How to get rowtype of a ref cursor?

Question

Hello again,
I need your help once more.
I have a function in a package which returns a SYS_REFCURSOR. Now I am trying to open that cursor from the application (currently sql_developer) to show the data. For starting I have a simple query in the statement: select * from emp;
Later it will be a complex query which returns results of multiple joined tables.
I have the following package:
>
CREATE OR REPLACE
PACKAGE P_TEST_ASP AS
FUNCTION test_asp_1 (dti_id in NUMBER)
RETURN SYS_REFCURSOR;
END P_TEST_ASP;
>
And here comes the package body:
>
CREATE OR REPLACE
PACKAGE BODY P_TEST_ASP AS
FUNCTION test_asp_1 (dti_id in NUMBER)
RETURN SYS_REFCURSOR AS
resultCursor SYS_REFCURSOR;
BEGIN
OPEN resultCursor FOR select * from emp;
RETURN resultCursor;
END test_asp_1;
END P_TEST_ASP;
>
Now my Problem is that I do not know how to get the cursor's rowtype to assign it to the collection:
I Managed to access the cursor when I set the rowtype of my collection res to emp%rowtype.
>
set serveroutput on
DECLARE
type        testtype is TABLE OF emp%rowtype;
myCursor SYS_REFCURSOR;
res testtype;
BEGIN
-- Get ref cursor from function
myCursor := p_test_asp.test_asp_1(9);
FETCH myCursor BULK COLLECT into res;
dbms_output.put_line('Value from cursor:' );
CLOSE myCursor;
END;
>
But that will not work with the final statement.
I would like to set the rowtype to myCursor%rowtype -> But I don't know how to do it:
>
set serveroutput on
DECLARE
type        testtype is TABLE OF myCursor%rowtype;
myCursor SYS_REFCURSOR;
res testtype;
BEGIN
-- Get ref cursor from function
myCursor := p_test_asp.test_asp_1(9);
FETCH myCursor BULK COLLECT into res;
dbms_output.put_line('Value from cursor:' );
CLOSE myCursor;
END;
>
this statement throws the following errors:
Fehlerbericht:
ORA-06550: line 2, column 36:
PLS-00320: the declaration of the type of this expression is incomplete or malformed
ORA-06550: line 2, column 3:
PL/SQL: Item ignored
ORA-06550: line 11, column 36:
PLS-00597: expression 'RES' in the INTO list is of wrong type
ORA-06550: line 11, column 3:
PL/SQL: SQL Statement ignored
06550. 00000 - "line %s, column %s:\n%s"
*Cause:    Usually a PL/SQL compilation error.
Edited by: Andreas S. on 13.12.2011 04:56

Answer 1

Why do you want to use a collection? I dont see any need for that.
Lets say your client is SQL Plus. SQL Plus provides a API called PRINT that prints the cursor. You can use that.
SQL> var rc refcursor
SQL>
SQL> exec open :rc for select level from dual connect by level <= 10;
PL/SQL procedure successfully completed.
SQL> print rc
     LEVEL
         1
         2
         3
         4
         5
         6
         7
         8
         9
        10
10 rows selected.
SQL>Like wise whatever is your client use the correct API that offers to handle cursors.