2 Understanding and Using TTClasses

About DSNs

Oracle TimesTen In-Memory Database Operations Guide contains information about creating a DSN (data source name) for a database. The type of DSN you create depends on whether your application will connect directly to the database or will connect by a client.

If you intend to connect directly to the database, refer to "Managing TimesTen Databases" in Oracle TimesTen In-Memory Database Operations Guide. There are sections on creating a DSN for a direct connection from UNIX or Windows.

If you intend to create a client connection to the database, refer to "Working with the TimesTen Client and Server" in Oracle TimesTen In-Memory Database Operations Guide. There are sections on creating a DSN for a client/server connection from UNIX or Windows.

Connecting and disconnecting

Based on the XYZConnection class discussed in "Using TTCmd, TTConnection, and TTConnectionPool", you could connect to and disconnect from TimesTen as shown in the following example.

...

  XYZConnection conn;
  char connStr[256];
  char user[30];
  char pwd[30];
 
  ...
 
  try {
    conn.Connect(connStr, user, pwd);
  }
  catch (TTWarning st) {
    cerr << "Warning connecting to TimesTen: " << st << endl;
  }
  catch (TTError st) {
    cerr << "Error connecting to TimesTen " << st << endl;
    exit(1);
  }

// ... Work with the database connection...

  try {
    conn.Disconnect();
  }
  catch (TTStatus st) {
    cerr << "Error disconnecting from TimesTen: " << st << endl;
    exit(1);
  }

Access control for connections

This section covers access control features related to how you connect to the database with TTClasses.

For a general access control overview, refer to "Considering TimesTen features for access control".

virtual void 
TTConnection::Connect(const char* connStr)
 
virtual void
TTConnection::Connect(const char* connStr, const char* username, 
                      const char* password)
 
virtual void
TTConnection::Connect(const char* connStr, 
                      DRIVER_COMPLETION_ENUM driverCompletion)

void 
TTConnectionPool::ConnectAll(const char* connStr)

void
TTConnectionPool::ConnectAll(const char* connStr, const char* username, 
                             const char* password)
 
virtual void
TTXlaPersistConnection::Connect(const char* connStr, const char* username, 
                                const char* password, const char* bookmarkStr, 
                                bool createBookmarkFlag)
 
virtual void
TTXlaPersistConnection::Connect(const char* connStr, 
                                DRIVER_COMPLETION_ENUM driverCompletion, 
                                const char * bookmarkStr, bool createBookmarkFlag)
 
virtual void
TTXlaPersistConnection::Connect(const char* connStr, const char* username, 
                                const char* password, const char* bookmarkStr)

virtual void
TTXlaPersistConnection::Connect(const char* connStr, 
                                DRIVER_COMPLETION_ENUM driverCompletion, 
                                const char * bookmarkStr)

Binding parameters

This section discusses parameter binding for SQL statements. The TTCmd class supplies the methods setParam() and BindParameter() (for batch operations) to bind parameters. It also supplies the method registerParam() to support output and input/output parameters or to override default bind types. There is also functionality to support either possible TimesTen DuplicateBindMode setting if there are duplicate parameters.

These topics are covered in the following sections.

• Binding IN parameters

• Registering parameters

• Binding OUT or IN OUT parameters

• Binding duplicate parameters

create table basics (name char(10) not null primary key, i tt_integer);

class SampleConnection : public TTConnection 
{
  using TTConnection::Connect;
 
  private:
    TTCmd        insertData;
    ...
 
  protected:
 
  public:
    SampleConnection();
    ~SampleConnection();
    virtual void Connect(const char* connStr, 
                         DRIVER_COMPLETION_ENUM driverCompletion);
    void insert(char* nameP);
    ...
 
  ...
  // Assume a Connect() method implemented with the following:
  // insertData.Prepare(this, "insert into basics values(:name, :value)");
  ...
}

//----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
void
SampleConnection::insert(char* nameP)
{
  static long i = 0;
  insertData.setParam(1, nameP);
  insertData.setParam(2, i++);
  insertData.Execute();
}
 
//----------------------------------------------------------------------

...

int
main(int argc, char** argv)
{
  ...
  char name[10];
  SampleConnection conn;
  ...

