Like operator in plsql

Question

Hi All,
Below code should be returning 2 values. but i get only one. when i just execute the sql query alone i am getting 2 values. but when i execute the funciton i get only one vlaue. can you please advise?
i have given sample table data and results for your reference
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION OGRDSTEST.f_get_ref_id_by_val(lv_ref_val IN VARCHAR2,lv_ref_typ IN VARCHAR2)
       RETURN NUMBER
IS
ln_ref_id NUMBER;
CURSOR ref_cur
IS
SELECT ref_id
FROM   ref_t r,ref_typ_t rt
WHERE  r.ref_typ_id = rt.ref_typ_id
AND    r.ref_val       LIKE '%'||UPPER(lv_ref_val)||'%'
AND    rt.ref_typ_name LIKE '%'||UPPER(lv_ref_typ)||'%';
BEGIN
OPEN  ref_cur;
FETCH ref_cur INTO ln_ref_id;
CLOSE ref_cur;
RETURN ln_ref_id;
END f_get_ref_id_by_val;
REF_T
ref_id   ref_typ_id    ref_val
1           2           module
2           2           global module
REF_TYP_T
ref_typ_id        ref_typ_name
2                 characteristic type
SELECT ref_id
FROM   ref_t r,ref_typ_t rt
WHERE  r.ref_typ_id = rt.ref_typ_id
AND    r.ref_val       LIKE '%'||UPPER('module')||'%'
AND    rt.ref_typ_name LIKE '%'||UPPER('characteristic type')||'%';
output:
1
2
SELECT ogrdstest.f_get_ref_id_by_val('module','characteristic type') FROM DUAL
output:
1

Answer 1

One small correction. By viewing your data, Your query should return no rows!, because in the tables "modules" are in lower case whereas you are comparing it with UPPER.
SQL> SELECT * FROM REF_TYP_T;
REF_TYP_ID REF_TYP_NAME
         2 characteristic type
SQL> select *from ref_t;
    REF_ID REF_TYP_ID REF_VAL
         1          2 module
         2          2 global module
SQL> SELECT ref_id
  2   FROM   ref_t r,ref_typ_t rt
  3   WHERE  r.ref_typ_id = rt.ref_typ_id
  4   AND    r.ref_val       LIKE '%'||UPPER('module')||'%'
  5   AND    rt.ref_typ_name LIKE '%'||UPPER('characteristic type')||'%';
no rows selected
SQL> ed
Wrote file afiedt.buf
  1  SELECT ref_id
  2   FROM   ref_t r,ref_typ_t rt
  3   WHERE  r.ref_typ_id = rt.ref_typ_id
  4   AND    UPPER(r.ref_val)       LIKE '%'||UPPER('module')||'%'
  5*  AND    UPPER(rt.ref_typ_name) LIKE '%'||UPPER('characteristic type')||'%'
SQL> /
    REF_ID
         1
         2Also, If you want to use it in SQL statement, you can use PIPELINED function as
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION f_get_ref_id_by_val(lv_ref_val IN VARCHAR2,
                                               lv_ref_typ IN VARCHAR2)
  RETURN sys.odciNumberList
  pipelined IS
  ln_ref_id NUMBER;
  CURSOR ref_cur IS
    SELECT ref_id
      FROM ref_t r, ref_typ_t rt
     WHERE r.ref_typ_id = rt.ref_typ_id
       AND UPPER(r.ref_val) LIKE '%' || UPPER(lv_ref_val) || '%'
       AND UPPER(rt.ref_typ_name) LIKE '%' || UPPER(lv_ref_typ) || '%';
BEGIN
  OPEN ref_cur;
  LOOP
    EXIT WHEN ref_cur%NOTFOUND;
    FETCH ref_cur
      INTO ln_ref_id;
    PIPE ROW(ln_ref_id);
  END LOOP;
  CLOSE ref_cur;
  RETURN;
END f_get_ref_id_by_val;