Oracle Database Extensions for .NET

Oracle Database Extensions for .NET provides the following:

A Common Language Runtime (CLR) host for Oracle Database XE
Data access through Oracle Data Provider for .NET classes
Oracle Deployment Wizard for Visual Studio .NET

Oracle Database XE hosts Microsoft Common Language Runtime (CLR) in an external process, outside of the Oracle database process, but on the same computer. The integration of Oracle Database XE with the Microsoft Common Language Runtime (CLR) enables applications to run .NET stored procedures or functions on Oracle Database XE, Microsoft Windows 2003, Windows 2000, and Windows XP.

Stored procedures and functions can be written using any .NET compliant language, such as C# and VB.NET. These .NET stored procedures can be used in the same manner as other PL/SQL or Java stored procedures, and can be called from PL/SQL packages, procedures, functions, and triggers.

.NET procedures or functions are built into a .NET assembly, typically using Microsoft Visual Studio .NET. Oracle Data Provider for .NET is used in .NET stored procedures and functions to access data. After building .NET procedures and functions into a .NET assembly, they can be deployed in Oracle Database XE, using the Oracle Deployment Wizard for .NET, a component of the Oracle Developer Tools for Visual Studio .NET.