Order query depending on column names passed at runtime

Question

Hi
Can any one suggest how to order by at run time depending on column name passed as parameter.
create or replace procedure dummy_proc( p_orderby varchar2,p_refcursor out sys_refcursor)
is
begin
     open p_refcursor for select * from
     emp where Status='A'
          order by (select p_orderby from dual);
end;
--execution part for testing
declare
     v_outcursor sys_refcursor;
     v_rec_data emp%rowtype;
     v_cnt number;
begin
     dummy_proc ('ename,sal',v_outcursor);
     begin
          loop
               fetch v_outcursor into v_rec_data;
               v_cnt:=v_outcursor%rowcount;
               exit when v_outcursor%notfound;
               dbms_output.put_line('empno '|| to_char(v_rec_data.empno));
               dbms_output.put_line('empno '|| v_rec_data.ename);
          end loop;
     end;
     dbms_output.put_line('Count is'|| to_char(v_cnt));
end;
we do not want to something like below as my actual query is very big with union statements and case expressions, (below is just an similar example)
how i tried to order by but its not working.
v_sql='select * from emp where empno= '|| p_empno || ' order by '|| p_orderby;
open p_refcursor for v_sql;
Thanks in advance
Vishal

Answer 1

we do not want to something like below as my actual
query is very big with union statements and case
expressions, (below is just an similar example)
how i tried to order by but its not working.
v_sql='select * from emp where empno= '|| p_empno ||
' order by '|| p_orderby;
open p_refcursor for v_sql;I agree, you really don't want to do that, you want to use BIND VARIABLES.
v_sql := ' select * from emp where empno = :bound_empno order by :bound_orderby';
open p_refcursor for v_sql using p_empno, p_orderby;
[pre]
The size of the statement shouldn't come in to play, if the only dynamic portion of it is the order by clause then declare a constant which is the large query (you can use a LONG datatype) and then concatenate in the order by clause before you return the reference cursor.
Unless you can give a legitimate reason for why you cannot use Dynamic SQL (not why you do not want to use it) this would be my approach.
And please, if you don't know what a bind variable is...read about them, or your system will suffer.