
Oratcl -  Tcl interface to Oracle database server

WHAT IS ORATCL?

Oratcl is an extension to Tool Command Language (Tcl) that provides access
to a Oracle Database server.  Oratcl adds additional Tcl commands that 
login to an Oracle Server, pass SQL code, read results, etc.  Oratcl was 
inspired by similar tools written for Perl (sybperl, oraperl) but was written 
from scratch instead of borrowing on the work of either Perl extension.

Oratcl was based on (Tom Poindexter's) earlier effort with Sybtcl.  

Oratcl features:
  -supports multiple connections to the same or different Oracle Servers
  -sends Sql code or anonymous PL blocks to the server
  -caches return rows from the server for efficiency
  -converts results to strings and returns rows as Tcl lists
  -allows cursor variables to be returned from PL/SQL (Oracle 7.2+)
  -allows user defined null values to be returned
  -Version 7 stored procedures can be executed and return values accessed
  -accesses column names, lengths, and datatypes of rows & return values
  -provides feedback of Oracle messages and codes
  -reads/writes long columns
  -commit, rollback, and autocommit options

Oratcl 3.* features:
  -describe tables (names, lengths, datatypes)
  -reads/writes lob values (binary and character)
  -more configuration optioins

Oratcl is explained in greater detail in "Tcl/Tk Tools", edited by Mark 
Harrison, and published by O'Reilly and Associates.  "Tcl/Tk Tools" is 
a new book that covers many of the popular Tcl extensions, written by
the authors of each extension (Tom wrote the chapters on Sybtcl and Oratcl.)
1st Edition published September 1997, ISBN: 1-56592-218-2
See your local bookstore, or try: 
	http://www.softpro.com
	http://www.amazon.com
	http://www.ora.com
	http://www.barnesandnoble.com


BUG REPORTS

Comments, suggestions, et.al., should be mailed to me at the above email
address, or posted to comp.lang.tcl if general enough nature.  
Hell, you can even mail to me if you like Oratcl!

Mail bug reports to:	tmh@users.sourceforge.net

If you post a question or bug report to comp.lang.tcl, I may not see it,
so please copy me also.

Please ALWAYS include: 
        -version of Oratcl
        -version of Tcl, Tk
        -version of Oracle server and OCI libary
        -version of your operating system
	-switches used with configure (see config.status)
        -compiler used, stock cc or Gcc
        -samples of SQL or Oratcl code causing problems
        -relevant database table definitions, views, procedures

ORATCL WWW PAGE
 
	http://oratcl.sourceforge.net

TCL DATABASE MAILING LIST

A mailing list is available for specific discussions about using Tcl with
databases, including Oratcl, Sybtcl, etc.  Feel free to join and mail to the
list.  The list is hosted by De Clarke.

To subscribe to this list send mail to
 
        listserv@ucolick.org
 
and in the body of the message write
 
        subscribe tcldb
 
To unsubscribe... (well, you get the idea).
 
Please remember to write to tcldb-owner with problems about the
list itself, or to postmaster@ucolick.org if you have difficulties
getting through to the tcldb-owner address.  Please do not send
subscribe and unsubscribe messages to the list itself.

 
INSTALLATION
 
Quickie install instructions:
 
        ./configure --prefix=/same/prefix/path/as/with/tcl/configure  \
                    --exec-prefix=/same/exec-prefix/path/as/with/tcl/configure 
        make
        make install
 
Didn't work? You'll have to read the INSTALL file.  Maybe you should read it
anyway.

See the file ChangeLog for changes in versions of Oratcl.

-finis-
