Use of variable to generate a report

Question

Hi,
Can anyone help!
I've created a selection list with submit, which displays a list of applications, the return value is the name of the remote database table which holds exceptions associated to the chosen application. This is in a html region called Database Selection and the return is P4_APPLICATIONS (e.g. aps_monitor_excp_codes@eds.
I then have a report in a region called Exceptions which must used the supplied database name in the from. Here is the source, when I change the table variable back to a literal it works so the problem must be with how or where I'm using the variable.
declare
v_return varchar2(4000);
begin
v_return := 'Select SortOrder, ExceptionSequence, DateStamp, Priority, ProcessID, ExceptionCode, ShortMsg, FullDesc, ProcessName, ExceptionObject, ErrorDetails, Action, apex_item.checkbox(1,Acknowledged, decode(Acknowledged,''Y'',''CHECKED'',Null)) Acknowledged
from (SELECT upper(nvl(a.exception_acknowledged_yn,''N'')) SortOrder,
a.exception_sequence_number ExceptionSequence,
a.exception_timestamp DateStamp,
decode(b.priority, ''A'', ''HIGH'', ''B'', ''MEDIUM'', ''C'', ''LOW'', ''D'', ''INFO'', ''UNKNOWN'') Priority,
a.unix_pid ProcessID,
a.exception_code ExceptionCode,
htf.escape_sc(b.short_exception_message) ShortMsg,
htf.escape_sc(b.full_description) FullDesc,
a.process_name ProcessName,
a.exception_object ExceptionObject,
htf.escape_sc(a.exception_detail) ErrorDetails,
htf.escape_sc(b.action) Action,
upper(nvl(a.exception_acknowledged_yn,''N'')) Acknowledged
FROM :P4_APPLICATIONS a, monitor_excp_codes@eds b
WHERE a.exception_code = b.exception_code (+))
order by 1, 2 desc';
return v_return;
end;
Any help would be appreciated, if I have to ask my colleagues I'll get a blonde joke!
Thanks
Becks

Answer 1

You can't use bind variables in place of table names in SQL. Change it to:
...FROM ' || :P4_APPLICATIONS || 'a ...
Scott