Preface

This Guide introduces Release 7.3 of the Oracle Call Interface for Windows, Windows NT, and Windows 95 programmatic interfaces and its use with those operating systems. Specifically, this Guide:

introduces Oracle Call Interface

gives an overview of the Oracle directory structure

describes OCI programs and files

provides information about using Oracle Call Interface

For general information on using Oracle Call Interface and Oracle Precompilers, under all operating systems, consult the Programmer's Guide to the Pro*C Precompiler.

Audience

This Guide is necessary if you are installing or using Oracle Call Interface for Windows platforms. It describes all of the operating system-specific information you need to use Oracle Call Interface.

Prerequisites

This Guide assumes you have the following skills and knowledge:

ability to use a C compiler for Windows environments

familiarity with Windows utilities for deleting and copying files

understanding of the concepts of the search path, configuration files, and directory structure

ability to use a text editor to make changes to an ASCII text file

Note on Directories

The installation of Oracle client software establishes the directory structure for your Oracle products. A main directory, referred to as the Oracle home directory, is created to hold the Oracle subdirectories and files. The default Oracle home directory is \ORANT (\ORAWIN95 for Windows 95, and ORAWIN for Windows 3.1). For information on the subdirectories under Oracle Home, see Chapter 1.

The Oracle Call Interface files are contained in the Oracle home directory, as are the library files needed to link and run Oracle Call Interface applications, as well as link with other Oracle products, such as Oracle Forms.

Notational Conventions

Note these typographical conventions when reading this Guide:

*Feature*	Explanation
monospace text	Type text exactly as shown. Text typed on a command line is not case-sensitive, unless noted otherwise.
[ ]	Brackets enclose optional items or indicate a function key. Do not type the brackets.
\|	A vertical bar represents an "or" option among several options. You must enter one, and only one, of the options separated by the vertical bar. Do not enter the vertical bars themselves.
punctuation	Punctuation other than brackets and vertical bars must be entered in commands exactly as shown.
UPPERCASE	Uppercase characters within the text represent command names.
lowercase mono	Lowercase characters within command lines represent variables. You should substitute an appropriate value for the variable. In examples, lowercase characters represent sample values for the variables.
lowercase italics	Lowercase italics in the text represent variables. You should substitute an appropriate value for the variable.
C>	Represents the command prompt of the disk drive you are using. Your prompt may differ and will at times reflect the subdirectory you are in.
\DIRECTORY	A backslash before a directory name indicates that this is a subdirectory.

How This Guide is Organized

This Guide is composed of the following sections:

Chapter 1: Introducing Oracle Call Interface
This chapter introduces the Oracle Call Interface and describes its features.

Chapter 2: Installing Oracle Call Interface
This chapter describes how to install the Oracle Call Interface.

Chapter 3: Building OCI Applications
This chapter explains how to use the Oracle Call Interface software.

Related Publications

The following documentation is associated with Oracle Call Interface for Windows Platforms:

Oracle Pro*C/C++ Getting Started for Windows Platforms

Programmer's Guide to the Pro*C Precompiler

Programmer's Guide to the Oracle Call Interface

You also should refer to the documentation included with your Microsoft C or Borland compiler.

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Library

Product

Contents

Index