User-defined datatypes as IN variables in stored procedures

Question

Hello,
I'm trying to write a stored procedure which will accept a custom data type as an IN variable. Using the information here: http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/B10501_01/appdev.920/a96624/05_colls.htm I've set up a procedure which looks like this:
CREATE OR REPLACE PROCEDURE EDEPOSIT.merch_acct_proc_method_insert
     arg_ALL_PROC_METHODS          IN proc_array
IS
     TYPE proc_array IS TABLE OF VARCHAR2 INDEX BY VARCHAR2;
BEGIN
     arg_METHOD := arg_ALL_PROC_METHODS.first;
     while (arg_METHOD is not null)
     loop
          --processing code
     end loop;
END;
but I'm running into a problem where it seems that the data type needs to be defined before the parameters block (Error(3,27): PLS-00201: identifier 'PROC_ARRAY' must be declared), but a DECLARE block won't co-exist with the CREATE OR REPLACE command (PLS-00103: Encountered the symbol "CREATE" when expecting one of the following: begin function pragma procedure subtype type <an identifier>).
What am I missing?
Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

Hi,
Welcome to the forum!
877369 wrote:
... CREATE OR REPLACE PROCEDURE EDEPOSIT.merch_acct_proc_method_insert
     arg_ALL_PROC_METHODS          IN proc_array
IS
     TYPE proc_array IS TABLE OF VARCHAR2 INDEX BY VARCHAR2;
BEGIN
     arg_METHOD := arg_ALL_PROC_METHODS.first;
     while (arg_METHOD is not null)
     loop
          --processing code
     end loop;
END;
but I'm running into a problem where it seems that the data type needs to be defined before the parameters block (Error(3,27): PLS-00201: identifier 'PROC_ARRAY' must be declared), but a DECLARE block won't co-exist with the CREATE OR REPLACE command (PLS-00103: Encountered the symbol "CREATE" when expecting one of the following: begin function pragma procedure subtype type <an identifier>).I'm not sure what you mean by "parameters block".
Whoever is going to call the procedure will have to create a proc_array first. If proc_array is defined inside the procedure, then it can't be referenced from outside the procedure.
A common way to define types is to do so in a package. Procedures normally belong to pacages anyway. You can define a TYPE and a procedure that uses it in the same package, like this:
CREATE OR REPLACE PACKAGE     merch_acct_pkg
AS
TYPE proc_array IS TABLE OF VARCHAR2 (30) INDEX BY VARCHAR2 (30);
PROCEDURE merch_acct_proc_method_insert
     arg_ALL_PROC_METHODS     IN     proc_array
END     merch_acct_pkg;
SHOW ERRORS
CREATE OR REPLACE PACKAGE BODY     merch_acct_pkg
AS
PROCEDURE merch_acct_proc_method_insert
arg_ALL_PROC_METHODS IN proc_array
IS
BEGIN
     arg_METHOD := arg_ALL_PROC_METHODS.first;
     while (arg_METHOD is not null)
     loop
          --processing code
     end loop;
     dbms_output.put_line ('Hello');
END     merch_acct_proc_method_insert;
END     merch_acct_pkg;
SHOW ERRORSYou can call the procedure like this:DECLARE
     foo     merch_acct_pkg.proc_array;
BEGIN
     merch_acct_pkg.merch_acct_proc_method_insert (foo);
END;
/