9.14 Triggers and Oracle Database Data Transfer Utilities

The Oracle database utilities that transfer data to your database, possibly firing triggers, are:

  • SQL*Loader (sqlldr)

    SQL*Loader loads data from external files into tables of an Oracle database.

    During a SQL*Loader conventional load, INSERT triggers fire.

    Before a SQL*Loader direct load, triggers are disabled.

    See Also:

    Oracle Database Utilities for more information about SQL*Loader

  • Data Pump Import (impdp)

    Data Pump Import (impdp) reads an export dump file set created by Data Pump Export (expdp) and writes it to an Oracle database.

    If a table to be imported does not exist on the target database, or if you specify TABLE_EXISTS_ACTION=REPLACE, then impdp creates and loads the table before creating any triggers, so no triggers fire.

    If a table to be imported exists on the target database, and you specify either TABLE_EXISTS_ACTION=APPEND or TABLE_EXISTS_ACTION=TRUNCATE, then impdp loads rows into the existing table, and INSERT triggers created on the table fire.

    See Also:

    Oracle Database Utilities for more information about Data Pump Import

  • Original Import (imp)

    Original Import (the original Import utility, imp) reads object definitions and table data from dump files created by original Export (the original Export utility, exp) and writes them to the target database.

    Note:

    To import files that original Export created, you must use original Import. In all other cases, Oracle recommends that you use Data Pump Import instead of original Import.

    If a table to be imported does not exist on the target database, then imp creates and loads the table before creating any triggers, so no triggers fire.

    If a table to be imported exists on the target database, then the Import IGNORE parameter determines whether triggers fire during import operations. The IGNORE parameter specifies whether object creation errors are ignored or not, resulting in the following behavior:

    • If IGNORE=n (default), then imp does not change the table and no triggers fire.

    • If IGNORE=y, then imp loads rows into the existing table, and INSERT triggers created on the table fire.

    See Also: