchamb]

When trying to connect to an Oracle database, php4.x can I just call the function OCI_Plogin or write something like:

int OCIPLOGON( someuser, password, instance)

I'm not sure I completely understand your question, but you have a few connection methods at your disposal -- all of them use the same parameters:

1) $dbh = ocilogon($username, $password[, $tnsname]);
2) $dbh = ociplogon($username, $password[, $tnsname]);
3) $dbh = ocinlogon($username, $password[, $tnsname]);

#1 provides a standard, non-persistent connection, #2 is the same as #1, but the connection is marked persistent. If you open a connection w/ocilogon(), then later w/ociplogon, the existing connections will be flagged as persistent. #3 is used for isolating transactions within an existing connection. Here's a snippet of how I make Oracle connections (one of MANY examples), without error handling:

<?
    define("DB_LOGIN", "username");
    define("DB_PASSWORD", "password");

$dbh = ocilogon(DB_LOGIN, DB_PASSWORD);
$stmt = ociparse($dbh, "SELECT SYSDATE AS mydate FROM dual");
ociexecute($stmt);
while (ocifetchinto($stmt, &$data, OCI_ASSOC)) {
    $oci_sysdate = $date["MYDATE"];
}
print("Oracle's internal date is $oci_date<br>\n");
ocilogoff($dbh);
?>

Hope this helps...

-- Gary

[gwchamb]

I forgot to mention a valuable resource for using PHP with Oracle databases. Take a look at http://conf.php.net/pres/slides/oci/paper.txt. It will provide some good insight (with some fairly helpful code snippets) into working with Oracle. Much of what I've learned has been by trial and error, so if you have any questions (given the woeful lack of good OCI8 documentation), please feel free to drop a line.

-- Gary

[mccark]

Gary,

I appreciate the help with the Oracle login functions. Are you doing any php error_handling <any of the dozen or so offered> ?

kevin

[gwchamb]

I appreciate the help with the Oracle login functions. Are you doing any php error_handling <any of the dozen or so offered> ?

No problem on the assistance! I'm glad to help...

I do as much error handling as I can. I am intolerant of applications where the developer doesn't handle errors. What type of information, specifically, are you seeking? With Oracle, there's a hierarchy (so-to-speak) of determining errors. By this, I mean:

1) If you haven't obtained a database handle (DBH), call [MAN]OCIError[/MAN] without parameters. This would explain the problem with the connection.

2) If you have a DBH, but don't yet have a statement handle (STH), call [MAN]OCIError[/MAN] with the DBH. This, for example, would describe a problem with your query.

3) If you have a STH, call [MAN]OCIError[/MAN] with it. This would describe constraint violations, etc.

Additionally, I always use error_reporting(0) before I do anything with the database. I check each DBH, STH, and I assign the return value of [MAN]OCIExecute[/MAN] to a variable.

Does this answer your question?

-- Gary

[mccark]

Gary,

Leaving for the weekend, will start on error_handling Monday.
email me at [e-mail] if you want next week.

kevin