Makes a copy of a database in an intermediate form. Use the
IMPORT statement to rebuild an Oracle Rdb database from the
interchange file (.rbr file extension) created by the EXPORT
statement.
You use the EXPORT statement with the IMPORT statement to make
changes to Oracle Rdb databases that cannot be made any other
way. The EXPORT statement unloads a database to an .rbr file. The
IMPORT statement creates the database again with the changes that
are both allowed and not allowed through ALTER statements. See
the IMPORT statement for more information.
1 – Environment
You can use the EXPORT statement in interactive SQL only.
2 – Format
EXPORT DATABASE -+-> ALIAS <alias> -------------------------------------+
+-> FILENAME <file-spec> -+-+----------------------+---+
+-> PATHNAME <path-name> -+ +-> literal-user-auth -+ |
+----------------------<------------------------------------------------+
+-> INTO <file-spec> -+------------------------------------+-->
+- WITH -+-> EXTENSIONS -----------+
+-> NO EXTENSIONS ----------+
+-> DATA -----------------+
+-> NO DATA ---------------+
+-> FORWARD_REFERENCES ----+
+-> NO FORWARD_REFERENCES --+
literal-user-auth =
---> USER '<username>' -+------------------------+-->
+-> USING '<password>' -+
3 – Arguments
3.1 – ALIAS alias
Specifies the source database files to be written to an .rbr
file.
o The ALIAS argument specifies the alias of an already attached
database. If the database you want to export is already
attached, specifying ALIAS avoids the overhead of a second
attachment to the database and the locking that attachment
entails.
o The FILENAME and PATHNAME arguments both identify the database
root file associated with the database. If you specify a
repository path name, the path name indirectly specifies the
database root file. Because the EXPORT statement does not
change any definitions in the repository the effect of the
PATHNAME and FILENAME arguments is the same.
3.2 – FILENAME file spec
Specifies the source database files to be written to an .rbr
file.
o The ALIAS argument specifies the alias of an already attached
database. If the database you want to export is already
attached, specifying ALIAS avoids the overhead of a second
attachment to the database and the locking that attachment
entails.
o The FILENAME and PATHNAME arguments both identify the database
root file associated with the database. If you specify a
repository path name, the path name indirectly specifies the
database root file. Because the EXPORT statement does not
change any definitions in the repository the effect of the
PATHNAME and FILENAME arguments is the same.
3.3 – PATHNAME pathname
Specifies the source database files to be written to an .rbr
file.
o The ALIAS argument specifies the alias of an already attached
database. If the database you want to export is already
attached, specifying ALIAS avoids the overhead of a second
attachment to the database and the locking that attachment
entails.
o The FILENAME and PATHNAME arguments both identify the database
root file associated with the database. If you specify a
repository path name, the path name indirectly specifies the
database root file. Because the EXPORT statement does not
change any definitions in the repository, the effect of the
PATHNAME and FILENAME arguments is the same.
3.4 – FORWARD_REFERENCES
Syntax options:
FORWARD_REFERENCES | NO FORWARD_REFERENCES
The EXPORT statement analyzes all dependencies in the database
to determine which functions and procedures are referenced by
other definitions. Since IMPORT defines each object type in a
strict order, it is possible that some definitions may be used
prior to their definition. For instance, tables are defined
before modules, but the table might call an SQL function from
a module. The FORWARD_REFERENCES option requests that EXPORT
save descriptions of these routines first in the interchange file
so that IMPORT can declare them prior to their usage. See the
DECLARE Routine statement for more details.
FORWARD_REFERENCES is the default. If the interchange file is
to be used by a version prior to Oracle Rdb V7.1.0.4 then the
NO FORWARD_REFERENCES option should be used to exclude this
information.
3.5 – INTO file spec
Specifies the name for the .rbr file the EXPORT statement
creates. Optionally, the file specification can include a device
and directory specification.
3.6 – literal-user-auth
Specifies the user name and password for access to databases,
particularly remote database.
This literal lets you explicitly provide user name and password
information in the EXPORT statement.
3.7 – USER username
Defines a character string literal that specifies the operating
system user name that the database system uses for privilege
checking.
3.8 – USING password
Defines a character string literal that specifies the user's
password for the user name specified in the USER clause.
3.9 – WITH_[NO]_DATA
Specifies whether the .rbr file created by the EXPORT statement
includes the data and metadata contained in the database, or the
metadata only. The default is WITH DATA.
When you specify the WITH NO DATA option, the EXPORT statement
copies metadata, but not the data, from a source database to an
.rbr file. Use the IMPORT statement to generate an empty database
whose metadata is identical to that of the source database.
NOTE
The WITH NO DATA option is not compatible with Oracle
CDD/Repository databases (CDD$DATABASE.RDB). If you attempt
to export a CDD$DATABASE.RDB database, SQL issues an error
message stating that the WITH NO DATA option is not valid
for Oracle CDD/Repository databases.
3.10 – WITH_[NO]_EXTENSIONS
Specifies whether or not the .rbr file created by the EXPORT
statement includes extensions that are compatible only with
Oracle Rdb Version 3.0 or higher database systems. The default
is WITH EXTENSIONS.
When you specify the WITH NO EXTENSIONS option, the resulting
interchange (.rbr) file contains only the definitions of the
domains, the tables, and indexes. Indexes are converted to sorted
indexes and are minus storage maps. The following conversions
take place for domains:
o TINYINT data types are converted to SMALLINT data types
o DATE ANSI, TIMESTAMP, and TIME data types are converted to
DATE VMS data types
In addition, all null values are converted to the columns'
missing value or default to a data type specific missing value.
For example, null numeric values are replaced by zeros and null
character values are replaced by blanks.
When you specify the WITH NO EXTENSIONS option, many features
of Oracle Rdb databases are not exported. For example, storage
areas, storage maps, triggers, collating sequences, functions,
modules, and outlines are not backed up when you specify the WITH
NO EXTENSIONS argument.
NOTE
The WITH NO EXTENSIONS option is not compatible with Oracle
CDD/Repository databases (CDD$DATABASE.RDB). If you attempt
to export a CDD$DATABASE.RDB database, SQL issues an error
message stating that the WITH NO EXTENSIONS option is not
valid for Oracle CDD/Repository databases.