How to return a RefCursor from Oracle function?

Question

I am trying to execute a user-defined Oracle function that returns a RefCursor using ODP.NET. Here is the function:

CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION PKG.FUNC_TEST          


        

Answer 1

I think you are missing the sqlCom.ExecuteNonQuery();

also, instead of running the select func_test(7) from dual; lets switch it to run the function and pass in the param

  OracleConnection oracleCon = new OracleConnection(ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings["MyConnectionString"].ConnectionString);


  // Set the command

  string anonymous_block = "begin " +
                              "  :refcursor1 := func_test(7) ;" +
                              "end;";  
 //fill in your function and variables via the above example
  OracleCommand sqlCom= con.CreateCommand();
  sqlCom.CommandText = anonymous_block;

  // Bind 
  sqlCom.Parameters.Add("refcursor1", OracleDbType.RefCursor);
  sqlCom.Parameters[0].Direction = ParameterDirection.ReturnValue;

  try 
  {
    // Execute command; Have the parameters populated
    sqlCom.ExecuteNonQuery();

    // Create the OracleDataAdapter
    OracleDataAdapter da = new OracleDataAdapter(sqlCom);

    // Populate a DataSet with refcursor1.
    DataSet ds = new DataSet();
    da.Fill(ds, "refcursor1", (OracleRefCursor)(sqlCom.Parameters["refcursor1"].Value));

    // Print out the field count the REF Cursor
    Console.WriteLine("Field count: " + ds.Tables["refcursor1"].Columns.Count);
  }
  catch (Exception e)
  {
    Console.WriteLine("Error: {0}", e.Message);
  }
  finally
  {
    // Dispose OracleCommand object
    cmd.Dispose();

    // Close and Dispose OracleConnection object
    con.Close();
    con.Dispose();}

this is based on the example ODP that can be found @ %ora_home%\Client_1\ODP.NET\samples\RefCursor\Sample5.csproj

If you want to avoid (for better or worst!) the custom built param collection for each proc/function call you can get around that by utilizing anonymous blocks in your code, I have ammended (once again untested!) the code above to reflect this technique. Here is a nice blog (from none other than Mark Williams) showing this technique. http://oradim.blogspot.com/2007/04/odpnet-tip-anonymous-plsql-and.html