About SQL Loader

SQL Loader Utility is explained with different options and examples

Overview:

SQL LOADER is an Oracle utility used to load data into table given a datafile which has the

records that need to be loaded. SQL*Loader takes data file , as well as a control file, to insert

data into the table. W hen a Control file is executed, it can create Three (3) files called log

file, bad file or reject file, discard file.

 Log file tells you the state of the tables and indexes and the number of logical records already
read from the input datafile. This information can be used to resume the load where it left off.
 Bad file or reject file gives you the records that were rejected because of formatting errors or
because they caused Oracle errors.
 Discard file specifies the records that do not meet any of the loading criteria like when any of the
WHEN clauses specified in the control file. These records differ from rejected records.

Structure of the data file:

The data file can be in fixed record format or variable record format.

Fixed Record Format would look like the below. In this case you give a specific position where

the Control file can expect a data field:

7369 SMITH CLERK 7902 12/17/1980 800

7499 ALLEN SALESMAN 7698 2/20/1981 1600

7521 WARD SALESMAN 7698 2/22/1981 1250

7566 JONES MANAGER 7839 4/2/1981 2975

7654 MARTIN SALESMAN 7698 9/28/1981 1250

7698 BLAKE MANAGER 7839 5/1/1981 2850

7782 CLARK MANAGER 7839 6/9/1981 2450

7788 SCOTT ANALYST 7566 12/9/1982 3000

7839 KING PRESIDENT 11/17/1981 5000

7844 TURNER SALESMAN 7698 9/8/1981 1500

7876 ADAMS CLERK 7788 1/12/1983 1100

7902 FORD ANALYST 7566 12/3/1981 3000

7934 MILLER CLERK 7782 1/23/1982 1300

Variable Record Format would like below where the data fields are separated by a delimiter.

Note: The Delimiter can be anything you like. In this case it is "|"

1196700|9|0|692.64

1378901|2|3900|488.62

1418700|2|2320|467.92

1418702|14|8740|4056.36

1499100|1|0|3.68

1632800|3|0|1866.66

1632900|1|70|12.64

1637600|50|0|755.5

Structure of a Control file:

Sample CTL file for loading a Variable record data file:

OPTIONS (SKIP = 1) --The first row in the data file is skipped without loading

LOAD DATA

INFILE '$FILE' -- Specify the data file path and name

APPEND -- type of loading (INSERT, APPEND, REPLACE, TRUNC ATE

INTO TABLE "APPS"."BUDGET" -- the table to be loaded into

FIELDS TERMINATED BY '|' -- Specify the delimiter if variable format datafile

OPTIONALLY ENCLOSED BY '"' --the values of the data fields may be enclosed in "

TRAILING NULLCOLS -- columns that are not present in the record treated as null

(ITEM_NUMBER "TRIM(:ITEM_NUMBER)", -- Can use all SQL functions on columns

QTY DECIMAL EXTERNAL,

EXT_COST DECIMAL EXTERNAL TERMINATED BY WHITESPACE

"(TRIM(:EXT_COST))" ,

MONTH "to_char(LAST_DAY(ADD_MONTHS(SYSDATE,-1)),'DD-MON-YY')" ,

DIVISION_CODE CONSTANT "AUD" -- Can specify constant value instead of Getting

value from datafile

OPTION statement precedes the LOAD DATA statement. The OPTIONS parameter allows you

to specify runtime arguments in the control file, rather than on the command line. The following

arguments can be specified using the OPTIONS parameter.

SKIP = n -- Number of logical records to skip (Default 0)

LOAD = n -- Number of logical records to load (Default all)

ERRORS = n -- Number of errors to allow (Default 50)

ROW S = n -- Number of rows in conventional path bind array or between direct path data

saves (Default: Conventional Path 64, Direct path all)

BINDSIZE = n -- Size of conventional path bind array in bytes ( System -dependent default)

SILENT = {FEEDBACK | ERRORS | DISCARDS | ALL} -- Suppress messages during run

(header, feedback, errors, discards, partitions, all)

DIRECT = {TRUE | FALSE} --Use direct path (Default FALSE)

PARALLEL = {TRUE | FALSE} -- Perform parallel load (Default FALSE)

LOADDATA statement is required at the beginning of the control file.

INFILE: INFILE keyword is used to specify location of the datafile or datafiles.

INFILE* specifies that the data is found in the control file and not in an external file. INFILE

'$FILE', can be used to send the filepath and filename as a parameter when registered as a

concurrent program.

INFILE '/home/vision/kap/import2.csv' specifies the filepath and the filename.

LOAD DATA

INFILE '/home/vision/kap/import2.csv'

INTO TABLE kap_emp

FIELDS TERMINATED BY ","

( emp_num, emp_name, department_num, department_name )

Example where datafile is in the Control file:

LOAD DATA

INFILE *

INTO TABLE kap_emp

FIELDS TERMINATED BY ","

( emp_num, emp_name, department_num, department_name )

BEGINDATA

7369,SMITH,7902,Accounting

7499,ALLEN,7698,Sales

7521,WARD,7698,Accounting

7566,JONES,7839,Sales

7654,MARTIN,7698,Accounting

Example where file name and path is sent as a parameter when registered as a concurrent

program

LOAD DATA

INFILE '$FILE'

INTO TABLE kap_emp

FIELDS TERMINATED BY ","

( emp_num, emp_name, department_num, department_name )

INSERT -- If the table you are loading is empty, INSERT can be used.

APPEND -- If data already exists in the table, SQL*Loader appends the new rows to it. If data

doesn't already exist, the new rows are simply loaded.

REPLACE -- All rows in the table are deleted and the new data is loaded

TRUNCATE -- SQL*Loader uses the SQL TRUNCATE command.

INTOTABLEis required to identify the table to be loaded into. In the above example INTO

TABLE "APPS"."BUDGET", APPS refers to the Schema and BUDGET is the Table name.

FIELDS TERMINATED BY specifies how the data fields are terminated in the datafile.(If the

file is Comma delimited or Pipe delimited etc)

OPTIONALLY ENCLOSED BY '"' specifies that data fields may also be enclosed by quotation

marks.

TRAILINGNULLCOLS clause tells SQL*Loader to treat any relatively positioned columns that

are not present in the record as null columns.

Loading a fixed format data file:

LOAD DATA

INFILE 'sample.dat'

INTO TABLE emp

( empno POSITION(01:04) INTEGER EXTERNAL,

ename POSITION(06:15) CHAR,

job POSITION(17:25) CHAR,

mgr POSITION(27:30) INTEGER EXTERNAL,

sal POSITION(32:39) DECIMAL EXTERNAL,

comm POSITION(41:48) DECIMAL EXTERNAL,

deptno POSITION(50:51) INTEGER EXTERNAL)

Steps to Run the SQL* LOADER from UNIX:

sqlldr USERID=scott/tiger CONTROL=<control filename> LOG=<Log file

name>

SQL*Loader loads the tables, creates the log file, and returns you to the system prompt. You

can check the log file to see the results of running the case study.

Register as concurrent Program:

Place the Control file in $CUSTOM_TOP/bin.

Define the Executable. Give the Execution Method as SQL*LOADER.

Define the Program. Add the Parameter for FILENAME.

Skip columns:

You can skip columns using the 'FILLER' option.

Load Data

--

--

--

TRAILING NULLCOLS

name Filler,

Empno ,

sal