Oracle Text - Problem with filtering binary documents (.doc, .pdf, etc...)

Question

Hi, I have a problem with filtering binary documents (.doc, .pdf, etc...). I use SQL*PLUS for remote access to Oracle 10.2 on Linux and I create table:
CREATE TABLE test (id NUMBER PRIMARY KEY, text VARCHAR2(100));
I insert to this table:
INSERT into test values(1, 'PATH/text1.doc‘);
INSERT into test values(2,'PATH/text2.doc‘);
and then:
CREATE INDEX test_index ON test(text) indextype is ctxsys.context
parameters (’datastore ctxsys.file_datastore
filter ctxsys.auto_filter’);
Message "Index created" is displayed, but objects: DR$test_index$I, DR$test_index$K, DR$test_index$N, DR$test_index$R and DR$test_index$P are empty => index wasn´t created probably.
I don´t know, where is bug, either bug is somewhere in this code or on the server (wrong installation oracle or constraint privileges). Do you know in what is bug?

Answer 1

The following is an excerpt from the 10g online documentation. Note the items that I have put in bold.
"FILE_DATASTORE
The FILE_DATASTORE type is used for text stored in files accessed through the local file system.
Note:
FILE_DATASTORE may not work with certain types of remote mounted file systems.
FILE_DATASTORE has the following attribute(s):
Table 2-4 FILE_DATASTORE Attributes
Attribute Attribute Value
path path1:path2:pathn
path
Specify the full directory path name of the files stored externally in a file system. When you specify the full directory path as such, you need only include file names in your text column.
You can specify multiple paths for path, with each path separated by a colon (:) on UNIX and semicolon(;) on Windows. File names are stored in the text column in the text table.
If you do not specify a path for external files with this attribute, Oracle Text requires that the path be included in the file names stored in the text column.
PATH Attribute Limitations
The PATH attribute has the following limitations:
If you specify a PATH attribute, you can only use a simple filename in the indexed column. You cannot combine the PATH attribute with a path as part of the filename. If the files exist in multiple folders or directories, you must leave the PATH attribute unset, and include the full file name, with PATH, in the indexed column.
On Windows systems, the files must be located on a local drive. They cannot be on a remote drive, whether the remote drive is mapped to a local drive letter."
With accessible paths and files, you get something like:
SCOTT@orcl_11g> CREATE TABLE test (id NUMBER PRIMARY KEY, text VARCHAR2(100));
Table created.
SCOTT@orcl_11g>
SCOTT@orcl_11g>
SCOTT@orcl_11g> INSERT into test values(1,'c:\oracle11g\banana.pdf');
1 row created.
SCOTT@orcl_11g> INSERT into test values(2,'c:\oracle11g\cranberry.pdf');
1 row created.
SCOTT@orcl_11g>
SCOTT@orcl_11g> CREATE INDEX test_index ON test(text) indextype is ctxsys.context
  2  parameters ('datastore ctxsys.file_datastore
  3  filter ctxsys.auto_filter');
Index created.
SCOTT@orcl_11g>
SCOTT@orcl_11g> select count(*) from dr$test_index$i
  2  /
  COUNT(*)
       608
SCOTT@orcl_11g> In the following, I used a non-existent path and non-existent file name, which produces the same results as when you use a remote path that does not exist locally.
SCOTT@orcl_11g> CREATE TABLE test (id NUMBER PRIMARY KEY, text VARCHAR2(100));
Table created.
SCOTT@orcl_11g>
SCOTT@orcl_11g>
SCOTT@orcl_11g> INSERT into test values(3,'c:\nosuchpath\nosuchfile.pdf');
1 row created.
SCOTT@orcl_11g>
SCOTT@orcl_11g> CREATE INDEX test_index ON test(text) indextype is ctxsys.context
  2  parameters ('datastore ctxsys.file_datastore
  3  filter ctxsys.auto_filter');
Index created.
SCOTT@orcl_11g>
SCOTT@orcl_11g> select count(*) from dr$test_index$i
  2  /
  COUNT(*)
         0
SCOTT@orcl_11g>