How to execute an Oracle .SQL script file using asp.net (vb.net)

Question

The overall goal of what I am trying to do here is execute an Oracle SQL Script from as asp.net (vb.net) web application that has SQL*Plus commands in it that queries the data and drops the results to a text file and then display the text file to the end user of the web application. I am running into a problem attempting to execute the.sql file in my visual studio code it tells me that it is not a valid SQL statement. Of course that makes sense because there is more in the.sql file than a sql statement.

I am using .NET version 4.6.1 in my Visual Studio project and I am calling an Oracle 11 database.

Here is the code that I am trying to execute. When it gets to the line where it is attempting to execute the script it throws the following error:

ERROR: Oracle.OracleException: 'ORA-00900: invalid SQL statement'

Here is the VB.NET code:

Dim OracleConnection As OracleConnection = New OracleConnection()
OracleConnection.ConnectionString = Settings.GetOracleConnectionString
OracleConnection.Open()
Dim script As String = File.ReadAllText("C:\OracleScripts\p_sum.sql")

Dim command As OracleCommand = OracleConnection.CreateCommand()
command.CommandText = script
command.ExecuteNonQuery()   << Errors on this line

The.sql file makes a few calls to Oracle and then exports (spools) the results to a.txt file. Once the.sql script is executed I would then display the.txt file that is created in the browser.

I have provided a copy of the.sql file below:

SPOOL data/p_sum.txt
PROMPT REPORT P_SUM.SQL Rev.04 (MIXER=&&MIXER) (CMPD=&&CMPD) (START=&&START) (END=&&END)
SET VERIFY OFF
SET LINESIZE 130

CLEAR BREAKS
CLEAR COMPUTES

COLUMN SHIFT_DT         FORMAT A6       HEADING Shift|Date
COLUMN SHIFT_NUM    FORMAT B9       HEADING Sh|#
COLUMN MIXER_NUM    FORMAT B99      HEADING Mix|Num
COLUMN RUN_START_DT FORMAT A12      HEADING Shift|Start
COLUMN COMPOUND     FORMAT A11      HEADING |Compound
COLUMN BAG_NAME     FORMAT A11      HEADING 'Bag Name'
COLUMN BAG_MIXER_NUM    FORMAT B99      HEADING Bag|Usr
COLUMN BATCH_CNT    FORMAT B99,999      HEADING Good|Cnt
COLUMN ERROR_CNT    FORMAT B999     HEADING Bad|Cnt
COLUMN EDIT_CNT     FORMAT B999     HEADING Edt|Cnt
COLUMN WT_PROD      FORMAT B999,999     HEADING Lbs/Kg|Produced
COLUMN TCHARGE      FORMAT B9999.9      HEADING Cycle|Min
COLUMN TDELAY       FORMAT B9999.9      HEADING Delay|Min
COLUMN TCHANGE      FORMAT B9999.9      HEADING Change|Min
COLUMN TNOTSCHED    FORMAT B9999.9      HEADING Unschd|Min
COLUMN RUN      FORMAT B99,999      HEADING Run|Min
COLUMN Avg_CHARGE   FORMAT B9.99        HEADING Cycle|Avg
COLUMN pct_up       FORMAT B999.9       HEADING '% Up|Time'

