Re: Calling UNIX shell script from PL/SQL procedure

From: Thomas Kyte <tkyte_at_us.oracle.com>
Date: Tue, 20 Oct 1998 13:08:18 GMT
Message-ID: <362f8b1f.89871137@192.86.155.100>

A copy of this was sent to ds236_at_my-dejanews.com (if that email address didn't require changing) On Mon, 19 Oct 1998 19:31:55 GMT, you wrote:

>In a pl/sql script, I want to call a shell script
>that kicks off sqlldr and loads a data file. I was
>told that I could issue the command
>!nameofshellscript inside the procedure and this
>would call the script. However, the pl/sql
>compiler does not like the '!' symbol. How should
>this be done, or can it be done?
>
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this is a quick and dirty daemon -- written in csh (the cool shell)..

Here is a PL/SQL subroutine you can install in your schema:

create or replace procedure host( cmd in varchar2 ) as

    status number;
begin

    dbms_pipe.pack_message( cmd );
    status := dbms_pipe.send_message( 'HOST_PIPE' );     if ( status <> 0 ) then raise_application_error( -20001, 'Pipe error' );     end if;
end;
/

Here is a C-Shell script you can run in the background (make sure it is named host.csh)

• bof ---------------------------- #!/bin/csh -f

sqlplus tkyte/tkyte <<"EOF" | grep '^#' | sed 's/^.//' > tmp.csh  

set serveroutput on  

declare

        status  number;
        command varchar2(255);
begin
        status := dbms_pipe.receive_message( 'HOST_PIPE' );
        if ( status <> 0 ) then
                dbms_output.put_line( '#exit' );
        else
                dbms_pipe.unpack_message( command );
                dbms_output.put_line( '##!/bin/csh -f' );
                dbms_output.put_line( '#' || command );
                dbms_output.put_line( '#exec host.csh' );
        end if;

end;
/
spool off
"EOF"   chmod +x tmp.csh
exec tmp.csh

----------------------- EOF ---------------------------------

If you run this in the background (The script), you'll be able to have it execute any host command you want. Run this in one window for example and in anther window go into sql*plus and try:

SQL> exec host( 'ls -l' );
SQL> exec host( 'uptime' );
SQL> exec host( 'echo Hello World' );
SQL> exec host( 'exit' );

You'll see the output of ls -l, uptime, and echo happen on the other window where the shell script is running (shows you a way to debug pl/sql routines, use "host( echo some string )" and you'll get real time feedback from your pl/sql procedure).....  

Thomas Kyte
tkyte_at_us.oracle.com
Oracle Government
Herndon VA

--
http://govt.us.oracle.com/ -- downloadable utilities  

---

Opinions are mine and do not necessarily reflect those of Oracle Corporation  

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