ODP.NET Developer’s Guide: Oracle Database 10g Development with Visual Studio 2005 and the Oracle Data Provider for .NET

Table of Contents

ODP.NET Developer's Guide

Credits

About the Authors

About the Reviewer

Preface

What This Book Covers

Conventions

Reader Feedback

Customer Support

Downloading the Example Code for the Book

Errata

Questions

1. Introduction to ODP.NET

Introduction to ODP.NET

Why Use ODP.NET?

Oracle Database Access from .NET Applications

What Do We Require to Work with ODP.NET?

Introduction to Oracle Database Extensions for .NET

Oracle Database Extensions for .NET

How does .NET Work within Oracle Database?

Processing of .NET Stored Procedure with Oracle

Introduction to Oracle Developer Tools for Visual Studio

Summary

2. Connecting to Oracle

Provider-Independent Model in ADO.NET 2.0

Listing All Installed .NET Data Providers

Enumerating all Oracle Data Sources Available

Connecting to Oracle Databases from .NET

Connecting Using .NET Data Provider Factory Classes

Connecting Using .NET Data Provider for OLEDB

Connecting Using .NET Data Provider for ODBC

Connecting using Microsoft's .NET Data Provider for Oracle

Connecting Using Oracle Data Provider for .NET (ODP.NET)

Connecting with Connection Pooling

Connecting with System-Level Privileges or DBA Privileges

Dynamic Connecting String Using OracleConnectionStringBuilder and app.config

Embedding a tnsnames.ora Entry-like Connection String

Connecting to a Default Oracle Database

Connecting Using Windows Authentication (Single Sign‑On)

Summary

3. Retrieving Data from Oracle Using ODP.NET

Fundamental ODP.NET Classes to Retrieve Data

Retrieving Data Using OracleDataReader

Retrieving a Single Row of Information

Using Using for Simplicity

Retrieving Multiple Rows on to the Grid

Pulling Information Using Table Name

Retrieving Typed Data

Retrieving Typed Data Using Ordinals

Retrieving Typed Data Using Column Names

Working with Data Tables and Data Sets

Retrieving Multiple Rows into a DataTable Using OracleDataAdapter

Filling a DataTable Using OracleDataReader

Retrieving a Single Row of Information Using OracleDataAdapter

Working with DataTableReader

Populating a Dataset with a Single Data Table

Populating a Dataset with Multiple Data Tables

Presenting Master-Detail Information Using a Dataset

More About the OracleCommand Object

Retrieving a Single Value from the Database

Handling Nulls when Executing with ExecuteScalar

Handling Nulls when Working with OracleDataReader

Working with Bind Variables together with OracleParameter

Working with OracleDataAdapter together with OracleCommand

Techniques to Improve Performance while Retrieving Data

Summary

4. Manipulating Data in Oracle Using ODP.NET

Executing DML or DDL Statements Using OracleCommand

Using INSERT with OracleCommand

Using UPDATE with OracleCommand

Using DELETE with OracleCommand

Multiple Inserts Using Statement Caching

Multiple Inserts Using Array Binding

Creating an Oracle Table Dynamically Using ODP.NET

Updating Offline Data to the Database Using OracleDataAdapter

Working with OracleCommandBuilder and OracleDataAdapter

Working with Transactions Using ODP.NET

Handling Oracle Errors and Exceptions

Displaying a Single or First Error

Displaying Multiple Errors

Summary

5. Programming ODP.NET with PL/SQL

Working with Anonymous PL/SQL Blocks

Executing Anonymous PL/SQL Blocks

Passing Information to Anonymous PL/SQL Blocks

Retrieving Information from Anonymous Blocks

Working with PL/SQL Stored Procedures and Functions

Executing a PL/SQL Stored Procedure

Passing Parameter Values to a PL/SQL Stored Procedure

Using an Anonymous PL/SQL Block to Execute a PL/SQL Stored Procedure

Retrieving Output Parameters from a PL/SQL Stored Procedure

Passing IN and Getting OUT Simultaneously

Handling User-Defined Application Errors

Executing a PL/SQL User-Defined Function

PL/SQL Packages, Tables, and REF CURSOR

Executing Routines in a PL/SQL Package

Executing a Procedure in a PL/SQL Package

Executing a User-Defined Function in a PL/SQL Package

Passing Arrays to and Receiving Arrays from Oracle Database

Sending an Array to Oracle Database

Receiving an Array from Oracle Database

Working with REF CURSOR Using ODP.NET

Pulling from REF CURSOR Using OracleDataReader

Filling a Dataset from REF CURSOR

Working with Multiple Active Result Sets (MARS)

