convert long raw into varchar2 data type in oracle 8i

hi experts:

in our ERP system, there is a table ( table name: NOTATION ) in which  one column named NOTE ( data type LONG RAW ).

SQL> desc notation;
 Name                                      Null?    Type
 ----------------------------------------- -------- ----------------------------
 TYPE                                      NOT NULL CHAR(2)
 OWNER_ID                                  NOT NULL VARCHAR2(40)
 CREATE_DATE                               NOT NULL DATE
 NOTE                                               LONG RAW




the content in NOTE column can be displayed in ERP, but I want display this NOTE in Crystal Report, the content of NOTE will not show in Crystal Report, so I hope to covert this LONG RAW data type into VARCHAR2. As I should not make any change to current NOTE column, so do I have to create a VIEW based on NOTATION table ? and how to convert the current LONG RAW data type ( data exist in NOTE column ) into VARCHAR2 data type?

thanks

jie
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