External tables exists since Oracle version 9i, enable to view a file as if it were data in a database.
To simplyfy the Extract, Transform, and Load (ETL) processes oracle had added a parameter PREPROCCESS to sqlloader for extrations by external tables.
The PREPROCESSING parameter is introduced in Oracle version 11Gr2 which allow ETL processes handle any type of file without additional out-of-line action. (For example execute a shell script, unzip).