Summary

6. Dealing with Large Objects (LOBs)

Working with BFILEs

Setting Up the Environment to Work with BFILEs

Adding a New Row Containing BFILE

Updating an Existing BFILE Row

Retrieving BFILE Information from a Database

Retrieving Properties of a BFILE

Working with CLOBs

Inserting Huge Text Information into Oracle Database

Updating CLOB Information Using OracleClob

Retrieving CLOB Information from Oracle Database

Reading a Text File and Uploading as CLOB

Working with BLOBs

Setting Up the Environment to Work with BLOBs

Uploading Images to Oracle Database Using BLOB

Retrieving Images from Oracle Database Using BLOB

Uploading Documents to and Retrieving Documents from Oracle Database

Summary

7. XML and XML DB Development with ODP.NET

A Fast Track on XML with Oracle

Generating XML from Existing Rows in Tables

Generate XML Using ADO.NET DataSet

Generate XML Using ExecuteXMLReader

Generate XML Using DBMS_XMLGEN

Converting Rows to HTML Using XML and XSLT

Manipulating Rows in a Table Using XML

Inserting Rows into Oracle Using XML

Updating Rows into Oracle Using XML

Working with Native XML in Oracle Database

Inserting XML Data into XMLType Using Traditional INSERT

Updating XML Data in XMLType Using Traditional UPDATE

Inserting XML Data Using OracleXmlType

Retrieving and Updating XML Data Using OracleXmlType

Extracting Individual Node Information of an XMLType Value

Summary

8. Application Development Using ODP.NET

Notifying Applications of Database Changes

Catching Notifications

Catching Multiple Notifications

Identifying Rows Modified During Notifications

Developing Long-Running Applications

The Devil of Applications: Not Responding

Asynchronous Task with Multi-Threading

Developing Web Applications Using ASP.NET and ODP.NET

Web Development Using Smart Data Binding

Populating an ASP.NET DropDownList Control

Linking an ASP.NET GridView Control with a DropDownList Control

Add, Update, or Delete a Row Using GridView and FormView

Working with Web Controls Manually

Developing Web Reports Using ASP.NET

Creating a Strongly-Typed Dataset Using Designer

Designing and Binding a Report to the Dataset

Grouping and Displaying Sub-Totals

Embedding Charts (Graphs) in Reports

Object-Oriented Development Using ASP.NET and ODP.NET

Developing a Simple Oracle Database Helper Class

Developing a Simple Business Logic Class

Working with ObjectDataSource in an ASP.NET 2.0 Web Form

Developing Web Services Using ODP.NET

Creating the .NET XML Web Service

Consuming the Web Service from ASP.NET

Developing Smart Device Applications

Introducing Microsoft Windows Mobile

Consuming a Web Service from Pocket PC

Summary

9. Introduction to Oracle Developer Tools for Visual Studio 2005

Features of Oracle Developer Tools

Connecting to Oracle from Visual Studio Using Oracle Explorer

Retrieving Oracle Information from Visual Studio Using ODT

Working with Oracle Database Objects from Visual Studio Using ODT

Dealing with Tables, Views, and Sequences Using ODT

Creating Stored Procedures Using ODT

Debugging PL/SQL Stored Procedures from Visual Studio

.NET CLR Stored Procedures in Oracle

Taking Advantage of Automatic .NET Code Generation

Summary

Index

ODP.NET Developer's Guide

Jagadish Chatarji Pulakhandam

Sunitha Paruchuri

ODP.NET Developer's Guide

Oracle Database 10g Development with Visual Studio 2005 and the Oracle Data Provider for .NET

Copyright © 2007 Packt Publishing

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embedded in critical articles or reviews.

Every effort has been made in the preparation of this book to ensure the accuracy of the information presented. However, the information contained in this book is sold without warranty, either express or implied. Neither the authors, Packt Publishing, nor its dealers or distributors will be held liable for any damages caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by this book.

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First published: June 2007

Production Reference: 1150607

Published by Packt Publishing Ltd.

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ISBN 978-1-847191-96-0

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Credits

Authors

Jagadish Chatarji Pulakhandam

Sunitha Paruchuri

Reviewer

Steven M. Swafford

Development Editor

Douglas Paterson

Assistant Development Editor

Mithil Kulkarni

Technical Editor

Divya Menon

Editorial Manager

Dipali Chittar

Project Manager

Patricia Weir

Project Coordinator

Abhijeet Deobhakta

Indexer

Bhushan Pangaonkar

Proofreader

Chris Smith

Production Coordinator

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Cover Designer

Manjiri Nadkarni

About the Authors

Jagadish Chatarji Pulakhandam currently works as a .NET Architect and is responsible for analyzing/designing enterprise-level .NET applications. He has worked with Oracle since database version 7.1 and has been in the IT field for about 12 years. Apart from Oracle and .NET, he has a good knowledge of developing corporate software and web applications, designing and implementing databases, designing and implementing data warehouses, and working with enterprise reporting software. During his free time, he contributes technical articles to OTN (Oracle Technology Network) and to the world of developer communities.

I dedicate this book to my mother Dhana Laxmi. Without her patience, support and encouragement, I would never be to this stage. A special thanks to my uncle Ch. Jagadish Kumar, who is the basis for change in my life. And several thanks to all of my relatives and friends who encouraged and supported me at various milestones in my life.

A final thanks to every member of this book project from PACKT Publishing and a special thanks to Douglas Paterson, who offered me the first chance of writing this first book in my life.

