Cursor Variable

A cursor variable points to the unnamed work area in which the database stores processing information when it runs a multiple-row query. With this pointer to the work area, you can access its information, and process the rows of the query individually.

To create a cursor variable, define a REF CURSOR type, and then declare the cursor variable to be of that type. Declaring a cursor variable creates a pointer, not an item. A cursor variable holds the address of an item instead of the item itself (like a C or Pascal pointer).

Topics:

• Syntax

• Semantics

• Usage

• Examples

• Related Topics

Syntax

ref_cursor_type_definition ::=

Description of the illustration ref_cursor_type_definition.gif

cursor_variable_declaration ::=

Description of the illustration ref_cursor_var_decl.gif

Semantics

ref_cursor_type_definition

type_name

The name of the REF CURSOR type that you are defining.

RETURN

Specifies the data type of the value that the cursor variable returns.

Specify RETURN to define a strong REF CURSOR type. Omit RETURN to define a weak REF CURSOR type. For information about strong and weak REF CURSOR types, see "Cursor Variable Creation".

db_table_name

The name of a database table or view, which must be accessible when the declaration is elaborated.

cursor_name

The name of a previously declared explicit cursor.

cursor_variable_name

The name of a previously declared cursor variable.

record_name

The name of a user-defined record.

record_type_name

The name of a user-defined type that was defined with the data type specifier RECORD.

ref_cursor_type_name

The name of a user-defined type that was defined with the data type specifier REF CURSOR.

cursor_variable_declaration

cursor_variable_name

The name of the cursor variable that you are declaring.

type_name

The type of the cursor variable that you are declaring (the name of the REF CURSOR type that you defined previously).

Usage

A REF CURSOR type definition can appear either in the declarative part of a block, subprogram, package specification, or package body (in which case it is local to the block, subprogram, or package) or in the "CREATE TYPE Statement" (in which case it is a standalone stored type).

A cursor variable declaration can appear only in the declarative part of a block, subprogram, or package body (not in a package specification).

Cursor variables are subject to the restrictions in "Cursor Variable Restrictions".

Examples

• Example 6-5, "Explicit Cursor Declaration"

• Example 6-7, "Fetching with a Cursor"

• Example 6-10, "Fetching Bulk Data with a Cursor"

• Example 6-28, "Cursor Variable as Parameter"

• Example 6-30, "Stored Procedure to Open a Cursor Variable"

• Example 6-31, "Stored Procedure to Open Cursor Variables with Different Queries"

• Example 6-32, "Cursor Variable with Different Return Types"

• Example 6-38, "Cursor Expression"

Related Topics

In this chapter:

• "CLOSE Statement"

• "Named Cursor Attribute"

• "Explicit Cursor"

• "FETCH Statement"

• "OPEN FOR Statement"

• "%ROWTYPE Attribute"

• "%TYPE Attribute"

In other chapters:

• "Cursor Variables"