ODBC Hell

It is so easy: I have a testing environement where an OCI8-Driver is installed. Therefore I can use the OCI-Function if PHP to Bind Variables, get return values and everything is just fine.

Then on the production I needed to switch to ODBC, and thought: Easy just write this stuff for ODBC and you’re done.

Unfortunately the driver does simply not support return values of functions. The problem is, that there are updates in my function, so I can’t solve the problem using:

select function_name(param1,param2,param3,...) from dual

After giving up my return value, I wanted to run the function like that (in TOAD this is no problem):

begin :retval := function_name(?,?,?,?); end;

Afterwards you are giving an array of parameter to the PHP function odbc_execute, and this should work alright.

I tried hundrets of possibilities to run my function. Finally I gave up, made a procdure (which has no return value and vor sure ODBC has no support for OUT or INOUT-Vars). I resigned to have a return value (which should only be the number of updated rows).

I tried: begin procedure_name(?,?,?,?); end;

There was no reaction. My last try:

call procedure_name(param1,param2,param3,..);

This woked! So I need to use “call” and not using the parameter-array of ODBC but giving it directly into the call. I’m happy to get it working, but this costs me one day.

Is there any really working ODBC-Driver for PHP?

I gave up.

PS: Yes I know, there is a solution for my return value. In my procedure I could write the value into a temporary table. But I rather want to use a good driver (like the OCI8) than using such a temporary solution. I’m open to new ways of doing this.