PRAGMA forcing integral number

Question

The following line of code won't compile,
          PRAGMA EXCEPTION_INIT(XCPT_invalid_param, ERR_invalid_fax_code);however, this will:
          PRAGMA EXCEPTION_INIT(XCPT_invalid_param, -20001);ERR_invalid_fax_code is declared as
          ERR_invalid_fax_code           CONSTANT INTEGER := -20001;What to I do to make it accept a constant var, instead of an integral number?

Answer 1

The second argument to EXCEPTION_INIT must be a literal.
I don't know why, that's just the way it is.
See:
http://download-east.oracle.com/docs/cd/B10501_01/server.920/a96525/pcmus.htm#1001616