2010-05-18 Version 3.6.0 Vincent Rogier vince.rogier@ocilib.net

    * Improved Array interface
    
      - Arrays of non scalar datatypes (based on handles) previously had to be initialized element by element and could be time consuming
      - It is now possible to allocate arrays in one step and thus improve performance (especially with Oracle 11g), internal OCILIB stuctures and OCI handles are allocated in one step
      - Added OCI_DateArrayCreate()
      - Added OCI_DateArrayFree()
      - Added OCI_TimestampArrayCreate()
      - Added OCI_TimestampArrayFree()
      - Added OCI_IntervalArrayCreate()
      - Added OCI_IntervalArrayFree()
      - Added OCI_LobArrayCreate()
      - Added OCI_LobArrayFree()
      - Added OCI_FileArrayCreate()
      - Added OCI_FileArrayFree()
      - Added OCI_ObjectArrayCreate()
      - Added OCI_ObjectArrayFree()
      - Added OCI_RefArrayCreate()
      - Added OCI_RefArrayFree()
      - Added OCI_CollArrayCreate()
      - Added OCI_CollArrayFree()
      
    * Added proper support for UTF8 strings

      - Use OCI_CHARSET_ANSI mode
      - Set the environment variable NLS_LANG to value that contains the substring 'UTF8'
      - Depending on the database charset :
    
          - UTF8 : UTF8 strings are used for any text based binds or retrieved columns values
          - Other charsets : UTF8 strings can be used only with national strings (NCHAR/NVARCHAR/NCLOB)

    * Exented String support

      - Added OCI_BindSetCharsetForm() to enable the use of national charset on binded strings

    * Extended LOB API

      - It is now possible to specify for CLOB/NCLOB buffer lengths in characters and/or bytes for R/W operations
      - Added OCI_LobRead2()
      - Added OCI_LobWrite2()
      - Added OCI_LobAppend2()

    * Modified native CHARSET modes

      - OCI_CHARSET_UNICODE replaced by OCI_CHARSET_WIDE 
      - OCI_CHAR_UNICODE replaced by OCI_CHAR_WIDE
      - OCI_XXX_UNICODE symbols are still supported for backward compatibility
   
    * Fixed Multiple loads in Direct path mode

      - Fixed the API to enable multiple load
      - Updated direct path demo

    * Miscellaneous changes

      - Added OCI_HandleGetSubscription()
      - Modified OCI_Initialize() : renamed parameter 'home' to 'lib_path' 
      - OCI_GetString() : when column base type is not string based, the implicit conversion uses now now dynamic memory allocation to return full data content instead of truncating to OCI_BUFFER_SIZE limit    
      - Various documentation updates
      - Modified OCI_LobRead() (and thus OCI_LobRead2()) to set a trailing null character
      - Replaced few left direct malloc() calls by OCI_MemAlloc()

    * Miscellaneous fixes

      - fixed prototype of OCI_ConnPoolGetlGetNoWait() => OCI_ConnPoolGetGetNoWait()
      - fixed internal raw size retrieving in OCI_ObjectGetRaw() and OCI_ElemSetRaw()
      - fixed OCI_ObjectSetString() in OCI_CHARSET_MIXED mode that could cause a segfault
      - fixed internal string conversions in OCI_CHARSET_MIXED mode on Unix systems that could cause a segfault
      - fixed various problems of RAW and LONG handling in OCI_MIXED_CHARSET mode
      - fixed OCI_ServerGetOutput() when statements are reprepared
      - fixed computation of objects members offsets (in the internal object opaque structure) which caused misaligned pointer and lead to segfault depending on the members datatype
      - fixed OCI_xxxFmt() functions that were badly formatting the ouput sql when more than one DATE parameter was present
      - fixed OCI_BindArrayOfXXXX() documentation
      - fixed OCI_BindArraySetSize() when called many times with a new size > initial size
      - fixed endianness problem on big endian platforms when a string buffer had to be converted
      - fixed internal lengths used in implicit conversions in OCI_GetString() for some datatypes
      - Improved long long support detection
      - fixed national charset attribute detection for NCLOB binds
      - Fixed memory leak appeared in v3.5.0 when deallocating internal fetched LOBs

    * Modified developer and support contacts

      - use the following contact address for any information/question/help about OCILIB :

          - support and help         : support@ocilib.net
          - contact and information  : vince.rogier@ocilib.net