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Query a CLOB in Oracle using CF

I have an Oracle table using a CLOB field in storing big chunk of data. When I tried to code CFQUERY like the following, it does not work reason being I have this field as CLOB. Anyone has overcome this problem before ?

<cfquery datasource="icl">
SELECT * FROM library
WHERE texts LIKE '%#form.freetext#%'
</cfquery>

texts is a CLOB field.

cheekycj

from previous messages two approaches:
(1) turn "CLOB_column" data into readable character strings using ToBase64;
(2) save "CLOB_column" data to a file, then manipulate the file.

dash420

If u have any clob feilds, always fetch in separate query,
in query you are selecting * from library, then all the fields oracle assume as clob. so record fetching always not correct.

so always use separate query for clob feilds. if u have two clob fields in ur table u want both to select. don't select both in same query rather use separate query.

u can fetch clob fields within 32000 character if that clob fields has more than 32000 character then coldfusion fails to displays. so u need service pack that.

Cyril_H

To retrieve content of the CLOB, you have to put the resultset of the select in a file and then read the file by specifying the type. The best way is to store file type/extension in the DB is your CLOB Field store different kind of files.

Exemple :

If your CLOB contains a word document
-------------------------------------

<CFQUERY name="A" datasource="tst8">
SELECT CV
FROM EXPERTS
WHERE CODE_EXPERT = 3
</CFQUERY>

<cffile action="WRITE" file="#GetDirectoryFromPath(GetCurrentTemplatePath())#/tmp.doc" output="#toBinary(A.CV)#" addnewline="No">

<cflocation url="result.cfm">


<HTML>

<BODY>
<cfcontent type="application/msword" file="#GetDirectoryFromPath(GetCurrentTemplatePath())#/tmp.doc" deletefile="No">
</BODY>

</HTML>

If your CLOB contains a text document
-------------------------------------

<CFQUERY name="A" datasource="tst8">
SELECT CV
FROM EXPERTS
WHERE CODE_EXPERT = 3
</CFQUERY>

<cffile action="WRITE" file="#GetDirectoryFromPath(GetCurrentTemplatePath())#/tmp.txt" output="#toBinary(A.CV)#" addnewline="No">

<cflocation url="result.cfm">


<HTML>

<BODY>
<cfcontent type="text/plain" file="#GetDirectoryFromPath(GetCurrentTemplatePath())#/tmp.txt" deletefile="No">
</BODY>

</HTML>

Hope it will help,
Cyril

ck969

ASKER

Thanks for the suggestion so far, but that seems like not meeting what I required. My CLOB field is storing plain texts (more than 4000 characters, that's why I don't use varchar2 field).

My objective from the query is to get a list of the records which match the "form.freetext" entered by user on the page, that's why I use 'LIKE' in the query.

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

jimmy282

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dash420

it is only workaround solution it will match only upto 4000 character of the clob fields as beyond 4000 i.e. 4001 it will gives error. as function dbms_lob.substr will fails to fetch more than 4000 characters.

<cfquery datasource="icl">
SELECT * FROM library
WHERE dbms_lob.substr(texts,4000,1) LIKE '%#form.freetext#%'
</cfquery>

SpideyMod

Force Accepted

SpideyMod
Community Support Moderator @Experts Exchange