Oracle PL/SQL LONG RAW data type is a data type used to store binary data in a table or variable in an Oracle database. It is similar to the RAW data type, but it can store up to 2 GB of binary data, while RAW data type can only store up to 2000 bytes of binary data.
The LONG RAW data type is often used to store large binary data such as images, audio or video files, or any other type of large binary data. It is useful in situations where it is necessary to store binary data in a database table, as opposed to storing the data in separate files.
However, the use of the LONG RAW data type is discouraged in newer versions of Oracle, as it has been deprecated and may not be supported in future versions. Instead, Oracle recommends using the BLOB (Binary Large Object) data type for storing large binary data.
Despite the deprecation of the LONG RAW data type, it is still supported in Oracle databases, and PL/SQL code written to work with this data type can still be executed without issue. However, it is important to be aware of the limitations of the data type, including the fact that it cannot be indexed and may result in slower query performance.
In conclusion, the Oracle PL/SQL LONG RAW data type is a legacy data type that is used to store large binary data in an Oracle database. While it is still supported, it is recommended to use the BLOB data type instead, as it offers better performance and more features.