OCI8 Functions
PHP Manual

oci_define_by_name

Associates a PHP variable with a column for query fetches

Description

bool oci_define_by_name(
    resource $statement,
    string $column,
    mixed &$var,
    int $type = 0
)

Associates a PHP variable with a column for query fetches using oci_fetch.

The oci_define_by_name call must occur before executing oci_execute.

Parameters

statement

A valid OCI8 statement identifier created by oci_parse and executed by oci_execute, or a REF CURSOR statement identifier.

column

The column name used in the query.

Use uppercase for Oracle's default, non-case sensitive column names. Use the exact column name case for case-sensitive column names.

var

The PHP variable that will contain the returned column value.

type

The data type to be returned. Generally not needed. Note that Oracle-style data conversions are not performed. For example, SQLT_INT will be ignored and the returned data type will still be SQLT_CHR.

You can optionally use oci_new_descriptor to allocate LOB/ROWID/BFILE descriptors.

Return Values

Returns true on success or false on failure.

Examples

Example #1 oci_define_by_name example

<?php

$conn = oci_connect('hr', 'welcome', 'localhost/XE');
if (!$conn) {
    $e = oci_error();
    trigger_error(htmlentities($e['message'], ENT_QUOTES), E_USER_ERROR);
}

$sql = 'SELECT location_id, city FROM locations WHERE location_id < 1200';
$stid = oci_parse($conn, $sql);

// The defines MUST be done before executing
oci_define_by_name($stid, 'LOCATION_ID', $locid);
oci_define_by_name($stid, 'CITY', $city);

oci_execute($stid);

// Each fetch populates the previously defined variables with the next row's data
while (oci_fetch($stid)) {
    echo "Location id $locid is $city<br>\n";
}

// Displays:
//   Location id 1000 is Roma
//   Location id 1100 is Venice

oci_free_statement($stid);
oci_close($conn);

?>

Example #2 oci_define_by_name with case sensitive column names

<?php

/*
  Before running, create the table with a case sensitive column name:
    CREATE TABLE mytab (id NUMBER, "MyDescription" VARCHAR2(30));
    INSERT INTO mytab (id, "MyDescription") values (1, 'Iced Coffee');
    COMMIT;
*/

$conn = oci_connect('hr', 'welcome', 'localhost/XE');
if (!$conn) {
    $e = oci_error();
    trigger_error(htmlentities($e['message'], ENT_QUOTES), E_USER_ERROR);
}

$stid = oci_parse($conn, 'SELECT * FROM mytab');

// Use uppercase for non case-sensitive column names
oci_define_by_name($stid, 'ID', $id);

// Use the exact case for case-sensitive column names
oci_define_by_name($stid, 'MyDescription', $mydesc);

oci_execute($stid);

while (oci_fetch($stid)) {
    echo "id $id is $mydesc<br>\n";
}

// Displays:
//   id 1 is Iced Coffee

oci_free_statement($stid);
oci_close($conn);

?>

Example #3 oci_define_by_name with LOB columns

<?php

/*
  Before running, create the table:
    CREATE TABLE mytab (id NUMBER, fruit CLOB);
    INSERT INTO mytab (id, fruit) values (1, 'apple');
    INSERT INTO mytab (id, fruit) values (2, 'orange');
    COMMIT;
*/

$conn = oci_connect('hr', 'welcome', 'localhost/XE');
if (!$conn) {
    $e = oci_error();
    trigger_error(htmlentities($e['message'], ENT_QUOTES), E_USER_ERROR);
}

$stid = oci_parse($conn, 'SELECT * FROM mytab');

// The defines MUST be done before executing
oci_define_by_name($stid, 'ID', $id);
oci_define_by_name($stid, 'FRUIT', $fruit);  // $fruit will become a LOB descriptor

oci_execute($stid);

while (oci_fetch($stid)) {
    echo $id . " is " . $fruit->load(100) . "<br>\n";
}

// Displays:
//   1 is apple
//   2 is orange

$fruit->free();
oci_free_statement($stid);
oci_close($conn);

?>

Example #4 oci_define_by_name with an explicit type

<?php

/*
  Before running, create the table:
    CREATE TABLE mytab (id NUMBER, fruit CLOB);
    INSERT INTO mytab (id, fruit) values (1, 'apple');
    INSERT INTO mytab (id, fruit) values (2, 'orange');
    COMMIT;
*/

$conn = oci_connect('hr', 'welcome', 'localhost/XE');
if (!$conn) {
    $e = oci_error();
    trigger_error(htmlentities($e['message'], ENT_QUOTES), E_USER_ERROR);
}

$stid = oci_parse($conn, 'SELECT * FROM mytab');

// The defines MUST be done before executing
oci_define_by_name($stid, 'ID', $id);

$fruit = oci_new_descriptor($conn, OCI_D_LOB);
oci_define_by_name($stid, 'FRUIT', $fruit, OCI_D_CLOB);

oci_execute($stid);

while (oci_fetch($stid)) {
    echo $id . " is " . $fruit->load(100) . "<br>\n";
}

// Displays:
//   1 is apple
//   2 is orange

$fruit->free();
oci_free_statement($stid);
oci_close($conn);

?>

See Also

  • oci_fetch
  • oci_new_descriptor