📋

Description

The ORA-29259 error indicates that the end of the input stream was reached unexpectedly during a database operation. This commonly occurs when reading data from an external source or network connection.

💬

Error Message

ORA-29259: end-of-input reached

🔍

Known Causes

3 known causes

⚠️

Premature Input Termination

The input source (e.g., file, network connection) terminated before all expected data was read.

⚠️

Network Connection Issue

A network connection used for data transfer was closed or interrupted, leading to an unexpected end-of-input.

⚠️

Incorrect Data Length

The expected data length was not properly specified or exceeded the actual data available.

🛠️

Solutions

3 solutions available

1. Verify UTL_FILE Directory Permissions and Configuration medium

Ensure the Oracle user has read/write permissions on the UTL_FILE directory and that the directory is correctly configured in the database.

1

Identify the UTL_FILE directory used in your PL/SQL code. This is typically defined by a `UTL_FILE_DIR` parameter in `init.ora` or a DIRECTORY object in the database.

2

If using `UTL_FILE_DIR`, check the Oracle listener.ora and tnsnames.ora files for any related configurations. For modern Oracle versions, it's highly recommended to use DIRECTORY objects.

3

If using DIRECTORY objects, verify their existence and grant necessary privileges to the user executing the PL/SQL code.

SELECT DIRECTORY_NAME, DIRECTORY_PATH FROM DBA_DIRECTORIES WHERE DIRECTORY_NAME = 'YOUR_DIRECTORY_NAME';
GRANT READ, WRITE ON DIRECTORY YOUR_DIRECTORY_NAME TO YOUR_USER_NAME;

4

On the operating system level, ensure the Oracle software owner (e.g., 'oracle' user) has read and write permissions to the physical directory specified by the DIRECTORY object.

sudo chown -R oracle:oinstall /path/to/your/directory
sudo chmod -R 775 /path/to/your/directory

5

Restart the Oracle listener and the database instance after making any changes to `init.ora` or directory permissions. This is crucial for the changes to take effect.

lsnrctl stop
lsnrctl start
SQL> SHUTDOWN IMMEDIATE;
SQL> STARTUP;

2. Inspect PL/SQL Code for Incorrect File Handling medium

Review the PL/SQL code that uses UTL_FILE for logical errors, such as attempting to read/write beyond the end of a file or incorrect file opening/closing.

1

Examine the PL/SQL block that is raising the ORA-29259 error. Pay close attention to the `UTL_FILE.FOPEN`, `UTL_FILE.GET_LINE`, `UTL_FILE.PUT_LINE`, and `UTL_FILE.FCLOSE` calls.

2

Ensure that `UTL_FILE.GET_LINE` is not called after the end of the file has been reached. A common pattern to avoid this is to check for `UTL_FILE.IS_OPEN` and loop until `UTL_FILE.GET_LINE` returns NULL or an exception is caught.

DECLARE
  file_handle UTL_FILE.FILE_TYPE;
  line_read VARCHAR2(32767);
BEGIN
  file_handle := UTL_FILE.FOPEN('YOUR_DIRECTORY_NAME', 'your_file.txt', 'R');
  LOOP
    BEGIN
      UTL_FILE.GET_LINE(file_handle, line_read);
      -- Process the line_read
      DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE(line_read);
    EXCEPTION
      WHEN NO_DATA_FOUND THEN
        EXIT; -- Exit loop when end of file is reached
    END;
  END LOOP;
  UTL_FILE.FCLOSE(file_handle);
EXCEPTION
  WHEN OTHERS THEN
    IF UTL_FILE.IS_OPEN(file_handle) THEN
      UTL_FILE.FCLOSE(file_handle);
    END IF;
    RAISE;
END;

3

Verify that `UTL_FILE.FCLOSE` is always called, even if errors occur during file processing. Use exception handlers to ensure the file handle is closed.

BEGIN
  -- File operations
EXCEPTION
  WHEN OTHERS THEN
    IF UTL_FILE.IS_OPEN(file_handle) THEN
      UTL_FILE.FCLOSE(file_handle);
    END IF;
    RAISE;
END;

4

Check for potential buffer overflows if you are reading very long lines. Ensure the variable receiving the line is large enough or handle line truncation appropriately.

3. Increase Buffer Size for File Reads easy

If the error occurs during reading large files or files with very long lines, increasing the buffer size might resolve the issue.

1

Locate the PL/SQL code that performs file reads using `UTL_FILE.GET_LINE`.

2

Increase the size of the variable used to store the read line. The maximum size for a `VARCHAR2` variable is 32767 bytes in PL/SQL. If lines can exceed this, consider alternative approaches like reading in chunks.

DECLARE
  file_handle UTL_FILE.FILE_TYPE;
  line_read VARCHAR2(32767) := ''; -- Ensure sufficient size
BEGIN
  file_handle := UTL_FILE.FOPEN('YOUR_DIRECTORY_NAME', 'your_file.txt', 'R');
  LOOP
    BEGIN
      UTL_FILE.GET_LINE(file_handle, line_read);
      -- Process the line_read
    EXCEPTION
      WHEN NO_DATA_FOUND THEN
        EXIT;
    END;
  END LOOP;
  UTL_FILE.FCLOSE(file_handle);
EXCEPTION
  WHEN OTHERS THEN
    IF UTL_FILE.IS_OPEN(file_handle) THEN
      UTL_FILE.FCLOSE(file_handle);
    END IF;
    RAISE;
END;

Oracle Error ORA-29259: End-of-Input