Recursive functions in Oracle SQL.

Question

OK,
Here is the pivot problem. Only this time were on an Oracle 11.1.0.7.0.
I've created a table called:
CREATE TABLE STAGING.MY_TAB_COLS
  TABLE_NAME   VARCHAR2(30 BYTE),
  COLUMN_NAME  VARCHAR2(30 BYTE)
)And I've put the following data into it:
Insert into STAGING.MY_TAB_COLS
   (TABLE_NAME, COLUMN_NAME)
Values
   ('AAEADP1', 'SSN_SOURCE');
Insert into STAGING.MY_TAB_COLS
   (TABLE_NAME, COLUMN_NAME)
Values
   ('AAEADP1', 'FIRST_NAME_SOURCE');
Insert into STAGING.MY_TAB_COLS
   (TABLE_NAME, COLUMN_NAME)
Values
   ('AAEADP1', 'LAST_NAME_SOURCE');
Insert into STAGING.MY_TAB_COLS
   (TABLE_NAME, COLUMN_NAME)
Values
   ('AAEADP1', 'DOB_SOURCE');
Insert into STAGING.MY_TAB_COLS
   (TABLE_NAME, COLUMN_NAME)
Values
   ('AAEADP1', 'EMP_SSN_SOURCE');
Insert into STAGING.MY_TAB_COLS
   (TABLE_NAME, COLUMN_NAME)
Values
   ('AAEADP1', 'EMP_FIRST_NAME_SOURCE');
Insert into STAGING.MY_TAB_COLS
   (TABLE_NAME, COLUMN_NAME)
Values
   ('AAEADP1', 'EMP_LAST_NAME_SOURCE');
Insert into STAGING.MY_TAB_COLS
   (TABLE_NAME, COLUMN_NAME)
Values
   ('AAEADP1', 'EMP_DOB_SOURCE');
Insert into STAGING.MY_TAB_COLS
   (TABLE_NAME, COLUMN_NAME)
Values
   ('AAEADP1', 'MPI');
Insert into STAGING.MY_TAB_COLS
   (TABLE_NAME, COLUMN_NAME)
Values
   ('AAEADP1', 'SSN_STANDARDIZED');
Insert into STAGING.MY_TAB_COLS
   (TABLE_NAME, COLUMN_NAME)
Values
   ('AAEADP1', 'FIRST_NAME_A_STANDARDIZED');
Insert into STAGING.MY_TAB_COLS
   (TABLE_NAME, COLUMN_NAME)
Values
   ('AAEADP1', 'FIRST_NAME_B_STANDARDIZED');
Insert into STAGING.MY_TAB_COLS
   (TABLE_NAME, COLUMN_NAME)
Values
   ('AAEADP1', 'LAST_NAME_A_STANDARDIZED');
Insert into STAGING.MY_TAB_COLS
   (TABLE_NAME, COLUMN_NAME)
Values
   ('AAEADP1', 'LAST_NAME_B_STANDARDIZED');
Insert into STAGING.MY_TAB_COLS
   (TABLE_NAME, COLUMN_NAME)
Values
   ('AAEADP1', 'EMP_SSN_STANDARDIZED');
Insert into STAGING.MY_TAB_COLS
   (TABLE_NAME, COLUMN_NAME)
Values
   ('AAEADP1', 'EMP_FIRST_NAME_A_STANDARDIZED');
Insert into STAGING.MY_TAB_COLS
   (TABLE_NAME, COLUMN_NAME)
Values
   ('AAEADP1', 'EMP_FIRST_NAME_B_STANDARDIZED');
Insert into STAGING.MY_TAB_COLS
   (TABLE_NAME, COLUMN_NAME)
Values
   ('AAEADP1', 'EMP_LAST_NAME_A_STANDARDIZED');
Insert into STAGING.MY_TAB_COLS
   (TABLE_NAME, COLUMN_NAME)
Values
   ('AAEADP1', 'EMP_LAST_NAME_B_STANDARDIZED');
Insert into STAGING.MY_TAB_COLS
   (TABLE_NAME, COLUMN_NAME)
Values
   ('AAMAET1', 'MPI_OLD');
Insert into STAGING.MY_TAB_COLS
   (TABLE_NAME, COLUMN_NAME)
Values
   ('AAMAET1', 'EMPLOYEE_SSN_SOURCE');
Insert into STAGING.MY_TAB_COLS
   (TABLE_NAME, COLUMN_NAME)
Values
   ('AAMAET1', 'EMPLOYEE_LAST_NAME_SOURCE');
Insert into STAGING.MY_TAB_COLS
