# Confused about OCI8 **URL:** \ **Category:** Ruby\ **Created:** [February 20, 2008, 5:21pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/confused-about-oci8/129678 "2008-02-20T17:21:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/u/4bbf92/32.png) [@unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/unknown)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2008, 5:21pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/confused-about-oci8/129678/1 "2008-02-20T17:21:00Z")
Hi folks, I’m studying Ruby converting old Java programs. I’m encoutering many difficults connecting to a Oracle 8.0.6 box (say responding at 10.0.0.22). With Java I simply connect using this infos: host: 10.0.0.22 SID: TEST username: user password: pwd10 and the relative JAR library for Oracle 8. With Ruby (version 1.8.6/Win32) I installed the OCI8, then I copied the necessary DLL libraries from a Oracle/bin directory (such as OCI.DLL) because I don’t have the Oracle client on my machine, and the Instant client I can download from Oracle’s site is the 11g version which doesn’t support Oracle 8. So, finally I tried some code. First an example from the Oracle’s site: ruby -r oci8 -e “OCI8.new(‘user’, ‘pwd10’, ‘[//10.0.0.22:1521/](https://10.0.0.22:1521/) TEST’).exec(‘SELECT \* FROM test\_table WHERE rownum = 1’) do |r| puts r.join(’ | '); end” But this error occured: env.c:257:in oci8lib.so: Error while trying to retrieve text for error ORA-06401 (OCIError) from c:/ruby/lib/ruby/site\_ruby/1.8/oci8.rb:228:in `initialize' from -e:1:in `new’ from -e:1 Second, I tried this other example: require ‘oci8’ conn = OCI8.new(‘user’, ‘pwd10’, ‘[//10.0.0.22/TEST](https://10.0.0.22/TEST)’) cursor = conn.exec(‘SELECT \* FROM test\_table WHERE rownum = 1’) while r = cursor.fetch() puts r.join(‘,’) end cursor.close conn.logoff But this error occured: env.c:257:in oci8lib.so: Error while trying to retrieve text for error ORA-12154 (OCIError) from c:/ruby/lib/ruby/site\_ruby/1.8/oci8.rb:228:in `initialize' from Test.rb:3:in `new’ from Test.rb:3 I already look for documentation crawling Google, but it didn’t find anything useful. Where is my fault? Thanks in advance for any suggestion to heal my first Ruby-ache. :o) Eddy ---
**Author:** ![unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/u/4bbf92/32.png) [@unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/unknown)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2008, 4:07am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/confused-about-oci8/129678/2 "2008-02-21T04:07:12Z")
_TNS-12154 TNS:could not resolve service name._ Can you connect to the Oracle 8 db using sqlplus with this connection string '[//10.0.0.22/TEST](https://10.0.0.22/TEST)"? The service\_name of the db is “TEST”? 2008/2/21, removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid): ---
**Author:** ![unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/u/4bbf92/32.png) [@unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/unknown)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2008, 9:21am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/confused-about-oci8/129678/3 "2008-02-21T09:21:15Z")
In the meanshile I added this to the TNSNAMES.ORA on a machine with SQLPlus: TEST = (DESCRIPTION = (ADDRESS\_LIST = (ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = 10.0.0.22)(PORT = 1521)) ) (CONNECT\_DATA = (SERVICE\_NAME = TEST) ) ) Using “TEST” as connection string, SQLPlus works. But, using OCI8, how can I use the TNSNAMES.ORA? Thanks in advance for any help to solve this doubt, Eddy ---
**Author:** ![unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/u/4bbf92/32.png) [@unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/unknown)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2008, 9:01am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/confused-about-oci8/129678/4 "2008-02-21T09:01:03Z")
No, I cannot connect using the string [//10.0.0.22/TEST](https://10.0.0.22/TEST). Maybe I’m understanding: OCI8 uses the SQLPlus approach for connections to the DB, which is different from JDBC. Am I right or not? So, could it be a DB configuration problem? If I’m able to connect with SQLPlus I’m able to connect with OCI8? Best regards, Eddy ---
**Author:** ![unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/u/4bbf92/32.png) [@unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/unknown)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2008, 11:00am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/confused-about-oci8/129678/5 "2008-02-21T11:00:52Z")
OK, to summarize: 1. I have to install the full version of Oracle client 2. I have to add the service name to TNSNAMES.ORA 3. To test the connection I will use OCI8.new("", “”, “\”) So, with Oracle 8 and 9, I cannot use the Instant client 10.x because I can only use the ///\ form only with 10g database. Is it all right? Thanks, Eddy ---
**Author:** ![unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/u/4bbf92/32.png) [@unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/unknown)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2008, 10:13am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/confused-about-oci8/129678/6 "2008-02-21T10:13:46Z")
Hi, On Thu, Feb 21, 2008 at 1:20 AM, [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > With Ruby (version 1.8.6/Win32) I installed the OCI8, then I copied > the necessary DLL libraries > from a Oracle/bin directory (such as OCI.DLL) because I don’t have the > Oracle client on my machine, > and the Instant client I can download from Oracle’s site is the 11g > version which doesn’t support Oracle 8. Full client’s OCI.DLL won’t work if it is copied to outside the installed directory. You need to install the Oracle client on your machine. It may work by copying all files under ORACLE\_HOME and all registry keys under \HKEY\_LOCAL\_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ORACLE. But I’m not sure that is all. > So, finally I tried some code. > First an example from the Oracle’s site: > > ruby -r oci8 -e “OCI8.new(‘user’, ‘pwd10’, ‘[//10.0.0.22:1521/](https://10.0.0.22:1521/) > TEST’).exec(‘SELECT \* FROM test\_table > WHERE rownum = 1’) do |r| puts r.join(’ | '); end” ‘[//10.0.0.22:1521/TEST](https://10.0.0.22:1521/TEST)’ is a new feature of Oracle 10g. It won’t work on older Oracle versions. ---
**Author:** ![unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/u/4bbf92/32.png) [@unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/unknown)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2008, 2:42pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/confused-about-oci8/129678/7 "2008-02-21T14:42:20Z")
OK, all work, finally! :o) I installed the Oracle client 9.2 on my machine, then configured the TNSNAMES.ORA with the right service name, and both SQL\*Plus and my Ruby test app work. Thanks a lot for your support Kubo, and thanks to Jesse for the first important suggestion. Best regards, Eddy ---
**Author:** ![unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/u/4bbf92/32.png) [@unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/unknown)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2008, 11:26am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/confused-about-oci8/129678/8 "2008-02-21T11:26:11Z")
HI, On Thu, Feb 21, 2008 at 6:59 PM, [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > OK, > to summarize: > > 1. I have to install the full version of Oracle client Yes. > 1. I have to add the service name to TNSNAMES.ORA Yes. > 1. To test the connection I will use OCI8.new(“”, “”, > “\”) 1. To test the connection I will use OCI8.new(“”, “”, “\”) \ is a name defined in TNSNAMES.ORA. Tns name may be differnet name with service name. > So, with Oracle 8 and 9, I cannot use the Instant client 10.x because > I can only use the ///\ form only with 10g > database. 10g client, exactly speaking. 10g client can use ///\ to connect to 9i databases.