Re: Passing in NULL via SQL ACCEPT

This is because SQLPlus does the substitution before executing the block, and thus the entered value is inserted into the code as a literal, not as a bind variable.

eg,

accept x prompt 'Enter x:'

begin
  if &&x = 2 then
    do_something;
  end if;
end;

If the user enters 100, then the block becomes:

begin
  if 100 = 2 then
    do_something;
  end if;
end;

However, if the user doesn't enter anything, x is replaced with nothing, leaving the block as:

begin
  if = 2 then
    do_something;
  end if;
end;

which produces an execution error.

One way around this is to ensure there's always a correct argument in that position, eg:

begin
  if '&&x' = '2' then
    do_something;
  end if;
end;

For null entry, this would give:

begin
  if '' = '2' then
    do_something;
  end if;
end;

which works.

HTH -a

>>> Bill.Magaliff_at_lendware.com 14/3/2002 1:43:24 >>>
This message has been scanned by MAILSweeper.

I'm writing an anonymous PL/SQL block that accepts various input from SQL*Plus via ACCEPT commands. I then take the SQL input and use it in the block, usually by assigning it to a PL/SQL variable.

If no value is specified on the ACCEPT line, it appears that nothing is passed into PL/SQL, not even NULL. I tried using NVL(&&variable,0) to reassign the supposed NULL to a 0, but the program returns an error that nothing exists in place of &&variable.

Any ideas how to catch this null, which I want to be a viable option (e.g., if the &&varible is NULL then perform certain operations).

Thanks much

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Author: Magaliff, Bill
  INET: Bill.Magaliff_at_lendware.com 

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