PLV: Top-Level Constants and Functions

The PLV (PL/Vision) package provides a single collection point for constants and basic functions used throughout the PL/Vision library of packages. See PLV: Top-Level Constants and Functions for details.

PL/Vision constants

• dbtab CONSTANT VARCHAR2(2) := 'DB';
• pstab CONSTANT VARCHAR2(2) := 'PS';
• file CONSTANT VARCHAR2(2) := 'F';
• string CONSTANT VARCHAR2(2) := 'S';
• stdout CONSTANT VARCHAR2(2) := 'SO';
• Names of different repositories supported within PL/Vision. These are mostly used by PLVio and by users of PLVio to set up the source and target repositories for PL/SQL code.
• c_datemask CONSTANT VARCHAR2(100) :=
• 'FMMonth DD, YYYY FMHH24:MI:SS'
• The default date format mask for PL/Vision.

Anchoring datatypes

• plsql_identifier VARCHAR2(100) := 'IRRELEVANT';
• max_varchar2 VARCHAR2(32767) := 'IRRELEVANT';
• vcmax_len CONSTANT INTEGER := 32767;
• The plsql_identifier variable offers a standard format for the declaration of any variables that will hold PL/SQL identifiers, such as table and column names.

  The max_varchar2 variable offers a standard format for the declaration of any variables that require the maximum possible size for VARCHAR2 variables, which is 32,767 bytes and also reflected by the value of the vcmax_len constant.

Setting the date format mask

• PROCEDURE set_datemask (datemask_in IN VARCHAR2 := c_datemask);
• Sets the string used as the default date format mask within PL/Vision.
• FUNCTION datemask RETURN VARCHAR2;
• Returns the string used as the default date format mask within PL/Vision.

Setting the NULL substitution value

• PROCEDURE set_nullval (nullval_in IN VARCHAR2);
• Sets the string used as the substitution value for NULLs within PL/Vision.
• FUNCTION nullval RETURN VARCHAR2;
• Returns the current NULL substitution value.

Assertion routines

• assertion_failure EXCEPTION;
• Exception raised by the various assertion routines when the assertion fails.
• PROCEDURE assert (bool_in IN BOOLEAN, stg_in IN VARCHAR2 := NULL);
• Does nothing if the Boolean argument evaluates to TRUE. Otherwise (for FALSE or NULL), it raises the assertion_failure exception and displays the message.

This same behavior holds for the other assertion routines shown below.

• PROCEDURE assert_notnull
• (val_in IN VARCHAR2, stg_in IN VARCHAR2 := NULL);
• PROCEDURE assert_notnull
• (val_in IN DATE, stg_in IN VARCHAR2 := NULL);
• PROCEDURE assert_notnull
• (val_in IN NUMBER, stg_in IN VARCHAR2 := NULL);
• PROCEDURE assert_notnull
• (val_in IN BOOLEAN, stg_in IN VARCHAR2 := NULL);
• Overloadings for the NOT NULL assertion logic.
• PROCEDURE assert_inrange
• (val_in IN DATE,
• start_in IN DATE := SYSDATE, end_in IN DATE := SYSDATE+1,
• stg_in IN VARCHAR2 := NULL, truncate_in IN BOOLEAN := TRUE);
• PROCEDURE assert_inrange
• (val_in IN NUMBER, start_in IN NUMBER, end_in IN NUMBER,
• stg_in IN VARCHAR2 := NULL);
• Overloadings of "in range" assertions for both date and numeric information.

Miscellaneous programs

• FUNCTION boolstg (bool_in IN BOOLEAN, stg_in IN VARCHAR2 := NULL)
• RETURN VARCHAR2;
• Returns a string representing the value of the Boolean argument: TRUE if the Boolean argument is TRUE, FALSE if FALSE, and NULL if NULL.
• FUNCTION errm (code_in IN INTEGER := SQLCODE) RETURN VARCHAR2;
• Returns the error message provided by SQLERRM. Encapsulation inside this function allows SQLERRM to be referenced inside a SQL statement.
• FUNCTION now RETURN VARCHAR2;
• Returns the current date and time using the current PL/Vision date format mask.
• PROCEDURE pause (secs_in IN INTEGER);
• Pauses your PL/SQL program for the specified number of seconds.