Help with a store function that takes string array

Question

Hi All,
I have a function that takes in two string arrays, status_array, and gender_array. You can see the partial code below. Somehow if the value for the string array is null, the code doesn't execute properly. It should return all employees, but instead it returns nothing. Any thoughts? THANKS.
for iii in 1 .. status_array.count loop
v_a_list := v_a_list || '''' || status_array(iii) || ''',';
end loop;
v_a_list := substr(v_a_list, 1, length(trim(v_a_list)) - 1);
for iii in 1 .. gender_array.count loop
v_b_list := v_b_list || '''' || gender_array(iii) || ''',';
end loop;
v_b_list := substr(v_b_list, 1, length(trim(v_b_list)) - 1);
IF v_a_list IS NOT NULL and v_b_list IS NOT NULL THEN
v_sql_stmt := 'select distinct full_name from t_employee where status in (' || v_a_list || ') and gender in (' || v_b_list || ')';
ELSIF v_a_list IS NOT NULL and v_b_list IS NULL THEN
v_sql_stmt := 'select distinct full_name from t_employee where status in (' || v_a_list || ') ';
ELSIF v_a_list IS NULL and v_b_list is not null THEN
v_sql_stmt := 'select distinct full_name from t_employee where gender in (' || v_b_list || ')';
ELSE
v_sql_stmt := 'select distinct full_name from t_employee';
END IF;
OPEN v_fullname_list FOR v_sql_stmt;
RETURN v_fullname_list;

Answer 1

I'd first recommend trying to avoid the dynamic sql.
use an approach like
[http://asktom.oracle.com/pls/asktom/f?p=100:11:0::::P11_QUESTION_ID:210612357425] or
[http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1625649/oracle-parameters-with-in-statement/1655743#1655743] or [http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1715978/how-to-use-an-oracle-associative-array-in-a-sql-query]
but if that isn't in scope, do a
dbms_output.putline(v_a_list) ;
dbms_output.putline(v_b_list) ;
dbms_output.putline(v_sql_stmt) ;around and see what it emits