# Importing using Oracle SQL\$1Loader
<a name="Oracle.Procedural.Importing.SQLLoader"></a>

You might consider Oracle SQL\$1Loader for large databases that contain a limited number of objects. Because the process of exporting from a source database and loading to a target database is specific to the schema, the following example creates the sample schema objects, exports from a source, and then loads the data into a target database. 

The easiest way to install Oracle SQL\$1Loader is to install the Oracle Instant Client. To download the software, go to [https://www.oracle.com/database/technologies/instant-client.html](https://www.oracle.com/database/technologies/instant-client.html). For documentation, see [Instant Client for SQL\$1Loader, Export, and Import](https://docs.oracle.com/en/database/oracle/oracle-database/21/sutil/instant-client-sql-loader-export-import.html#GUID-FF1B6F75-09F5-4911-9317-9776FAD15965) in the *Oracle Database Utilities* manual.

**To import data using Oracle SQL\$1Loader**

1. Create a sample source table using the following SQL statement.

   ```
   CREATE TABLE customer_0 TABLESPACE users 
      AS (SELECT ROWNUM id, o.* 
          FROM   ALL_OBJECTS o, ALL_OBJECTS x 
          WHERE  ROWNUM <= 1000000);
   ```

1. On the target RDS for Oracle DB instance, create a destination table for loading the data. The clause `WHERE 1=2` ensures that you copy the structure of `ALL_OBJECTS`, but don't copy any rows.

   ```
   CREATE TABLE customer_1 TABLESPACE users 
     AS (SELECT 0 AS ID, OWNER, OBJECT_NAME, CREATED
         FROM   ALL_OBJECTS
         WHERE  1=2);
   ```

1. Export the data from the source database to a text file. The following example uses SQL\$1Plus. For your data, you will likely need to generate a script that does the export for all the objects in the database. 

   ```
   ALTER SESSION SET NLS_DATE_FORMAT = 'YYYY/MM/DD HH24:MI:SS'
   
   SET LINESIZE 800 HEADING OFF FEEDBACK OFF ARRAY 5000 PAGESIZE 0
   SPOOL customer_0.out 
   SET MARKUP HTML PREFORMAT ON
   SET COLSEP ','
   
   SELECT id, owner, object_name, created 
   FROM   customer_0; 
   
   SPOOL OFF
   ```

1. Create a control file to describe the data. You might need to write a script to perform this step. 

   ```
   cat << EOF > sqlldr_1.ctl 
   load data
   infile customer_0.out
   into table customer_1
   APPEND
   fields terminated by "," optionally enclosed by '"'
   (
     id           POSITION(01:10)    INTEGER EXTERNAL,
     owner        POSITION(12:41)    CHAR,
     object_name  POSITION(43:72)    CHAR,
     created      POSITION(74:92)    date "YYYY/MM/DD HH24:MI:SS"
   )
   ```

   If needed, copy the files generated by the preceding code to a staging area, such as an Amazon EC2 instance.

1. Import the data using SQL\$1Loader with the appropriate user name and password for the target database. 

   ```
   sqlldr cust_dba@targetdb CONTROL=sqlldr_1.ctl BINDSIZE=10485760 READSIZE=10485760 ROWS=1000 
   ```