// Assume conn set as a connection, name as a character string.
  try {
    conn.insert(name); 
  }
  catch (TTStatus st) {
    cerr << "Error inserting row " << name << ":" << st << endl;
    conn.Rollback();
  }
}

inline void
TTCmd::registerParam(int pno,
                     int inputOutputType, 
                     int sqltype, 
                     int precision = 0, 
                     int scale = 0)

...
// t1 has a single TT_INTEGER column
cmd.Prepare(&conn, "insert into t1 values (:a) returning c1 into :b");
cmd.setParam(1, 99);
cmd.registerParam(2, TTCmd::PARAM_OUT, SQLINTEGER);
cmd.Execute();
SQLINTEGER outval;

if (cmd.getParam(2, &outval))
  cerr << "The output value is null." << endl;
else
  cerr << "The output value is " << outval << endl;
...

...
#define BATCH_SIZE  5
int input_int_array[BATCH_SIZE] = { 91, 92, 93, 94, 95 };
int output_int_array[BATCH_SIZE] = { -1, -1, -1, -1, -1 };
int numrows;
 
cmd.PrepareBatch(&conn, "insert into t1 values (:a) returning c1 into :b",
                 BATCH_SIZE);
cmd.BindParameter(1, BATCH_SIZE, input_int_array);
cmd.BindParameter(2, BATCH_SIZE, output_int_array);
cmd.registerParam(2, TTCmd::PARAM_OUT, SQL_INTEGER);
numrows = cmd.ExecuteBatch(BATCH_SIZE);
...

...
cmd.Prepare(&conn, "begin :x := :x + 1; end;");
cmd.registerParam(1, TTCmd::PARAM_INOUT, SQL_INTEGER);
cmd.setParam(1, 99);
cmd.Execute();
SQLINTEGER outval;

if (cmd.getParam(1, &outval))
  cerr << "The output value is null." << endl;
else
  cerr << "The output value is " << outval << endl;
...

create or replace procedure my_proc (
  a in number,
  b in number,
  c out number,
  d in out number ) as

begin
  c := a + b; 
  d := a + b - d; 
end my_proc;

...
cmd.Prepare(&conn, "begin my_proc (10, 5, :sum, :var1); end;");
cmd.registerParam (1, TTCmd::PARAM_OUT, SQL_DECIMAL, 38);
cmd.registerParam (2, TTCmd::PARAM_INOUT, SQL_DECIMAL, 38);
cmd.setParam(2, "99");
cmd.Execute();
SQLINTEGER outval1, outval2;

if (cmd.getParam(1, &outval1))
  cerr << "The first output value is null." << endl;
else
  cerr << "The first output value is " << outval << endl;
if (cmd.getParam(2, &outval2))
  cerr << "The second output value is null." << endl;
else
  cerr << "The second output value is " << outval << endl;
...

SELECT * FROM employees
  WHERE employee_id < :a AND manager_id > :a AND salary < :b;

mycmd.setParam(1, ...); // first occurrence of :a
mycmd.setParam(2, ...); // second occurrence of :a
mycmd.setParam(3, ...); // occurrence of :b

mycmd.setParam(1, ...); // both occurrences of :a
mycmd.setParam(3, ...); // occurrence of :b

mycmd.setParam(1, ...); // both occurrences of :a
mycmd.setParam(2, ...); // occurrence of :b

Working with REF CURSORs

REF CURSOR is a PL/SQL concept, where a REF CURSOR is a handle to a cursor over a SQL result set and can be passed between PL/SQL and an application. In TimesTen, the cursor can be opened in PL/SQL, then the REF CURSOR can be passed to the application for processing. This usage is an OUT REF CURSOR, an OUT parameter with respect to PL/SQL. As with any OUT parameter, it must be registered using the TTCmd::registerParam() method. (See "Registering parameters" and "Binding OUT or IN OUT parameters".)

In the TimesTen implementation, the REF CURSOR is attached to a separate statement handle. The application prepares a SQL statement that has a REF CURSOR parameter on one statement handle, then, before executing the statement, binds a second statement handle as the value of the REF CURSOR. After the statement is executed, the application can describe, bind, and fetch the results using the same APIs as for any result set.

In TTClasses, because a TTCmd object encapsulates a single SQL statement, two TTCmd objects are used to support this REF CURSOR model.

Example 2-12 below demonstrates the following steps for using a REF CURSOR in TTClasses.

