How to make a dynamic function call from within a package procedure

Question

Hi:
I need to call a function dynamically (name and parameters determined at run time, but return value is known:always an integer). I can build the call and place it in a dynamic sql using dbms_sql. But the function is inside a package and is not public.
So, if I issue:
dbms_sql.parse( cur,'SELECT '||call||' FROM dual', dbms_sql.v7 )
where call is "DOS(234,'V')"
I get:
ORA-00904: "DOS": invalid identifier
If I make the function ("DOS") public and "call" equals "pack.DOS(234,'V')", it works fine, but I don't want to make it public.
Is there a solution?
Thanks in advance
RuBeck

Answer 1

Hi, Kamal:
Calling from outside of the owner package is not possible if it is not public.The calls are from inside the package. It looks like the dynamic select is executed "outside" the package, so the private function is unknown
Make it available in the package headerLooks like it's the only solution
How often this will be executed?This is a library for loading files into tables and executing dynamic validation procedures.
Here's an example of the mechanics:
create or replace package mypack as
     function one return number ; -- public function
     procedure execute_it( p_name VARCHAR2 ) ;
end ;
create or replace package body mypack as
function one return number is
begin
return 1 ;
end ;
function two( i number, s varchar2 ) return number is -- private function
begin
return 2 ;
end ;
procedure execute_it( p_name VARCHAR2 ) is
select_str VARCHAR2( 1000 ) ;
v_num NUMBER ;
cur NUMBER ;
nf NUMBER ;
begin
select_str := 'SELECT '||p_name||' FROM dual' ;
cur := dbms_sql.open_cursor ;
dbms_sql.parse( cur,select_str,dbms_sql.v7 ) ;
dbms_sql.define_column( cur,1, v_num ) ;
nf := dbms_sql.execute( cur ) ;
IF dbms_sql.fetch_rows( cur ) = 0 THEN
RAISE no_data_found ;
END IF ;
dbms_sql.column_value( cur, 1, v_numero ) ;
dbms_output.put_line( p_name||' returns '||v_num ) ;
dbms_sql.close_cursor( cur ) ;
end ;
end ;
begin
mypack.execute_it( 'mypack.one' ) ; -- Call public function: Works fine
mypack.execute_it( 'two(234,''v'')' ) ; -- Call private function: error 0904
end ;
Thanks for your hints
RuBeck
PS: The indentation is lost when I post the message! I wrote it indented!