How to run an external application from PL/SQL code?

Question

Hi,
I want to call an application like "Notepad" from PL/SQL code in a Windows2000 server. Is there any way to do that?
Thanks, best regards.
Paulo.

Answer 1

declare
r varchar(4000);
begin
dbms_java.set_output(10000);
system_util.runshell('sh /ora9/runBackup.sh', r);
dbms_output.put_line(r);
end;
System_util package is
CREATE OR REPLACE PACKAGE System_Util IS
*System: Generic
*Package Name: System_util
*Description: This is an open source package which holds regular used
     * methods by developers and dba's.
*Created by:         Rae Smith
*Created Date:       27/06/2001
*Notes: This ia an free open source package that holds no warranty and
* therefore no-one connected to the development of this package
* can be made reasponsible for any outcomes by it's use.
MODIFICATION LOG**************************************************************
*DETAILS                                    DATE          VERS          CHANGED BY
*===============================================================================
*Created                                 27-06-2001     1.0           Rae Smith
     /********************************* Public Methhods ***************************************/
     --- getDir returns the first directory value held in the init.ora file
     FUNCTION getDir RETURN VARCHAR2;
     --- getPrev.. returns the prevoise day from a gievn date
     FUNCTION getPrevSat(pDate IN DATE) RETURN DATE;
     FUNCTION getPrevSun(pDate IN DATE) RETURN DATE;
     FUNCTION getPrevMon(pDate IN DATE) RETURN DATE;
     FUNCTION getPrevTue(pDate IN DATE) RETURN DATE;
     FUNCTION getPrevWed(pDate IN DATE) RETURN DATE;
     FUNCTION getPrevThu(pDate IN DATE) RETURN DATE;
     FUNCTION getPrevFri(pDate IN DATE) RETURN DATE;
     --- isNumber returns TRUE or FALSE depending on a datatype passed
     FUNCTION isNumber(pnumber IN VARCHAR2) RETURN BOOLEAN;
     FUNCTION isNumber(pnumber IN NUMBER) RETURN BOOLEAN;
     FUNCTION isNumber(pnumber IN DATE) RETURN BOOLEAN;
     --- The writeFile allow you to write data to a file
     --- writeFile has 2 Versions
     --- v1 pass in the file name and the text to write to a file.
     --- v2 pass in the file name, dbms_sql.varhar2s object
     --- and the amount of rows to procces at a time
     --- This enables you to write to afile in batch mode
     PROCEDURE writeFile(pName IN VARCHAR2, pText IN VARCHAR2);
     PROCEDURE writeFile(pName IN VARCHAR2, pText IN DBMS_SQL.VARCHAR2S, pRows IN PLS_INTEGER);
     --- The appendFile methods allow you to append data to a file
--- This also has the inteligents to create the file if ts does not exist.
     --- appendFile has 2 Versions
     --- v1 pass in the file name and the text to write to a file.
     --- v2 pass in the file name, dbms_sql.varhar2s object
     --- and the amount of rows to procces at a time
     --- This enables you to write to afile in batch mode
     PROCEDURE appendFile(pName IN VARCHAR2, pText IN DBMS_SQL.VARCHAR2S, pRows IN PLS_INTEGER);
     PROCEDURE appendFile(pName IN VARCHAR2, pText IN VARCHAR2);
     --- The clearFile clears the data from a file.
     PROCEDURE clearFile(pName IN VARCHAR2);
     --- checkSyntax is a quick syntax checker for sql statements the is a limit to
     --- the size used in the statement. If you have a error with
     --- a statement then pass in the statement watch as it displays
     --- the point where the error arose.
