How to use PL/SQL type table in SQL FROM clause

Question

Hi All,
I have to use a PL/SQL type table in our SQL statement as a table?
I am using the syntax (below) but it gives PL/SQL: ORA-00902: invalid datatype
SELECT ... FROM TABLE(CAST( var_pl/sql_table AS pl/sql_table)) tab WHERE tab.a=1;
Plz reply with an example.
Thanks.. Ratan

Answer 1

You don't need a cast!!!
     select *
     from table ( <nested_table> )
     where <condition>Anyway, are you sure that tab.a is a number?
Here follows an example with an useful function
CREATE OR REPLACE
type string_table  as table of varchar2(4000)
CREATE OR REPLACE
FUNCTION split_string (
     string IN varchar2,
     delimiter IN varchar2
) RETURN  string_table IS
     tab string_table;
     pre integer;
     post integer;
     step integer;
     i integer;
BEGIN
     pre := 1;
     step := length(delimiter);
     i := 0;
     tab := string_table();
     loop
          tab.extend;
          i := i + 1;
          post := instr(string,delimiter,pre);
          if ( post = 0 ) then
               tab(i) := substr(string,pre);
               return tab;
          end if;
          tab(i) := substr(string,pre,post-pre);
          pre := post + step;
     end loop;
END;
select * from table (split_string('abc,dfg,hij',','))
Query finished, retrieving results...
                                  COLUMN_VALUE                                  
abc                                                                             
dfg                                                                             
hij