Sunitha Paruchuri has been programming with Microsoft tools and Oracle since 1997. She has developed numerous desktop, web, mobile, and distributed applications using Microsoft .NET and has good experience with other Microsoft products like Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft Sharepoint Portal Server, etc.

I dedicate this book to my parents Harnadha babu and Aruna Kumari and special thanks to my sister (Bhagya Laxmi), all of my relatives and friends who framed, encouraged and supported me in developing my career.

About the Reviewer

Steven M. Swafford began developing software in 1995 while serving in the United States Air Force (USAF). Upon leaving the USAF he continued developing leading edge solutions in support of the America's war fighters as part of the original USAF enterprise portal development team. His roots are now in central Alabama where he works as a senior software engineer developing Java- and .NET-based applications and web services. Steven credits his wife Su Ok and daughter Sarah for supporting and inspiring his ongoing passion for software development and the resultant challenges of life near the bleeding edge. Steven was honored by the Microsoft Corporation in 2006 as a Microsoft ASP.NET Visual Developer MVP. He would like to thank Tim Stewart and Edward Habal who were his professional mentors and to this day remain close friends. Steven's personal website is located at http://www.radicaldevelopment.net and his blog is located at http://aspadvice.com/blogs/sswafford/.

Preface

Oracle's ODP.NET is a .NET data provider that can connect to and access Oracle databases with tight integrity. It can be used from any .NET language, including C# and VB.NET. This book will show you how ODP.NET is the best choice for connecting .NET applications with Oracle database. We will be dealing with the concepts of ODP.NET and its requirements, working with SQL, PL/SQL, and XML DB using ODP.NET, looking at application development with ODP.NET: Web Applications, Web Services, and Mobile Applications. We will also learn to manipulate Oracle databases from within Visual Studio using Oracle Developer Tools for Visual Studio.

What This Book Covers

Chapter 1 introduces the concept of Oracle Database Extensions for .NET and provides information about Oracle Developer Tools for Visual Studio.

Chapter 2 introduces the Provider-Independent Model in ADO.NET 2.0, and shows how to connect to Oracle databases from .NET, working with .NET data providers, connection pooling, system privileged connection, and single sign-on etc.

Chapter 3 shows you several methods to retrieve data from an Oracle database. You will work with the core ODP.NET classes like OracleCommand, OracleDataReader, OracleDataAdapter, OracleParameter, and ADO.NET classes like DataSet, DataTable, and DataRow etc.

Chapter 4 is about inserting, updating, and deleting data in the database. You will also learn about statement caching, array binding, working with offline data, implementing transactions, and handling errors and exceptions encountered during database work.

Chapter 5 deals with working with PL/SQL blocks, PL/SQL stored procedures, and functions. It also teaches you how to execute routines in PL/SQL packages, how to pass arrays to and receive arrays from the Oracle database, and working with REF CURSOR using ODP.NET.

Chapter 6 is completely dedicated to dealing with large objects in Oracle. This chapter illustrates concepts, configurations, and programming for BFILE, BLOB, and CLOB (or NCLOB) in conjunction with ODP.NET.

Chapter 7 gives details about Oracle XML DB, an add-on feature of Oracle database. It provides information about generating XML from existing rows in tables, manipulating rows in a table using XML, and working with native XML in the Oracle database.

Chapter 8 deals with real-time application development scenarios like Oracle database change notifications, asynchronous application development, web application development using ASP.NET 2.0, web reporting (including grouping, sub-totals, charts, etc.), Object-Oriented development with ODP.NET and ASP.NET, XML web-services development using ODP.NET, and Smart Device Application development (for clients like the Pocket PC).

Chapter 9 introduces you to Oracle Developer Tools for Visual Studio 2005. It teaches you to connect to Oracle from the Visual Studio 2005 environment, retrieve Oracle information from Visual Studio, and work with database objects from Visual Studio. It also provides information about how to create and debug PL/SQL stored procedures and .NET CLR stored procedures in Oracle.

Conventions

In this book, you will find a number of styles of text that distinguish between different kinds of information. Here are some examples of these styles, and an explanation of their meaning.

There are three styles for code. Code words in text are shown as follows: Connecting to a default Oracle database is purely dependent on the ORACLE_SID key available in your registry.

A block of code will be set as follows:

Dim ProviderName As String = _

Oracle.DataAccess.Client

Dim fctry As DbProviderFactory = -

DbProviderFactories.GetFactory(ProviderName)

When we wish to draw your attention to a particular part of a code block, the relevant lines or items will be made bold:

Dim dt As DataTable = _

DbProviderFactories.GetFactoryClasses()

Me.DataGridView1.DataSource = dt

New terms and important words are introduced in a bold-type font. Words that you see on the screen, in menus or dialog boxes for example, appear in our text like this: clicking the Next button moves you to the next screen.

Note

Warnings or important notes appear in a box like this.

Note

Tips and tricks appear like this.

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Errata

Although we have taken every care to ensure the accuracy of our contents, mistakes do happen. If you find a mistake in one of our books—maybe a mistake in text or code—we would be grateful if you would report this to us. By doing this you