Return Code to UNIX from Procedure Package

Question

I've found examples where a 1-byte RC can be picked up by a UNIX shell script (in $?) but they involve a PL/SQL block and bind variable in the script itself. It appears I cannot use a bind variable in a Package because the compile fails (PLS-00049: bad bind variable). UNIX does find a RC value when I use RAISE_APPLICATION_ERROR( (-20000-744) - v_rc_255, 'Abnormal Termination.' ); where v_rc_255 is a PLS_INTEGER with value 255, but the value is not 255! Sometimes it is zero, other times 7.
Is there a practical way I can signal "Abnormal Termination" from any PL/SQL Package's Procedures/Functions to UNIX so I can send my shell script down the appropriate path?

Answer 1

I believe that the only way to do what you propose is to use bind variables in your script. This is not necessarily a problem, however. Note that in UNIX, you must insure that the return value is between 0 and 255 (since there is only 1 byte of storage for return variables).
Consider the following simple example:
create a simple test procedure (or package, or function) which can raise a user-defined error:
SQL> create or replace procedure test(inval IN number) is
2 begin
3 if inval = 0 then return;
4 else raise_application_error(-20102,'My error');
5 end if;
6 end test;
7 /
Note that RAISE_APPLICATION_ERROR must return a value between -20000 and -20999
In your shell script, create a bind variable and wrap your call to the procedure in a PL/SQL block with an exception handler. For example, I have created a shell script called mytest.sh:
#!/bin/ksh
sqlplus -s <<-EOF
scott/tiger
var retvar number;
begin
test($1);
:retvar := 0;
exception
when others then
:retvar := ABS(sqlcode) - 20000;
end;
exit :retvar
EOF
retval=$?
echo retval=$retval
From a UNIX shell prompt, execute the script with an argument of 0; a value of 0 is returned (normal completion)
Execute the script with any other value and a value of 102 is returned (note that we had to perform a calculation on sqlcode to insure that the value was between 0 and 255).
Hopefully this makes sense.