PL/SQL User's Guide and Reference

OPEN-FOR Statement

Description

The OPEN-FOR statement executes the multi-row query associated with a cursor variable. It also allocates resources used by Oracle to process the query and identifies the result set, which consists of all rows that meet the query search criteria. The cursor variable is positioned before the first row in the result set. For more information, see "Using Cursor Variables"

Syntax

open-for_statement ::=

OPEN {cursor_variable_name | :host_cursor_variable_name}
   FOR select_statement;

Keyword and Parameter Description

cursor_variable_name

This identifies a cursor variable (or parameter) previously declared within the current scope.

host_cursor_variable_ name

This identifies a cursor variable previously declared in a PL/SQL host environment and passed to PL/SQL as a bind variable. The datatype of the host cursor variable is compatible with the return type of any PL/SQL cursor variable. Host variables must be prefixed with a colon.

select_statement

This is a query associated with cursor_variable, which returns a set of values. The query can reference bind variables and PL/SQL variables, parameters, and functions but cannot be FOR UPDATE. The syntax of select_statement is similar to the syntax for select_into_statement defined in "SELECT INTO Statement"

, except that select_statement cannot have an INTO clause.

Usage Notes

You can declare a cursor variable in a PL/SQL host environment such as an OCI or Pro*C program. To open the host cursor variable, you can pass it as a bind variable to an anonymous PL/SQL block. You can reduce network traffic by grouping OPEN-FOR statements. For example, the following PL/SQL block opens five cursor variables in a single round-trip:

/* anonymous PL/SQL block in host environment */ 
BEGIN 
   OPEN :emp_cv FOR SELECT * FROM emp; 
   OPEN :dept_cv FOR SELECT * FROM dept; 
   OPEN :grade_cv FOR SELECT * FROM salgrade; 
   OPEN :pay_cv FOR SELECT * FROM payroll; 
   OPEN :ins_cv FOR SELECT * FROM insurance; 
END;

Other OPEN-FOR statements can open the same cursor variable for different queries. You need not close a cursor variable before reopening it. When you reopen a cursor variable for a different query, the previous query is lost.

Unlike cursors, cursor variables do not take parameters. No flexibility is lost, however, because you can pass whole queries (not just parameters) to a cursor variable.

You can pass a cursor variable to PL/SQL by calling a stored procedure that declares a cursor variable as one of its formal parameters. However, remote subprograms on another server cannot accept the values of cursor variables. Therefore, you cannot use a remote procedure call (RPC) to open a cursor variable.

When you declare a cursor variable as the formal parameter of a subprogram that opens the cursor variable, you must specify the IN OUT mode. That way, the subprogram can pass an open cursor back to the caller.

Examples

In the following Pro*C example, you pass a host cursor variable and selector to a PL/SQL block, which opens the cursor variable for the chosen query:

EXEC SQL BEGIN DECLARE SECTION;
   ...
   /* Declare host cursor variable. */
   SQL_CURSOR generic_cv;
   int        choice;
EXEC SQL END DECLARE SECTION;
...
/* Initialize host cursor variable. */
EXEC SQL ALLOCATE :generic_cv;
...
/* Pass host cursor variable and selector to PL/SQL block. */
EXEC SQL EXECUTE
BEGIN
   IF :choice = 1 THEN
      OPEN :generic_cv FOR SELECT * FROM emp;
   ELSIF :choice = 2 THEN
      OPEN :generic_cv FOR SELECT * FROM dept;
   ELSIF :choice = 3 THEN
      OPEN :generic_cv FOR SELECT * FROM salgrade;
   END IF;
END;
END-EXEC;

To centralize data retrieval, you can group type-compatible queries in a stored procedure. When called, the following packaged procedure opens the cursor variable emp_cv for the chosen query:

CREATE PACKAGE emp_data AS
   TYPE GenericCurTyp IS REF CURSOR;
   TYPE EmpCurTyp IS REF CURSOR RETURN emp%ROWTYPE;
   PROCEDURE open_emp_cv (emp_cv IN OUT EmpCurTyp,
                          choice IN NUMBER);
END emp_data;
 
CREATE PACKAGE BODY emp_data AS
   PROCEDURE open_emp_cv (emp_cv IN OUT EmpCurTyp,
                          choice IN NUMBER) IS
   BEGIN
      IF choice = 1 THEN
         OPEN emp_cv FOR SELECT * FROM emp WHERE comm IS NOT NULL;
      ELSIF choice = 2 THEN
         OPEN emp_cv FOR SELECT * FROM emp WHERE sal > 2500;
      ELSIF choice = 3 THEN
         OPEN emp_cv FOR SELECT * FROM emp WHERE deptno = 20;
      END IF;
   END open_emp_cv;
END emp_data;

For more flexibility, you can pass a cursor variable to a stored procedure that executes queries with different return types, as follows:

CREATE PACKAGE BODY emp_data AS
   PROCEDURE open_cv (generic_cv IN OUT GenericCurTyp,
                      choice     IN NUMBER) IS
   BEGIN
      IF choice = 1 THEN
         OPEN generic_cv FOR SELECT * FROM emp;
      ELSIF choice = 2 THEN
         OPEN generic_cv FOR SELECT * FROM dept;
      ELSIF choice = 3 THEN
         OPEN generic_cv FOR SELECT * FROM salgrade;
      END IF;
   END open_cv;
END emp_data;