Passing PL/SQL varchar2 variable to XML Query

Question

Hi guys,
i'm having trouble passing a pl/sql varchar2 variable to an XMLQuery.
This is the relevant part of my code:
DECLARE
   lo_result   XMLTYPE;         --contains the XML which is being parsed below
   lo_return   XMLTYPE;             -- for the XML result returned by XMLQuery
   lo_start    VARCHAR2 (100) DEFAULT 'Toronto'; -- a PL/SQL varchar2 variable
   lo_end      VARCHAR2 (100) DEFAULT 'Ottawa';  -- a PL/SQL varchar2 variable
BEGIN
   SELECT XMLQUERY (
             'for $i in //leg[start_address[text()[contains(.,$lo_start)]] and end_address[text()[contains(.,$lo_end)]]]/distance/value/text() return ($i)'
             PASSING lo_result, lo_start AS "lo_start", lo_end AS "lo_end"
             RETURNING CONTENT)
     INTO lo_return
     FROM DUAL;
END;The XPath expression is correct but it doesn't seem to accept my variables since lo_return is empty.
I think the variables should be of type Xmltype but the compiler won't let me convert them because they do not contain any XML tags .
Hope anyone can help.
Thanks,
Martina

Answer 1

may be i missed anything but
>
<start_address>Toronto, Ontario, Kanada</start_address>
<end_address>Huntsville, Alabama, Vereinigte Staaten</end_address>
>
and
>
lo_start VARCHAR2 (100) DEFAULT 'Toronto'; -- a PL/SQL varchar2 variable
lo_end VARCHAR2 (100) DEFAULT 'Ottawa'; -- a PL/SQL varchar2 variable
>
so
SQL> SELECT XMLQUERY (
  2              'for $i in //leg[start_address[text()[contains(.,$lo_start)]] and end_address[text()[contains(.,$lo_end)]]]/distance/value/text() return ($i)'
  3               PASSING
  4               xmltype('<DirectionsResponse>
  5    <status>OK</status>
  6    <route>
  7      <summary>I-75 N</summary>
  8      <leg>
  9        <duration>
10          <value>48220</value>
11          <text>13 Stunden, 24 Minuten</text>
12        </duration>
13        <distance>
14          <value>1404935</value>
15          <text>1.405 km</text>
16        </distance>
17        <start_location>
18          <lat>43.6533100</lat>
19          <lng>-79.3827700</lng>
20        </start_location>
21        <end_location>
22          <lat>34.7303300</lat>
23          <lng>-86.5860700</lng>
24        </end_location>
25        <start_address>Toronto, Ontario, Kanada</start_address>
26        <end_address>Huntsville, Alabama, Vereinigte Staaten</end_address>
27      </leg>
28    </route>
29  </DirectionsResponse>'),
30               'Toronto' AS "lo_start", 'Ottawa' AS "lo_end"
31               RETURNING CONTENT)
32       FROM DUAL;
XMLQUERY('FOR$IIN//LEG[START_A
SQL>
SQL>
SQL>
SQL> SELECT XMLQUERY (
  2              'for $i in //leg[start_address[text()[contains(.,$lo_start)]] and end_address[text()[contains(.,$lo_end)]]]/distance/value/text() return ($i)'
  3               PASSING
  4               xmltype('<DirectionsResponse>
  5    <status>OK</status>
  6    <route>
  7      <summary>I-75 N</summary>
  8      <leg>
  9        <duration>
10          <value>48220</value>
11          <text>13 Stunden, 24 Minuten</text>
12        </duration>
13        <distance>
14          <value>1404935</value>
15          <text>1.405 km</text>
16        </distance>
17        <start_location>
18          <lat>43.6533100</lat>
19          <lng>-79.3827700</lng>
20        </start_location>
21        <end_location>
22          <lat>34.7303300</lat>
23          <lng>-86.5860700</lng>
24        </end_location>
25        <start_address>Toronto, Ontario, Kanada</start_address>
26        <end_address>Huntsville, Alabama, Vereinigte Staaten</end_address>
27      </leg>
28    </route>
29  </DirectionsResponse>'),
30               'Toronto' AS "lo_start", /*'Ottawa'*/'Huntsville' AS "lo_end"
31               RETURNING CONTENT)
32       FROM DUAL;
XMLQUERY('FOR$IIN//LEG[START_A
1404935
SQL>