How to use outputs from a function? - oracle

Question

I have a function with three outputs and one input. But how do I use the value that comes from the outputs? I need to check the values ​​coming out of the outputs. Can someone explain to me how I do it?

Answer 1

As Koen has already said, you don't want to use a function in this case - use a procedure instead. Here's an example: procedure accepts empno and returns their name and salary via OUT parameters.
SQL> create or replace procedure p_test (par_empno in number, par_ename out varchar2, par_sal out number)
2 is
3 begin
4 select ename, sal
5 into par_ename, par_sal
6 from emp
7 where empno = par_empno;
8 end;
9 /
Procedure created.
This is one employee; use its empno when calling the procedure:
SQL> select empno, ename, sal from emp where rownum = 1;
EMPNO ENAME SAL
---------- ---------- ----------
7369 SMITH 920
SQL> set serveroutput on
To call the procedure, declare local variables (because you have to put the result into something):
SQL> declare
2 l_ename emp.ename%type;
3 l_sal emp.sal%type;
4 begin
5 p_test(7369, l_ename, l_sal);
6 dbms_output.put_line(l_ename ||' earns ' || l_sal);
7 end;
8 /
SMITH earns 920
PL/SQL procedure successfully completed.
SQL>
If it must be a function, code changes slightly as function has to return a value anyway (not just via OUT parameters); I chose to return deptno value:
SQL> create or replace function f_test (par_empno in number, par_ename out varchar2, par_sal out number)
2 return varchar2
3 is
4 l_deptno emp.deptno%type;
5 begin
6 select ename, sal, deptno
7 into par_ename, par_sal, l_deptno
8 from emp
9 where empno = par_empno;
10
11 return l_deptno;
12 end;
13 /
Function created.
SQL> declare
2 l_ename emp.ename%type;
3 l_sal emp.sal%type;
4 l_deptno emp.deptno%type;
5 begin
6 l_deptno := f_test(7369, l_ename, l_sal);
7 dbms_output.put_line(l_ename ||' earns ' || l_sal || ' and works in department ' || l_deptno);
8 end;
9 /
SMITH earns 920 and works in department 20
PL/SQL procedure successfully completed.
SQL>