How do we call a function returning a collection from package

Question

Dear Member,
i have a package spec whose code is as follows:
create or replace package c_test as
procedure main;
TYPE JOURNAL_HEADER_TYPE IS TABLE OF NUMBER;
l_header JOURNAL_HEADER_TYPE := JOURNAL_HEADER_TYPE();
TYPE JOURNAL_SOURCE_TYPE IS TABLE OF VARCHAR2(255);
l_source  JOURNAL_SOURCE_TYPE := JOURNAL_SOURCE_TYPE();
FUNCTION JOURNAL_SOURCE_STRING(P_SOURCE_STRING IN VARCHAR2)
RETURN JOURNAL_SOURCE_TYPE;
FUNCTION JOURNAL_HEADER_STRING(P_HEADER_STRING IN VARCHAR2)
RETURN JOURNAL_HEADER_TYPE;
end main;
I have a package body in which i am trying to call the above functions in the procedure main:
SELECT COUNT(*)
INTO l_je_header_id_count
FROM ( select c_charge.je_header_id je_header_id
from dual)
WHERE je_header_id IN (select * from THE ( SELECT CAST(JOURNAL_HEADER_STRING(P_JOURNAL_HEADER_ID) AS JOURNAL_HEADER_TYPE ) FROM dual ))
if i try to compile the package its giving me ORA-00902: invalid datatype error. How do i remove this error.
If i create both "Type" and "Function" separately outside package then the above sql works perfectly.
Please correct me if am doing any thing wrong here.
Thanks

Answer 1

Hi,
The collection type that you declared local to the pl/sql procedure/ package and is not visible to SQL.
If you want to use the collection in your sql, you need to create it as a SQL Type and then use it in your queries.
Thanks.
Rajesh.