Derive found flag in SQL with where clause using TABLE(CAST function

Question

Dear All,
Stored procedure listEmployees
==========================
CREATE OR REPLACE TYPE STRING_ARRAY AS VARRAY(8000) OF VARCHAR2(15);
empIdList STRING_ARRAY
countriesList STRING_ARRAY
SELECT EMP_ID, EMP_COUNTRY, EMP_NAME, FOUND_FLAG_
FROM EMPLOYEE WHERE
EMP_ID IN
(SELECT * FROM TABLE(CAST(empIdList AS STRING_ARRAY))
AND EMP_COUNTRY IN
(SELECT * FROM TABLE(CAST(countriesList AS STRING_ARRAY))
=================
I have a stored procedure which lists the employees using above simple query.
Here I am using table CAST function to find the list of employees in one go
instead of looping through each and every employee
Everything fine until requirements forced me to get the FOUND_FLAG as well.
Now I wanted derive the FOUND_FLAG by using rownum, rowid, decode functions
but I was not successful
Can you please suggest if there is any intelligent way to say weather the
row is found for given parameters in the where clause?
If not I may have to loop through each set of empIdList, countriesList
and find the values individually just to set a flag. In this approach I can’t use
the TABLE CAST function which is efficient I suppose.
Note that query STRING_ARRAY is an VARRAY. It is very big in size and this procedure
suppose to handle large sets of data.
Thanks In advance
Regards
Charan
Edited by: kmcharan on 03-Dec-2009 09:55
Edited by: kmcharan on 03-Dec-2009 09:55

Answer 1

If your query returns results, you have found them... so your "FOUND" flag might be a constant,...