     PROCEDURE checkSyntax(pSql IN VARCHAR2);
     --- isEmpty this returns TRUE or FALSE
     FUNCTION isEmpty(pValue IN VARCHAR2) RETURN BOOLEAN;
     --- getTimeInMins returns the time in minutes for a specified date
     FUNCTION getTimeInMins (pDate IN DATE) RETURN NUMBER;
     --PROCEDURE get_time_in_mins (pDate IN DATE);
     --- incDate returns a specified date incremented by value
     FUNCTION incDate(pInc IN NUMBER DEFAULT .999999, pDate IN DATE DEFAULT SYSDATE) RETURN DATE;
     --- decDate returns a specified date decremented by value
     FUNCTION decDate(pInc IN NUMBER DEFAULT .999999, pDate IN DATE DEFAULT SYSDATE) RETURN DATE;
     --- getTime returns the time in milliseconds
     FUNCTION getTime RETURN NUMBER;
     --- daysDiff returns the amount of days between two values
     FUNCTION daysDiff(pHigh IN DATE, pLow IN DATE) RETURN NUMBER;
     --- difference returns the diffeence between two numbers always
     --- taking the lowest away from the highest
     FUNCTION difference(pAnum IN NUMBER,pBnum IN NUMBER)RETURN NUMBER;
     --- total returns the value of two numbers added together
     FUNCTION total(pAnum IN NUMBER, pBnum IN NUMBER)RETURN NUMBER;
     --- numberToWords returns the string for a number passed in
     FUNCTION numberToWords(pNumb IN NUMBER) RETURN VARCHAR2;
     --- runShell allows you to run operating commands from pl/sql
     --- Only available with 8i
     --- PROCEDURE runShell(pCmnd IN VARCHAR2, pErrMsg IN OUT VARCHAR2);
     /**************************** Public Vaiables *******************************/
     --- Public variable that holds the operating system directory
     --- that the can be written to from withing the database.
     vDir VARCHAR2(50);
END;
CREATE OR REPLACE PACKAGE BODY System_Util IS
     FUNCTION getDir RETURN VARCHAR2
     IS
     BEGIN
          RETURN vDir;
     EXCEPTION
          WHEN OTHERS THEN
               dbms_output.put_line('ERROR...ERROR...System_Util.getDir');
               RAISE;
     END getDir;
     /**** Private module to get the first directory for utl_file to use ****/
     PROCEDURE getDir
     IS
          CURSOR cDir(p1 IN VARCHAR2)
          IS
          SELECT DECODE(INSTR(value, ','), 0, value, SUBSTR(value, 1, INSTR(value, ',')-1)) dir
          FROM v$parameter
          WHERE name = p1;
     BEGIN
          FOR rDir IN cDir('utl_file_dir') LOOP
               vDir := rDir.dir;
          END LOOP;
     EXCEPTION
          WHEN OTHERS THEN
               dbms_output.put_line('ERROR...ERROR...System_Util.getDir');
               RAISE;
     END getDir;
     FUNCTION getPrevDate(pDate IN DATE, pDay IN VARCHAR2) RETURN DATE
     IS
     BEGIN
          RETURN NEXT_DAY(pDate - 7, pDay);
     EXCEPTION
          WHEN OTHERS THEN
               RAISE;
     END getPrevDate;
     FUNCTION getPrevSat(pDate IN DATE) RETURN DATE
     IS
     BEGIN
          RETURN getPrevDate(pDate, 'saturday');
     EXCEPTION
          WHEN OTHERS THEN
               RAISE;
     END getPrevSat;
     FUNCTION getPrevSun(pDate IN DATE) RETURN DATE
     IS
     BEGIN
          RETURN getPrevDate(pDate, 'sunday');
     EXCEPTION
          WHEN OTHERS THEN
               RAISE;
     END getPrevSun;
     FUNCTION getPrevMon(pDate IN DATE) RETURN DATE
     IS
     BEGIN
          RETURN getPrevDate(pDate, 'monday');
     EXCEPTION
          WHEN OTHERS THEN
               RAISE;
     END getPrevMon;
     FUNCTION getPrevTue(pDate IN DATE) RETURN DATE
     IS
     BEGIN
          RETURN getPrevDate(pDate, 'tuesday');
     EXCEPTION
          WHEN OTHERS THEN
               RAISE;
     END getPrevTue;
     FUNCTION getPrevWed(pDate IN DATE) RETURN DATE
     IS
     BEGIN
          RETURN getPrevDate(pDate, 'wednesday');
     EXCEPTION
          WHEN OTHERS THEN
               RAISE;
     END getPrevWed;
     FUNCTION getPrevThu(pDate IN DATE) RETURN DATE
     IS
     BEGIN
          RETURN getPrevDate(pDate, 'thursday');
     EXCEPTION
          WHEN OTHERS THEN
               RAISE;
     END getPrevThu;
     FUNCTION getPrevFri(pDate IN DATE) RETURN DATE
     IS
     BEGIN
          RETURN getPrevDate(pDate, 'friday');
     EXCEPTION
          WHEN OTHERS THEN
               RAISE;
     END getPrevFri;
     FUNCTION isNumber(pNumber IN VARCHAR2) RETURN BOOLEAN
     IS
     BEGIN
          IF TO_NUMBER(pNumber)> 0 THEN
               RETURN TRUE;
          ELSE
               RETURN FALSE;
          END IF;
     EXCEPTION
          WHEN OTHERS THEN
               RETURN FALSE;
     END isNumber;
     FUNCTION isNumber(pNumber IN NUMBER) RETURN BOOLEAN
     IS
     BEGIN
          IF TO_NUMBER(pNumber) > 0 THEN
               RETURN TRUE;
          ELSE
               RETURN FALSE;
          END IF;
     EXCEPTION
          WHEN OTHERS THEN
          RETURN FALSE;
     END isNumber;
     FUNCTION isNumber(pNumber IN DATE) RETURN BOOLEAN
     IS
     BEGIN
          IF TO_NUMBER(TO_CHAR(pNumber, 'YYYYMMDD')) > 0 THEN
               RETURN TRUE;
          ELSE
               RETURN FALSE;
          END IF;
     EXCEPTION
          WHEN OTHERS THEN
               RETURN FALSE;
     END isNumber;
     PROCEDURE writeFile(pName IN VARCHAR2, pText IN VARCHAR2)
     IS
          vFtype utl_file.file_type;
     BEGIN
          vFtype := UTL_FILE.FOPEN(vDir, pName,'w');
          UTL_FILE.PUT_LINE(vFtype,pText);
          UTL_FILE.FCLOSE(vFtype);
     EXCEPTION
          WHEN OTHERS THEN
               UTL_FILE.FCLOSE(vFtype);
               RAISE;
     END writeFile;
     PROCEDURE writeFile(pName IN VARCHAR2, pText IN VARCHAR2, pFtyp IN OUT utl_file.file_type)
     IS
          vFtype utl_file.file_type;
     BEGIN
          vFtype := UTL_FILE.FOPEN(vDir, pName,'w');
          UTL_FILE.PUT_LINE(vFtype,pText);
          UTL_FILE.FCLOSE(vFtype);
     EXCEPTION
          WHEN OTHERS THEN
               UTL_FILE.FCLOSE(vFtype);
               RAISE;
     END writeFile;
     PROCEDURE writeFile(pName IN VARCHAR2, pText IN DBMS_SQL.VARCHAR2S, pRows IN PLS_INTEGER)
     IS
          vFtype utl_file.file_type;
          vText VARCHAR2(2000);
          vCnt BINARY_INTEGER;
          vRem BINARY_INTEGER;
          vRowcnt PLS_INTEGER := 0;
     BEGIN
          vRem := MOD(pText.COUNT, pRows);
          vFtype := UTL_FILE.FOPEN(vDir, pName, 'w');
          vCnt := pText.FIRST;
          LOOP
               EXIT WHEN vCnt IS NULL;
          vRowcnt := vRowcnt + 1;
               IF vCnt = pText.LAST THEN
                    vText := vText||pText(vCnt);
                    UTL_FILE.PUTF(vFtype,vText);
                    UTL_FILE.FFLUSH(vFtype);
                    vText := '';
               ELSIF MOD(vCnt, pRows) = 0 THEN
                    vText := vText||pText(vCnt)||'\n';
                    UTL_FILE.PUTF(vFtype,vText);
                    UTL_FILE.FFLUSH(vFtype);
                    vText := '';
               ELSIF vRowcnt = vRem THEN
                    vText := vText||pText(vCnt)||'\n';
                    UTL_FILE.PUTF(vFtype,vText);
                    UTL_FILE.FFLUSH(vFtype);
               ELSE
                    vText := vText||pText(vCnt)||'\n';
               END IF;
               vCnt := pText.NEXT(vCnt);
          END LOOP;
          UTL_FILE.FCLOSE(vFtype);
     EXCEPTION
          WHEN OTHERS THEN
               dbms_output.put_line('ERROR...ERROR...SYSTEM_UTIL.WRITE_FILE');
               UTL_FILE.FCLOSE(vFtype);
               RAISE;
     END writeFile;
     PROCEDURE appendFile(pName IN VARCHAR2, pText IN DBMS_SQL.VARCHAR2S, pRows IN PLS_INTEGER)
     IS
          vFtype utl_file.file_type;
          vText VARCHAR2(2000);
          vCnt BINARY_INTEGER;
          vRem BINARY_INTEGER;
          vMode VARCHAR2(2) := 'a';
          vRowcnt PLS_INTEGER := 0;
     BEGIN
          vRem := MOD(pText.COUNT, pRows);
          vFtype := UTL_FILE.FOPEN(vDir, pName, vMode);
          vCnt := pText.FIRST;
          LOOP
               EXIT WHEN vCnt IS NULL;
               vRowcnt := vRowcnt + 1;
               IF vCnt = pText.LAST THEN
                    vText := vText||pText(vCnt);
                    UTL_FILE.PUTF(vFtype,vText);
                    UTL_FILE.FFLUSH(vFtype);
                    vText := '';
               ELSIF MOD(vCnt, pRows) = 0 THEN
                    vText := vText||pText(vCnt)||'\n';
                    UTL_FILE.PUTF(vFtype,vText);
                    UTL_FILE.FFLUSH(vFtype);
                    vText := '';
               ELSIF vRowcnt = vRem THEN
                    vText := vText||pText(vCnt)||'\n';
                    UTL_FILE.PUTF(vFtype,vText);
                    UTL_FILE.FFLUSH(vFtype);
               ELSE
                    vText := vText||pText(vCnt)||'\n';
               END IF;
               vCnt := pText.NEXT(vCnt);
          END LOOP;
               UTL_FILE.FCLOSE(vFtype);
     EXCEPTION
          WHEN UTL_FILE.INVALID_OPERATION THEN
               IF vMode = 'a' THEN
                    writeFile(pName, pText, pRows);
               ELSE
                    RAISE;
          END IF;
     WHEN OTHERS THEN
          dbms_output.put_line('ERROR...ERROR...SYSTEM_UTIL.APPENDFILE');
          UTL_FILE.FCLOSE(vFtype);
          RAISE;
     END appendFile;
     PROCEDURE appendFile(pName IN VARCHAR2, pText IN VARCHAR2)
     IS
          vFtype utl_file.file_type;
          vMode VARCHAR2(2) := 'a';
     BEGIN
          vFtype := UTL_FILE.FOPEN(vDir, pName, vMode);
          UTL_FILE.PUTF(vFtype, pText);
          UTL_FILE.FFLUSH(vFtype);
          UTL_FILE.FCLOSE(vFtype);
     EXCEPTION
     WHEN UTL_FILE.INVALID_OPERATION THEN
     IF vMode = 'a' THEN
          writeFile(pName, pText);
     ELSE
          RAISE;
     END IF;
     WHEN OTHERS THEN
          dbms_output.put_line('ERROR...ERROR...SYSTEM_UTIL.APPENDFILE');
          UTL_FILE.FCLOSE(vftype);
          RAISE;
     END appendFile;
     PROCEDURE clearFile(pName IN VARCHAR2)
     IS
          vFtype utl_file.file_type;
          vText VARCHAR2(2000);
          vCnt BINARY_INTEGER;
          vRem BINARY_INTEGER;
          vRowcnt PLS_INTEGER := 0;
     BEGIN
          vFtype := UTL_FILE.FOPEN(vDir, pName, 'w');
          UTL_FILE.PUTF(vFtype,'');
          UTL_FILE.FFLUSH(vFtype);
          UTL_FILE.FCLOSE(vFtype);
     EXCEPTION
     WHEN OTHERS THEN
     dbms_output.put_line('ERROR...ERROR...System_Util.CLEARFILE');
     UTL_FILE.FCLOSE(vFtype);
     RAISE;
     END clearFile;
     PROCEDURE checkSyntax(pSql IN VARCHAR2)
     IS
     sqlCur PLS_INTEGER := DBMS_SQL.OPEN_CURSOR;
     errPos PLS_INTEGER;
     sqlStmt VARCHAR2(2000);
     BEGIN
          sqlStmt := pSql;
          DBMS_SQL.PARSE(sqlCur, sqlStmt, DBMS_SQL.NATIVE);
     EXCEPTION
          WHEN OTHERS THEN
               errPos := DBMS_SQL.LAST_ERROR_POSITION;
               DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE(SQLERRM);
               DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE(sqlStmt);
               DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE(' ');
               DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE(LPAD('^', errPos, '-'));
               DBMS_SQL.CLOSE_CURSOR(sqlCur);
     END checkSyntax;
     FUNCTION isEmpty(pValue IN VARCHAR2) RETURN BOOLEAN
     IS
     BEGIN
          IF pValue IS NULL OR pValue = '' OR pValue = ' ' THEN
               RETURN TRUE;
          ELSE
               RETURN FALSE;
          END IF;
     END isEmpty;
     FUNCTION getTimeInMins (pDate IN DATE) RETURN NUMBER
     IS
          vHours NUMBER;
          vMins NUMBER;
          vRetval PLS_INTEGER;
     BEGIN
          vHours := TO_NUMBER(TO_CHAR(pDate,'HH24'));
          vMins := TO_NUMBER(TO_CHAR(pDate,'MI'));
          vRetval := ((60 * vHours) + vMins);
          RETURN vRetval;
     EXCEPTION
          WHEN OTHERS THEN
               RAISE;
     END getTimeInMins;
     PROCEDURE getTimeInMins (pDate IN DATE)
     IS
          vHours NUMBER;
          vMins NUMBER;
          vRetval PLS_INTEGER;
     BEGIN
          vHours := TO_NUMBER(TO_CHAR(pDate,'HH24'));
          vMins := TO_NUMBER(TO_CHAR(pDate,'MI'));
          vRetval := ((60 * vHours) + vMins);
          DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('The time IN minutes IS: '||vRetval);
     EXCEPTION
          WHEN OTHERS THEN
               RAISE;
     END getTimeInMins;
     FUNCTION incDate(pInc IN NUMBER DEFAULT .999999, pDate IN DATE DEFAULT SYSDATE) RETURN DATE
     IS
     BEGIN
     RETURN (TO_DATE(TO_CHAR(pDate + pInc, 'DD/MM/YYYY HH24:MI:SS'), 'DD/MM/YYYY HH24:MI:SS'));
     EXCEPTION
          WHEN OTHERS THEN
               RAISE;
     END incDate;
     FUNCTION decDate(pInc IN NUMBER DEFAULT .999999, pDate IN DATE DEFAULT SYSDATE) RETURN DATE
     IS
     BEGIN
     RETURN (TO_DATE(TO_CHAR(pDate - pInc, 'DD/MM/YYYY HH24:MI:SS'), 'DD/MM/YYYY HH24:MI:SS'));
