Getting output buffer from DBMS_OUTPUT.GET_LINES in C#

Question

I'm trying to get the output from the DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE() method in my anonymous PL/SQL block through C#. I've looked at a couple of other related questions here, but am still having trouble. The return code of executing the anonymous block is returning -1, which should be correct based on the docs.

I'm setting the DBMS_OUTPUT.ENABLE() to NULL in order to not set a specific buffer size, then using the DBMS_OUTPUT.GET_LINES() method in order to get the lines from that buffer.

It returns nothing in the buffer (An empty OracleString[]) and returns 0 lines. My anonymous PL/SQL block is simple like this, but should work for any.

DECLARE
    lvsName VARCHAR2(6) := 'Oracle';
BEGIN
    DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Do you see me?');
    DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('My name is: ' || lvsName);    
END;

What am I missing?

using (OracleDataAdapter oda = new OracleDataAdapter())
using (OracleCommand cmd = new OracleCommand(sql, _connection))
{
    // Execute anonymous PL/SQL block
    cmd.CommandType = CommandType.Text;
    var res = cmd.ExecuteNonQuery();

    // Set output Buffer
    cmd.CommandText = "BEGIN DBMS_OUTPUT.ENABLE(NULL); END;";
    cmd.CommandType = CommandType.Text;
    cmd.ExecuteNonQuery();

    // Get output
    cmd.CommandText = "BEGIN DBMS_OUTPUT.GET_LINES(:outString, :numLines); END;";
    cmd.CommandType = CommandType.Text;
    cmd.Parameters.Clear();
    cmd.Parameters.Add(new OracleParameter("outString", OracleDbType.Varchar2, int.MaxValue, ParameterDirection.Output));
    cmd.Parameters["outString"].CollectionType = OracleCollectionType.PLSQLAssociativeArray;
    cmd.Parameters["outString"].Size = sql.Length;
    cmd.Parameters["outString"].ArrayBindSize = new int[sql.Length];
    cmd.Parameters.Add(new OracleParameter("numLines", OracleDbType.Int32, ParameterDirection.InputOutput));
    cmd.Parameters["numLines"].Value = 10; // Get 10 lines
    cmd.ExecuteNonQuery();

     int numLines = Convert.ToInt32(cmd.Parameters["numLines"].Value.ToString());
     string outString = string.Empty;

     // Try to get more lines until there are zero left
     while (numLines > 0)
     {
         for (int i = 0; i < numLines; i++)
         {
             OracleString s = (OracleString)cmd.Parameters["outString"].Value;
             outString += s.ToString();
         }

         cmd.ExecuteNonQuery();
         numLines = Convert.ToInt32(cmd.Parameters["numLines"].Value.ToString());
     }

     return outString;
}

Corrientes

Answer 1

The main problem with your code was that it was not setting the bind size for each element of your output buffer. Also it was not properly indexing the output buffer when retrieving the results. And finally, the order of execution also plays a role: you have to first enable your output before executing your anonymous block of code. Every single change made is commented in the following MCVE. Only necessary changes to get it working were made.

static void Main(string[] args)
{
    string str = "User Id=xxx; password=xxx; Data Source=localhost:1521/xxx;";
    string sql = @"DECLARE lvsName VARCHAR2(6) := 'Oracle'; BEGIN  DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Do you see me?'); DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('My name is: ' || lvsName); END;";

    OracleConnection _connection = new OracleConnection(str);

    try
    {
        _connection.Open();

        //adapter not being used
        //using (OracleDataAdapter oda = new OracleDataAdapter())

        using (OracleCommand cmd = new OracleCommand(sql, _connection))
        {
            // First enable buffer output
            // Set output Buffer
            cmd.CommandText = "BEGIN DBMS_OUTPUT.ENABLE(NULL); END;";
            cmd.CommandType = CommandType.Text;
            cmd.ExecuteNonQuery();

            // Then execute anonymous block
            // Execute anonymous PL/SQL block
            cmd.CommandText = sql;
            cmd.CommandType = CommandType.Text;
            var res = cmd.ExecuteNonQuery();


