Client file support

This section describes the Large Object Locator functions that provide client file support. These functions allow you to create, open, and delete client files and to copy large objects to and from client files.

The client functions make it easier to code user-defined routines that input or output data. These user-defined routines, in many cases, operate on large objects. They also input data from or output data to client files. Developers can create two versions of a user-defined routine: one for client files, which calls lld_open_client(), and one for large objects, which calls lld_open(). After the large object or client file is open, you can use any of the Large Object Locator functions that operate on open objects, such as lld_read(), lld_seek(), and so on. Thus, the remaining code of the user-defined function can be the same for both versions.

You should use the Large Object Locator client functions with care. You can only access client files if you are using the client machine on which the files are stored. If you change client machines, you can no longer access files stored on the original client machine. Thus, an application that stores client file names in the database might find at a later date that the files are inaccessible.