Using user-defined data types in Forms 6i

Question

When I use the following code in Oracle Forms 6i
PROCEDURE test IS
prcl prcl_ty;
BEGIN
prcl := prcl.setParcel('xxx-xx-xxxx');
END;
I get 'Error 801'. However the above does work in SQL editor. The online help says PL/SQL8 client-side program units cannot support Oracle 8 object-related functionality and I suspect this is the reason I get the error from Forms. Is there a work-around for this.
The TYPE is defined as:
CREATE OR REPLACE
TYPE PRCL_TY AS OBJECT
(parcel VARCHAR2(11),
MEMBER FUNCTION getBook RETURN VARCHAR2,
MEMBER FUNCTION getMap RETURN VARCHAR2,
MEMBER FUNCTION getItem RETURN VARCHAR2,
MEMBER FUNCTION getItem_NS RETURN VARCHAR2,
MEMBER FUNCTION getSplit      RETURN VARCHAR2,
MEMBER FUNCTION find RETURN VARCHAR2,
MEMBER FUNCTION find (yr in VARCHAR2) RETURN VARCHAR2,
MEMBER FUNCTION isValid RETURN BOOLEAN,
MEMBER FUNCTION toString                     RETURN VARCHAR2,
MEMBER FUNCTION toString (par IN VARCHAR2) RETURN VARCHAR2,
STATIC FUNCTION setParcel (istr IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT '000-00-000A') RETURN prcl_ty) -- to be used as a constructor
NOT FINAL
CREATE OR REPLACE
TYPE BODY PRCL_TY AS
MEMBER FUNCTION getBook RETURN VARCHAR2 IS
BEGIN
return substr(self.parcel,1,3);
END;
MEMBER FUNCTION getMap RETURN VARCHAR2 IS
BEGIN
return substr(self.parcel,4,2);
END;
MEMBER FUNCTION getItem RETURN VARCHAR2 IS
BEGIN
return substr(self.parcel,6);
END;
MEMBER FUNCTION getItem_NS RETURN VARCHAR2 IS
BEGIN
return substr(self.parcel,6,3);
END;
MEMBER FUNCTION getSplit RETURN VARCHAR2 IS
BEGIN
return substr(self.parcel,9,1);
END;
MEMBER FUNCTION find RETURN VARCHAR2 IS
found varchar2(1);
BEGIN
begin
select 'x'
     into found
     from casrp
     where cp_book_num = self.getBook
     and cp_map_num = self.getMap
     and cp_item_num = self.getItem
          and rownum = 1;
     return 'CASRP';
     exception
     when NO_DATA_FOUND then
     begin
select 'x'
     into found
     from pro_prop
     where pp_book_num = self.getBook
     and pp_map_num = self.getMap
     and pp_item_num = self.getItem
          and rownum = 1
          and NOT EXISTS (select 'x'
                              from cncl_prcl
                              where cr_book_num = self.getBook
                              and cr_book_num = self.getMap
                                   and cr_book_num = self.getItem
                                   and rownum = 1);
     return 'PRO_PROP';
     exception
     when NO_DATA_FOUND then
          return '';
     end;
end;
END;
MEMBER FUNCTION find (yr IN VARCHAR2) RETURN VARCHAR2 IS
found varchar2(1);
BEGIN
begin
select 'x'
     into found
     from casrp
     where cp_book_num = self.getBook
     and cp_map_num = self.getMap
     and cp_item_num = self.getItem
          and cp_tax_yr = yr
          and rownum = 1;
     return 'CASRP';
     exception
     when NO_DATA_FOUND then
     begin
select 'x'
     into found
     from pro_prop
     where pp_book_num = self.getBook
     and pp_map_num = self.getMap
     and pp_item_num = self.getItem
          and pp_tax_yr = yr
          and rownum = 1
          and NOT EXISTS (select 'x'
                              from cncl_prcl
                              where cr_book_num = self.getBook
                              and cr_book_num = self.getMap
                                   and cr_book_num = self.getItem
                                   and cr_tax_yr = yr
                                   and rownum = 1);
     return 'PRO_PROP';
     exception
     when NO_DATA_FOUND then
          return '';
     end;
end;
END;
MEMBER FUNCTION isValid RETURN BOOLEAN IS
i number;
BEGIN
for i in 1..8 loop
     if substr(parcel,i,1) not between '0' and '9' then
     return FALSE;
     end if;
     end loop;
     if nvl(substr(parcel,9,1),'#') not between 'A' and 'Z' and
     nvl(substr(parcel,9,1),'#') != '#' then
     return FALSE;
     end if;
     return TRUE;
END;
MEMBER FUNCTION toString RETURN VARCHAR2 IS
BEGIN
return self.toString('-');
END;
MEMBER FUNCTION toString (par IN VARCHAR2) RETURN VARCHAR2 IS
BEGIN
return self.getBook||par|| self.getMap||par|| self.getItem;
END;
STATIC FUNCTION setParcel (istr IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT '000-00-000A') RETURN prcl_ty IS
len number;
pos number;
     lastch varchar2(1);
temp varchar2(30);
invalid_format exception;
     pragma exception_init(invalid_format,-9001);
BEGIN
temp := upper(istr);
-- Find 1st occurance of '-'. If not in correct postion, pad book num with zeros.
     pos := instr(temp,'-',1,1);
if pos > 0 then
     if pos != 4 then
temp := lpad(substr(temp,1,pos-1),3,'0')||substr(temp,pos);
     end if;
-- Find 2nd occurance of '-'. If not in correct postion, pad map num with zeros.
     pos := instr(temp,'-',1,2);
     if pos != 7 then
temp := substr(temp,1,4)||lpad(substr(temp,5,1),2,'0')||substr(temp,pos);
     end if;
     -- Pad item num
     len := length(temp);
     lastch := substr(temp,len);
     temp := substr(temp,1,7)||lpad(substr(temp,8,len-1),3,'0');
     if lastch between 'A' and 'Z' then
          temp := temp||lastch;
     end if;
end if;
temp := replace(temp,'-','');
     if prcl_ty(temp).isValid then
return (prcl_ty(temp));
     else
     raise invalid_format;
     end if;
END;
END;
Rich Hall
[email protected]

Answer 1

You are correct in your assumptions. Client side PLSQL does not support user defined types like the one you are trying to use.
There are no workarounds I am afraid.