BREAK ON SHIFT_DT SKIP 1
CLEAR &&CLAUSE1

SELECT TO_CHAR(SHIFT_DT,' MM/DD') SHIFT_DT,
 R.SHIFT_NUM,
 TO_CHAR(MIN(R.RUN_START_DT),' MM/DD HH24:MI') RUN_START_DT,
 '*SHIFT' COMPOUND,
 'TOTAL ' BAG_NAME,
 SUM(R.BATCH_CNT)-NVL(SUM(R.ERROR_CNT),0) BATCH_CNT,
 SUM(R.ERROR_CNT) ERROR_CNT,
 SUM(EDIT_CNT)    EDIT_CNT,
 SUM(R.WT_PROD)   WT_PROD,
 SUM(R.TCHARGE)   TCHARGE,
 SUM(R.TDELAY)    TDELAY,
 SUM(R.TCHANGE)   TCHANGE,
 SUM(R.TNOTSCHED) TNOTSCHED,
 NVL(SUM(R.TCHARGE),0)+NVL(SUM(R.TDELAY),0)+NVL(SUM(R.TCHANGE),0)+NVL(SUM(R.TNOTSCHED),0) RUN,
 DECODE(SUM(R.BATCH_CNT)-SUM(R.ERROR_CNT),0,0,SUM(R.TCHARGE)/(SUM(R.BATCH_CNT)-SUM(R.ERROR_CNT))) AVG_CHARGE,
 SUM(R.TCHARGE)*100/(NVL(SUM(R.TCHARGE),0)+NVL(SUM(R.TDELAY),0)+NVL(SUM(R.TCHANGE),0)) PCT_UP
FROM MIXER.RUN_SUMM R, MIXER.SPEC S
WHERE R.SPEC_NUM=S.SPEC_NUM
  AND R.MIXER_NUM IN(&&MIXER)
  AND R.MIXER_NUM >=80
  AND SHIFT_DT BETWEEN TO_DATE('&&START','MM/DD/RR') AND TO_DATE('&&END','MM/DD/RR')
GROUP BY R.SHIFT_DT, R.SHIFT_NUM
UNION
SELECT TO_CHAR(R.SHIFT_DT,' MM/DD') SHIFT_DT,
 0 SHIFT_NUM,
 'ALL SHIFTS' RUN_START_DT,
 '**DAILY' COMPOUND,
 'TOTAL' BAG_NAME,
 SUM(R.BATCH_CNT)-NVL(SUM(R.ERROR_CNT),0) BATCH_CNT,
 SUM(R.ERROR_CNT) ERROR_CNT,
 SUM(EDIT_CNT)    EDIT_CNT,
 SUM(R.WT_PROD)   WT_PROD,
 SUM(R.TCHARGE)   TCHARGE,
 SUM(R.TDELAY)    TDELAY,
 SUM(R.TCHANGE)   TCHANGE,
 SUM(R.TNOTSCHED) TNOTSCHED,
 NVL(SUM(R.TCHARGE),0)+NVL(SUM(R.TDELAY),0)+NVL(SUM(R.TCHANGE),0)+NVL(SUM(R.TNOTSCHED),0) RUN,
 DECODE(SUM(R.BATCH_CNT)-SUM(R.ERROR_CNT),0,0,SUM(R.TCHARGE)/(SUM(R.BATCH_CNT)-SUM(R.ERROR_CNT))) AVG_CHARGE,
 SUM(R.TCHARGE)*100/(NVL(SUM(R.TCHARGE),0)+NVL(SUM(R.TDELAY),0)+NVL(SUM(R.TCHANGE),0)) PCT_UP
FROM MIXER.RUN_SUMM R, MIXER.SPEC S
WHERE R.SPEC_NUM=S.SPEC_NUM
  AND R.MIXER_NUM IN(&&MIXER)
  AND R.MIXER_NUM >=80
  AND SHIFT_DT BETWEEN TO_DATE('&&START','MM/DD/RR') AND TO_DATE('&&END','MM/DD/RR')
GROUP BY R.SHIFT_DT
UNION
SELECT 'ALL' SHIFT_DT,
 0 SHIFT_NUM,
 ' ' RUN_START_DT,
 '***GRAND' COMPOUND,
 'TOTAL' BAG_NAME,
 SUM(R.BATCH_CNT)-NVL(SUM(R.ERROR_CNT),0) BATCH_CNT,
 SUM(R.ERROR_CNT) ERROR_CNT,
 SUM(EDIT_CNT)    EDIT_CNT,
 SUM(R.WT_PROD)   WT_PROD,
 SUM(R.TCHARGE)   TCHARGE,
 SUM(R.TDELAY)    TDELAY,
 SUM(R.TCHANGE)   TCHANGE,
 SUM(R.TNOTSCHED) TNOTSCHED,
 NVL(SUM(R.TCHARGE),0)+NVL(SUM(R.TDELAY),0)+NVL(SUM(R.TCHANGE),0)+NVL(SUM(R.TNOTSCHED),0) RUN,
 DECODE(SUM(R.BATCH_CNT)-SUM(R.ERROR_CNT),0,0,SUM(R.TCHARGE)/(SUM(R.BATCH_CNT)-SUM(R.ERROR_CNT))) AVG_CHARGE,
 SUM(R.TCHARGE)*100/(NVL(SUM(R.TCHARGE),0)+NVL(SUM(R.TDELAY),0)+NVL(SUM(R.TCHANGE),0)) PCT_UP
FROM MIXER.RUN_SUMM R, MIXER.SPEC S
WHERE R.SPEC_NUM=S.SPEC_NUM
  AND R.MIXER_NUM IN(&&MIXER)
  AND R.MIXER_NUM >=80
  AND SHIFT_DT BETWEEN TO_DATE('&&START','MM/DD/RR') AND TO_DATE('&&END','MM/DD/RR')
ORDER BY SHIFT_DT,RUN_START_DT;

COLUMN SHIFT_DT         FORMAT A5       HEADING Shift|Date
COLUMN RUN_START_DT FORMAT A11      HEADING Run|Start
COLUMN COMPOUND     FORMAT A10      HEADING |Compound
COLUMN BAG_NAME     FORMAT A10      HEADING 'Bag Name'

BREAK ON SHIFT_DT SKIP PAGE ON SHIFT_NUM SKIP 1
CLEAR &&CLAUSE1

SELECT TO_CHAR(SHIFT_DT,'MM/DD') SHIFT_DT,
 R.SHIFT_NUM,
 TO_CHAR(RUN_START_DT,'MM/DD HH24:MI') RUN_START_DT,
 S.COMPOUND,
 R.BAG_NAME,
 R.BAG_MIXER_NUM,
 R.BATCH_CNT-NVL(R.ERROR_CNT,0) BATCH_CNT,
 R.ERROR_CNT,
 R.EDIT_CNT,
 R.WT_PROD,
 R.TCHARGE,
 R.TDELAY,
 R.TCHANGE,
 R.TNOTSCHED,
 NVL(R.TCHARGE,0)+NVL(R.TDELAY,0)+NVL(R.TCHANGE,0)+NVL(R.TNOTSCHED,0) RUN,
 DECODE(R.BATCH_CNT-NVL(R.ERROR_CNT,0),0,0,R.TCHARGE/(R.BATCH_CNT-NVL(R.ERROR_CNT,0))) AVG_CHARGE
FROM MIXER.RUN_SUMM R, MIXER.SPEC S
WHERE R.SPEC_NUM=S.SPEC_NUM
  AND R.MIXER_NUM IN(&&MIXER)
  AND R.MIXER_NUM >=80
  AND SHIFT_DT BETWEEN TO_DATE('&&START','MM/DD/RR') AND TO_DATE('&&END','MM/DD/RR')
  AND ROWNUM<=&&ROWLIMIT
ORDER BY SHIFT_DT,RUN_START_DT;

SPOOL OFF
SET VERIFY ON
CLEAR BREAKS
CLEAR COMPUTES

Answer 1

Unfortunately, your VB.NET code has no idea what to do with all the SQL*Plus commands embedded in your script. SQL*Plus is the only application that supports the full set of commands. SQL Developer supports a subset of the SQL*Plus commands. It looks like SQL Developer would support all the SQL*Plus commands in this particular script but I'd need to go through the documentation to be sure.

The quick and dirty solution would be to shell out to the operating system from VB and invoke SQL*Plus to produce the file and then let VB.NET return the file to the client. That's not particularly elegant and you'd have a problem in a multi-user environment because the script would try to spool the same file from two different sessions if it was called with the same parameters. But it appears that the legacy solution has the same multi-user problem already.

The more elegant solution would be to refactor the scripts to move as much of the logic as possible into a view. Your VB.NET code could call the view and present the data in a more elegant data table format rather than returning a simple flat file (assuming that this is intended to present data to humans for analysis rather than producing files in a particular format that are fed into some downstream process). That would be more effort than invoking SQL*Plus but would mean that your upgrade of the legacy system would produce much more user-friendly results.