Preface

This guide describes database features that support applications using Large Object (LOB) datatypes. The information in this guide applies to all platforms and does not include system-specific information.

Audience

Oracle Database SecureFiles and Large Objects Developer's Guide is intended for programmers developing new applications that use LOBs, as well as those who have already implemented this technology and now want to take advantage of new features.

The increasing importance of multimedia data as well as unstructured data has led to this topic being presented as an independent volume within the Oracle Application Developers documentation set.

Feature Coverage and Availability

Oracle Database SecureFiles and Large Objects Developer's Guide contains information that describes the features and functionality of Oracle Database 10g.

What You Need To Use LOBs

The database includes all of the resources you need to use LOBs in your application; however, there are some restrictions on how you can use LOBs as described in the following:

Documentation Accessibility

Our goal is to make Oracle products, services, and supporting documentation accessible, with good usability, to the disabled community. To that end, our documentation includes features that make information available to users of assistive technology. This documentation is available in HTML format, and contains markup to facilitate access by the disabled community. Accessibility standards will continue to evolve over time, and Oracle is actively engaged with other market-leading technology vendors to address technical obstacles so that our documentation can be accessible to all of our customers. For more information, visit the Oracle Accessibility Program Web site at

http://www.oracle.com/accessibility/

Accessibility of Code Examples in Documentation

Screen readers may not always correctly read the code examples in this document. The conventions for writing code require that closing braces should appear on an otherwise empty line; however, some screen readers may not always read a line of text that consists solely of a bracket or brace.

Accessibility of Links to External Web Sites in Documentation

This documentation may contain links to Web sites of other companies or organizations that Oracle does not own or control. Oracle neither evaluates nor makes any representations regarding the accessibility of these Web sites.

TTY Access to Oracle Support Services

Oracle provides dedicated Text Telephone (TTY) access to Oracle Support Services within the United States of America 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For TTY support, call 800.446.2398.

Related Documents

For more information, see the following manuals:

• Oracle Database PL/SQL Packages and Types Reference: Use this book to learn PL/SQL and to get a complete description of this high-level programming language, which is a procedural extension to SQL.

• Oracle Call Interface Programmer's Guide: Describes Oracle Call Interface (OCI). You can use OCI to build third-generation language (3GL) applications in C or C++ that access Oracle Server.

• Oracle C++ Call Interface Programmer's Guide

• Pro*C/C++ Programmer's Guide: Oracle also provides the Pro* series of precompilers, which allow you to embed SQL and PL/SQL in your application programs.

• Pro*COBOL Programmer's Guide: The Pro*COBOL precompiler enables you to embed SQL and PL/SQL in your COBOL programs for access to Oracle Server.

• Programmer's Guide to the Oracle Precompilers and Pro*Fortran Supplement to the Oracle Precompilers Guide: Use these manuals for Fortran precompiler programming to access Oracle Server.

• Java: Oracle Database offers the opportunity of working with Java in the database. The Oracle Java documentation set includes the following:

  • Oracle Database JDBC Developer's Guide and Reference

  • Oracle Database Java Developer's Guide

  • Oracle Database JPublisher User's Guide

Oracle Database error message documentation is only available in HTML. If you only have access to the Oracle Documentation CD, you can browse the error messages by range. Once you find the specific range, use your browser "find in page" feature to locate the specific message. When connected to the Internet, you can search for a specific error message using the error message search feature of the Oracle online documentation.

Many of the examples in this book use the sample schemas, which are installed by default when you select the Basic Installation option with an Oracle Database installation. Refer to Oracle Database Sample Schemas for information on how these schemas were created and how you can use them yourself.

Multimedia

You can access the Oracle development environment for multimedia technology in a number of different ways.

• To build self-contained applications that integrate with the database, you can learn about how to use the Oracle extensibility framework in Oracle Database Data Cartridge Developer's Guide

• To use Oracle Multimedia applications, refer to the following:

  • Oracle Multimedia Reference.

  • Oracle Multimedia User's Guide

Basic References

• For SQL information, see the Oracle Database SQL Language Reference and Oracle Database Administrator's Guide

• For information about using LOBs with Oracle XML DB, refer to Oracle XML DB Developer's Guide

• For information about Oracle XML SQL with LOB data, refer to Oracle Database Advanced Replication

• For basic Oracle concepts, see Oracle Database Concepts.

• For information on using Oracle Data Pump, SQL*Loader, and other database utilities, see Oracle Database Utilities

Printed documentation is available for sale in the Oracle Store at

http://oraclestore.oracle.com/

To download free release notes, installation documentation, white papers, or other collateral, please visit the Oracle Technology Network (OTN). You must register online before using OTN; registration is free and can be done at:

http://www.oracle.com/technology/membership/

If you already have a username and password for OTN, then you can go directly to the documentation section of the OTN Web site at:

http://www.oracle.com/technology/documentation/

Conventions

The following text conventions are used in this document: