IMPORT TEXT W/SQL LOADER

Question

I have a text file that has multiple records on a line, i want to bring in each as a separate record, then drop to the next line and continue a new set of data. each record is separated by a space. each line has max number of 40 records 54 characters long. I couldn't figure out how to use continueif with sql loader and make this work. Any suggestions??
Thank you,
STeven

Answer 1

Hi Steven
from whati understand you have a line in a flat file and this line will be seperated to seperate rows and inserted into the db??
if yes then this might help you
i suggest you create a function with an IN OUT parameter, which you feed the line and seperate it by a defined seperater, and use each portion as a seperate record/row.
ie:
FUNCTION TO_TEXTVAL
(P_TEXT_LINE IN OUT VARCHAR2)
RETURN VARCHAR2 IS
V_SEP NUMBER(1000):= 0;
V_TEXT_LINE VARCHAR2(10000);
BEGIN
     V_SEP := INSTR(P_TEXT_LINE,';');
     IF V_SEP = 0 THEN
          V_TEXT_LINE := P_TEXT_LINE;
     ELSE
          V_TEXT_LINE     := SUBSTR(P_TEXT_LINE, 1, V_SEP - 1);
P_TEXT_LINE     := SUBSTR(P_TEXT_LINE, V_SEP + 1);
     END IF;
     RETURN (V_TEXT_LINE);
END TO_TEXTVAL;
here i have used a ';' as my seperator u can replace that with a ' ' (space) to do the job .
FUNCTION TO_TEXTVAL
(P_TEXT_LINE IN OUT VARCHAR2)
RETURN VARCHAR2 IS
V_SEP NUMBER(1000):= 0;
V_TEXT_LINE VARCHAR2(10000);
BEGIN
     V_SEP := INSTR(P_TEXT_LINE,' ');
     IF V_SEP = 0 THEN
          V_TEXT_LINE := P_TEXT_LINE;
     ELSE
          V_TEXT_LINE     := SUBSTR(P_TEXT_LINE, 1, V_SEP - 1);
P_TEXT_LINE     := SUBSTR(P_TEXT_LINE, V_SEP + 1);
     END IF;
     RETURN (V_TEXT_LINE);
END TO_TEXTVAL;
then you can use this function in a procedure that calls UTL_FILE.GET_LINE builtin
ie:
     UTL_FILE.GET_LINE(v_filehandle, v_text);
               v_item_code := TO_TEXTVAL(v_text);
               v_item_qty := TO_TEXTVAL(v_text);
               v_prod_date := TO_DATE(TO_TEXTVAL(v_text), 'MM/DD/YYYY HH:MI:SS AM');
hope this helps.
Regards
Tony G.