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Connection and cursor handles

In an Oracle Reports application, you can have several connections to one or more databases at the same time. However, there is always one primary database connection, which we refer to as the primary connection.

Handles are used to reference the data source connections in your application. When you open connections to the primary database or to other databases, connection handles of type EXEC_SQL.CONNTYPE are created and used to reference the connections. Each connection handle refers to one database connection.

When you open a cursor on a connection handle, cursor handles of type EXEC_SQL.CURSTYPE are created and used to reference the cursor on the given connection. Each connection handle can have many cursor handles.

Data can be accessed after a connection and a cursor are opened. If you have multiple connections simultaneously opened, it is recommended that you explicitly include the specific handles as arguments in your EXEC_SQL routines.

If you are only accessing data from the primary connection, then you do not need to specify the connection in the EXEC_SQL routines. When no handle is supplied to the EXEC_SQL routine, EXEC_SQL.DEFAULT_CONNECTION is automatically called to obtain the primary connection.

See also

About the EXEC_SQL built-in package

EXEC_SQL built-in package

EXEC_SQL built-in package examples

Changing the primary database connection

Copying data between two databases

EXEC_SQL predefined exceptions

Retrieving result sets from queries or non-Oracle stored procedures

About built-in packages