External functions

[CIMTEET]

Is there a way to call external functions from another pl/sql script besides packages? Say I have a single plsql file that multiple scripts call to use its functions, or something of hte like. I KNOW that ideally packages would be the way BUT, does anybody know a work around?

Greg

 

[SantaMufasa]

Greg,

If you do not want to use an Oracle PACKAGE, and you wish to access a FUNCTION from multiple venues, you can use a user-define FUNCTION. Here is a contrived example:

SQL> CREATE or REPLACE FUNCTION tomorrow return date is
  2  begin
  3      return sysdate+1;
  4  end;
  5  /

Function created.

SQL> select tomorrow from dual;

TOMORROW
---------
12-JUL-07

Is this what you meant? (If I totally missed the point of your post, please re-state in simpler terms for dimwits like me.)

Mufasa
(aka Dave of Sandy, Utah, USA)
[I provide low-cost, remote Database Administration services: www.dasages.com]

 

[CIMTEET]

I think thats it. So if program 'a' wants to call a function from program 'b' this is how you do it?

 

[SantaMufasa]

In Oracle, the closest thing we have to a program is a script. Scripts can contain:

* SQL statements
* anonymous blocks of PL/SQL code
* package definitions
* function definitions
* procedure definitions
* et cetera

So, in the Oracle World, if you have a function definition, then other scripts, procedures, packages and functions can call that function only if it appears in either a:

* package header and body, or
* user-defined function (as I have specified, above).

Let us know if this answers your question.

Mufasa
(aka Dave of Sandy, Utah, USA)
[I provide low-cost, remote Database Administration services: www.dasages.com]