DBD::Oracle, Support binding of integers so they are returned as IVs

Hi,

With reference to the rt I created "Support binding of integers so they
are returned as IVs" at http://rt.cpan.org/Public/Bug/Display.html?id=49818

I am now at the point where being unable to bind columns to results-sets
in DBD::Oracle with a bind type of SQL_INTEGER (or whatever) so they
look like integers in Perl is slowing some code of ours down
dramatically. We convert a fetchall_arrayref returned structure into
JSON with JSON::XS and JSON::XS converts strings to "string" and numbers
to a plain number. Our select returns a number of columns which are
really integer columns and as the result-set is very large the extra
space we use encoding integers as "number" is more than just annoying.
JSON::XS appears to know a perl scalar has been used in the context of a
number as if we add 0 to the integer columns returned in
fetchall_arrayref it encodes them as plain numbers instead of strings
like "number" (see the rt for the snippet from JSON::XS which does
this). As a result, a workaround we are using now is to loop through the
rows adding 0 to all integer columns. I believe DBI allows bind_col to
be called without a destination scalar so you can use it to specify the
type of the bind e.g., SQL_INTEGER but still call fetchall_arrayref.

Does anyone know if it is feasible to make this work with DBD::Oracle
and if so do you have some pointers as to how it may be achieved. I am
not looking for anyone else to do the work but would like to sound
people out about the possibility before I launch into it.

Thanks

Martin