PLSQL web service returning multiple records

Question

Hello,
I am trying to create a web service using oracle 11g which should be able to return multiple records.
Based on hints and code samples found on the internet here is my code :
CREATE OR REPLACE TYPE test_rec is OBJECT (
    s_nume_adre                    NUMBER ,
    c_eta_civi                     VARCHAR2(4 BYTE),
    l_nom1_comp                    VARCHAR2(40 BYTE),
    l_nom2_comp                    VARCHAR2(40 BYTE),
    l_nom3_comp                    VARCHAR2(40 BYTE),
    l_pren_comp                    VARCHAR2(30 BYTE),
    d_date_nais                    DATE);
CREATE OR REPLACE TYPE test_array AS TABLE OF test_rec;
CREATE OR REPLACE PACKAGE test_pkg AS
  function get_rows(snume_adre in number) return test_array;
END;
CREATE OR REPLACE PACKAGE BODY test_pkg AS
  function get_rows(snume_adre in number) return test_array is
    v_rtn   test_array := test_array(null);
    v_first boolean := true;
    cursor c_get_rows(snume_adre in number) is
      SELECT a.s_nume_adre,
             nvl(a.c_eta_civi, '') c_eta_civi,
             nvl(a.l_nom1_comp, '') l_nom1_comp,
             nvl(a.l_nom2_comp, '') l_nom2_comp,
             nvl(a.l_nom3_comp, '') l_nom3_comp,
             nvl(a.l_pren_comp, '') l_pren_comp,
             nvl(a.d_date_nais, to_date('01.01.1900', 'dd.mm.yyyy')) d_date_nais
    FROM bro.z45 a
  where a.s_nume_adre = snume_adre or snume_adre is null;
  begin
    for rec in c_get_rows(snume_adre) loop
      if v_first then
        v_first := false;
      else
        v_rtn.extend;
      end if;
    v_rtn(v_rtn.last) := test_rec(rec.s_nume_adre, rec.c_eta_civi, rec.l_nom1_comp, rec.l_nom2_comp,
                                rec.l_nom3_comp, rec.l_pren_comp, rec.d_date_nais);
    end loop;  
    return v_rtn;
  end;
END;
--select * from table (test_pkg.get_rows(null));
I am able to retrieve the data using the select.
However when I try to access its wsdl I get an error :
<soap:Envelope>
   <soap:Body>
      <soap:Fault>
         <faultcode>soap:Client</faultcode>
         <faultstring>Error processing input</faultstring>
         <detail>
            <OracleErrors></OracleErrors>
         </detail>
      </soap:Fault>
   </soap:Body>
</soap:Envelope>
If I comment the function call in the package declaration I get a "correct" wsdl :
<definitions name="GET_ROWS" targetNamespace="http://xmlns.oracle.com/orawsv/TEST/TEST_PKG/GET_ROWS" xmlns="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/wsdl/" xmlns:tns="http://xmlns.oracle.com/orawsv/TEST/TEST_PKG/GET_ROWS" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" xmlns:soap="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/wsdl/soap/">
  <types>
    <xsd:schema targetNamespace="http://xmlns.oracle.com/orawsv/TEST/TEST_PKG/GET_ROWS" elementFormDefault="qualified">
      <xsd:element name="GET_ROWSInput">
        <xsd:complexType>
          </xsd:complexType>
      </xsd:element>
      <xsd:element name="GET_ROWSOutput">
        <xsd:complexType>
          </xsd:complexType>
      </xsd:element>
   </xsd:schema>
  </types>
  <message name="GET_ROWSInputMessage">
    <part name="parameters" element="tns:GET_ROWSInput"/>
  </message>
  <message name="GET_ROWSOutputMessage">
    <part name="parameters" element="tns:GET_ROWSOutput"/>
  </message>
  <portType name="GET_ROWSPortType">
  <operation name="GET_ROWS">
      <input message="tns:GET_ROWSInputMessage"/>
      <output message="tns:GET_ROWSOutputMessage"/>
    </operation>
  </portType>
  <binding name="GET_ROWSBinding" type="tns:GET_ROWSPortType">
    <soap:binding style="document" transport="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/http"/>
    <operation name="GET_ROWS">
      <soap:operation soapAction="GET_ROWS"/>
      <input>
        <soap:body parts="parameters" use="literal"/>
      </input>
      <output>
        <soap:body parts="parameters" use="literal"/>
      </output>
    </operation>
  </binding>
  <service name="GET_ROWSService">
    <documentation>Oracle Web Service</documentation>
    <port name="GET_ROWSPort" binding="tns:GET_ROWSBinding">
       <soap:address location="http://server.domain.ch:8080/orawsv/TEST/TEST_PKG/GET_ROWS"/>
     </port>
  </service>
</definitions>
Any hint as how to create and access pl sql web service returning multiple rows?
I don't use java and don't have access to tools like JDeveloper.
Thanks!

