Procedure varchar2 parameter size limit? ORA-6502 Numeric or value error

Question

Hi ALL,
I am trying to create out parameters in a Procedure. This procedure will be called by 4 other Procedures.
PROCEDURE create_serv_conf_attn_cc_email
( v_pdf_or_text varchar2,
v_trip_number number ,
v_display_attn_for_allmodes out varchar2,
v_display_cc_for_allmodes out varchar2,
v_multi_email_addresses out varchar2,
v_multi_copy_email_addresses out varchar2
When I call that procedure in another Procedure I am getting following error, which is caused by one of the out parameter being more than 255 characters.
I found that out via dbms_output.put_line(ing) one of the out parameter as I increased its size.
ORA-06502: PL/SQL: numeric or value error
I thought there was no size limit on any parameters passed to a Procedure.
Any one know of this limit of 255 characters on varchar2 Procedure parameters? Is there a work around keeping the same logic?
If not I will have to take those parameters out and resort to some global varchar2s which I do not like.
Thanks,
Suresh Bhat

Answer 1

I assume one of the variables you have declared is not large enough for it's assignment.
Here's an example.
ME_XE?create or replace procedure test_size(plarge in out varchar2 )
  2  is
  3  begin
  4     plarge := rpad('a', 32000, 'a');
  5  end;
  6  /
SP2-0804: Procedure created with compilation warnings
Elapsed: 00:00:00.03
ME_XE?
ME_XE?declare
  2     my_var   varchar2(32767);
  3  begin
  4     test_size(my_var);
  5     dbms_output.put_line(length(my_var));
  6  end;
  7  /
32000
PL/SQL procedure successfully completed.
--NOTE here how the declared variable is 500 characters, but the procedure will try to assign it over 32,000 characters...no dice
Elapsed: 00:00:00.00
ME_XE?
ME_XE?declare
  2     my_var   varchar2(500);
  3  begin
  4     test_size(my_var);
  5     dbms_output.put_line(length(my_var));
  6  end;
  7  /
declare
ERROR at line 1:
ORA-06502: PL/SQL: numeric or value error: character string buffer too small
ORA-06512: at "TUBBY.TEST_SIZE", line 4
ORA-06512: at line 4
Elapsed: 00:00:00.04Edited by: Tubby on Oct 22, 2008 12:47 PM