what is a "module" in the context of DBMS_APPLICATION_INFO.SET_MODULE?

hi group,

first off, thanks to Steve Howard and DA Morgan for helping me out on my last post. much appreciated.

my question today refers to these statements in the oracle documentation for DBMS_APPLICATION_INFO:
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/B28359_01/appdev.111/b28419/d_appinf.htm [emphasis mine]:

      "Application developers can use the DBMS_APPLICATION_INFO package with Oracle Trace and the SQL trace facility to record names of executing _modules_ ..."

      "..Your applications should set the name of the module and name of the action automatically each time a user enters that _module_ ..."

i assume that the use of the word "module" there is used in the general sql sense (referring to an object that contains sql statements, routines or procedures). or does the word "module" have a different meaning in oracle?

i'm a little unsure because of the following use of DBMS_APPLICATION_INFO.SET_MODULE in a procedure named "foo". "foo" is a small part of a large application whose overall purpose is to _transfer_ information between various systems:

  CREATE or replace PROCEDURE foo (
  name VARCHAR2,
  salary NUMBER,
  manager NUMBER,
  title VARCHAR2,
  commission NUMBER,
  department NUMBER) AS

  session_id NUMBER := ...;

  BEGIN
  DBMS_APPLICATION_INFO.SET_MODULE(
    module_name => 'TRANSFER',
    action_name => 'session_id');
    ...
  END; i want to understand the pl/sql to as detailed a level as i can; because i'm writing some java code that calls "foo" and other "modules" in the application. but unfortunately, the original pl/sql coder is long gone. (btw - if its not already obvious - i'm not a pl/sql coder by profession. i'm a java man ;¬) ).

i think i know what's going on. but going by the examples at http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/B28359_01/appdev.111/b28419/d_appinf.htm, the intent of the original coder's use of DBMS_APPLICATION_INFO.SET_MODULE would have been clearer to me if his code did something like:   ...
  DBMS_APPLICATION_INFO.SET_MODULE(
    module_name => 'foo',
    action_name => 'does something to foo data');    ...

so, my questions are:

1. what does "module" refer to in the context of DBMS_APPLICATION_INFO.SET_MODULE?
2. why do you think the original pl/sql coder did "module_name => 'TRANSFER'" & "action_name => 'session_id'" instead of "module_name => 'foo'" & "action_name => 'does something to foo data'"?

thanks in advance for your help. Received on Sun Jul 20 2008 - 03:42:21 CDT