   (TABLE_NAME, COLUMN_NAME)
Values
   ('AAMAET1', 'EMPLOYEE_FIRST_NAME_SOURCE');
Insert into STAGING.MY_TAB_COLS
   (TABLE_NAME, COLUMN_NAME)
Values
   ('AAMAET1', 'EMPLOYEE_DOB');
Insert into STAGING.MY_TAB_COLS
   (TABLE_NAME, COLUMN_NAME)
Values
   ('AAMAET1', 'PATIENT_SSN');
Insert into STAGING.MY_TAB_COLS
   (TABLE_NAME, COLUMN_NAME)
Values
   ('AAMAET1', 'PATIENT_LAST_NAME_SOURCE');
Insert into STAGING.MY_TAB_COLS
   (TABLE_NAME, COLUMN_NAME)
Values
   ('AAMAET1', 'PATIENT_FIRST_NAME_SOURCE');
Insert into STAGING.MY_TAB_COLS
   (TABLE_NAME, COLUMN_NAME)
Values
   ('AAMAET1', 'PATIENT_DOB');
Insert into STAGING.MY_TAB_COLS
   (TABLE_NAME, COLUMN_NAME)
Values
   ('AAMAET1', 'EMPLOYEE_NON_SSN_ID');
Insert into STAGING.MY_TAB_COLS
   (TABLE_NAME, COLUMN_NAME)
Values
   ('AAMAET1', 'EMPLOYEE_SSN_STANDARDIZED');
Insert into STAGING.MY_TAB_COLS
   (TABLE_NAME, COLUMN_NAME)
Values
   ('AAMAET1', 'PATIENT_FIRST_NAME_A_STD');
Insert into STAGING.MY_TAB_COLS
   (TABLE_NAME, COLUMN_NAME)
Values
   ('AAMAET1', 'PATIENT_FIRST_NAME_B_STD');
Insert into STAGING.MY_TAB_COLS
   (TABLE_NAME, COLUMN_NAME)
Values
   ('AAMAET1', 'PATIENT_LAST_NAME_A_STD');
Insert into STAGING.MY_TAB_COLS
   (TABLE_NAME, COLUMN_NAME)
Values
   ('AAMAET1', 'PATIENT_LAST_NAME_B_STD');
Insert into STAGING.MY_TAB_COLS
   (TABLE_NAME, COLUMN_NAME)
Values
   ('AAMAET1', 'EMPLOYEE_FIRST_NAME_A_STD');
Insert into STAGING.MY_TAB_COLS
   (TABLE_NAME, COLUMN_NAME)
Values
   ('AAMAET1', 'EMPLOYEE_FIRST_NAME_B_STD');
Insert into STAGING.MY_TAB_COLS
   (TABLE_NAME, COLUMN_NAME)
Values
   ('AAMAET1', 'EMPLOYEE_LAST_NAME_A_STD');
Insert into STAGING.MY_TAB_COLS
   (TABLE_NAME, COLUMN_NAME)
Values
   ('AAMAET1', 'EMPLOYEE_LAST_NAME_B_STD');
Insert into STAGING.MY_TAB_COLS
   (TABLE_NAME, COLUMN_NAME)
Values
   ('AAMAET1', 'PATIENT_SSN_STANDARDIZED');
Insert into STAGING.MY_TAB_COLS
   (TABLE_NAME, COLUMN_NAME)
Values
   ('AAMAET1', 'MPI');
Insert into STAGING.MY_TAB_COLS
   (TABLE_NAME, COLUMN_NAME)
Values
   ('AAPMED1', 'EMPLOYEE_SSN');
Insert into STAGING.MY_TAB_COLS
   (TABLE_NAME, COLUMN_NAME)
Values
   ('AAPMED1', 'EMPLOYEE_FIRST_NAME');
Insert into STAGING.MY_TAB_COLS
   (TABLE_NAME, COLUMN_NAME)
Values
   ('AAPMED1', 'EMPLOYEE_LAST_NAME');
Insert into STAGING.MY_TAB_COLS
   (TABLE_NAME, COLUMN_NAME)
Values
   ('AAPMED1', 'EMPLOYEE_DATE_OF_BIRTH');
Insert into STAGING.MY_TAB_COLS
   (TABLE_NAME, COLUMN_NAME)
Values
   ('AAPMED1', 'PATIENT_SSN');
Insert into STAGING.MY_TAB_COLS
   (TABLE_NAME, COLUMN_NAME)
Values
   ('AAPMED1', 'PATIENT_FIRST_NAME_SOURCE');
Insert into STAGING.MY_TAB_COLS
   (TABLE_NAME, COLUMN_NAME)
Values
   ('AAPMED1', 'PATIENT_LAST_NAME_SOURCE');
Insert into STAGING.MY_TAB_COLS
   (TABLE_NAME, COLUMN_NAME)
Values
   ('AAPMED1', 'PATIENT_DOB');
Insert into STAGING.MY_TAB_COLS
   (TABLE_NAME, COLUMN_NAME)
Values
   ('AAPMED1', 'PRESCRIBER_LAST_NAME');
Insert into STAGING.MY_TAB_COLS
   (TABLE_NAME, COLUMN_NAME)
Values
   ('AAPMED1', 'MPI');
Insert into STAGING.MY_TAB_COLS
   (TABLE_NAME, COLUMN_NAME)
Values
   ('AAPMED1', 'PATIENT_FIRST_NAME_A_STD');
Insert into STAGING.MY_TAB_COLS
   (TABLE_NAME, COLUMN_NAME)
Values
   ('AAPMED1', 'PATIENT_FIRST_NAME_B_STD');
Insert into STAGING.MY_TAB_COLS
   (TABLE_NAME, COLUMN_NAME)
Values
   ('AAPMED1', 'PATIENT_LAST_NAME_A_STD');
Insert into STAGING.MY_TAB_COLS
   (TABLE_NAME, COLUMN_NAME)
Values
   ('AAPMED1', 'PATIENT_LAST_NAME_B_STD');My task for this problem is pretty straight forward.
Using the ALL_TAB_COLS table I want to list out certain fields for each table name specified.
All the tables have fields that are similar. I just want these table names to go across the top.
And the field names to list out under each table.
So you would have something like:
AAEADP1                         AAMAET1                     AAPMED1
SSN_SOURCE                      MPI_OLD                     EMPLOYEE_SSN
FIRST_NAME_SOURCE               EMPLOYEE_SSN_SOURCE         EMPLOYEE_FIRST_NAME
LAST_NAME_SOURCE                EMPLOYEE_LAST_NAME_SOURCE   EMPLOYEE_LAST_NAME
DOB_SOURCE                      EMPLOYEE_FIRST_NAME_SOURCE  EMPLOYEE_DATE_OF_BIRTH
EMP_SSN_SOURCE                  EMPLOYEE_DOB                PATIENT_SSN
EMP_FIRST_NAME_SOURCE           PATIENT_SSN                 PATIENT_FIRST_NAME_SOURCE
EMP_LAST_NAME_SOURCE            PATIENT_LAST_NAME_SOURCE    PATIENT_LAST_NAME_SOURCE
EMP_DOB_SOURCE                  PATIENT_FIRST_NAME_SOURCE   PATIENT_DOB
MPI                             PATIENT_DOB                 PRESCRIBER_LAST_NAME
SSN_STANDARDIZED                EMPLOYEE_NON_SSN_ID         MPI
FIRST_NAME_A_STANDARDIZED       EMPLOYEE_SSN_STANDARDIZED   PATIENT_FIRST_NAME_A_STD
FIRST_NAME_B_STANDARDIZED       PATIENT_FIRST_NAME_A_STD    PATIENT_FIRST_NAME_B_STD
LAST_NAME_A_STANDARDIZED        PATIENT_FIRST_NAME_B_STD    PATIENT_LAST_NAME_A_STD
LAST_NAME_B_STANDARDIZED        PATIENT_LAST_NAME_A_STD     PATIENT_LAST_NAME_B_STD
EMP_SSN_STANDARDIZED            PATIENT_LAST_NAME_B_STD   
EMP_FIRST_NAME_A_STANDARDIZED   EMPLOYEE_FIRST_NAME_A_STD   
EMP_FIRST_NAME_B_STANDARDIZED   EMPLOYEE_FIRST_NAME_B_STD   
EMP_LAST_NAME_A_STANDARDIZED    EMPLOYEE_LAST_NAME_A_STD   
EMP_LAST_NAME_B_STANDARDIZED    EMPLOYEE_LAST_NAME_B_STD   
                                PATIENT_SSN_STANDARDIZED   
                                MPI         Where each table name lists across with all of their column names under each table.
