Error : ORA-01704: string literal too long

Question

While I try to set the value of over 4000 characters on a field that has data type CLOB, it gives me this error :

ORA-01704: string literal too long.

Any suggestion, which data type would be applicable for me if I have to set value of unlimited characters although for my case, it happens to be of about 15000 chars.

Note : The long string that I am trying to store is encoded in ANSI.

Answer 1

What are you using when operate with CLOB?

In all events you can do it with PL/SQL

DECLARE
  str varchar2(32767);
BEGIN
  str := 'Very-very-...-very-very-very-very-very-very long string value';
  update t1 set col1 = str;
END;
/

Proof link on SQLFiddle

Answer 2

Try to split the characters into multiple chunks like the query below and try:

Insert into table (clob_column) values ( to_clob( 'chunk 1' ) || to_clob( 'chunk 2' ) );

It worked for me.

Answer 3

The split work until 4000 chars depending on the characters that you are inserting. If you are inserting special characters it can fail. The only secure way is to declare a variable.

Answer 4

To solve this issue on my side, I had to use a combo of what was already proposed there

DECLARE
  chunk1 CLOB; chunk2 CLOB; chunk3 CLOB;
BEGIN
  chunk1 := 'very long literal part 1';
  chunk2 := 'very long literal part 2';
  chunk3 := 'very long literal part 3';

  INSERT INTO table (MY_CLOB)
  SELECT ( chunk1 || chunk2 || chunk3 ) FROM dual;
END;

Hope this helps.

Answer 5

INSERT INTO table(clob_column) SELECT TO_CLOB(q'[chunk1]') || TO_CLOB(q'[chunk2]') ||
            TO_CLOB(q'[chunk3]') || TO_CLOB(q'[chunk4]') FROM DUAL;