Unit test with Dynamic Value Query

Question

Hi,
I am planing a function which should return a table name for a given ROWID. The ROWID will be selected from a view. Now I am trying to setup a unit test which consists of Startup and Teardown Process as well as a Dynamic Value Query. During Startup Process one dataset is inserted in a table which is part of a view definition. The dataset should be selected during Dynamic Value Query. However I am getting the following error message: Unable to run the test because no rows were returned by the dynamic query. Is there the possibility that within a Dynamic Value Query I can't make use of datasets which where inserted by a Startup Process? I am asking because the selection outside the unit testing framework supplies the dataset as expected.
SQL Developer: 3.2.20.09 Build MAIN-09.87
Java: 1.6.0_45
Regards.

Answer 1

Dynamic SQL is very tricky.  Since you can get the data outside your application extract and test the dynamic SQL as it is generated.  When working with dynamic SQL I find it useful to first generate the SQL text as a string and then if necessary store it in a table (CLOB type) for later reference.  Because of the uncertainty of obtaining bind variable values later I prefer to hard-code such values into dynamic SQL - possibly slightly less efficient for Oracle at run time but a lot easier to work with when debugging and tuning (again, apart from the built-in inefficiency of not using bind variables)  I usually find the overhead of the hard-coded values not too bad and the ability to know the data values at a glance useful.  I also find it useful to write dynamic SQL in such a way so that the resulting statement can be pasted in to any normal SQL tool (SQL*PLUS, SQL*Developer) and run without any editing.
There may be some quirk in the generated dynamic SQL preventing it from finding anything.
Good luck.