Answer 1

The actual issue is that collection types are not supported for return parameters.
The solution is to wrap the collection into another object.
Here's a working example based on your settings :
CREATE OR REPLACE TYPE test_rec is OBJECT ( 
  empno  number(4)
, ename  varchar2(10)
, hiredate date
CREATE OR REPLACE TYPE test_array AS TABLE OF test_rec; 
CREATE OR REPLACE TYPE test_array_wrapper is OBJECT ( arr test_array );
CREATE OR REPLACE PACKAGE test_pkg AS 
  function get_rows(p_deptno in number) return test_array_wrapper; 
END; 
CREATE OR REPLACE PACKAGE BODY test_pkg AS 
  function get_rows(p_deptno in number) return test_array_wrapper is 
    results  test_array; 
  begin 
    select test_rec(empno, ename, hiredate)
    bulk collect into results
    from scott.emp
    where deptno = p_deptno;    
    return test_array_wrapper(results); 
  end; 
END; 
The wsdl is then generated correctly :
SQL> select httpuritype('http://DEV:dev@localhost:8080/orawsv/DEV/TEST_PKG/GET_ROWS?wsdl').getxml() from dual;
HTTPURITYPE('HTTP://DEV:DEV@LOCALHOST:8080/ORAWSV/DEV/TEST_PKG/GET_ROWS?WSDL').GETXML()
<definitions name="GET_ROWS" targetNamespace="http://xmlns.oracle.com/orawsv/DEV/TEST_PKG/GET_ROWS" xmlns="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/wsdl/" xmlns:tns="http://xmlns.oracle.com/orawsv/DEV/TEST_PKG/GET_
ROWS" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" xmlns:soap="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/wsdl/soap/">
  <types>
    <xsd:schema targetNamespace="http://xmlns.oracle.com/orawsv/DEV/TEST_PKG/GET_ROWS" elementFormDefault="qualified">
      <xsd:element name="CTEST_ARRAY_WRAPPER-GET_ROWSInput">
        <xsd:complexType>
          <xsd:sequence>
            <xsd:element name="P_DEPTNO-NUMBER-IN" type="xsd:double"/>
          </xsd:sequence>
        </xsd:complexType>
      </xsd:element>
      <xsd:element name="GET_ROWSOutput">
        <xsd:complexType>
          <xsd:sequence>
            <xsd:element name="RETURN" type="tns:TEST_ARRAY_WRAPPERType"/>
          </xsd:sequence>
        </xsd:complexType>
      </xsd:element>
      <xsd:complexType name="TEST_ARRAY_WRAPPERType">
        <xsd:sequence>
          <xsd:element name="TEST_ARRAY_WRAPPER">
            <xsd:complexType>
              <xsd:sequence>
                <xsd:element name="ARR">
                  <xsd:complexType>
                    <xsd:sequence>
                      <xsd:element name="TEST_REC" type="tns:TEST_REC_IntType" maxOccurs="unbounded" minOccurs="0"/>
                    </xsd:sequence>
                  </xsd:complexType>
                </xsd:element>
              </xsd:sequence>
            </xsd:complexType>
          </xsd:element>
        </xsd:sequence>
      </xsd:complexType>
      <xsd:complexType name="TEST_REC_IntType">
        <xsd:sequence>
          <xsd:element name="EMPNO" type="xsd:double"/>
          <xsd:element name="ENAME">
            <xsd:simpleType>
              <xsd:restriction base="xsd:string">
                <xsd:maxLength value="10"/>
              </xsd:restriction>
            </xsd:simpleType>
          </xsd:element>
          <xsd:element name="HIREDATE" type="xsd:date"/>
        </xsd:sequence>
      </xsd:complexType>
    </xsd:schema>
  </types>
  <message name="GET_ROWSInputMessage">
    <part name="parameters" element="tns:CTEST_ARRAY_WRAPPER-GET_ROWSInput"/>
  </message>
  <message name="GET_ROWSOutputMessage">
    <part name="parameters" element="tns:GET_ROWSOutput"/>
  </message>
  <portType name="GET_ROWSPortType">
    <operation name="GET_ROWS">
      <input message="tns:GET_ROWSInputMessage"/>
      <output message="tns:GET_ROWSOutputMessage"/>
    </operation>
  </portType>
  <binding name="GET_ROWSBinding" type="tns:GET_ROWSPortType">
    <soap:binding style="document" transport="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/http"/>
    <operation name="GET_ROWS">
      <soap:operation soapAction="GET_ROWS"/>
      <input>
        <soap:body parts="parameters" use="literal"/>
      </input>
      <output>
        <soap:body parts="parameters" use="literal"/>
      </output>
    </operation>
  </binding>
  <service name="GET_ROWSService">
    <documentation>Oracle Web Service</documentation>
    <port name="GET_ROWSPort" binding="tns:GET_ROWSBinding">
      <soap:address location="http://localhost:8080/orawsv/DEV/TEST_PKG/GET_ROWS"/>
    </port>
  </service>
</definitions>