How build a function with an array in input and another array in output

Question

Hi, I need to create a function, which receive in input a list of Group's name and retrieve the correspondent list of Group's id.
So I need to have these conditions:
1) The parameter in input has to be only one "p_user_name" (an array of values)
2) the return parameter has to be p_user_id (array of values)
3) in the WHERE condition p_user_name has to be used in order to retrieve the list of user_id I need
Following, a little example:
FUNCTION get_group_id (p_user_name IN VARCHAR2) RETURN p_user_id
IS
BEGIN
SELECT group_id FROM jtf_rs_groups_vl
WHERE group_name = p_user_name
RETURN p_user_id;
END get_group_id;
I think I have to create a new type with p_user_name, but I don't know after, how to join group_name (varchar2) with p_user_name.....
Anybody can help me to find the light ?
Thanks in advance
Alex

Answer 1

I need to create a function, which receive in input a list of Group's name and
retrieve the correspondent list of Group's idAt the beginning the argument "p_user_name IN VARCHAR2" is not what you need. You should create global type - nested table of varchar2 values where you
can keep the list of names. And you also need to create nested table of numbers
to return IDs (if you really need collection but not ref cursor !):
SQL> select empno, ename from emp;
     EMPNO ENAME
      7369 SMITH
      7499 ALLEN
      7521 WARD
      7566 JONES
      7654 MARTIN
      7698 BLAKE
      7782 CLARK
      7788 SCOTT
      7839 KING
      7844 TURNER
      7876 ADAMS
      7900 JAMES
      7902 FORD
      7934 MILLER
14 rows selected.
SQL> create type d_v is table of varchar2(10);
  2  /
Type created.
SQL> create type d_n is table of number;
  2  /
Type created.
SQL> create or replace function get_ids
  2  (names d_v) return d_n
  3  is
  4   ret_ids d_n;
  5  begin
  6   select empno
  7   bulk collect into ret_ids
  8   from emp, table(names) t
  9   where ename = t.column_value;
10   return ret_ids;
11  end;
12  /
Function created.
SQL> declare
  2   d d_n;
  3  begin
  4 
  5   d := get_ids(d_v('KING','ALLEN'));
  6 
  7   for i in 1..d.count loop
  8    dbms_output.put_line(d(i));
  9   end loop;
10 
11  end;
12  /
7839
7499
PL/SQL procedure successfully completed.Rgds.