            // Get output
            cmd.CommandText = "BEGIN DBMS_OUTPUT.GET_LINES(:outString, :numLines); END;";
            cmd.CommandType = CommandType.Text;

            cmd.Parameters.Clear();

            cmd.Parameters.Add(new OracleParameter("outString", OracleDbType.Varchar2, int.MaxValue, ParameterDirection.Output));
            cmd.Parameters["outString"].CollectionType = OracleCollectionType.PLSQLAssociativeArray;
            cmd.Parameters["outString"].Size = sql.Length;
            cmd.Parameters["outString"].ArrayBindSize = new int[sql.Length];

            // set bind size for each array element
            for (int i = 0; i < sql.Length; i++)
            {
                cmd.Parameters["outString"].ArrayBindSize[i] = 32000;
            }


            cmd.Parameters.Add(new OracleParameter("numLines", OracleDbType.Int32, ParameterDirection.InputOutput));
            cmd.Parameters["numLines"].Value = 10; // Get 10 lines
            cmd.ExecuteNonQuery();

            int numLines = Convert.ToInt32(cmd.Parameters["numLines"].Value.ToString());
            string outString = string.Empty;

            // Try to get more lines until there are zero left
            while (numLines > 0)
            {
                for (int i = 0; i < numLines; i++)
                {
                    // use proper indexing here
                    //OracleString s = (OracleString)cmd.Parameters["outString"].Value;
                    OracleString s = ((OracleString[])cmd.Parameters["outString"].Value)[i];
                    outString += s.ToString();

                    // add new line just for formatting
                    outString += "\r\n";
                }

                cmd.ExecuteNonQuery();
                numLines = Convert.ToInt32(cmd.Parameters["numLines"].Value.ToString());
            }

            Console.WriteLine(outString);
        }
    }
    catch (Exception ex)
    {
        Console.WriteLine(ex.ToString());
    }

    _connection.Close();
    _connection.Dispose();

    Console.WriteLine("Press RETURN to exit.");
    Console.ReadLine();
}

And the output result is:

Do you see me?
My name is: Oracle

Press RETURN to exit.

Flagelliform

I knew I was close, Thanks! – Corrientes

I couldn't get why this is the accepted answer since it's just reproducing the comment I added to my answer one week ago. Maybe cause you got a working code here, but it was clear enough in my comment where you should change your code and those were minor changes, just as you noted in your comment above. In reality, you're free to choose what's the right answer and this one is correct, it just wasn't the first to point you the entire solution, although it's not mandatory to choose the first, just would be fair imo, but I'm glad to help. Just hope I can get the points next time... – Bonaire

thanks, this answer help me in this problem too. so right now, I'm trying to understand the logic here. I understand the outstring parameter is for the output string we want to print but what exactly the function of numlines? how does it affect the output? I cannot figure out from the code. Can somebody gave me some light on this. Thanks.. – Tunisia

@Tunisia numlines was used in this case to keep reading from the buffer until numlines, or the value of the amount of lines read by Oracle was 0. So I was reading all the lines, but only 10 lines at a time. – Corrientes

Answer 2

Thanks for the answer above by jsanalytics which provided a good basis for a solution. There are some issues with the above solution though, mostly having to do with the usage of sql.Length in many places where it doesn't make sense. Here is a reusable solution which corrects some of the issues.

using Oracle.DataAccess.Client;
using Oracle.DataAccess.Types;
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Data;
using System.Linq;

namespace MyNamespace
{
    public static class DbmsOutputHelper
    {
        public const int DefaultReadBatchSize = 10;

        public static void EnableDbmsOutput(this OracleConnection conn)
        {
            using (var cmd = conn.CreateCommand())
            {
                cmd.CommandText = "DBMS_OUTPUT.ENABLE";
                cmd.CommandType = CommandType.StoredProcedure;
                cmd.ExecuteNonQuery();
            }
        }

        public static void DisableDbmsOutput(this OracleConnection conn)
        {
            using (var cmd = conn.CreateCommand())
            {
                cmd.CommandText = "DBMS_OUTPUT.DISABLE";
                cmd.CommandType = CommandType.StoredProcedure;
                cmd.ExecuteNonQuery();
            }
        }

