Record

A record variable is a composite variable whose internal components, called fields, can be of different data types. You access each field with this syntax: record_name.field_name. A record variable can hold a table row, or some columns from a table row. Each field corresponds to a table column.

To create a record variable, you first define a record type, and then declare a variable of that type.

Topics:

• Syntax

• Semantics

• Examples

• Related Topics

Syntax

record_type_definition ::=

Description of the illustration record_type_definition.gif

field_declaration ::=

Description of the illustration field_declaration.gif

See:

• datatype ::=

• expression ::=

record_variable_declaration ::=

Description of the illustration record_type_declaration.gif

Semantics

expression

An expression whose value has a data type compatible with datatype (see Table 3-10, "Possible Implicit PL/SQL Data Type Conversions"). When record_variable_declaration is elaborated, the value of expression is assigned to record_name.field_name. This value is the initial value of the field.

field_name

The name of the field that you are declaring.

NOT NULL

Prevents the program from assigning the value NULL to the field.

PL/SQL subtypes NATURALN, POSITIVEN, and SIMPLE_INTEGER are predefined as NOT NULL. When declaring a field of one of these subtypes, you can omit NOT NULL.

If you declare a NOT NULL field, either by specifying NOT NULL or by specifying a subtype that is predefined as NOT NULL, you must also specify an initial value for the field (see expression).

record_name

The name of the record variable that you are declaring.

type_name

The name of the record type that you are defining.

Examples

• Example 5-8, "VARRAY of Records"

• Example 5-20, "Assigning Values to VARRAYs with Complex Data Types"

• Example 5-21, "Assigning Values to Tables with Complex Data Types"

• Example 5-41, "Declaring and Initializing a Simple Record Type"

• Example 5-42, "Declaring and Initializing Record Types"

• Example 5-44, "Returning a Record from a Function"

• Example 5-45, "Record as Procedure Parameter"

• Example 5-46, "Nested Record Declaration"

• Example 5-47, "Assigning Initial Values to a Record"

• Example 5-51, "Testing Records for Nullity and Equality"

• Example 5-52, "Initializing a Table by Inserting a Record of Default Values"

• Example 5-53, "Updating Rows with a Record"

• Example 5-54, "RETURNING INTO Clause with Record"

• Example 5-55, "BULK COLLECT with SELECT INTO Statement"

• Example 6-27, "Cursor Variable Returning a Record Type"

• Example 10-6, "Creating emp_admin Package"

Related Topics

In this chapter:

• "Collection"

• "%ROWTYPE Attribute"

In other chapters:

• "Record Topics"

• "Record Definitions and Declarations"