Problem with sorting involving user defined types and reports

Question

Hello!
I have a problem with sorting involving Reports and user defined objet types.
I have created the following object types
CREATE TYPE type_balance_compte AS OBJECT
NUM_CPT_SEQ NUMBER(8)
,NUM_CPT VARCHAR2(35)
CREATE TYPE TB_type_balance_compte IS TABLE OF type_balance_compte
At the reports query I use:
SELECT ...
FROM table(cast(test_pkg.balance_comptes(:P_num_soc) as TB_type_balance_compte)) c
The procedure balance_comptes will retrieve data from various tables into the type.
The report is ordered by a certain string field that usually contains characters and numbers.
I need to have numbers always before characters, meaning the data should come in this order in the report for example:
0
1
A
B
So, before the report query, I have placed a call to DBMS_SESSION.SET_NLS( 'nls_sort', 'binary' ) to guarantee NLS_SORT in case it is originally set to FRENCH.
The problem here is that even after this call, I have the report ordered like this
A
B
0
1
And not the numbers before as it should be.
To try and find out where the problem was, I have created a table to use instead of the object type described above. In this case, it worked correctly. So all I know by now is that is has something to do with the type or cast, but what exactly? Does anybody now how to solve this without using a table?
Many thanks
Ariadne

Answer 1

I have placed a call to DBMS_SESSION.SET_NLS( 'nls_sort', 'binary' ) why not order directly then:
SQL> select *
      from table (sys.dbms_debug_vc2coll ('A', 1, '5', 'C', 'a'))
order by nlssort (column_value, 'NLS_SORT = binary')
COLUMN_VALUE                                                                   
1                                                                              
5                                                                              
A                                                                              
C                                                                              
a                                                                              
5 rows selected.?