        public static List<string> ReadDbmsOutput(this OracleConnection conn, int readBatchSize = DefaultReadBatchSize)
        {
            if (readBatchSize <= 0)
            {
                throw new ArgumentOutOfRangeException(nameof(readBatchSize), "must be greater than zero");
            }

            using (var cmd = conn.CreateCommand())
            {
                cmd.CommandText = "DBMS_OUTPUT.GET_LINES";
                cmd.CommandType = CommandType.StoredProcedure;

                var linesParam = cmd.Parameters.Add(new OracleParameter("lines", OracleDbType.Varchar2, int.MaxValue, ParameterDirection.Output));
                linesParam.CollectionType = OracleCollectionType.PLSQLAssociativeArray;
                linesParam.Size = readBatchSize;
                linesParam.ArrayBindSize = Enumerable.Repeat(32767, readBatchSize).ToArray();   // set bind size for each array element

                var numLinesParam = cmd.Parameters.Add(new OracleParameter("numlines", OracleDbType.Int32, ParameterDirection.InputOutput));

                var result = new List<string>();
                int numLinesRead;

                do
                {
                    numLinesParam.Value = readBatchSize;
                    cmd.ExecuteNonQuery();
                    numLinesRead = ((OracleDecimal)numLinesParam.Value).ToInt32();

                    var values = (OracleString[])linesParam.Value;

                    for (int i = 0; i < numLinesRead; i++)
                    {
                        result.Add(values[i].ToString());
                    }

                } while (numLinesRead == readBatchSize);

                return result;
            }
        }
    }
}

Garget

Answer 3

It looks to me that you're doing it in the wrong order...

// Execute anonymous PL/SQL block
cmd.CommandType = CommandType.Text;
var res = cmd.ExecuteNonQuery();

// Set output Buffer
cmd.CommandText = "BEGIN DBMS_OUTPUT.ENABLE(NULL); END;";
cmd.CommandType = CommandType.Text;
cmd.ExecuteNonQuery();

// Get output
cmd.CommandText = "BEGIN DBMS_OUTPUT.GET_LINES(:outString, :numLines); END;";

Between setting (enabling) the DBMS_OUTPUT and getting the output using GET_LINES should be your write command, but instead, it's the first thing you're executing.

Try to change the order. Let me know if it works cause I didn't try it (I'm not used to C#... I have it in Java).

Bonaire

I tried this. I get :numLines to return 1, but the value of :outString is DbNull. {null}. – Corrientes

I still think you should write after enabling the DBMS_OUTPUT and before calling the GET_LINES. Also, in the line cmd.Parameters["outString"].ArrayBindSize = new int[sql.Length]; you're assigning an empty array to the ArrayBindSize... maybe you should initialize each position of this array. And also, in the line OracleString s = (OracleString)cmd.Parameters["outString"].Value; the return should be an array, shouldn't it? Can you confirm? – Bonaire

Answer 4

I don't speak C# but i don't see in your code where you are assigning value to the numLines variable.

  DBMS_OUTPUT.GET_LINES (
   lines       OUT     CHARARR,
   numlines    IN OUT  INTEGER);

Example in plsql:

DECLARE
   v_array       DBMS_OUTPUT.CHARARR;
   v_lines   NUMBER;
BEGIN
   DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE ('aaaaa');
   DBMS_OUTPUT.put_line ('bbbb');
   DBMS_OUTPUT.put_line ('ccccc');
   v_lines := 1000; -- Number of lines you want to retrieve from the buffer.  
   DBMS_OUTPUT.GET_LINES (v_array, v_lines);

   DBMS_OUTPUT.put_line(v_lines); -- Lines retrieved from buffer.
   FOR idx IN nvl(v_array.FIRST,1) .. nvl(v_array.LAST,-1)
   LOOP
      DBMS_OUTPUT.put_line (v_array (idx));
   END LOOP;
END;

Lucent

The Parameter is added here: cmd.Parameters.Add(new OracleParameter("numLines", OracleDbType.Int32, ParameterDirection.InputOutput)); The value is set here: cmd.Parameters["numLines"].Value = 10; // Get 10 lines I've just added the actual addition for the .Value of the Parameter and have the same results. – Corrientes