Decode a PL/SQL encoded string in python

Question

I have a string "some_string" which has been encoded in below way and returns encoded value "some_encoded_value" :

select utl_encode.base64_encode(utl_raw.cast_to_raw('some_string')) from dual;

I want to decode it in python2.7 but I am unable to do so.

I am trying to do it in the following way :

base64.b64decode("some_encoded_value")

Output of this python returns some characters like which dont look like normal string

\xe4\x5t\xe6\x7e..... etc

Can you please let help me out in this.

All i have been able to figure out it is we might need something similar to cast_to_var2 in python but I am unable to find it.

Answer 1

You first snippet calls two functions...

utl_encode.base64_encode(utl_raw.cast_to_raw('some_string'))

Your second snippet calls the reverse of one of those two functions...

You need to reverse both of them...

UTL_RAW.CAST_TO_VARCHAR2(utl_encode.base_64decode("some_encoded_value"))

Manual :

• https://docs.oracle.com/database/121/WSMQG/app_urpkg.htm#WSMQG293
• https://docs.oracle.com/cd/B19306_01/appdev.102/b14258/u_encode.htm#i996731

Or, to convert binary to string in python...

• https://stackoverflow.com/a/40559005/53341