README

 /*
 * OCILIB - C Driver for Oracle (C Wrapper for Oracle OCI)
 *
 * Website: http://www.ocilib.net
 *
 * Copyright (c) 2007-2025 Vincent ROGIER <vince.rogier@ocilib.net>
 *
 */
 
===========================================================================
DESCRIPTION 
===========================================================================

OCILIB is an open source and portable Oracle Driver that delivers really fast and reliable access to Oracle databases.

The OCILIB library:

    * offers a rich, full featured and easy to use API
    * runs on all Oracle platforms
    * is written in pure ISO C code with native ISO C Unicode support
    * encapsulates OCI (Oracle Call Interface)
    * is the most complete available OCI wrapper
 
===========================================================================
VERSION 
===========================================================================

see VERSION file.


===========================================================================
FEATURES 
===========================================================================
   
    * Full ANSI and Unicode support on all platforms (ISO C wide strings or UTF8 strings)
    * Full 32/64 bits compatibility
    * Compatible with all Oracle version >= 8.0
    * Automatic adaptation to the runtime Oracle client version
    * Runtime loading of Oracle libraries
    * Built-in error handling (global and thread context)
    * Full support for SQL API and Object API
    * Full support for ALL Oracle SQL and PL/SQL datatypes (scalars, objects, refs, collections, ..)
    * Full support for PL/SQL (blocks, cursors, Index by Tables and Nested tables)
    * Support for non scalar datatype with trough library objects 
    * Oracle Pooling (connections and sessions pools)
    * Oracle XA connectivity (X/Open Distributed Transaction Processing XA interface)
    * Oracle AQ (Advanced Queues)
    * Oracle TAF (Transparent Application Failover) and HA (High availabality) support 
    * Binding array Interface
    * Returning DML feature
    * Scrollable statements
    * Statement cache
    * Direct Path loading
    * Remote Instances Startup/Shutdown
    * Oracle Database Change notification / Continuous Query Notification
    * Oracle warnings support
    * Global and local transactions 
    * Describe database schema objects
    * Hash tables API
    * Portable Threads and mutexes API
    * Partial support for XMLTYPE (fetching only as string content)

===========================================================================
DOWNLOAD 
===========================================================================

Available at:

URL : http://www.ocilib.net

===========================================================================
LICENSE
===========================================================================

The source code is free source code licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0.

(see the file LICENSE)

===========================================================================
COMPATIBILITY
===========================================================================

This current source is pure ISO C and should compile with any C90 Compliant compiler
for ANSI version and C99 for Unicode versions.
 
 Validated Platforms (32/64bits): 
 
 - Windows 
 - UP/UX 
 - Linux 
 - Solaris 
 - AIX
 - Mac OS X
 - OpenvMS (full validation pending)

 Validated Compilers : 

 - GCC / MinGW
 - MS Compilers 
 - XLC  
 - CCs 
 - LabView

 Validated Oracle versions : 
 
 - Oracle 8 
 - Oracle 9
 - Oracle 10
 - Oracle 11
 - Oracle 12
 - Oracle 18
 - Oracle 19
 - Oracle 21
  
===========================================================================
INSTALLATION AND LIBRARY BUILDS ON MS WINDOWS
===========================================================================

Precompiled OCILIB dynamic libraries are provided for Microsoft Windows :

     - ocilib\lib32 : 32bits binaires
     - ocilib\lib64 : 64bits binaires

Precompiled OCILIB static libraries are provided for Microsoft Windows :

     - ocilib\lib32 : 32bits binaries

2 methods :

1/
     - add the ocilib\include  directory to your include's path
     - add the ocilib\lib32|64 directory to your libraries path
     - add the ocilib\lib32|64 directory to your windows path

2/
     - copy  ocilib\include\ocilib.h to any place located in your include's path
     - copy  ocilib\lib32|64\ocilib[x].lib to any place located in your libraries path
     - copy  ocilib\lib32|64\ocilib[x].dll to any place located in your windows path
     - copy  ocilib\lib32\libocilib[x].a to any place located in your windows path

* BUILDING OCILIB FROM SOURCES *

OCILIB supports 3 builds options on Windows platforms :

1/ oracle import (linkage or runtime loading)

On win32, the provided build were compiled using is runtime loading.
If you want to import Oracle OCI at linkage time , you need to rebuild the libraries

Defines :

     - OCI_IMPORT_LINKAGE for linkage at compile time
     - OCI_IMPORT_RUNTIME for runtime loading

if no import mode is set, the library sets the default to OCI_IMPORT_LINKAGE

2/ charset (ansi, wide, mixed)

this pakcage provides 2 OCILIB Dlls (32bits and 64bits) :

      - ociliba.dll (ANSI / UTF8 version)
      - ocilibw.dll (UNICODE/UFT16/USC2/wchar_t version) 

this package provides 3 OCILIB static libs (32 bits only) :

      - libociliba.a (ANSI / UTF8 version)
      - libocilibw.a (UNICODE/UFT16/USC2/wchar_t version)  

Defines :

     - OCI_CHARSET_ANSI for ansi / UTF8
     - OCI_CHARSET_WIDE for unicode (wide strings)

if no charset mode is set, the library sets the default to OCI_CHARSET_ANSI 

3/ calling convention

On win32, the default calling convention is __stdcall.
So the OCILIB function using a variable number or parameters (OCI_xxxxFmt) won't work
If you need them, modify the preprocessor options to change OCI_API to __cdecl and rebuild !

