Two types of internal large objects exist:
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| CLOB (character large object) | CLOBs store large amounts of character (text) information. |
| BLOB (binary large object) | BLOBs store binary (mostly video/audio) information in the database. |
With external large objects, the pointer (LOB locator) to the object is stored in a BFILE column in the database.
The pointer is an internal reference that Oracle can understand.
It is indicating the location where the real data is stored.
It provides read-only access to files on the server.
The most common use for BFILE is to provide a convenient way of referencing objects maintained outside the database.