To store data as paragragh

Question

Hello,
Is it possible to store in db(oracle 9i) a volume of data split into paragraphs as it is?Also, would I be able to retrive it with a select query in the same format that i stored it too.
Ex:
If this is the data,
Hence Burgundy, Claret, and Port,
Away with old Hock and madeira,
Too earthly ye are for my sport;
There's a beverage brighter and clearer.
Instead of a piriful rummer,
My wine overbrims a whole summer;
My bowl is the sky,
And I drink at my eye.
I want to store this in tha database such that when i retrieve it,I get to display this as above.
Thanks in advance!!

Answer 1

I prefer CLOB, However It is possible with VARCHAR2 also See example 2 with test_varchar table.
SQL> CREATE table test_clob (col1 integer,col2 CLOB);
Table created.
SQL> DECLARE
  2    v_clob_locator CLOB;
  3    v_offset       INTEGER; --Where to start
  4    v_text         CLOB;
  5    v_amount       NUMBER;
  6  BEGIN
  7    INSERT INTO test_clob
  8    VALUES
  9      (1, EMPTY_CLOB())
10    RETURNING col2 INTO v_clob_locator;
11    v_offset := DBMS_LOB.getlength(v_clob_locator) + 2;
12 
13    v_text   := 'Hence Burgundy, Claret, and Port,
14  Away with old Hock and madeira,
15  Too earthly ye are for my sport;
16  There''s a beverage brighter and clearer.';
17    v_amount := DBMS_LOB.getlength(v_text);
18    DBMS_LOB.write(v_clob_locator, v_amount, v_offset, v_text);
19    COMMIT;
20    INSERT INTO test_clob
21    VALUES
22      (2, EMPTY_CLOB())
23    RETURNING col2 INTO v_clob_locator;
24    v_offset := DBMS_LOB.getlength(v_clob_locator) + 2;
25 
26    v_text   := 'Instead of a piriful rummer,
27  My wine overbrims a whole summer;
28  My bowl is the sky,
29  And I drink at my eye.';
30    v_amount := DBMS_LOB.getlength(v_text);
31    DBMS_LOB.write(v_clob_locator, v_amount, v_offset, v_text);
32    COMMIT;
33  END;
34  /
PL/SQL procedure successfully completed.
SQL> set long 100000
SQL> SELECT * FROM test_clob;
      COL1
COL2
         1
Hence Burgundy, Claret, and Port,
Away with old Hock and madeira,
Too earthly ye are for my sport;
There's a beverage brighter and clearer.
         2
Instead of a piriful rummer,
My wine overbrims a whole summer;
      COL1
COL2
My bowl is the sky,
And I drink at my eye.
SQL> CREATE TABLE test_varchar(col1 INTEGER,col2 VARCHAR2(4000));
Table created.
SQL> INSERT INTO test_varchar2 VALUES(1,'Hence Burgundy, Claret, and Port,'||chr(10)||
  2  'Away with old Hock and madeira,'||chr(10)||
  3  'Too earthly ye are for my sport;'||chr(10)||
  4  'There''s a beverage brighter and clearer.');
INSERT INTO test_varchar2 VALUES(1,'Hence Burgundy, Claret, and Port,'||chr(10)||
ERROR at line 1:
ORA-00942: table or view does not exist
SQL> INSERT INTO test_varchar VALUES(1,'Hence Burgundy, Claret, and Port,'||chr(10)||
  2  'Away with old Hock and madeira,'||chr(10)||
  3  'Too earthly ye are for my sport;'||chr(10)||
  4  'There''s a beverage brighter and clearer.');
1 row created.
SQL> SELECT * FROM test_varchar;
      COL1
COL2
         1
Hence Burgundy, Claret, and Port,
Away with old Hock and madeira,
Too earthly ye are for my sport;
There's a beverage brighter and clearer.
SQL>