Tables in a different schema not visible from function

Question

I'm getting a really weird error in a function that I wrote. I have user "A" who has access to schemas for users "B" and "C". I need to update a table in schema "B" with data from schema "C". So, I created a function that selects information from a table in schema "B", uses that information to find the data of interest in schema "C" and then I update the table in schema "B" with the information I just looked up in schema "C". Clear so far?
Anyway, when I try to create the function (I"m using SQLPLUS for all of this) I get an error message that the tables I am referencing in schema's "B" and "C" do not exist. However, if I modify the function so that I select a column that doesn't exists from a table in schema "B", then I get an error pointing this out to me. So, it seems weird that I have enough visibility into schemas "B" and "C" to know if I am accessing data by the correct column names, but when the column names are correct, I get an error message saying "table or view does not exist". I am in my development environment, and user "A" is granted the "DBA" role.
So, here is my function. Note that I have qualified the table names with the schema owner (i.e. B.KPF_FOLDER_ITEMS) Any tips would be greatly appreciated. Database is 9i
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION migrate RETURN number
IS
     v_parent_item_id           number(6);
     v_item_id               number(6);
     v_line_Item_id          number(6);
     -- variables for holding data returned from the actual product tables
     v_parent_item_number     varchar2(100);
     v_color_code          varchar2(100);     
CURSOR folderProducts IS
     SELECT ITEM_ID as PRODUCT_PARENT_ITEM_ID, COLOR_ITEM_ID as ITEM_ITEM_ID, LINE_ITEM_ID as LINE_ITEM_ID
     FROM B.KPF_FOLDER_ITEMS
     WHERE table_prefix = 'STRL';
BEGIN
     OPEN folderProducts;
     LOOP
          FETCH folderProducts INTO v_parent_item_id, v_item_id, v_line_item_id;
          EXIT WHEN folderProducts%NOTFOUND;
          -- get the product number
          SELECT BLAH.PARENT_ITEM_NUMBERX INTO v_parent_item_number
          FROM C.STRL_PRODUCTS BLAH
          WHERE BLAH.PARENT_ITEM_ID = v_parent_item_id;
          -- now get the color code
          SELECT ITEM.COLOR_FINISH_CODE INTO v_color_code
          FROM C.STRL_ITEMS ITEM
          WHERE ITEM.ITEM_ID = v_item_id;
          -- now, update the record in the kpf_folder_items table
          UPDATE B.KPF_FOLDER_ITEMS
          SET PRODUCT_NUMBER = v_parent_item_number,
               COLOR_CODE = v_color_code
          WHERE LINE_ITEM_ID = v_line_item_id;
     END LOOP;
     CLOSE folderProducts;
END;
Edited by: user10219585 on Sep 3, 2008 11:30 AM correctly identified the schema for one of the tables.
Edited by: user10219585 on Sep 3, 2008 11:31 AM

Answer 1

Stored objects with DEFINER rights (default for stored objects) ignore role based privileges. Make sure SP owner is directly (not via role) granted privileges on objects in other schema.
SY.