REF CURSOR problem .. function call from select

Question

Hello,
I am still on the search for a way to call a function from with in a select statement.
I've done it in SQL*Plus like this and it works.
SELECT name, f_format(name) FROM user WHERE id = 12;
This returns first the unformatted (raw) version of the stored value for name and then the formmtted version of the stored value of name.
Since multiple names will be returned I need to user a REF CURSOR (cursor variable). The above select statement does not work from within the OPEN . .FOR clause necessary for a REF CURSOR.
What can I do instead? My goal is to return multiple records of formatted names.
null

Answer 1

I have declared the reference cursor as a weak one. Thank you for clarifying that though. I was wondering if it made a difference. Here is a simple package that shows you what I am trying to do. I will include the errors at the bottom. Please have a look and let me know what you think is wrong.
/*--------- PL/SQL ------------*/
CREATE OR REPLACE PACKAGE test_refcur AS
PROCEDURE decrypt (
i_string IN VARCHAR2
,o_string OUT VARCHAR2
TYPE PwdCurTyp IS REF CURSOR;
PROCEDURE get_pwd_info (
i_user_id IN NUMBER
,io_pwd_cv IN OUT PwdCurTyp
END test_refcur;
CREATE OR REPLACE PACKAGE BODY test_refcur AS
FUNCTION f_decrypt (
i_string IN VARCHAR2
) RETURN VARCHAR2 IS
l_string VARCHAR2(64);
l_string_dec VARCHAR2(32);
BEGIN
l_string := i_string;
dbms_obfuscation_toolkit.DESDecrypt(
input_string => l_string
,key_string =>'12345678'
,decrypted_string=> l_string_dec );
RETURN l_string_dec;
END f_decrypt;
PROCEDURE decrypt (
i_string IN VARCHAR2
,o_string OUT VARCHAR2
) IS
BEGIN
o_string := f_decrypt(i_string);
END decrypt;
PROCEDURE get_pwd_info (
i_user_id IN NUMBER
,io_pwd_cv IN OUT PwdCurTyp
) IS
BEGIN
OPEN io_pwd_cv FOR
SELECT
label
,f_decrypt(user_name_text) AS dec_user_name
,f_decrypt(text) AS dec_pwd
FROM
code_pwd
WHERE
id = i_user_id;
END get_pwd_info;
END test_refcur;
/*--------- SQL*Plus -----------*/
Warning: Package Body created with compilation errors.
SHOW ERRORSErrors for PACKAGE BODY TEST_REFCUR:
LINE/COL ERROR
28/13 PL/SQL: SQL Statement ignored
30/18 PLS-00231: function 'F_DECRYPT' may not be used in SQL
Then I made the SELECT statement dynamic.
OPEN io_pwd_cv FOR
'SELECT label, f_decrypt(user_name_text) AS dec_user_name, f_decrypt(text) AS dec_pwd FROM code_pwd WHERE id = i_user_id';
It compiled fine.
Package body created.
So then I tried to do the following. .
SET AUTOPRINT ON
SET SERVEROUTPUT ON
VARIABLE cv REFCURSOR
EXECUTE test_refcur.get_pwd_info(18, :cv)begin test_refcur.get_pwd_info(18, :cv); end;
ERROR at line 1:
ORA-00904: invalid column name
ORA-06512: at "K.TEST_REFCUR", line 27
ORA-06512: at line 1
If I change the SELECT statement to the following, this is what I get. .
OPEN io_pwd_cv FOR
SELECT label
-- ,f_decrypt(user_name_text) AS dec_user_name
-- ,f_decrypt(text) AS dec_pwd
FROM code_pwd
WHERE id = i_user_id;
SET AUTOPRINT ON
SET SERVEROUTPUT ON
VARIABLE cv REFCURSOR
EXECUTE test_refcur.get_pwd_info(18, :cv)PL/SQL procedure successfully completed.
LABEL
Development Server
That tells me that at least something is working. How can I get everything else to work?