Datadeploy a complete file as clob/blob

Hi,

we need to deploy the full content of a file to a database, using datadeploy. That is xml files should go into a clob-data-field, binary files should go into a blob-data-field.

Currently this is done via a (dirty) trick: each file has a ea that holds a file-url to itself. Using 'is-url="yes"' this will do exactly what is required.

But I think this trick is very, very dirty (why use an ea for data that is already known, it makes it hard to deploy data from an edition, it is extra overhead and complexity)

Is there another, proper, better way to achieve the same?

Cheers, Ronald

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Migrateduser

It would be more work, but the first thought that comes to mind for me would be to write a tuple pre-processor that would look at PATH, read in the bytestream for the file and append it to the tuple as a new item called some thing FileByteStream. Then you could just do a standard value-from-field and reference that tuple item.

RonaldV

Thanks Rob,

I just think that your tip is even more complex then the current one.

Surely, what I ask must have been handled by others before?

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nipper

Thanks Rob,

I just think that your tip is even more complex then the current one.

Surely, what I ask must have been handled by others before?

I have done several DD implementations before. I have seen this request and have finally convinced the customer that this was a very poor implementation. There is another thread about someone trying the same thing, and my reply is the same, this a very poor design.

RonaldV

this a very poor design.

Nipper, do you refer here to writing a external java thingy or to "mis-using" the is-url attribute?

nipper

Nipper, do you refer here to writing a external java thingy or to "mis-using" the is-url attribute?

putting a complete file in an Oracle DB in general. Dropping an image or PDF into a CLOB.

Migrateduser

I agree with Andy about the premise that it's basically poor design to store files in databases. That said, there are some rare instances of systems that expect all content to be in the DB, and in those cases, you might have to accomodate the case you described. I was assuming you didn't have the option to not put the files in the DB, but if you do have the option, then don't do it.

As you noticed, my solution is more complicated than yours to build, but it does avoid the duct tape involved in misusing is-url. I can't imagine ever actually building either solution, though.

RonaldV

Thanks all,

I agree that it is better to store file in a file-system. However this is a current implementation of which I want ot re-design the dd-part but I can't change the db-layout.

Nevertheless, I think it is quite a big missing feature for a grown-up tool like datadeploy. Even if it is poor design it should be possible in datadeploy to do this, in a simple way.

Iwov, if you are reading this (and I think you should), could you make this an feature request?

Cheers, Ronald.