Added method is_thin_mode() as suggested (#10).

Author: anthony-tuininga

doc/src/api_manual/module.rst

@@ -854,6 +854,26 @@ Oracledb Methods
         This method is an extension to the DB API definition.
 
 
+.. function:: is_thin_mode()
+
+    Returns a boolean indicating if Thin mode is in use.
+
+    Immediately after python-oracledb is imported, this function will return
+    True indicating that python-oracledb defaults to Thin mode. If
+    :func:`oracledb.init_oracle_client()` is called, then a subsequent call to
+    ``is_thin_mode()`` will return False indicating that Thick mode is
+    enabled. Once the first standalone connection or connection pool is
+    created, or a call to ``oracledb.init_oracle_client()`` is made, then
+    python-oracledb’s mode is fixed and the value returned by
+    ``is_thin_mode()`` will never change for the lifetime of the process.
+
+    The attribute :attr:`Connection.thin` can be used to check a connection's
+    mode.
+
+    .. note::
+
+        This method is an extension to the DB API definition.
+
 .. function:: makedsn(host, port, sid=None, service_name=None, region=None, \
         sharding_key=None, super_sharding_key=None)
 

doc/src/release_notes.rst

@@ -40,6 +40,9 @@ Common Changes
 #)  The compiler flag ``-arch x86_64`` no longer needs to be explicitly
     specified when building from source code on macOS (Intel x86) without
     Universal Python binaries.
+#)  Added method :func:`oracledb.is_thin_mode()` to support determining whether
+    the driver is using thin mode or not
+    (`issue 16 <https://github.com/oracle/python-oracledb/issues/10>`__).
 #)  Improved samples and documentation.
 
 

src/oracledb/__init__.py

@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@
 from .var import Var
 from .constructors import *
 from .dsn import makedsn
+from .driver_mode import is_thin_mode
 
 from .base_impl import *
 from .thick_impl import clientversion, init_oracle_client

src/oracledb/driver_mode.py

@@ -68,3 +68,23 @@ def check_and_return_mode(requested_thin_mode=None):
     elif requested_thin_mode is not None and requested_thin_mode != thin_mode:
         errors._raise_err(errors.ERR_THIN_CONNECTION_ALREADY_CREATED)
     return thin_mode
+
+
+def is_thin_mode() -> bool:
+    """
+    Return a boolean specifying whether the driver is using thin mode (True) or
+    thick mode (False).
+
+    Immediately after python-oracledb is imported, this function will return
+    True indicating that python-oracledb defaults to Thin mode. If
+    oracledb.init_oracle_client() is called, then a subsequent call to
+    is_thin_mode() will return False indicating that Thick mode is enabled.
+    Once the first standalone connection or connection pool is created, or a
+    call to oracledb.init_oracle_client() is made, then python-oracledb's mode
+    is fixed and the value returned by is_thin_mode() will never change for the
+    lifetime of the process.
+
+    """
+    if thin_mode is not None:
+        return thin_mode
+    return True