VARRY error in PLSQL BLOCK

Question

Hi ALL,
I trying to write plsql anonymous block to return the name of all the employees who belongs to a specific department .
I am writing below script for this and getting the error where as the same logic if i use only in a function instead of creating it
within a procedure , i am not getting any error .. Please help me to fix this issue .
Script :
SET SERVEROUTPUT ON
DECLARE
v_te varchar2(20);
TYPE EMPARRAY is VARRAY(20) OF VARCHAR2(30);
FUNCTION getEmpArray (p_no IN NUMBER)
RETURN EMPARRAY
AS
l_data EmpArray := EmpArray();
CURSOR c_emp
IS
SELECT ename FROM scott.EMP
where deptno=p_no;
BEGIN
FOR emp_rec IN c_emp LOOP
l_data.extend;
l_data(l_data.count) := emp_rec.ename;
END LOOP;
END;
begin
SELECT getEmpArray (10)
INTO v_te
FROM dual;
dbms_output.put_line(v_te);
end;

Answer 1

user4199159 wrote:
If this is working with a function without putting it in any anonymous block ....then is this not working in a anonymous block .
Like this :
RETURN SUBSTR(l_data,7);
SELECT getEmpArray FROM dual;
It looks like you are missing too many concepts of PL/SQL. I suggest you to start reading the documentation before practicing and memorizing wrong ways to approach things like VARRAY and collections.
What exactly do you expect Oracle to retrieve from SUBSTR(VARRAY_variable, 7)? Substr of a string isn't same as substr of VARRAY. It is completely incorrect.
The select statement does not work because the function expects a parameter.
This is an example I tested at my database, becauseot have scott and other databases installed
create table test_table (col number);
insert into test_table
select level from dual connect by level <= 5;
CREATE OR REPLACE TYPE emparray is VARRAY(20) OF VARCHAR2(30);
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION getEmpArray (p_no IN NUMBER default 0)
RETURN EMPARRAY
AS
l_data emparray := emparray();
CURSOR c_emp IS SELECT col FROM test_table;
BEGIN
FOR emp_rec IN c_emp LOOP
l_data.extend;
l_data(l_data.count) := emp_rec.col;
end loop;
return l_data;
--RETURN SUBSTR(l_data,7);
END;
select getemparray(1) from dual;
GETEMPARRAY(1)
FDL_BAU.EMPARRAY(1,2,3,4,5)
select getemparray from dual;
GETEMPARRAY
XXX.EMPARRAY(1,2,3,4,5)