Oracle Database Discussions

We are on 9iR2.

So far, we have been using the utl_file_dir parameter to nominate the directories we can access using utl_file on the host machine, but with the new create directory object format, can we use both of them together ?

What I mean is that can the existing programs keep using the directories set in utl_file_dir parameter but the new ones can create their own directory objects.
Or its a either/or situation ?

I would like to use external table and I believe for that we must use the directory object, is that right ?

thanks in advance