Create directory from procedure using IN parameter-Directory name with path

Question

Hi,
I wrote a procedure which takes directory name(C:\temp) as IN parameter and create oracle directory using EXECUTE IMMEDIATE by the procedure. Proc compiled fine but when i try to execute it (exec prc_lx_e_m_fund_activty ('C:\interface','test1.txt','20040102') , i am getting the following error with the execute immediate statement mentioned below.
create or replace
PROCEDURE prc_lx_e_m_fund_activty
i_output_dir IN VARCHAR2,
i_output_file_name IN VARCHAR2,
i_interface_date IN VARCHAR2
AS
EXECUTE IMMEDIATE 'CREATE OR REPLACE DIRECTORY OUTPUT_PATH AS ' || ''''||i_output_dir||'''' ||';'; -- Where i_output_dir=C:\temp (I am passing this parameter as IN)
END
ORA-01481: invalid number format model
ORA-06512: at "DBO.PRC_LX_E_M_FUND_ACTIVTY", line 326
ORA-00911: invalid character
ORA-06512: at line 10
Process exited.
Regards,
Nagarjun.

Answer 1

You don't need to put it in a string first. Your actual problem was that you included a ";" on the end of your statement which you don't require with execute immediate.
This would do the job...
EXECUTE IMMEDIATE 'CREATE OR REPLACE DIRECTORY OUTPUT_PATH AS '''||i_output_dir||'''';or this (if you are on 10g upwards)
EXECUTE IMMEDIATE q'[CREATE OR REPLACE DIRECTORY OUTPUT_PATH AS ''||i_output_dir||'']';However, I would seriously question why you are creating directories dynamically in code.
The purpose of creating directories and granting permission to read and/or write to them is to maintain security over which users can access various places on the file system. If you give this flexibility of creating directories to users then effectively they can kill your database server and/or hack into information that they shouldn't.