The query that I have so far is The following:
  SELECT   T1.TABLE_NAME, T1.COLUMN_NAME
    FROM   my_tab_cols t1, (  SELECT   DISTINCT UPPER (SOURCE_TABLE) TABLE_NAME
                                 FROM MPI_DEMOGRAPHICS_TEST
                             ORDER BY UPPER (SOURCE_TABLE)) tn
   WHERE   T1.TABLE_NAME = tn.TABLE_NAME
           AND (   T1.column_name LIKE '%MPI%'
                OR T1.column_name LIKE '%SSN%'
                OR T1.column_name LIKE '%E%SSN%'
                OR T1.column_name LIKE '%R%SSN%'
                OR T1.column_name LIKE '%P%SSN%'
                OR T1.column_name LIKE '%BIRTH%'
                OR T1.column_name LIKE '%DOB%'
                OR T1.column_name LIKE '%FIRST%NAME%'
                OR T1.column_name LIKE '%LAST%NAME%'
                OR T1.column_name LIKE '%CLIENT%NAME%'
                OR T1.column_name LIKE '%SOURCE_TABLE%'
                OR T1.column_name LIKE '%TABLE%')
ORDER BY   T1.TABLE_NAME, t1.column_id; It just list everything straight down.
Where the MPI_DEMOGRAPHIES_TEST table feeds the relevant table names to the ALL_TAB_COLS table.
It can just be substituted with a list of the values, AAEADP1, AAMAET1, AAPMED1.
Is there a 'pivot' function in Oracle 11.1 that I can use to list these column names out sideways as opposed to what I did before?
Thanks,

Answer 1

Hi,
Here's one way to get results like that using the Oracle 11 SELECT ... PIVOT feature:
WITH     got_nums     AS
     SELECT     column_name
     ,     ROW_NUMBER () OVER ( PARTITION BY  table_name
                               ORDER BY          column_name
                       )                    AS r_num
     ,     DENSE_RANK () OVER ( ORDER BY      table_name)     AS c_num
     FROM     my_tab_cols
        WHERE   column_name     LIKE '%MPI%'
        OR     column_name     LIKE '%SSN%'
--      OR     column_name     LIKE '%E%SSN%'          -- Included in '%SSN% above
--      OR     column_name     LIKE '%R%SSN%'          -- Included in '%SSN% above
--      OR     column_name     LIKE '%P%SSN%'          -- Included in '%SSN% above
        OR     column_name     LIKE '%BIRTH%'
        OR     column_name     LIKE '%DOB%'
        OR     column_name     LIKE '%FIRST%NAME%'
        OR     column_name     LIKE '%LAST%NAME%'
        OR     column_name     LIKE '%CLIENT%NAME%'
--      OR     column_name     LIKE '%SOURCE_TABLE%'     -- Included in %TABLE% below
        OR     column_name     LIKE '%TABLE%'
    UNION
        SELECT  table_name                         AS colum_name
     ,     0                              AS r_num
     ,     DENSE_RANK () OVER ( ORDER BY      table_name)     AS c_num
     FROM     my_tab_cols
SELECT       *
FROM       got_nums
PIVOT       (   MIN (column_name)
       FOR c_num     IN ( 1     AS table_1
                        , 2     AS table_2
                  , 3     AS table_3
ORDER BY  r_num
;Output:
