What is the PL/SQL API difference between Oracle Express Edition (XE) and Standard Edition (SE)?

Question

Aside from licensing issues and all the fancy add-on packages, what is the real difference between Oracle XE and SE from an API point of view? My application uses a large number of PL/SQL features/packages, and I am unable to get a definitive list of what works and what doesn't.

I already know that, for example, the server-side Java VM is not included, and you have to add some grants to get UTL_FILE. But what about UTL_TCP, UTL_SMTP or UTL_RAW? How about things such as database triggers (session logon/logoff) or calling external DLLs (EXTPROC), or contexts? Do you know anything else (a package, an API, a system view...) that is not available in XE?

I know that I could just try to install it, but I was hoping for a faster approach, like some page that has a list of the relevant information. However, all I found was high-level stuff that did not even mention UTL_FILE.

Answer 1

Oracle XE contains all the PL/SQL features and packages that the standard edition has. The Oracle White Paper is pretty clear on what is and isn't included. Having used XE, SE, and EE for both earlier and later versions all of the the thing you are concerned about fall into one of the features listed in the white paper.