Oracle Locator Vs Oracle Spatial

To get a quick idea of what difference between oracle locator and spatial are, i put them down here.

Features included in Oracle Locator:

* Exactly the same code base as Oracle Spatial for included functions - you won't get a performance degrade by using Oracle Locator, and features behave in the same manner in Oracle Locator and Oracle Spatial;
* Full support to store spatial data types;
* Standard SQL query access to spatial data;
* All indexing types are available - including R-Tree and partition support;
* No limits on the size and complexity of data stored;
* Most of the common spatial operations, such as "find all customers in this region" and "what shops are within 100 metres of this school", are available;
* Data compatibility between Oracle Spatial and Locator, so if you do decide to upgrade, all your data remains valid; and
* Support for multiple coordinate systems.

Oracle Spatial provides the following functions which are not included in Oracle Locator:

* Linear referenced features e.g. roads which store the distance along the road;
* Network models, such as road networks, allowing rapid calculation of shortest paths;
* Topological relationships can be stored, such as this property boundary touches this neighbouring boundary. Generally used by data producers wishing to edit high integrity spatial data;
* Storage of images such as satellite and aerial photography;
* A geocoder that translates address data to coordinate; and
* Some more complex spatial functions, mainly for analysis and data aggregation.

Find the original article here.

There a list of relevant readings from where you can go further.

Oracle Spatial - Wikipedia
Oracle Spatial Documents - Documentation
Oracle Locator and Spatial Option - Datasheet
Oracle Locator and Spatial FAQ - FAQ
Oracle XE , Locator & Geospatial Information Systems - Interview