SQL & PL/SQL

Good Morning:
Online I learned a way to be able to query my oracle directory by utilizing the following:

CREATE OR REPLACE AND COMPILE JAVA SOURCE NAMED "FileListHandler" AS
import java.lang.*;
import java.util.*;
import java.io.*;

public class FileListHandler
{
  public static String list (String path) {
    String list = "";
    File myFile = new File (path);
    String[] arrayList = myFile.list();
    
    Arrays.sort(arrayList, String.CASE_INSENSITIVE_ORDER);
    
    for (int i=0; i < arrayList.length; i++) {
      // Prevent directory listing expanding if we will blow VARCHAR2 limit.
      if ((list.length() + arrayList[i].length() + 1) > 32767)
        break;
        
      if (!list.equals(""))
        list += "," + arrayList[i];
      else
        list += arrayList[i];
    }
    return list;
  }
};
/

show errors java source "FileListHandler"
CREATE OR REPLACE PACKAGE file_list_api AS

FUNCTION list (p_path  IN  VARCHAR2) RETURN VARCHAR2
AS LANGUAGE JAVA 
NAME 'FileListHandler.list (java.lang.String) return java.lang.String';

END file_list_api;
/
SHOW ERRORS
CREATE OR REPLACE TYPE t_varchar2_arr AS TABLE OF VARCHAR2(500);
/

CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION get_files (p_dir IN VARCHAR2)
  RETURN t_varchar2_arr PIPELINED
AS
  l_array  APEX_APPLICATION_GLOBAL.vc_arr2;
  l_string VARCHAR2(32767);
BEGIN
  l_array:= APEX_STRING.string_to_table(FILE_LIST_API.list(p_dir), ',');

  FOR i in 1..l_array.count LOOP
    PIPE ROW(l_array(i));
  END LOOP;
  RETURN;
END;
/

However, there is a limitation on the amount of files it reads just based upon the varchar2 limitation. Is there anyway to adjust the above code so that it reads the entire directory?
I did read online that this methodology of reading a directory is somewhat outdated, and that external tables should be utilized. I tried following examples but I could not get it to work.
Any help would be greatly appreciated and thanks!
Aqua