Oracle Database 23ai introduces In-Database JavaScript for Linux x86-64 and aarch64. That’s Linux on Intel and Arm, respectively. Developers with a preference for Typescript can use it alternatively after transpilation to JavaScript. JavaScript support in Oracle Database is known as Multilingual Engine, or MLE for short.
This project is intended to be run via GitHub codespaces and showcase MLE/JavaScript features in a simple-to-set up environment. Alternatively you can spin up a container instance based on a compose file.
Examples include:
- Writing JavaScript procedures and functions in-line with a PL/SQL header
- Dynamic MLE code execution based on
DBMS_MLE - Creating JavaScript modules and environments
- Use of Typescript with MLE
- Accessing the database using a NoSQL API named SODA
You can use this repository in 2 ways:
- Directly within GitHub Codespaces
- Locally
Both are discussed in turn.
The repository contains instructions in .devcontainer/devcontainer.json creating a development environment in GitHub Codespaces. It might take a minute or 2 to create, please be patient. As part of the Codespace initialisation a database will be set up including a demo account, demouser, password demouser, in freepdb1 using docker-compose. Update the compose file to the latest database release as per https://container-registry.oracle.com/ords/ocr/ba/database/free if needed.
Since VSCode is the default development environment in Codespaces it is only logical to link SQLDeveloper Extension for VSCode into the IDE. Create a new connection in the SQLDev extension and run the scripts as you like and see fit. Connect as demouser/demouser to freepdb1 on localhost.
You need either Docker or Podman installed and available on your machine. Clone the repository using the standard commands and create the sample database using 01_setup/database.sh. Update the script to the latest database release as per https://container-registry.oracle.com/ords/ocr/ba/database/free if needed.
As part of the database initialisation you get a new user account in freepdb1, named demouser. It will be used for all the demo scripts. Using your favourite tool, ideally SQLDeveloper Extension for VSCode, to connect to the database and run the scripts in a worksheet.
All scripts are to be run as demouser on freepdb1; ideally using VSCode and SQLDeveloper Extension for VSCode
You'll find basic examples in 02_basic_examples:
- Inline JavaScript functions and procedures
- Examples how to invoke these
- MLE Modules
- MLE environments
- Examples how to expose JavaScript to SQL and PL/SQL
- Dynamic JavaScript execution
You can find more advanced examples how to write, test, and transpile Typescript to In-Database JavaScript in 03_typescript.
They can be transpiled to JavaScript and loaded into the database using 03_typescript/utils/deploy.sh. You need to change directory to 03_typescript before executing the deployment script. Once the transpiled code has been loaded you can view it in the schema browser.
You should also take a moment to review the code completion features and type mappings in the index.ts file.
The final set of examples concerns the NoSQL-style API named SODA. Simple Oracle Document Access (SODA) is a set of NoSQL-style APIs that let you create and store collections of documents (in particular JSON) in Oracle Database, retrieve them, and query them, without needing to know Structured Query Language (SQL) or how the documents are stored in the database.
Codespaces are useful because they should provide you with a running database and IDE in little to no time. Sometimes however a little extra work is needed if things didn't go to plan.
In theory the Codespace's postCreateCommand - docker compose up -d should pull the database image automatically and start it with the listener port exposed to port 1521. In case your connection to the database cannot be established, check if the compose file ran successfully:
@martin-bach-oracle ➜ /workspaces/mle-javascript-showcase (main) $ docker compose ps
NAME IMAGE COMMAND SERVICE CREATED STATUS PORTS
mle-javascript-showcase-oracle-1 container-registry.oracle.com/database/free:23.8.0.0-amd64 "/bin/bash -c $ORACL…" oracle 19 minutes ago Up 19 minutes (healthy) 0.0.0.0:1521->1521/tcp, [::]:1521->1521/tcp
@martin-bach-oracle ➜ /workspaces/mle-javascript-showcase (main) $
If you don't see any output, manually (re-)start the database using a terminal:
docker compose up -d
You can view the progress using docker compose logs.