update part duex: there should be no problem with Oracle 8 and Longs from the way i read perldoc DBD::Oracle. But I stick by my first statement: use the VARCHAR if you can - it will make your life much easier. FYI: jptxs is an Oracle consultant : )

update: saw this second post just as i found the sections on limits for longs : ) more in a second, but first question is why not just use varchar if it can hold what you need it to? it'll be easier to maintain too.

A search through preldoc DBI and Programming the Perl DBI reveal nothing about limits to how much data you can transfer.

Oracle has limits on certian types of datatypes (RAW can't be greater than 2000 bytes and VARCHARs are not allowed over 4000 bytes). Maybe you're actually hitting one of these limits? Why don't you post your code and we'll all find out : )

-- I'm a solipsist, and so is everyone else. (think about it)