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Import data from TXT to Oracle via command line on MacOS

Want to import data from TXT file to Oracle via Command Line Interface (CLI) on MacOS?

Using ora-cmd, a Command Line Interface (CLI) client for Oracle, you can import data from TXT file to Oracle easily and fast. Direct Interaction or Scripting and Automation.

Download ora-cmd Macos version
ora-cmd.darwin-amd64.zip
ora-cmd.darwin-arm64.zip

Import data from TXT file to Oracle via command line on MacOS

1. In interactive mode:

ora-cmd> load loadtype=replace
      > table=media_messages 
      > datafile=/data/media_messages.txt 
      > delimiter=, 
      > quote=" 
      > header=y;

2. In batch mode:

ora-cmd dsn="pan:withdata@192.168.0.102/test" task=load loadtype=replace table=media_messages datafile=/data/media_messages.txt delimiter=, quote=" header=y quit=y

“loadtype=replace” will delete all data in table before inserting.

See parameters detail.


More about ora-cmd – Command Line Interface (CLI) tool for Oracle

Download ora-cmd Macos version
ora-cmd.darwin-amd64.zip
ora-cmd.darwin-arm64.zip

TXT → Oracle reference

Type mapping

Value kindin TXTin Oracle
Int1234, or right-aligned in a fixed-width columnNUMBER(10)
Bigint9007199254740993NUMBER(19)
Decimal1234.56NUMBER(p,s)
Float1.234e+10BINARY_DOUBLE
Textwritten as-is; padding depends on the chosen layoutVARCHAR2(n)
Long textwritten as-isCLOB
Datewhatever the writer choseDATE
Datetimewhatever the writer choseTIMESTAMP
Binarynot representableBLOB
BooleanY / N, or 1 / 0, or TRUE / FALSENUMBER(1)

Dialect differences

TXT is a file format and Oracle is a database server, so the target has to be told the types the file never carried - the rows below are where the two sides diverge.

Propertyin TXTin Oracle
port—1521
identifiersNone by convention"double quotes"
row limit—FETCH FIRST n ROWS ONLY
datesWhatever the writer produced; no convention is guaranteedDATE, TIMESTAMP
long text—CLOB, NCLOB
binaryNot supportedBLOB, BFILE
separatorWhatever was chosen - often fixed column widths—
encodingNo declaration - UTF-8 works only with a BOM—
typingNone - every field is text—
shapeFree form; a parser has to be told the layoutTables of rows and columns
ceilingNo formal limit—

Command line

SideCommand
Oracleexp / expdp
Oracle (load)sqlldr (SQL*Loader)

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