R_NUM TABLE_1                        TABLE_2                        TABLE_3
    0 AAEADP1                        AAMAET1                        AAPMED1
    1 DOB_SOURCE                     EMPLOYEE_DOB                   EMPLOYEE_DATE_OF_BIRTH
    2 EMP_DOB_SOURCE                 EMPLOYEE_FIRST_NAME_A_STD      EMPLOYEE_FIRST_NAME
    3 EMP_FIRST_NAME_A_STANDARDIZED  EMPLOYEE_FIRST_NAME_B_STD      EMPLOYEE_LAST_NAME
    4 EMP_FIRST_NAME_B_STANDARDIZED  EMPLOYEE_FIRST_NAME_SOURCE     EMPLOYEE_SSN
    5 EMP_FIRST_NAME_SOURCE          EMPLOYEE_LAST_NAME_A_STD       MPI
    6 EMP_LAST_NAME_A_STANDARDIZED   EMPLOYEE_LAST_NAME_B_STD       PATIENT_DOB
    7 EMP_LAST_NAME_B_STANDARDIZED   EMPLOYEE_LAST_NAME_SOURCE      PATIENT_FIRST_NAME_A_STD
    8 EMP_LAST_NAME_SOURCE           EMPLOYEE_NON_SSN_ID            PATIENT_FIRST_NAME_B_STD
    9 EMP_SSN_SOURCE                 EMPLOYEE_SSN_SOURCE            PATIENT_FIRST_NAME_SOURCE
   10 EMP_SSN_STANDARDIZED           EMPLOYEE_SSN_STANDARDIZED      PATIENT_LAST_NAME_A_STD
   11 FIRST_NAME_A_STANDARDIZED      MPI                            PATIENT_LAST_NAME_B_STD
   12 FIRST_NAME_B_STANDARDIZED      MPI_OLD                        PATIENT_LAST_NAME_SOURCE
   13 LAST_NAME_A_STANDARDIZED       PATIENT_DOB                    PATIENT_SSN
   14 LAST_NAME_B_STANDARDIZED       PATIENT_FIRST_NAME_A_STD       PRESCRIBER_LAST_NAME
   15 LAST_NAME_SOURCE               PATIENT_FIRST_NAME_B_STD
   16 MPI                            PATIENT_FIRST_NAME_SOURCE
   17 SSN_SOURCE                     PATIENT_LAST_NAME_A_STD
   18 SSN_STANDARDIZED               PATIENT_LAST_NAME_B_STD
   19                                PATIENT_LAST_NAME_SOURCE
   20                                PATIENT_SSN
   21                                PATIENT_SSN_STANDARDIZEDIf you don't want to see the r_num column, use your front-end to hide it (e.g., in SQL*Plus: "COLUMN r_num NOPRINT"), or do the pivot in a sub-query, and only select table_1, table_2 and table_3 in the main query.
As with all pivots, you have to hard-code an upper bound to the number of pivoted columns. I used 3 above. You could use 4, or 5, or 45, but you must specify exactly how many columns to display.
If you say there will be 3 tables, and there actually are more than 3, then the query will still run, but all the tables after the first 3 will be ignored.
If you say there will be 3 tables, and there actually are fewer, then the query will still run, but you will have NULL columns at the end of each output row.
This sorts the output alphabetically by table_name and column_name. You can sort by anything you want by changing the analytic ORDER BY clauses. For example, if you are using all_tabl_columns and you want the columns to appear in order by column_id, then you would say:
,     ROW_NUMBER () OVER ( PARTITION BY  table_name
                          ORDER BY          column_id     -- instead of column_name
                  )                    AS r_num