From: noway@jose.ca   
      
   Hi   
      
   I have a Visual Basic application that uses ADO to access an Oracle   
   database. I have the latest 9.x ODBC drivers installed, and SQL*Plus   
   tells me I'm looking at Oracle 8i release 8.1.7.4.1 through an Oracle   
   client version 9.2.0.1.0. I'm assuming that these should be   
   compatible...   
      
   The application has, until now, been running on the MS ODBC drivers   
   for Oracle, but we'd like to get away from using LONGs, and use the   
   Oracle ODBC drivers instead.   
      
   Trouble is, I'm getting some strange things happening. When I retrieve   
   a LONG from the database, any character in the range X'80' to X'9F' is   
   being returned as X'BF'. This, of course, tends to have a distinctly   
   deleterious effect on the readability of stored binary documents.   
      
   X'80' to X'9F' appear to be associated with National Language Support,   
   so I thought it might relate to the NLS options in the ODBC setup,   
   which offers "Numeric Settings" of "Use Oracle NLS Settings", "Use   
   Microsoft Regional Settings" or "Use US Settings". I've tried all   
   three, it makes no difference.   
      
   Has anyone else suffered from this? Has anyone suggestions for coping   
   with the problem? Or do I just have to learn to live with the MS ODBC   
   driver?   
      
   Thanks   
      
   Robert Smith   
      
   ubik   
   at   
   shaw   
   dot   
   ca   
      
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