Concurrent HOST program calling a proc to log using fnd_file.put_line

Question

Hello all,
I have a concurrent HOST program that does 3 main things
1. Calls a sqlplus program to do some initializing. This program is a proc in a package.
2. Runs sqlldr to load data to custom tables.
3. Calls a sqlplus program to do manipulate the data. This program is a proc in a package.
In step 3 of above, the package procedue does a "submit_request" to call the "Supplier Open Interface Import". This
request actually fires. However my problem is the subsequent call to fnd_file.put_line(fnd_file.log, 'Test message'), does not get logged
to the log file of the HOST program, nor to the log file of the "Supplier Open Interfface Import" log file. A check
of $APPLPTMP (or /usr/tmp) shows that a file of say " l0023761.tmp" contains my 'Test message' text.
I believe the problem is that the put_line() call has no association with the HOST or the "Supplier Open Interface Import. How
do I associate the logging to either program? Is it even possible? I want the logging, so as to see the progress
of the HOST program.
The sniippet of proc code is:
PROCEDURE abc() IS
BEGIN
request_id:= FND_REQUEST.SUBMIT_REQUEST
(Application => 'SQLAP'
,Program => 'APXSUIMP'
,Description => NULL
,Start_time => SYSDATE
,Sub_Request => FALSE
,Argument1 => 'ALL'
,Argument2 => 1000
,Argument3 => 'N'
,Argument4 => 'N'
,Argument5 => 'N'
fnd_file.put_line (fnd_file.log,'Test message');
COMMIT;
END abc;
Alex.

Answer 1

Shell scripts are very hard to develop and maintain. Many things that developers previously had to do in shell scripts, developers can now do in PL/SQL. Hence, I recommend that you avoid shell scripts as much as possible.
As well, SQL*Loader is an old, inflexible tool. Instead, define your OS file as an external table, and then extract from the external table using a normal select statement. http://www.orafaq.com/node/848 I recommend that you avoid SQL*Loader and use external tables instead.
Using PL/SQL and external tables - and avoiding the shell script and SQL*Loader - a much better way to accomplish the same thing all inside one packaged procedure that is registered as a concurrent program:
- initialize
- select from the external table
- manipulate the data