Using %TYPE in variable declarations v15

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Often, variables are declared in SPL programs that are used to hold values from tables in the database. To ensure compatibility between the table columns and the SPL variables, make sure their data types are the same.

However, often a change is made to the table definition. If the data type of the column is changed, you might need to make the corresponding change to the variable in the SPL program.

Instead of coding the specific column data type into the variable declaration, you can use the column attribute %TYPE. Specify a qualified column name in dot notation or the name of a previously declared variable as a prefix to %TYPE. The data type of the column or variable prefixed to %TYPE is assigned to the variable being declared. If the data type of the given column or variable changes, the new data type is associated with the variable, and you don't need to modify the declaration code.

Note

You can use the %TYPE attribute with formal parameter declarations as well.

Syntax

<name> { { <table> | <view> }.<column> | <variable> }%TYPE;
  • name is the identifier assigned to the variable or formal parameter that's being declared.
  • column is the name of a column in table or view.
  • variable is the name of a variable that was declared prior to the variable identified by name.
Note

The variable doesn't inherit any of the column’s other attributes that you specify on the column with the NOT NULL clause or the DEFAULT clause.

Example: Defining parameters using %TYPE

In this example, a procedure:

  • Queries the emp table using an employee number
  • Displays the employee’s data
  • Finds the average salary of all employees in the department to which the employee belongs
  • Compares the chosen employee’s salary with the department average
CREATE OR REPLACE PROCEDURE emp_sal_query (
    p_empno         IN NUMBER
)
IS
    v_ename         VARCHAR2(10);
    v_job           VARCHAR2(9);
    v_hiredate      DATE;
    v_sal           NUMBER(7,2);
    v_deptno        NUMBER(2);
    v_avgsal        NUMBER(7,2);
BEGIN
    SELECT ename, job, hiredate, sal, deptno
        INTO v_ename, v_job, v_hiredate, v_sal, v_deptno
        FROM emp WHERE empno = p_empno;
    DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Employee # : ' || p_empno);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Name       : ' || v_ename);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Job        : ' || v_job);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Hire Date  : ' || v_hiredate);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Salary     : ' || v_sal);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Dept #     : ' || v_deptno);

    SELECT AVG(sal) INTO v_avgsal
        FROM emp WHERE deptno = v_deptno;
    IF v_sal > v_avgsal THEN
        DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Employee''s salary is more than the '
            || 'department average of ' || v_avgsal);
    ELSE
        DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Employee''s salary does not exceed the '
            || 'department average of ' || v_avgsal);
    END IF;
END;

Alternatively, you can write the procedure without explicitly coding the emp table data types into the declaration section of the procedure:

CREATE OR REPLACE PROCEDURE emp_sal_query (
    p_empno         IN emp.empno%TYPE
)
IS
    v_ename         emp.ename%TYPE;
    v_job           emp.job%TYPE;
    v_hiredate      emp.hiredate%TYPE;
    v_sal           emp.sal%TYPE;
    v_deptno        emp.deptno%TYPE;
    v_avgsal        v_sal%TYPE;
BEGIN
    SELECT ename, job, hiredate, sal, deptno
        INTO v_ename, v_job, v_hiredate, v_sal, v_deptno
        FROM emp WHERE empno = p_empno;
    DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Employee # : ' || p_empno);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Name       : ' || v_ename);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Job        : ' || v_job);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Hire Date  : ' || v_hiredate);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Salary     : ' || v_sal);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Dept #     : ' || v_deptno);

    SELECT AVG(sal) INTO v_avgsal
        FROM emp WHERE deptno = v_deptno;
    IF v_sal > v_avgsal THEN
        DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Employee''s salary is more than the '
            || 'department average of ' || v_avgsal);
    ELSE
        DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Employee''s salary does not exceed the '
            || 'department average of ' || v_avgsal);
    END IF;
END;

p_empno shows an example of a formal parameter defined using %TYPE. v_avgsal shows the use of %TYPE referring to another variable instead of a table column.

The following is sample output from executing this procedure:

EXEC emp_sal_query(7698);
Output
Employee # : 7698
Name       : BLAKE
Job        : MANAGER
Hire Date  : 01-MAY-81 00:00:00
Salary     : 2850.00
Dept #     : 30
Employee's salary is more than the department average of 1566.67
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