Problem with utl_file package

Question

Hi guys.
I was trying I/O in oracle using utl_file packege the codes written my me was:
DECLARE
Temp UTL_FILE.File_Type;
BEGIN
Temp:=UTL_FILE.Fopen('/DOGS','TEST.txt','w');
UTL_FILE.Put(Temp,'Hell');
UTL_FILE.FFLUSH(Temp);
UTL_FILE.Fclose(Temp);
EXCEPTION
WHEN UTL_FILE.INVALID_PATH THEN
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('PATH');
WHEN UTL_FILE.INVALID_FILEHANDLE THEN
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('HANDLE');
END;
but its going state to exception invalid_path can any one help me out please.
the entry in init.ora file was
utl_file_dir="c:/help"
please help me out please ur help will be appreciated. thanx
nikhil
null

Answer 1

Nikhil,
If we consider the following line from your code:
Temp:=UTL_FILE.Fopen('/DOGS','TEST.txt','w');
The first parameter in the FOPEN function ('/DOGS') is not a file system directory name, but an Oracle DB directory name. You need to create the directory thus:
CREATE DIRECTORY dogs AS 'C:\help' ;
You then need to permit the database server to access the physical directory by setting UTL_FILE_DIR as follows:
UTL_FILE_DIR = 'C:\help'
in init.ora. Don't forget to bounce the DB!
Now you can open the file with:
Temp:=UTL_FILE.FOPEN('dogs','TEST.txt','w');