Issue Tracker App - Error Message

Question

Hello, all,
I'm trying to learn, basically by following the steps to produce the Issue Tracker application from the Tutorials section in Apex 3.1. The application was written for Apex 2.x and at one point wants me to put the following query into a report:
DECLARE
q VARCHAR2(32767); -- query
w VARCHAR2(4000) ; -- where clause
we VARCHAR2(1) := 'N'; -- identifies if where clause exists
BEGIN
q := 'SELECT "ISSUE_ID", '||
' "ISSUE_SUMMARY", '||
' "IDENTIFIED_BY", '||
' "RELATED_PROJECT", '||
' "ASSIGNED_TO", '||
' "STATUS", '||
' "PRIORITY", '||
' "TARGET_RESOLUTION_DATE", '||
' "ACTUAL_RESOLUTION_DATE" '||
' FROM "#OWNER#"."HT_ISSUES" ';
IF :P6_IDENTIFIED_BY != '-1'
THEN
w := ' IDENTIFIED_BY = :P6_IDENTIFIED_BY ';
we := 'Y';
END IF;
IF :P6_RELATED_PROJECT != '-1'
THEN
IF we = 'Y'
THEN
w := w || ' AND RELATED_PROJECT = :P6_RELATED_PROJECT ';
ELSE
w := ' RELATED_PROJECT = :P6_RELATED_PROJECT ';
we := 'Y';
END IF;
END IF;
IF :P6_ASSIGNED_TO != '-1'
THEN
IF we = 'Y'
THEN
w := w || ' AND ASSIGNED_TO = :P6_ASSIGNED_TO ';
ELSE
w := ' ASSIGNED_TO = :P6_ASSIGNED_TO ';
we := 'Y';
END IF;
END IF;
IF :P6_STATUS != '-1'
THEN
IF we = 'Y'
THEN
w := w || ' AND STATUS = :P6_STATUS ';
ELSE
w := ' STATUS = :P6_STATUS ';
we := 'Y';
END IF;
END IF;
IF :P6_PRIORITY != '-1'
THEN
IF we = 'Y'
THEN
w := w || ' AND PRIORITY = :P6_PRIORITY ';
ELSE
w := ' PRIORITY = :P6_PRIORITY ';
we := 'Y';
END IF;
END IF;
IF we = 'Y'
THEN q := q || ' WHERE '|| w;
END IF;
RETURN q;
END;
When I do, I get the error "PLS-00372: In a procedure, RETURN statement cannot contain an expression." I googled the error and got the simple advice to turn the query into a function. Simple to many, yes, but not to me. Also, 3.1 does not allow the selection "SQL function returning a query" or some such, only an anonymous PL/SQL block.
Any help (at a very elementary level, please), please?
Thanks!

Answer 1

Hello,
the problem with your code is that it is designed as an PL/SQL body returning an SQL query not as an anonymous PL/SQL block.
Which version of ApEx are you using? I have taken a look into version 3.1 and there is the possibility to select 'SQL Query (n PL/SQL body returning an SQL query)'.
Regards, Tine.