REGEXP_REPLACE works --- sometimes

Question

Hello,
I try to write a procedure to spool a clob.
since SQL*PLUS does not print leading spaces I have an option to replace the first space by another character. I do so by using REGEXP_REPLACE, see the line marked with 2).
CREATE OR REPLACE PROCEDURE pl
     p_text                 IN CLOB
    ,p_max_length           IN PLS_INTEGER := 255
    ,p_delimiter            IN VARCHAR2 := CHR(10)
    ,p_replace_space        IN VARCHAR2 := '.'
IS
    v_pos_Bis               PLS_INTEGER;
    v_text                  CLOB;
    v_delimiter_found       BOOLEAN;
    v_tmp_text              VARCHAR2(2000);
BEGIN
    IF LENGTH(p_replace_space) != 1
      OR p_replace_space IS NULL
    THEN
        RAISE_APPLICATION_ERROR(-20001,'Parameter p_replace_space must have exactly one character');
    END IF;
    dbms_lob.createTemporary(v_text, TRUE);
    dbms_lob.copy(v_text,p_text,dbms_lob.getLength(p_text));
    IF dbms_lob.getLength(v_text) <= p_max_length THEN
        dbms_output.put_line(v_text);
    ELSE
        WHILE TRUE LOOP
            IF SUBSTR(v_text,1,1) = ' '
              AND p_replace_space != ' '
            THEN
--              v_tmp_text := REGEXP_REPLACE(v_text,'^ ',p_replace_space); --1)
                v_text := REGEXP_REPLACE(v_text,'^ ',p_replace_space); --2)
--              SELECT REGEXP_REPLACE(v_text,'^ ',p_replace_space) x INTO v_text FROM dual; --3)
            END IF;
            v_delimiter_found := FALSE;
            v_pos_Bis := INSTR(v_text,p_delimiter);
            IF v_pos_Bis = 0 THEN
                v_pos_Bis := INSTR(SUBSTR(v_text,1,p_max_length),' ',-1,1);
                IF v_pos_Bis = 0 THEN
                    v_pos_Bis := p_max_length;
                END IF;
            ELSE
                v_delimiter_found := TRUE;
            END IF;
            IF v_pos_Bis < dbms_lob.getLength(v_text) THEN
                IF v_delimiter_found THEN
                    dbms_output.put_line(SUBSTR(v_text,1,v_pos_Bis - LENGTH(p_delimiter) + 1)||'#');
                    v_text := SUBSTR( v_text, v_pos_Bis + LENGTH(p_delimiter));
                ELSE
                    dbms_output.put_line(SUBSTR(v_text,1,v_pos_Bis)||'#');
                    v_text := SUBSTR( v_text, v_pos_Bis + 1);
                END IF;
            ELSE
                dbms_output.put_line(v_text);
                EXIT;
            END IF;
        END LOOP;
    END IF;
    dbms_lob.freetemporary(v_text);
END pl;
/Now when I call my procedure with
EXEC pl('dflkjthcv  nkejrg  fcvnkuer  gfnckuhkjnchfkurbguzk',10);I expect the output
dflkjthcv #
.nkejrg  #
fcvnkuer  #
gfnckuhkjn#
chfkurbguz#
kBut I only get
dflkjthcv #If I uncomment the code line marked with 1) I get the correct output, though the result of this line is never used.
It also works when I use line 3) instead of 2) while 1) is commented out.
Any ideas why?
Regards
Marcus
BANNER
Oracle Database 10g Enterprise Edition Release 10.2.0.2.0 - 64bi
PL/SQL Release 10.2.0.2.0 - Production
CORE    10.2.0.2.0      Production
TNS for HPUX: Version 10.2.0.2.0 - Production
NLSRTL Version 10.2.0.2.0 - ProductionEdited by: Marwim on 08.01.2010 15:19 Replaced lt gt with !=

Answer 1

Works as you expect on 10.2.0.4
SQL >select * from v$version;
BANNER
Oracle Database 10g Enterprise Edition Release 10.2.0.4.0 - 64bi
PL/SQL Release 10.2.0.4.0 - Production
CORE    10.2.0.4.0      Production
TNS for Solaris: Version 10.2.0.4.0 - Production
NLSRTL Version 10.2.0.4.0 - Production
SQL >CREATE OR REPLACE PROCEDURE pl
  2      (
  3       p_text                 IN CLOB
  4      ,p_max_length           IN PLS_INTEGER := 255
  5      ,p_delimiter            IN VARCHAR2 := CHR(10)
  6      ,p_replace_space        IN VARCHAR2 := '.'
  7      )
  8  IS
  9      v_pos_Bis               PLS_INTEGER;
10      v_text                  CLOB;
11      v_delimiter_found       BOOLEAN;
12      v_tmp_text              VARCHAR2(2000);
13  BEGIN
14      IF LENGTH(p_replace_space) != 1
15        OR p_replace_space IS NULL
16      THEN
17          RAISE_APPLICATION_ERROR(-20001,
18          'Parameter p_replace_space must have exactly one character');
19      END IF;
20  
21      dbms_lob.createTemporary(v_text, TRUE);
22      dbms_lob.copy(v_text,p_text,dbms_lob.getLength(p_text));
23  
24      IF dbms_lob.getLength(v_text) <= p_max_length THEN
25          dbms_output.put_line(v_text);
26      ELSE
27          WHILE TRUE LOOP
28  
29             IF SUBSTR(v_text,1,1) = ' '
30               AND p_replace_space != ' '
31             THEN
32  --          v_tmp_text := REGEXP_REPLACE(v_text,'^ ',p_replace_space); --1)
33              v_text := REGEXP_REPLACE(v_text,'^ ',p_replace_space); --2)
34  --          SELECT REGEXP_REPLACE(v_text,'^ ',p_replace_space) x INTO v_text FROM dual; --3)
35             END IF;
36  
37              v_delimiter_found := FALSE;
38              v_pos_Bis := INSTR(v_text,p_delimiter);
39  
40              IF v_pos_Bis = 0 THEN
41  
42                  v_pos_Bis := INSTR(SUBSTR(v_text,1,p_max_length),' ',-1,1);
43  
44                  IF v_pos_Bis = 0 THEN
45                      v_pos_Bis := p_max_length;
46                  END IF;
47  
48              ELSE
49                  v_delimiter_found := TRUE;
50              END IF;
51  
52              IF v_pos_Bis < dbms_lob.getLength(v_text) THEN
53  
54                  IF v_delimiter_found THEN
55                      dbms_output.put_line(SUBSTR(v_text,1,v_pos_Bis - LENGTH(p_delimiter) + 1)||'#');
56                      v_text := SUBSTR( v_text, v_pos_Bis + LENGTH(p_delimiter));
57                  ELSE
58                      dbms_output.put_line(SUBSTR(v_text,1,v_pos_Bis)||'#');
59                      v_text := SUBSTR( v_text, v_pos_Bis + 1);
60                  END IF;
61  
62              ELSE
63                  dbms_output.put_line(v_text);
64                  EXIT;
65              END IF;
66  
67          END LOOP;
68      END IF;
69      dbms_lob.freetemporary(v_text);
70  END pl;
71  /
Procedura creata.
SQL >EXEC pl('dflkjthcv  nkejrg  fcvnkuer  gfnckuhkjnchfkurbguzk',10);
dflkjthcv #
.nkejrg  #
fcvnkuer  #
gfnckuhkjn#
chfkurbguz#
k
Procedura PL/SQL completata correttamente.Max
[My Italian Oracle blog|http://oracleitalia.wordpress.com/2010/01/07/creare-documenti-office-da-plsql/]