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Question and Answer

Connor McDonald

Thanks for the question, Marek.

Asked: November 30, 2022 - 8:10 am UTC

Last updated: December 01, 2022 - 4:52 am UTC

Version: 19.17.0.1.0

Viewed 1000+ times

You Asked

Hi

I use this table function for string split (a space is used as a separator)


create or replace FUNCTION fmv_space_to_table(p_list IN VARCHAR2)
RETURN fmv_test_type
AS
l_string VARCHAR2(32767) := p_list || ' ';
l_comma_index PLS_INTEGER;
l_index PLS_INTEGER := 1;
l_tab fmv_test_type := fmv_test_type();
BEGIN
LOOP
l_comma_index := INSTR(l_string, ' ', l_index);
EXIT
WHEN l_comma_index = 0;
l_tab.EXTEND;
l_tab(l_tab.COUNT) := TRIM(SUBSTR(l_string,
l_index,
l_comma_index - l_index
)
);
l_index := l_comma_index + 1;
END LOOP;
RETURN l_tab;
END fmv_space_to_table;


The table function works fine:

select * from table( fmv_space_to_table( 'A2345 123456 7890 2344'))


Output:
A2345
123456
7890
2344

When table function "fmv_space_to_table" is used in a query with only number values, it works fine

e.g.
...
s.productnumber IN ( select * from table( fmv_space_to_table( '123456 7890')) )


When table function "fmv_space_to_table" is used in a query with letter + number values, it doesn't work

e.g.

...
s.productnumber IN ( select * from table( fmv_space_to_table( 'A2345')) )

Error:
ORA-00904: "A2345": ungültige ID


cause of error:

my table function returns as output: A2345


but in this case is needed: 'A2345'


Question:

How can the table function "fmv_space_to_table" be extended so that it can also be used with letters + numbers Values?









and Connor said...

I suspect you have either a datatype mismatch or you are forgetting to add the quotes


SQL> create or replace FUNCTION fmv_space_to_table(p_list IN VARCHAR2)
  2  RETURN sys.odcivarchar2list
  3  AS
  4  l_string VARCHAR2(32767) := p_list || ' ';
  5  l_comma_index PLS_INTEGER;
  6  l_index PLS_INTEGER := 1;
  7  l_tab sys.odcivarchar2list := sys.odcivarchar2list();
  8  BEGIN
  9  LOOP
 10  l_comma_index := INSTR(l_string, ' ', l_index);
 11  EXIT
 12  WHEN l_comma_index = 0;
 13  l_tab.EXTEND;
 14  l_tab(l_tab.COUNT) := TRIM(SUBSTR(l_string,
 15  l_index,
 16  l_comma_index - l_index
 17  )
 18  );
 19  l_index := l_comma_index + 1;
 20  END LOOP;
 21  RETURN l_tab;
 22  END fmv_space_to_table;
 23  /

Function created.

SQL>
SQL>
SQL> select * from table( fmv_space_to_table( 'A2345 123456 7890 2344'));

COLUMN_VALUE
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A2345
123456
7890
2344

4 rows selected.

SQL>
SQL> select * from table( fmv_space_to_table( 'A2345'));

COLUMN_VALUE
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A2345

1 row selected.

SQL>
SQL> select * from emp
  2  where ename in ( select * from table( fmv_space_to_table( 'A2345')) );

no rows selected

SQL>
SQL> select * from emp
  2  where empno in ( select * from table( fmv_space_to_table( 'A2345')) );
where empno in ( select * from table( fmv_space_to_table( 'A2345')) )
                        *
ERROR at line 2:
ORA-01722: invalid number


SQL>
SQL>
SQL> select * from emp
  2  where empno in ( select * from table( fmv_space_to_table( A2345)) );
where empno in ( select * from table( fmv_space_to_table( A2345)) )
                                                          *
ERROR at line 2:
ORA-00904: "A2345": invalid identifier


SQL>
SQL>


If its the last case, this suggests the query is being built dynamically ... you want to be very careful of that. Opens up lots of security risks.

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Comments

Or, if you want to do in SQL

Ray H, December 01, 2022 - 11:11 am UTC

Assuming your input string is: ABCD EFGH IJKL MNOP 1234 5678

SELECT REGEXP_SUBSTR('ABCD EFGH IJKL MNOP 1234 5678', '[^ ]+', 1, LEVEL) AS STRING_TO_TAB
FROM   DUAL
CONNECT BY LEVEL <= REGEXP_COUNT('ABCD EFGH IJKL MNOP 1234 5678', ' ') + 1;


gives:

ABCD
EFGH
IJKL
MNOP
1234
5678
more

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