Question

Extract unique values from multiple variables

Asked by: L00M

In my package body, I've defined the function to receive the following variables:

...
orgncode1                IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL,
orgncode2                IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL,
orgncode3                IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL,
orgncode4                IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL,
orgncode5                IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL,
orgncode6                IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL,
orgncode7                IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL,
orgncode8                IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL,
orgncode9                IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL,
orgncode10               IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL,
...

These variables are coming from a web form, and the user might enter the same code on multiple lines. They might also enter different codes on each line. I need to somehow find only the unique values. So, let's say the variables are set as follows:

orgncode1 := '(12345) Some Words';
orgncode3 := '(23456) Other Words';
orgncode5 := '(34567) More Words';
orgncode6 := '(23456) Other Words';
orgncode8 := '(12345) Some Words';

There are only 3 unique (distinct) values there.
I need to somehow extract only the unique values, and then do another lookup using the number in that string. I can handle the lookup, just need help with the unique values.

Oracle Version = 10.2.0.3.0.

Thanks!

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Asked On
2009-10-19 at 09:07:37ID24824007
Topic

PL / SQL

Participating Experts
2
Points
500
Comments
7

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Answers

 

by: AndytwPosted on 2009-10-19 at 10:18:36ID: 25607064

How many "orgncodeN" parameters do you have?  I'd recommend that you pass these values to your package procedure/function as a array (PL/SQL collection type).

However, for your example the following PL/SQL code should do the job:

CREATE OR REPLACE PROCEDURE test(orgncode1  IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL,
                                 orgncode2  IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL,
                                 orgncode3  IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL,
                                 orgncode4  IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL,
                                 orgncode5  IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL,
                                 orgncode6  IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL,
                                 orgncode7  IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL,
                                 orgncode8  IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL,
                                 orgncode9  IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL,
                                 orgncode10 IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL) IS
   TYPE varcharTab IS TABLE OF VARCHAR2(32767);
 
   uniqueVals varcharTab := varcharTab();
   PROCEDURE addIfUnique(pTable    IN OUT varcharTab,
                         pNewValue VARCHAR2) IS
      lbFound BOOLEAN := FALSE;
   BEGIN
      IF pTable.count <> 0 THEN
         FOR i IN pTable.first .. pTable.last LOOP
            lbFound := pTable(i) = pNewValue OR pTable(i) IS NULL AND pNewValue IS NULL;
            EXIT WHEN lbFound;
         END LOOP;
      END IF;
      IF NOT lbFound THEN
         pTable.extend(1);
         pTable(pTable.count) := pNewValue;
      END IF;
   END addIfUnique;
 
 
BEGIN
   addIfUnique(uniqueVals, orgncode1);
   addIfUnique(uniqueVals, orgncode2);
   addIfUnique(uniqueVals, orgncode3);
   addIfUnique(uniqueVals, orgncode4);
   ...
   
   -- Test output 
   FOR i IN 1 .. uniqueVals.count LOOP 
     dbms_output.put_line( uniqueVals(i) );
   END LOOP;
END test;

                                              
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by: L00MPosted on 2009-10-19 at 10:26:38ID: 25607143

I only have the 10, and they a form fields on a web page. I have no way to pass them in as an array... at least not to my knowledge.
I'm implementing your code now and will let you know how it goes.
Thanks!

 

by: billprewPosted on 2009-10-19 at 10:29:36ID: 25607169

>> Andytw

I was headed down a similar path using VARRAY but you beat me to the punch.  

Nicely done.

~bp

 

by: L00MPosted on 2009-10-19 at 10:48:38ID: 25607338

Thanks for giving it a go billprew!

@Andytw:
I'm trying to add this to an existing package. Here's what I've done:

In the pacakge specification, I added (size of 6 is fine):

type varcharTab is table of VARCHAR2(6);
AND:
PROCEDURE addIfUnique(pTable IN OUT varcharTab, pNewValue VARCHAR2);

In the package body specification I've added the code below. I've clipped out irrelevant code.

However, it's failing on the call to the procedure with the error "PLS-00306: wrong number or types of arguments in call to 'ADDIFUNIQUE'"

I'm guessing I'm wiring it up incorrectly....

  PROCEDURE p_mainform(submit                   IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL,
                       orgncode1                IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL, 
                       orgncode2                IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL, 
                       orgncode3                IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL, 
                       orgncode4                IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL, 
                       orgncode5                IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL, 
                       orgncode6                IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL, 
                       orgncode7                IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL, 
                       orgncode8                IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL, 
                       orgncode9                IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL, 
                       orgncode10               IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL, 
                       )
  IS
  TYPE varcharTab IS TABLE OF VARCHAR2(6);
  uniqueVals varcharTab := varcharTab();
  BEGIN
...
        addIfUnique(uniqueVals, orgncode1);
        ...
        addIfUnique(uniqueVals, orgncode10);
END;
 
Outside of that procedure, I've added your procedure:
 
    PROCEDURE addIfUnique(pTable IN OUT varcharTab, pNewValue VARCHAR2) 
    IS
    lbFound BOOLEAN := FALSE;
    BEGIN
...
    END;

                                              
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by: AndytwPosted on 2009-10-19 at 11:17:20ID: 25607629

L00M:  The reason you get that error is that because when you declare the TYPE varcharTab, it is local to that PL/SQL block in which it's declared.  PL/SQL isn't clever enough to know that when you call the function and pass in what is effectively the same data-type (e.g. TABLE OF VARCHAR(6) that they're the same.  Hence you get the PLS-00306 error.  

The solution is to declare "varcharTab" in the scope of the package, like this:

CREATE OR REPLACE PACKAGE test_pck IS
  TYPE varcharTab IS TABLE OF VARCHAR2(6);
  
  PROCEDURE p_mainform(... );
  PROCEDURE addIfUnique(pTable IN OUT varcharTab, 
                        ... );
  ...
END test_pck;

                                              
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by: L00MPosted on 2009-10-19 at 11:40:07ID: 25607809

Ahhh, the classic scope issue.
Ok, I moved it to the package scope just as you show above. But now I'm not sure where to put:

  uniqueVals varcharTab := varcharTab();

I still have the type definition in the package spec. And I 've added it to the procedure scope, and I get the error:

PLS-00371: at most one declaration for 'VARCHARTAB' is permitted

If I add it at the global scope, I get the same error, and if I remove that line, I get the expected:

PLS-00201: identifier 'UNIQUEVALS' must be declared

Thanks for your help.

 

by: L00MPosted on 2009-10-19 at 12:52:18ID: 25608359

Ok, I got it. I put both those lines in the package spec instead of the body.
Working great!
Thanks so much!

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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