Example
SYS_REFCURSOR can be used as a return type when you need to easily handle a list returned not from a table, but more specifically from a function:
function returning a cursor
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION list_of (required_type_in IN VARCHAR2)
RETURN SYS_REFCURSOR
IS
v_ SYS_REFCURSOR;
BEGIN
CASE required_type_in
WHEN 'CATS'
THEN
OPEN v_ FOR
SELECT nickname FROM (
select 'minou' nickname from dual
union all select 'minâ' from dual
union all select 'minon' from dual
);
WHEN 'DOGS'
THEN
OPEN v_ FOR
SELECT dog_call FROM (
select 'bill' dog_call from dual
union all select 'nestor' from dual
union all select 'raoul' from dual
);
END CASE;
-- Whit this use, you must not close the cursor.
RETURN v_;
END list_of;
/
and how to use it:
DECLARE
v_names SYS_REFCURSOR;
v_ VARCHAR2 (32767);
BEGIN
v_names := list_of('CATS');
LOOP
FETCH v_names INTO v_;
EXIT WHEN v_names%NOTFOUND;
DBMS_OUTPUT.put_line(v_);
END LOOP;
-- here you close it
CLOSE v_names;
END;
/
