How to compare a collection of objects?

Question

Basically I am checking answers to security questions.
So I have an id, a question no and the answer_text stored in a table.
What I intend to do is retrieve this into a collection and compare that to the collection passed in.
If they match , I return true else I return false.
Oracle Database 11g Enterprise Edition Release 11.2.0.1.0 - Production
PL/SQL Release 11.2.0.1.0 - Production
CORE 11.2.0.1.0 Production
TNS for 32-bit Windows: Version 11.2.0.1.0 - Production
NLSRTL Version 11.2.0.1.0 - Production
referencing this thread on collections
Re: Compare Collections   - PL-00306
I based my example on TUBBY's example.
create or replace
type answer_array_obj
as
object(id number,
          question_no number,
          answer_text varchar2(100)
create or replace type answer_array as table of answer_array_obj;
DECLARE
first_list  answer_array_type := answer_array_type(answer_array_obj(1,1,'ONE'),
                                                                         answer_array_obj(1,2,'TWO'),
                                                                         answer_array_obj(1,3,'THREE')
second_list  answer_array_type := answer_array_type(answer_array_obj(1,1,'ONE'),
                                                                         answer_array_obj(1,2,'TWO'),
                                                                         answer_array_obj(1,3,'THREE')
compare_list answer_array_type := answer_array_type(NULL);
BEGIN
compare_list := first_list  MULTISET EXCEPT second_list;
IF compare_list.COUNT = 0
THEN
    compare_list := second_list MULTISET EXCEPT first_list;
END IF;
IF compare_list.COUNT = 0
THEN
    DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('EQUAL');
ELSE
   DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('THE ABSENCE OF EQUALITY');
END IF;
END;
/When I looked at the example , by user 933207, he appeared to be using two different objects.
18 BEGIN
19 load1( nt_copy1);
20 load2( nt_copy2);

Answer 1

Hi,
what is the question? I doesnt work? So you have to provide a map method
CREATE OR REPLACE TYPE  "ANSWER_ARRAY_OBJ"
as
object(id number,
          question_no number,
          answer_text varchar2(100),
          MAP MEMBER FUNCTION match RETURN VARCHAR2);
CREATE OR REPLACE TYPE BODY  "ANSWER_ARRAY_OBJ"
as
          MAP MEMBER FUNCTION match RETURN VARCHAR2 is
          begin
            return to_char(id)||to_char(question_no)||answer_text;
          end;
end;
create or replace type answer_array_type as table of answer_array_obj;
DECLARE
first_list  answer_array_type := answer_array_type(answer_array_obj(1,1,'ONE'),
                                                                         answer_array_obj(1,2,'TWO'),
                                                                         answer_array_obj(1,3,'THREE')
second_list  answer_array_type := answer_array_type(answer_array_obj(1,1,'ONE'),
                                                                         answer_array_obj(1,2,'TWO'),
                                                                         answer_array_obj(1,3,'FOUR')
compare_list answer_array_type := answer_array_type(NULL);
BEGIN
compare_list := first_list  MULTISET EXCEPT second_list;
IF compare_list.COUNT = 0
THEN
    compare_list := second_list MULTISET EXCEPT first_list;
END IF;
IF compare_list.COUNT = 0
THEN
    DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('EQUAL');
ELSE
   DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('THE ABSENCE OF EQUALITY');
END IF;
END;
THE ABSENCE OF EQUALITY
Statement processed.
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