OCI: How to insert BLOBs with array interface?

[Ole Hansen]

Hi,

Is it at all possible to insert BLOBs using the Array Interface?

Today I have an application using the array interface. It works fine but
so far I haven't been using BLOBs. I insert 100-200 rows in one server
round trip.

Now I want to have one or more colums of type BLOB but I cant see how
this can fit into my current application.

I understand that I must use the locator allocated by OCIDescriptorAlloc
as a kind of bind handle with OCIBindByPos, which is the one I'm using.
But where should I put my data that is to be written to the blob, and
must I have a locator for each row AND each column? I mean, the locator
allocated by OCIDescriptorAlloc is per column but shouldnt I have a
locater per row and column since I'm using the array interface?

If I want to store 100-200 rows using the array interface, where should
I put data when building the statement? I guess I must have 100-200
different placeholders for BLOBs when building the statement.

In my current application I store all other data in a buffer using the
skip parameter with OCIBindArrayOfStruct but how does this fit into the
LOB-types?

Should OCIDescriptorAlloc be called for every new row AND column or only
once for each column?

Is it really necessary to execute a INSERT-SELECT statement with
EMPTY_BLOB() to actually get the locator value before doing 'real'
INSERTs? Should this be done for every row then? If so, I guess this
eliminates the use of the array interface.

Im I all wrong or have I completely missed the LOB-interface - or both?

Thanks in advance.
Ole Hansen