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Oracle Call Interface
This is a preliminary entry for OCI, please feel free to update it and/or add content. Initially, I copied the navigation from the PHP entry, but as I didn't think OCI, PHP, Python, et al should be top-level navigation, I moved it to what I believe is a more proper location.
The Oracle Call Interface (OCI) is an application programming interface (API) which allows developers to build applications using low-level C and C++ function calls to access an Oracle database server. Similarly, not only does OCI allow users to control all aspects of SQL statement execution, but it also fully supports the datatypes, calling conventions, syntax, and semantics of C and C++.
OCI began life as the Host Language Interface in Oracle6. Over time, OCI has been improved; creating two distinct versions of the OCI API, OCI7 and OCI8. During the Oracle7 days, OCI became quite popular. In fact, there are many OCI7-based applications still in use today. However, in Oracle8, the OCI API was completely revamped; making the API much more usable and understandable. An example is the the call to rollback a transaction.
In OCI7, the function call to rollback a transaction was named orol. Later, in OCI8, the call was given a more understandable name, OCITransRollback. While the current version of the OCI API is 11.1, the style of the API itself is OCI8.
OCI does support application failover with a call back mechanism using transparent application failover (TAF). This feature can be configured in the listener configuration on the client side or in the connection parameters with failover attributes defined.
The Call Interface forum on OTN provides users with a free, community-based online support group for OCI. The latest and most popular threads can be found below:
As OCI is an extremely powerful API, it is quite verbose and can take time to master. As such, several wrapper libraries exist which allow developers to take advantage of the inherent performance aspects of OCI, without having to spend as much time learning the API itself.
Currently, the most mature and popular OCI wrapper library is an open source project called libsqlora, written by Kai Poitschke. A more featured, albeit newer wrapper library is the C Wrapper for Oracle OCI, written by Vincent Rogier.
There are several resources available to OCI developers.
The Oracle Call Interface (OCI) is an application programming interface (API) which allows developers to build applications using low-level C and C++ function calls to access an Oracle database server. Similarly, not only does OCI allow users to control all aspects of SQL statement execution, but it also fully supports the datatypes, calling conventions, syntax, and semantics of C and C++.
History and Versions of the OCI API
OCI began life as the Host Language Interface in Oracle6. Over time, OCI has been improved; creating two distinct versions of the OCI API, OCI7 and OCI8. During the Oracle7 days, OCI became quite popular. In fact, there are many OCI7-based applications still in use today. However, in Oracle8, the OCI API was completely revamped; making the API much more usable and understandable. An example is the the call to rollback a transaction.
In OCI7, the function call to rollback a transaction was named orol. Later, in OCI8, the call was given a more understandable name, OCITransRollback. While the current version of the OCI API is 11.1, the style of the API itself is OCI8.
OCI does support application failover with a call back mechanism using transparent application failover (TAF). This feature can be configured in the listener configuration on the client side or in the connection parameters with failover attributes defined.
OCI Discussion Forums
The Call Interface forum on OTN provides users with a free, community-based online support group for OCI. The latest and most popular threads can be found below:
OCI Wrapper Libraries
As OCI is an extremely powerful API, it is quite verbose and can take time to master. As such, several wrapper libraries exist which allow developers to take advantage of the inherent performance aspects of OCI, without having to spend as much time learning the API itself.
Currently, the most mature and popular OCI wrapper library is an open source project called libsqlora, written by Kai Poitschke. A more featured, albeit newer wrapper library is the C Wrapper for Oracle OCI, written by Vincent Rogier.
OCI Links
There are several resources available to OCI developers.
Latest page update: made by jhartelt
, Jun 24 2008, 5:26 PM EDT
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About This Update
Edited by jhartelt
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Edited by jhartelt
2 words added
1 word deleted
view changes
- complete history)
Keyword tags:
api
c
call interface
oci
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