How to write a procedure with the table name as an argument

Question

I'm very new to Oracle, usually developing in SQL server.
I would like to write a procedure that accepts a table name and then does a
SELECT * FROM [table name] order by CollectionDate.
In SQL I would build up a varchar variable and then execute it.
Thanks

Answer 1

I often wonder why so many people new to Oracle want to do this as a first step, when most people who know what they are doing try and avoid it.
SQL> create or replace function f (p_tab varchar2)
  2  return sys_refcursor as
  3    c sys_refcursor;
  4  begin
  5    open c for
  6      'select * from ' || p_tab || ' order by hiredate';
  7    return c;
  8  end;
  9  /
Function created.
SQL> var c refcursor
SQL> exec :c := f('emp')
PL/SQL procedure successfully completed.
SQL> print c
EMPNO ENAME      JOB          MGR HIREDATE      SAL   COMM DEPTNO
  7369 SMITH      CLERK       7902 12/17/1980    800            20
  7499 ALLEN      SALESMAN    7698 02/20/1981   1600    300     30
  7521 WARD       SALESMAN    7698 02/22/1981   1250    500     30
  7566 JONES      MANAGER     7839 04/02/1981   2975            20
  7698 BLAKE      MANAGER     7839 05/01/1981   2850            30
  7782 CLARK      MANAGER     7839 06/09/1981   2450            10
  7844 TURNER     SALESMAN    7698 09/08/1981   1500      0     30
  7654 MARTIN     SALESMAN    7698 09/28/1981   1250   1400     30
  7839 KING       PRESIDENT        11/17/1981   5000            10
  7900 JAMES      CLERK       7698 12/03/1981    950            30
  7902 FORD       ANALYST     7566 12/03/1981   3000            20
  7934 MILLER     CLERK       7782 01/23/1982   1300            10
  7788 SCOTT      ANALYST     7566 12/09/1982   3000            20
  7876 ADAMS      CLERK       7788 01/12/1983   1100            20
14 rows selected.
SQL>Note if you pass in a value to be used in the where clause like deptno, you should not use this technique, but use bind variables intead like this -
Wrote file afiedt.sql
  1  create or replace function f (p_tab varchar2, p_deptno number)
  2  return sys_refcursor as
  3    c sys_refcursor;
  4  begin
  5    open c for
  6      'select * from ' || p_tab
  7        || ' where deptno = :p_deptno order by hiredate'
  8        using p_deptno;
  9    return c;
10* end;
SQL> /
Function created.
SQL> exec :c := f('emp', 10)
PL/SQL procedure successfully completed.
SQL> print c
EMPNO ENAME      JOB          MGR HIREDATE      SAL   COMM DEPTNO
  7782 CLARK      MANAGER     7839 06/09/1981   2450            10
  7839 KING       PRESIDENT        11/17/1981   5000            10
  7934 MILLER     CLERK       7782 01/23/1982   1300            10
SQL>