Calling an internal function inside a procedure PL/SQL - oracle

Question

A bit green with PL/SQL functions but trying to add a function where if the current person does not have an alt_id to get the relative alt_id via the application. Many thanks in advance.
CREATE OR REPLACE PROCEDURE CLIENT.p_Verification(pin_Member_ID IN dbo.member.member_id%Type,
pin_Person_ID IN dbo.person.person_id%type,
pin_user_id IN NUMBER default null,
pioc_ref_cursor IN OUT dbo.pkg_benefit_q.ref_cursor) IS
lv_member_id dbo.person.alt_identifier%Type;
-- other variables
...
Procedure p_get_other_deductions(...
Begin
...
end;
new function here
FUNCTION f_get_alt_id
RETURN Varchar2
IS-- dbo.person.alt_identifier%Type IS
alt_id Varchar2(10); --dbo.person.alt_identifier%Type;
BEGIN
SELECT p.ALT_IDENTIFIER
into alt_id
FROM DBO.PERSON p , DBO.MEMBER m, DBO.APPLICATION a
where p.PERSON_ID = m.PERSON_ID
AND m.MEMBER_ID = a.MEMBER_ID
AND a.APPLICATION_ID= cn_EntAppId
;
RETURN alt_id;
END;
calling it here...
Select dbo.pkg_benefit_s.f_get_value_description('PREFIX',
p.prefix,
'Y',
'N') || case
when p.prefix is not null then
' '
else
Null
end || nvl2(p.first_name, initcap(p.first_name) || ' ', '') ||
nvl2(p.middle_name, initcap(p.middle_name) || ' ', '') ||
nvl2(p.last_name, initcap(p.last_name), '') || ' ' ||
dbo.pkg_benefit_s.f_get_value_description('SUFFIX',
p.suffix,
'Y',
'N'),
nvl2(p.alt_identifier,
f_get_alt_id, -- errors here
''),
nvl2(p.first_name, initcap(p.first_name), ''),
nvl2(p.last_name, initcap(p.last_name), '')
into lv_member_name,
lv_member_id,
lv_member_first_name,
lv_member_last_name
From dbo.person p
where p.person_id = ln_person_id;
... more code
END p_Verification;
/

Answer 1

It would be better practice in a number of ways to create a package that has your procedure and your function listed in the header and the body.
CREATE OR REPLACE PACKAGE CLIENT IS
PROCEDURE p_Verification(pin_Member_ID IN dbo.member.member_id%Type,
pin_Person_ID IN dbo.person.person_id%type,
pin_user_id IN NUMBER default null,
pioc_ref_cursor IN OUT dbo.pkg_benefit_q.ref_cursor);
Procedure p_get_other_deductions(...
FUNCTION f_get_alt_id(alt_id_in IN NUMBER:= NULL) RETURN Varchar2;
END CLIENT;
CREATE OR REPLACE PACKAGE BODY CLIENT IS
END CLIENT;
Notice how I have added a null parameter so if you need to redesign the function you can do so without invalidating any dependent objects.

Answer 2

I added the
alt_id varchar(10) in the declaration section
restored the select query above to simply return
dbo.pkg_benefit_s.f_get_value_description('SUFFIX',
p.suffix,
'Y',
'N'),
p.alt_identifier,
nvl2(p.first_name, initcap(p.first_name), ''),
nvl2(p.last_name, initcap(p.last_name), '')
into lv_member_name,
lv_member_id,
lv_member_first_name,
lv_member_last_name
... everything else is the same...until
I added another section to set the lv_member_id
BEGIN
Select p.alt_identifier
into alt_id
from dbo.person p
where P.PERSON_ID = pin_Person_id;
if alt_id is not null
then
lv_member_id := alt_id;
else
lv_member_id := f_get_alt_id;
end if;
END;
... rest of procedure and end; -- it now compiles