PostgreSQL 7.2.1 Documentation
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# 2.3. Interfaces

The facilities PostgreSQL provides to access large objects, both in the backend as part of user-defined functions or the front end as part of an application using the interface, are described below. For users familiar with POSTGRES 4.2, PostgreSQL has a new set of functions providing a more coherent interface.

> Note: All large object manipulation must take place within an SQL transaction. This requirement is strictly enforced as of PostgreSQL 6.5, though it has been an implicit requirement in previous versions, resulting in misbehavior if ignored.

The PostgreSQL large object interface is modeled after the Unix file-system interface, with analogues of `open(2)`, `read(2)`, `write(2)`, `lseek(2)`, etc. User functions call these routines to retrieve only the data of interest from a large object. For example, if a large object type called `mugshot` existed that stored photographs of faces, then a function called `beard` could be declared on `mugshot` data. `beard` could look at the lower third of a photograph, and determine the color of the beard that appeared there, if any. The entire large-object value need not be buffered, or even examined, by the `beard` function. Large objects may be accessed from dynamically-loaded C functions or database client programs that link the library. PostgreSQL provides a set of routines that support opening, reading, writing, closing, and seeking on large objects.

## 2.3.1. Creating a Large Object

The routine

    Oid lo_creat(PGconn *conn, int mode)

creates a new large object. `mode` is a bit mask describing several different attributes of the new object. The symbolic constants listed here are defined in the header file `libpq/libpq-fs.h`. The access type (read, write, or both) is controlled by or'ing together the bits `INV_READ` and `INV_WRITE`. The low-order sixteen bits of the mask have historically been used at Berkeley to designate the storage manager number on which the large object should reside. These bits should always be zero now. The commands below create a large object:

    inv_oid = lo_creat(INV_READ|INV_WRITE);

## 2.3.2. Importing a Large Object

To import an operating system file as a large object, call

    Oid lo_import(PGconn *conn, const char *filename)

`filename` specifies the operating system name of the file to be imported as a large object.

## 2.3.3. Exporting a Large Object

To export a large object into an operating system file, call

    int lo_export(PGconn *conn, Oid lobjId, const char *filename)

The `lobjId` argument specifies the OID of the large object to export and the `filename` argument specifies the operating system name name of the file.

## 2.3.4. Opening an Existing Large Object

To open an existing large object, call

    int lo_open(PGconn *conn, Oid lobjId, int mode)

The `lobjId` argument specifies the OID of the large object to open. The `mode` bits control whether the object is opened for reading (`INV_READ`), writing (`INV_WRITE`), or both. A large object cannot be opened before it is created. `lo_open` returns a large object descriptor for later use in `lo_read`, `lo_write`, `lo_lseek`, `lo_tell`, and `lo_close`.

## 2.3.5. Writing Data to a Large Object

The routine

    int lo_write(PGconn *conn, int fd, const char *buf, size_t len)

writes `len` bytes from `buf` to large object `fd`. The `fd` argument must have been returned by a previous `lo_open`. The number of bytes actually written is returned. In the event of an error, the return value is negative.

## 2.3.6. Reading Data from a Large Object

The routine

    int lo_read(PGconn *conn, int fd, char *buf, size_t len)

reads `len` bytes from large object `fd` into `buf`. The `fd` argument must have been returned by a previous `lo_open`. The number of bytes actually read is returned. In the event of an error, the return value is negative.

## 2.3.7. Seeking on a Large Object

To change the current read or write location on a large object, call

    int lo_lseek(PGconn *conn, int fd, int offset, int whence)

This routine moves the current location pointer for the large object described by `fd` to the new location specified by `offset`. The valid values for `whence` are `SEEK_SET`, `SEEK_CUR`, and `SEEK_END`.

## 2.3.8. Closing a Large Object Descriptor

A large object may be closed by calling

    int lo_close(PGconn *conn, int fd)

where `fd` is a large object descriptor returned by `lo_open`. On success, `lo_close` returns zero. On error, the return value is negative.

## 2.3.9. Removing a Large Object

To remove a large object from the database, call

    Oid lo_unlink(PGconn *conn, Oid lobjId)

The `lobjId` argument specifies the OID of the large object to remove.

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