Calling UNIX from PLSQL package

[stecal]

You can also grant execute on a directory object in 11g:

CREATE TABLE sales_transactions_ext
(PROD_ID NUMBER, CUST_ID NUMBER,
 TIME_ID DATE, CHANNEL_ID NUMBER,
 PROMO_ID NUMBER, QUANTITY_SOLD NUMBER,
 AMOUNT_SOLD NUMBER(10,2), UNIT_COST NUMBER(10,2),
 UNIT_PRICE NUMBER(10,2))
ORGANIZATION external (TYPE oracle_loader
  DEFAULT DIRECTORY data_file_dir ACCESS PARAMETERS
  (RECORDS DELIMITED BY NEWLINE CHARACTERSET US7ASCII
--running an OS executable in this directory--
    PREPROCESSOR exec_file_dir:'gunzip' OPTIONS '-C'
    BADFILE log_file_dir:'sh_sales.bad_xt'
    LOGFILE log_file_dir:'sh_sales.log_xt'
    FIELDS TERMINATED BY "|" LDRTRIM
    ( PROD_ID, CUST_ID,
      TIME_ID         DATE(10) "YYYY-MM-DD", 
      CHANNEL_ID, PROMO_ID, QUANTITY_SOLD, AMOUNT_SOLD,
      UNIT_COST, UNIT_PRICE))
  location ('sh_sales.dat.gz') 
)REJECT LIMIT UNLIMITED;