Query on using Variables in Oracle Query

Question

Hi
i am new to Oracle, i have tried extracting data from the Oracle Database using the following Query which includes 1 variable SYSDATE_UTS, however when i try to execute the Query i get an error. Please let me know what am i doing wrong and how can i correct it.
Error Message
ORA-06550: line 4, column 1:
PLS-00428: an INTO clause is expected in this SELECT statement
Oracle Query
DECLARE SYSDATE_UTS NUMBER := (sysdate-to_date('19700101','yyyymmdd'))*86400;
BEGIN
SELECT
INCIDENT_NUMBER,
to_date(to_char((1/86400*REPORTED_DATE)+to_date('19700101','yyyymmdd'),'mm/dd/yyyy hh24:mi:ss'),'mm/dd/yyyy hh24:mi:ss') as REPORTED_DATE_TIME,
,GROUP_TRANSFERS
,LAST_MODIFIED_BY
,to_date(to_char(to_date('01011970','ddmmyyyy')+1/24/60/60 * LAST_MODIFIED_DATE,'mm/dd/yyyy hh24:mi:ss'),'mm/dd/yyyy hh24:mi:ss') as LAST_MODIFIED_DATE
,(to_date(to_char(to_date('01011970','ddmmyyyy')+1/24/60/60 * SYSDATE_UTS,'mm/dd/yyyy'),'mm/dd/yyyy')) - (to_date(to_char(+to_date('19700101','yyyymmdd')+1/86400*REPORTED_DATE,'mm/dd/yyyy'),'mm/dd/yyyy')) as AGE
,CASE
WHEN (to_date(to_char(to_date('01011970','ddmmyyyy')+1/24/60/60 * SYSDATE_UTS,'mm/dd/yyyy'),'mm/dd/yyyy')) - (to_date(to_char(+to_date('19700101','yyyymmdd')+1/86400*REPORTED_DATE,'mm/dd/yyyy'),'mm/dd/yyyy')) BETWEEN 0 AND 1 THEN '0-1 Days'
WHEN (to_date(to_char(to_date('01011970','ddmmyyyy')+1/24/60/60 * SYSDATE_UTS, 'mm/dd/yyyy'),'mm/dd/yyyy')) - (to_date(to_char(+to_date('19700101','yyyymmdd')+1/86400*REPORTED_DATE,'mm/dd/yyyy'),'mm/dd/yyyy')) BETWEEN 2 AND 4 THEN '2-4 Days'
WHEN (to_date(to_char(to_date('01011970','ddmmyyyy')+1/24/60/60 * SYSDATE_UTS,'mm/dd/yyyy'),'mm/dd/yyyy')) - (to_date(to_char(+to_date('19700101','yyyymmdd')+1/86400*REPORTED_DATE,'mm/dd/yyyy'),'mm/dd/yyyy')) BETWEEN 5 AND 9 THEN '5-9 Days'
WHEN (to_date(to_char(to_date('01011970','ddmmyyyy')+1/24/60/60 * SYSDATE_UTS,'mm/dd/yyyy'),'mm/dd/yyyy')) - (to_date(to_char(+to_date('19700101','yyyymmdd')+1/86400*REPORTED_DATE,'mm/dd/yyyy'),'mm/dd/yyyy')) BETWEEN 10 AND 19 THEN '10-19 Days'
WHEN (to_date(to_char(to_date('01011970','ddmmyyyy')+1/24/60/60 * SYSDATE_UTS,'mm/dd/yyyy'),'mm/dd/yyyy')) - (to_date(to_char(+to_date('19700101','yyyymmdd')+1/86400*REPORTED_DATE,'mm/dd/yyyy'),'mm/dd/yyyy')) >20 THEN '20+ Days'
ELSE 'UNKNOWN'
END AS AGE_GROUP
FROM IncidentDataBase
and STATUS not in (4,5,6)
and rownum <10;
END;