1. Declare a TTCmd object for the PL/SQL statement that returns a REF CURSOR (cmdPLSQL in the example).

2. Declare a TTCmd* pointer to point to a second TTCmd object for the REF CURSOR (cmdRefCursor in the example).

3. Use the first TTCmd object (cmdPLSQL) to prepare the PL/SQL statement.

4. Use the TTCmd::registerParam() method of the first TTCmd object to register the REF CURSOR as an OUT parameter.

5. Use the first TTCmd object to execute the statement.

6. Use the TTCmd::getParam() method of the first TTCmd object to retrieve the REF CURSOR into the second TTCmd object (using &cmdRefCursor). There is a getParam(int paramNo, TTCmd** rcCmd) signature for REF CURSORs.

7. Fetch the results from the TTCmd object for the REF CURSOR and process as desired.

8. Drop the first TTCmd object.

9. Drop the pointer to the TTCmd object for the REF CURSOR.

10. Issue a delete statement to delete the TTCmd object for the REF CURSOR.

...
TTCmd  cmdPLSQL;
TTCmd* cmdRefCur;
TTConnection conn;
...
 
// c1 is a TT_INTEGER column.
cmdPLSQL.Prepare(&conn, "begin open :rc for select c1 from t; end;")
cmdPLSQL.registerParam(1, TTCmd::PARAM_OUT, SQL_REFCURSOR);
cmdPLSQL.Execute();

if (cmdPLSQL.getParam(1, &cmdRefCur) == false)
{
  SQLINTEGER fetchval;
 
  while (!cmdRefCursor->FetchNext()) {
    cmdRefCur->getColumn(1, &fetchval);
  }
  cmdRefCursor->Drop();
  delete cmdRefCursor;
}

cmdPLSQL.Drop();

Working with rowids

Each row in a table has a unique identifier known as its rowid. An application can retrieve the rowid of a row from the ROWID pseudocolumn. Rowids can be represented in either binary or character format.

An application can specify literal rowid values in SQL statements, such as in WHERE clauses, as CHAR constants enclosed in single quotes.

The ODBC SQL type SQL_ROWID corresponds to the SQL type ROWID.

For parameters and result set columns, rowids are convertible to and from the C types SQL_C_BINARY, SQL_C_WCHAR, and SQL_C_CHAR. SQL_C_CHAR is the default C type for rowids. The size of a rowid is 12 bytes as SQL_C_BINARY, 18 bytes as SQL_C_CHAR, and 36 bytes as SQL_C_WCHAR.

Note that TTClasses has always supported rowids as character strings; however, a TTClasses application can now pass a rowid to a PL/SQL anonymous block as a ROWID type instead of a string. This involves using the TTCmd::registerParam() method to register the rowid input parameter as SQL_ROWID type, as shown in Example 2-13.

...
TTConnection conn;
TTCmd cmd;
...
cmd.Prepare(&conn, "begin delete from t1 where rowid = :x; end;");
cmd.registerParam(1, TTCmd::PARAM_IN, SQL_ROWID);
cmd.setParam(1, rowid_string);
cmd.Execute();
...

Refer to "ROWID data type" and "ROWID specification" in Oracle TimesTen In-Memory Database SQL Reference for additional information about rowids and the ROWID data type, including usage and life.

Setting a timeout or threshold for executing SQL statements

TimesTen offers two ways for you to limit the time for SQL statements or procedure calls to execute, by setting either a timeout value or a threshold value. For the former, if the timeout duration is reached, the statement stops executing and an error is thrown. For the latter, if the threshold is reached, an SNMP trap is thrown but execution continues.

The query timeout limit has effect only when a SQL statement is actively executing. A timeout does not occur during commit or rollback.

Use the TTCmd methods setQueryTimeout() and setQueryThreshold() to specify these settings. There is also a getQueryThreshold() method to read the current threshold setting.

In TTClasses, these features can be operated only at the statement level, not the connection level.

For related information, see "Setting a timeout or threshold for executing SQL statements" in Oracle TimesTen In-Memory Database C Developer's Guide.

Acknowledging XLA updates without using transaction boundaries

Example 2-15 below shows basic usage of XLA, without using transaction boundaries.

Inside the HandleChange() method, depending on whether the record is an insert, update, or delete, the appropriate method from among the following is called: HandleInsert(), HandleUpdate(), or HandleDelete().

It is inside HandleChange() that you can access the flag that indicates whether the XLA record is the last record in a particular transaction. Thus there is no way in the Example 2-15 loop for the HandleChange() method to pass the information about the transaction boundary to the loop, so that this information can influence when to call conn.ackUpdates().

This is not an issue under typical circumstances of only a few records per transaction. Usually only a few records are returned when you ask XLA to return at most 1000 records with a fetchUpdatesWait() call. XLA returns records as quickly as it can, and even if huge numbers of transactions are occurring in the database, you usually can pull the XLA records out quickly, a few at a time, and XLA usually makes sure that the last record returned is on a transaction boundary. For example, if you ask for 1000 records from XLA but only 15 are returned, it is highly probable that the 15th record is at the end of a transaction.

XLA guarantees one of the following:

• A batch of records will end with a completed transaction (perhaps multiple transactions in a single batch of XLA records).

Or:

• A batch of records will contain a partial transaction, with no completed transactions in the same batch, and subsequent batches of XLA records will be returned for that single transaction until its transaction boundary has been reached.

TTXlaPersistConnection conn; // XLA connection
TTXlaTableList list(&conn); // tables being monitored
ttXlaUpdateDesc_t ** arry; // ptr to returned XLA recs
int records_fetched;
// ...

loop {
  // fetch the updates
  conn.fetchUpdatesWait(&arry, MAX_RECS_TO_FETCH, &records_fetched, ...); 

  // Interpret the updates
  for(j=0;j < records_fetched;j++){
    ttXlaUpdateDesc_t *p;
    p = arry[j];
    list.HandleChange(p, NULL);
  } // end for each record fetched

  // periodically call ackUpdates()
  if (/* some condition is reached */) {
    conn.ackUpdates(); 
  }
} // loop

Acknowledging XLA updates at transaction boundaries

XLA applications should verify whether the last record in a batch of XLA records has a transaction boundary, and call ackUpdates() only on transaction boundaries. This way, when the application or system or database fails, the XLA bookmark is at the start of a transaction after the system recovers. This is especially important when operations involve a large number of rows. If a bulk insert, update, or delete operation has been performed on the database and the XLA application asks for 1000 records, it may or may not receive all 1000 records. The last record returned through XLA will probably not have the end-of-transaction flag. In fact, if the transaction has made changes to 10,000 records, then clearly a minimum of 10 blocks of 1000 XLA records must be fetched before reaching the transaction boundary.

Calling ackUpdates() for every transaction boundary is not recommended, however, because ackUpdates() is a relatively expensive operation. Users need to balance overall system throughput with recovery time and disk space requirements. (Recall that a TimesTen transaction log file cannot be deleted by a checkpoint operation if XLA has a bookmark that references that log file. See "ttLogHolds" in Oracle TimesTen In-Memory Database Reference for related information.) Depending on system throughput, recovery time, and disk space requirements, some applications may find it appropriate to call ackUpdates() once or several times per minute, while other applications may need only call it once or several times per hour.

The HandleChange() method has a second parameter to allow passing information between HandleChange() and the main XLA loop. Compare Example 2-15 above with Example 2-16, specifically the do_acknowledge setting and the &do_acknowledge parameter of the HandleChange() call.

TTXlaPersistConnection conn; // XLA connection
TTXlaTableList list(&conn); // tables being monitored
ttXlaUpdateDesc_t ** arry; // ptr to returned XLA recs
int records_fetched;
int do_acknowledge;
int j;

// ...
loop {
  // fetch the updates
  conn.fetchUpdatesWait(&arry, MAX_RECS_TO_FETCH, &records_fetched, ...); 

  do_acknowledge = FALSE;

  // Interpret the updates
  for(j=0;j < records_fetched;j++){
    ttXlaUpdateDesc_t *p;
    p = arry[j];
    list.HandleChange(p, &do_acknowledge);
  } // end for each record fetched

  // periodically call ackUpdates()
  if (do_acknowledge == TRUE) 
     /* and some other conditions ... */ ) {
    conn.ackUpdates();
  }
} // loop

Access control impact on XLA

"Considering TimesTen features for access control" provides a brief overview of how TimesTen access control affects operations in the database. Access control includes impact on XLA.

Any XLA functionality requires the system privilege XLA. This includes connecting to TimesTen as an XLA reader, executing XLA-related TimesTen C functions, and executing XLA-related TimesTen built-in procedures.

You can refer to "Access control impact on XLA" in Oracle TimesTen In-Memory Database C Developer's Guide for additional details.