Getting result of dynamic select statement into variable

Question

I have a function that builds a dynamic sql statement. I then want to take the result of that statement and insert it into a variable. I have tried this
execute immediate strSQL USING OUT intCounter;but that is giving me an error on that line of code. The SQL is a select count(*) and works fine. It is just how to get it into the variable that is tripping me up.
Thanks,
Eva

Answer 1

Sure. Version 11g. The complete procedure reads as follows:
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION VALIDATIONQUESTIONRESULT
    p_ShortName VARCHAR2,
    p_SiteID    VARCHAR2
RETURN NUMBER IS
    strSQL VARCHAR2(5000);
    strTableName VARCHAR2(200);
    strPatIDFieldName VARCHAR2(200);
    intCounter NUMBER;
BEGIN
    select VALIDATIONSQL into strSQL from vwvalidationquestions where upper(shortname) = upper(p_ShortName);
    select
            case UPPER(DBTABLENAME)
                when 'CPTICODES' then 'CPTIPATID'
                when 'CPTIICODES' then 'CPTIIPATID'
                when 'DEMOGRAPHICS' then 'PATID'
                when 'FAMILYHISTORY' then 'FHPATID'
                when 'GCODES' then 'GCODEPATID'
                when 'HOSPITALIZATION' then 'HPATID'
                when 'MEDICALHISTORY' then 'MHPATID'
                when 'MEDICATIONS' then 'MPATID'
                when 'PROCEDURES' then 'PPATID'
                when 'VISITS' then 'VPATID' end into strPatIDFieldName
    from DATASPECIFICATIONS where UPPER(SHORTNAME) = UPPER(p_ShortName);
    strSQL := strSQL||' and '||strPatIDFieldName||' in (select PATID from DEMOGRAPHICS where PARTICID = '||p_SiteID||');';
    execute immediate strSQL into intCounter;
    return intCounter;
END VALIDATIONQUESTIONRESULT; strSQL when checked builds perfectly. I get 100% what I expect from it. An example of what I am getting from strSQL is:
select count(*) from Procedures where TO_CHAR(ProcdDt, 'MM') = TO_CHAR(ADD_MONTHS(SYSDATE, -1), 'MM') and TO_CHAR(ProcdDt, 'YYYY') = TO_CHAR(ADD_MONTHS(SYSDATE, -12), 'YYYY') and PPATID in (select PATID from DEMOGRAPHICS where PARTICID = 12);I am getting the number I would expect from this. I just need to put that number into intCounter. I tried altering strSQL so it looked like this:
select count(*) into intCounter from Procedures where TO_CHAR(ProcdDt, 'MM') = TO_CHAR(ADD_MONTHS(SYSDATE, -1), 'MM') and TO_CHAR(ProcdDt, 'YYYY') = TO_CHAR(ADD_MONTHS(SYSDATE, -12), 'YYYY') and PPATID in (select PATID from DEMOGRAPHICS where PARTICID = 12);but that gave me an error on the execute immediate line as well.
Sorry, I thought it would be simple so that was why I only put that bit of info. I guess it is more complicated than it at first appeared!
Eva