Answer 1

Hi Frank
i am using the following Oracle Version
Oracle Database 10g Enterprise Edition Release 10.2.0.5.0 - 64bi
PL/SQL Release 10.2.0.5.0 - Production
CORE     10.2.0.5.0     Production
TNS for Linux: Version 10.2.0.5.0 - Production
NLSRTL Version 10.2.0.5.0 - Production
and Quest Toad for Oracle to write and execute the queries:
Toad for Oracle Xpert
Version 10.1.1.8
The code i am using is:
variable SYSDATE_UTS NUMBER;
exec SYSDATE_UTS := (sysdate-to_date('19700101','yyyymmdd'))*86400;
SELECT
INCIDENT_NUMBER,
to_date(to_char((1/86400*REPORTED_DATE)+to_date('19700101','yyyymmdd'),'mm/dd/yyyy hh24:mi:ss'),'mm/dd/yyyy hh24:mi:ss') as REPORTED_DATE_TIME
,GROUP_TRANSFERS
,LAST_MODIFIED_BY
,to_date(to_char(to_date('01011970','ddmmyyyy')+1/24/60/60 * LAST_MODIFIED_DATE,'mm/dd/yyyy hh24:mi:ss'),'mm/dd/yyyy hh24:mi:ss') as LAST_MODIFIED_DATE
,(to_date(to_char(to_date('01011970','ddmmyyyy')+1/24/60/60 * :SYSDATE_UTS,'mm/dd/yyyy'),'mm/dd/yyyy')) - (to_date(to_char(+to_date('19700101','yyyymmdd')+1/86400*REPORTED_DATE,'mm/dd/yyyy'),'mm/dd/yyyy')) as AGE
,CASE
WHEN (to_date(to_char(to_date('01011970','ddmmyyyy')+1/24/60/60 * :SYSDATE_UTS,'mm/dd/yyyy'),'mm/dd/yyyy')) - (to_date(to_char(+to_date('19700101','yyyymmdd')+1/86400*REPORTED_DATE,'mm/dd/yyyy'),'mm/dd/yyyy')) BETWEEN 0 AND 1 THEN '0-1 Days'
WHEN (to_date(to_char(to_date('01011970','ddmmyyyy')+1/24/60/60 * :SYSDATE_UTS, 'mm/dd/yyyy'),'mm/dd/yyyy')) - (to_date(to_char(+to_date('19700101','yyyymmdd')+1/86400*REPORTED_DATE,'mm/dd/yyyy'),'mm/dd/yyyy')) BETWEEN 2 AND 4 THEN '2-4 Days'
WHEN (to_date(to_char(to_date('01011970','ddmmyyyy')+1/24/60/60 * :SYSDATE_UTS,'mm/dd/yyyy'),'mm/dd/yyyy')) - (to_date(to_char(+to_date('19700101','yyyymmdd')+1/86400*REPORTED_DATE,'mm/dd/yyyy'),'mm/dd/yyyy')) BETWEEN 5 AND 9 THEN '5-9 Days'
WHEN (to_date(to_char(to_date('01011970','ddmmyyyy')+1/24/60/60 * :SYSDATE_UTS,'mm/dd/yyyy'),'mm/dd/yyyy')) - (to_date(to_char(+to_date('19700101','yyyymmdd')+1/86400*REPORTED_DATE,'mm/dd/yyyy'),'mm/dd/yyyy')) BETWEEN 10 AND 19 THEN '10-19 Days'
WHEN (to_date(to_char(to_date('01011970','ddmmyyyy')+1/24/60/60 * :SYSDATE_UTS,'mm/dd/yyyy'),'mm/dd/yyyy')) - (to_date(to_char(+to_date('19700101','yyyymmdd')+1/86400*REPORTED_DATE,'mm/dd/yyyy'),'mm/dd/yyyy')) >20 THEN '20+ Days'
ELSE 'UNKNOWN'
END AS AGE_GROUP
FROM IncidentDataBase
WHERE STATUS not in (4,5,6)
and rownum <10;
Notes:
1. When i put the cursor before "variable" (starting of the query) and execute the script i get an Error: ORA-00900: invalid SQL statement.
2. When i put the cursor just before "SELECT" i get a pop up.
a. it is a Toad window which displays the available variables (in this case :SYSDATE_UTS).
b. gives me a dropdown option to select the type (by default VARCHAR2 is selected).
c. there is a value field where i need to enter the value for the Variable.
d. the SQL statement shown in this dilog box does not include the 1st 2 lines
variable SYSDATE_UTS NUMBER;
exec SYSDATE_UTS := (sysdate-to_date('19700101','yyyymmdd'))*86400;
Q: is there something wrong in the syntax i am using?
Sven W. - I have been using your method all these days, which works just fine. i wanted to know how i could use a variable instead.
Business Requirement - My whole intent is to calculate the Age of an incident (Difference between "Reported Date" and current date) and to assign Age Groups (0-1 Days, 2-4 Days,....,20+ Days).
Edited by: 921713 on Mar 19, 2012 12:23 PM