The external tables feature is a complement to existing SQL*Loader functionality. It enables you to access data in external sources as if it were in a table in the database.
Note that SQL*Loader may be the better choice in data loading situations that require additional indexing of the staging table. See "Behavior Differences Between SQL*Loader and External Tables" for more information about how load behavior differs between SQL*Loader and external tables.
See the following topics:
Oracle Database Administrator's Guide for additional information about creating and managing external tables