PL/SQL Help...Long Raw to BLOB

Question

Hello All,
I have a PL/SQL Package and Function that does a search for text in a blob field. Below is the Package and the Function.
Here the statement that executes the function
Select *
           FROM PROGTXT
          WHERE pcode.str_loc_in_blob
                                    (pcode.blob_to_new_blob (progtxt),
                                     '<search string>'
                                    ) <> 0
       ORDER BY objectvalue1, objectvaluesCurrently the above mentioned sql works where the progtxt is a blob datatype.
We have a database where the progtxt is of Long Raw datatype. I want to utilize the same sql exactly but change the function where i can copy the table structure to a global temporary table each time the function is executed using the dbms_lob funtion and delete the temp table once the function is executed after the results are posted/retrieved. The reason why i want to use the same application is because it is part of a .net program and the only thing i change is the function. I am not great with PL/SQL. If anyone can help that will be a great help!!!!!
Below is the code for the package and the function
CREATE OR REPLACE PACKAGE PCODE AS
FUNCTION to_base (p_dec IN NUMBER, p_base IN NUMBER)
   RETURN VARCHAR2
FUNCTION to_dec (
   p_str         IN   VARCHAR2,
   p_from_base   IN   NUMBER DEFAULT 16
   RETURN NUMBER
FUNCTION to_hex (p_dec IN NUMBER)
   RETURN VARCHAR2
FUNCTION to_bin (p_dec IN NUMBER)
   RETURN VARCHAR2
FUNCTION to_oct (p_dec IN NUMBER)
   RETURN VARCHAR2
FUNCTION str_to_hex(p_str IN VARCHAR2)
RETURN VARCHAR2
FUNCTION str_loc_in_blob(
  l_blob IN BLOB
, l_str  IN VARCHAR2)
RETURN NUMBER
FUNCTION blob_to_new_blob(
  p_blob IN BLOB)
RETURN BLOB
END PCODE;
CREATE OR REPLACE PACKAGE BODY PCODE AS
FUNCTION to_base (p_dec IN NUMBER, p_base IN NUMBER)
   RETURN VARCHAR2
IS
   l_str   VARCHAR2 (255) DEFAULT NULL;
   l_num   NUMBER         DEFAULT p_dec;
   l_hex   VARCHAR2 (16)  DEFAULT '0123456789abcdef';
BEGIN
   IF (p_dec IS NULL OR p_base IS NULL)
   THEN
      RETURN NULL;
   END IF;
   IF (TRUNC (p_dec) <> p_dec OR p_dec < 0)
   THEN
      RAISE PROGRAM_ERROR;
   END IF;
   LOOP
      l_str := SUBSTR (l_hex, MOD (l_num, p_base) + 1, 1) || l_str;
      l_num := TRUNC (l_num / p_base);
      EXIT WHEN (l_num = 0);
   END LOOP;
   RETURN l_str;
END to_base;
FUNCTION to_dec (
   p_str         IN   VARCHAR2,
   p_from_base   IN   NUMBER DEFAULT 16
   RETURN NUMBER
IS
   l_num   NUMBER        DEFAULT 0;
   l_hex   VARCHAR2 (16) DEFAULT '0123456789abcdef';
BEGIN
   IF (p_str IS NULL OR p_from_base IS NULL)
   THEN
      RETURN NULL;
   END IF;
   FOR i IN 1 .. LENGTH (p_str)
   LOOP
      l_num :=
         l_num * p_from_base + INSTR (l_hex, UPPER (SUBSTR (p_str, i, 1)))
         - 1;
   END LOOP;
   RETURN l_num;
END to_dec;
FUNCTION to_hex (p_dec IN NUMBER)
   RETURN VARCHAR2
IS
BEGIN
   RETURN to_base (p_dec, 16);
END to_hex;
FUNCTION to_bin (p_dec IN NUMBER)
   RETURN VARCHAR2
IS
BEGIN
   RETURN to_base (p_dec, 2);
END to_bin;
FUNCTION to_oct (p_dec IN NUMBER)
   RETURN VARCHAR2
IS
BEGIN
   RETURN to_base (p_dec, 8);
END to_oct;
FUNCTION str_to_hex(p_str IN VARCHAR2)
RETURN VARCHAR2 IS
l_val VARCHAR2(2000) := NULL;
BEGIN
   FOR i IN 1 .. LENGTH (p_str)
   LOOP
      l_val := l_val || to_hex(ASCII(SUBSTR (p_str, i, 1))) || case when i = LENGTH (p_str) then null else '00' end;
   END LOOP;
   RETURN UPPER(l_val);
END str_to_hex;
FUNCTION str_loc_in_blob(
  l_blob IN BLOB
, l_str  IN VARCHAR2)
RETURN NUMBER IS
blob_len NUMBER;
l_pos number := 0;
BEGIN
blob_len := dbms_lob.getlength(l_blob);
l_pos := 0;
FOR i in 0..15 LOOP
    l_pos := dbms_lob.instr(DBMS_LOB.SUBSTR (l_blob, 2000, i*2000+1), IMPACTUS_PCODE.str_to_hex((l_str)));
    IF l_pos <> 0 THEN
       RETURN i*2000+1 + l_pos - 1;
    END IF;
END LOOP;
FOR i in 0..15 LOOP
    l_pos := dbms_lob.instr(DBMS_LOB.SUBSTR (l_blob, 2000, i*2000+1), IMPACTUS_PCODE.str_to_hex(upper(l_str)));
    IF l_pos <> 0 THEN
       RETURN i*2000+1 + l_pos - 1;
    END IF;
END LOOP;
l_pos := 0;
FOR i in 0..15 LOOP
    l_pos := dbms_lob.instr(DBMS_LOB.SUBSTR (l_blob, 2000, i*2000+1), IMPACTUS_PCODE.str_to_hex(lower(l_str)));
    IF l_pos <> 0 THEN
       RETURN i*2000+1 + l_pos - 1;
    END IF;
END LOOP;
l_pos := 0;
FOR i in 0..15 LOOP
    l_pos := dbms_lob.instr(DBMS_LOB.SUBSTR (l_blob, 2000, i*2000+1), IMPACTUS_PCODE.str_to_hex(initcap(l_str)));
    IF l_pos <> 0 THEN
       RETURN i*2000+1 + l_pos - 1;
    END IF;
END LOOP;
RETURN 0;
END str_loc_in_blob;
FUNCTION blob_to_new_blob(p_blob BLOB)
   RETURN BLOB IS
v_file_blob     BLOB;  
v_file_blob_new BLOB := NULL;
v_file_clob     CLOB;  
v_file_size     INTEGER := dbms_lob.lobmaxsize;
v_dest_offset   INTEGER := 1;
v_src_offset    INTEGER := 1;
v_blob_csid     NUMBER := dbms_lob.default_csid;
v_lang_context  NUMBER := dbms_lob.default_lang_ctx;
v_warning       INTEGER;
BEGIN
DBMS_LOB.CREATETEMPORARY(v_file_clob, TRUE);
        dbms_lob.convertToClob(
                        v_file_clob,
                        p_blob,
                        v_file_size,
                        v_dest_offset,
                        v_src_offset,
                        v_blob_csid,
                        v_lang_context,
                        v_warning);
        v_file_clob:=upper(v_file_clob);
        IF v_warning = 0 THEN
                v_file_size     := dbms_lob.lobmaxsize;
                v_dest_offset   := 1;
                v_src_offset    := 1;
                v_blob_csid     := dbms_lob.default_csid;
                v_lang_context  := dbms_lob.default_lang_ctx;
                v_warning       := null;
                DBMS_LOB.CREATETEMPORARY(v_file_blob_new,true);
                dbms_lob.convertToBlob(
                        v_file_blob_new,
                        v_file_clob,
                        v_file_size,
                        v_dest_offset,
                        v_src_offset,
                        v_blob_csid,
                        v_lang_context,
                        v_warning);
                IF v_warning = 0 THEN
                   RETURN v_file_blob_new;
                END IF;  
        END IF;
END;
END PCODE;
/Thanks
Nitin
Edited by: user13048604 on Jan 12, 2011 10:18 PM

Answer 1

First you may need to convert 'BLOB' which is of 'RAW' type to 'VARCHAR2'
using
utl_raw.cast_to_varchar2(urblob)Then you can make use of dbms_lob.instr,dbms_lob.substr etc...