Hierarchical data retrival without Connect by

Question

I am using Oracle 8i and writing a cursor as follows:
CURSOR c_linked_events (c_task_event_id EVENTS.event_id%TYPE) IS
SELECT link_from_event_id prior_event_id
FROM event_links
START WITH link_to_event_id = c_task_event_id
CONNECT BY PRIOR link_from_event_id = link_to_event_id
but it is giving error ORA-1436 Connect By loop in user data
due to cycles in the data (and hence i can not use nocycles in this)
Now is there any other alternative by which I can write the same cursor without using START WITH and CONNECT BY
Or, what other sql statment I can write to retrive the data in hierarchical way without using CONNECT BY
Pls, let me know if any one knows atleast about algorithm to be used.
thanks,
aks
Message was edited by:
aksbagga

Answer 1

the link is very good but unfortunately it does not have the information which i was looking for.
Although i found alternative solution.It works from the specified root and does not create errors while child is parent of its own like cycling the loop.
table: test1
START_COL     END_COL
1     2
1     3
1     4
2     5
2     6
1     7
5     10
100     1
1     1
100     20
100     2
200     100
code:
declare
type all_rows is table of varchar2(10) index by binary_integer;
v_all_rows all_rows;
v_all_rows1 all_rows;
v_val all_rows;
calc_val all_rows;
function get_rows(c_val integer) return all_rows
is
cursor all_vals
is
select end_col from test1
where start_col = c_val;
begin
               if v_val.exists(c_val) then
               for c_val in v_val.first..v_val.last loop
                         -- dbms_output.put_line('Already Present');
                         goto last_return;
               end loop;
               end if;
               v_val(c_val):=c_val;
<<j_loop>>
for r_vals in all_vals loop
dbms_output.put_line(calc_val(1)||'VALUE: '|| r_vals.end_col);
v_all_rows:= get_rows(r_vals.end_col);
end loop;
<<last_return>>     
     return v_all_rows;
end;
begin
calc_val(1):=0;
v_all_rows1 := get_rows(200);
end;