Defines :

     - OCI_API =  __stdcall to link OCILIB to any language independent module
     - OCI_API = __cdecl (or no value) for C/C++ only !

if no charset mode is set, the library sets the default to no value


To rebuild the dynamic libraries (MS Visual Studio) :

      - open the dll project ocilib\proj\dll\ocilib_dll_vs200x.sln
      - do a batch build

To rebuild the static libraries (Code::blocks) :

      - open the static project ocilib\proj\mingw\ocilib_static_lib_mingw.cbp
      - do a batch build

* BUILDING THE DEMO *

1/ run an already built demo

     - run ocilib_demo.exe located in ocilib\proj\test\Win32|64\release [build]

2/ build a demo 

     - open the test project ocilib\proj\test\ocilib_demo_vs200x.sln or ocilib_demo_codeblocks.cbp
     - choose an configuration
     - build

* MAKE ANY PROGRAM WITH OCILIB *

1/ use the prebuilt Dlls

     - add ocilib/include folder to your compiler includes path
     - add ocilib/lib folder to your linker library path
     - For MinGW only, rename/copy ocilib[x].lib to libocilib[x].a
     - add ocilib[x].lib (or -locilib[x] from MinGw) to your linking options
     - add OCI_CHARSET_XXX macro to your preprocessor options
     - add OCI_API macro definition to your preprocessor options (set it to __stdcall)

2/ use the prebuilt Dlls

     - add ocilib/include folder to your compiler includes path
     - add ocilib/lib folder to your linker library path
     - add libocilib[x].a to your linking options
     - add OCI_CHARSET_XXX macro to your preprocessor options
     - add OCI_API macro definition to your preprocessor options (set it to __stdcall)

3/ link source code

     - add the source files located in ocilib/src to your project and defines the 3 build options
 
 
===========================================================================
INSTALLATION AND LIBRARY BUILDS ON LINUX AND UNIX BASED SYSTEMS
===========================================================================

OCILIB is available on MS Windows and Linux /Unix systems.

* BUILDING OCILIB FROM SOURCES *

Installation on Linux / Unix systems

see INSTALL file for installation options.

To install, use GNU install :

>./configure
>./make
>./make install

you migth need to `su` to make install

Make sure Oracle library path and the ocilib library path are defined in
your shared library variable (LB_LIBRARY_PATH, LDPATH, SHLIB_PATH....)

Custom install options

`--with-oracle-charset'

     Specify charset uses with Oracle OCI libraries
     Possible values are : ansi|wide
     Default is : ansi

`--with-oracle-import'

     Specify how OCILIB is importing Oracle OCI libraries
     Possible values are : linkage|runtime
     Default is : linkage
     in runtime import mode, Oracle libraries and environment are 
     not checked during compilation time.

`--with-oracle-home'

     Specify your Oracle home location.  (for regular Oracle client installation)
     Default is $ORACLE_HOME
     Only used if import mode is linkage

`--with-oracle-headers-path'

     Specify your OCI public headers path (for Oracle Instant client)
     Only used if import mode is linkage

`--with-oracle-lib-path'

     Specify your OCI shared library path (for Oracle Instant client)
     this directory must contains the libclntsh library.
     You might need to create a symbolic link without version number.
     Only used if import mode is linkage

`--with-custom-loader'

     Specify the linker the flag for adding support for loaders other than ld
     Default value is '-ldl'.
     Only used if import mode is runtime


* BUILDING THE DEMO *

copy demo.c and Makefile_demo from the folder $(OCILIB_PREFIX)/share/doc/ocilib/demo

(OCILIB_PREFIX is the installation lib folder - default is /usr/local)

to any of our full access directory and then compile :

>make -f Makefile_demo

* MAKE ANY PROGRAM WITH OCILIB *

Add the following to your makefile

1/ define charset

add -DOCI_CHARSET_xxxx  to your CFLAGS

where xxxx can be : ANSI | WIDE

2 / link OCILIB library

add -L$(OCILIB_PREFIX)/lib -locilib to your LDFLAGS

where OCILIB_PREFIX is the installation lib folder - default is /usr/local

2 / link Oracle library (if import mode = linkage which is default)

add -L$(ORACLE_HOME)/lib -lclntsh to your LDFLAGS


===========================================================================
FEED BACK, BUG REPORTS
===========================================================================

URL : http://www.ocilib.net/support

===========================================================================
DOCUMENTATION
===========================================================================

Included in the library archive, it's installed in $(OCILIB_PREFIX)/share/doc/ocilib/html/

Online : http://www.ocilib.net/documentation/html

===========================================================================
USE OF OCILIB
===========================================================================

Please, Let me know about projects using OCILIB.

Send me a mail at <vince.rogier@ocilib.net> with a brief description of your project

Thanks.