     EXCEPTION
          WHEN OTHERS THEN
               RAISE;
     END decDate;
     FUNCTION getTime RETURN NUMBER
     IS
     BEGIN
          RETURN dbms_utility.get_time;
     END getTime;
     FUNCTION daysDiff(pHigh IN DATE, pLow IN DATE) RETURN NUMBER
     IS
          vHighdate DATE;
          vLowdate DATE;
     BEGIN
     IF pHigh > pLow THEN
               vHighdate := TO_DATE(TO_CHAR(pHigh, 'YYYYMMDD'), 'YYYYMMDD');
               vLowdate := TO_DATE(TO_CHAR(pLow, 'YYYYMMDD'), 'YYYYMMDD');
     ELSIF pLow > pHigh THEN
               vHighdate := TO_DATE(TO_CHAR(pLow, 'YYYYMMDD'), 'YYYYMMDD');
               vLowdate := TO_DATE(TO_CHAR(pHigh, 'YYYYMMDD'), 'YYYYMMDD');
     END IF;
          RETURN (vHighdate - vLowdate);
     EXCEPTION
          WHEN OTHERS THEN
               RAISE;
     END daysDiff;
     PROCEDURE dateCheck(pDateFrom IN OUT DATE, pDateTo IN OUT DATE)
     IS
          /* Declare the variable to hold the "from" date */
          vDateFrom DATE;
     BEGIN
          /* If either date_from or date_to is null then set to todays date **
          ** using the sysdate **
          ** today's DATE AND IN the correct format */
          pDateFrom := NVL(pDateFrom, SYSDATE);
          pDateTo := NVL(pDateTo, SYSDATE);
          /* Check that the from date is not greater than the to date if so **
          ** use the system_util.incDate to Increment the date by 1 day */
          IF (pDateFrom > pDateTo) THEN
          vDateFrom := pDateFrom;
          pDateTo := System_Util.incDate(1, vDateFrom);
          END IF;
     EXCEPTION
          WHEN OTHERS THEN
          RAISE;
     END;
     /* calculates the difference of two numbers always taken the high from the low*/
     FUNCTION difference(pAnum IN NUMBER, pBnum IN NUMBER)RETURN NUMBER
     IS
          vTotal NUMBER;
     BEGIN
          IF (pAnum > pBnum )OR (pAnum = pBnum)THEN
               vTotal := (pAnum - pBnum);
          ELSIF (pAnum < pBnum) THEN
               vTotal := (pBnum - pAnum);
          END IF;
          RETURN (vTotal);
     EXCEPTION
          WHEN OTHERS THEN
               RAISE;
     END difference;
     /* calculates the Total of two numbers*/
     FUNCTION total(pAnum IN NUMBER, pBnum IN NUMBER)RETURN NUMBER
     IS
          vTotal NUMBER;
     BEGIN
          vTotal := (pAnum + pBnum);
     RETURN (vTotal);
     EXCEPTION
          WHEN OTHERS THEN
               RAISE;
     END total;
     FUNCTION numberToWords(pNumb IN NUMBER) RETURN VARCHAR2
     IS
          vRetval VARCHAR2(255);
          vNumb PLS_INTEGER;
     BEGIN
          vNumb := pNumb;
          vRetval := REPLACE(TO_CHAR(TO_DATE(vNumb,'j'),'jsp'),'-',' ');
          RETURN (vRetval);
     EXCEPTION
          WHEN OTHERS THEN
          RAISE;
     END;
/*************** Only Available on 8i ********************************\
     FUNCTION Catcherr(pStr IN VARCHAR2) RETURN VARCHAR2
     IS
          LANGUAGE JAVA
          NAME 'catchErr.run(java.lang.String) return String';
     PROCEDURE runShell(pCmnd IN VARCHAR2, pErrMsg IN OUT VARCHAR2)
     IS
     BEGIN
          pErrMsg := Catcherr(pCmnd);
     EXCEPTION
     WHEN OTHERS THEN
          RAISE;
     END runShell;
BEGIN
getDir;
END;