Updating table in SQLPLUS (Stored Procedure Loop with Comma Delimited Column) - oracle

Question

Having some trouble writing my stored procedure. Using Oracle 11g
Goal: I want to be able to create separate rows in my table "info_table" from my table "places_table" with the column alternatenames. Under the column alternatenames from places_table, there is a comma delimited string with multiple alternate names. I want to create a row for each one of these alternate names in table "info_table".
ex of alternatenames column string:
Beijing,Beijingzi,Pei-ching-tzu
what I am hoping to achieve
ID Name
100000000 Beijing
100000001 Beijingzi
100000002 Pei-ching-tzu
Currently my code looks like this:
CREATE TABLE INFO_TABLE
(
INFOID NUMBER PRIMARY KEY,
NAME VARCHAR2(500),
LANGUAGE VARCHAR2(40),
STATUS VARCHAR2(50),
COUNTRY_CODE CHAR (10),
COUNTRY_CODE_2 CHAR (10),
GID CHAR(10),
SUPPLIERID CHAR(10),
LAST_MODIFIED CHAR(50)
);
CREATE SEQUENCE INFO_COUNTER
START WITH 100000000;
CREATE PROCEDURE LOAD_ALTERNATE_NAMES(ALTERNATENAMES_COLUMN VARCHAR2)
AS
COMMA_FINDER NUMBER := 1;
BEGIN
IF ALTERNATENAMES_COLUMN IS NOT NULL
THEN
<<SEPARATE_ALTERNATENAMES>> WHILE COMMA_FINDER!=0 LOOP
INSERT INTO INFO_TABLE
(INFOID, NAME, LANGUAGE, STATUS, COUNTRY_CODE, COUNTRY_CODE_2, GID, SUPPLIERID, LAST_MODIFIED)
VALUES
(INFO_COUNTER, SUBSTR(ALTERNATENAMES_COLUMN, INSTR(P.ALTERNATENAMES, ',', COMMA_FINDER+1)), NULL, 'ALTERNATE', P.COUNTRY_CODE, P.COUNTRY_CODE_2, P.GID, NULL, P.LASTMODIFIED)
FROM INFO_TABLE I, PLACES_TABLE P;
COMMA_FINDER := INSTR(ALTERNATENAMES, ',', COMMA_FINDER);
END LOOP SEPARATE_ALTERNATENAMES;
COMMA_FINDER:=1;
ENDIF;
END
/
LOAD_ALTERNATE_NAMES(SELECT ALTERNATENAMES FROM PLACES_TABLE);
currently the problem is that my INSERT statement in my loop is giving me "SQL Statement Ignored" and I am not sure why. I have taken a look at the stored procedure and loop documentation but can't figure out if I am doing something wrong or there is a typo.
can someone help me please?
Thank you in advance,
Norman

Answer 1

The INSERT statement has either the form:
INSERT INTO table (...) VALUES (...)
or:
INSERT INTO table (...) SELECT ... FROM ...
That's why Oracle issues an error message.
But there's more. You pass the ALTERNATENAMES string value to the stored procedure but need more data from the PLACES_TABLE. Furthermore, Oracle doesn't support stored procedure calls like this:
LOAD_ALTERNATE_NAMES(SELECT ALTERNATENAMES FROM PLACES_TABLE);
So I propose you create a stored procedure without parameters:
CREATE PROCEDURE LOAD_ALTERNATE_NAMES
AS
COMMA_FINDER NUMBER;
BEGIN
FOR REC IN (
SELECT * FROM PLACES_TABLE WHERE ALTERNATENAMES IS NOT NULL
) LOOP
COMMA_FINDER NUMBER := 1;
<<SEPARATE_ALTERNATENAMES>> WHILE COMMA_FINDER!=0 LOOP
INSERT INTO INFO_TABLE
(INFOID, NAME, LANGUAGE, STATUS, COUNTRY_CODE, COUNTRY_CODE_2, GID, SUPPLIERID, LAST_MODIFIED)
VALUES
(INFO_COUNTER.NEXTVAL, SUBSTR(REC.ALTERNATENAMES, INSTR(REC.ALTERNATENAMES, ',', COMMA_FINDER+1)), NULL, 'ALTERNATE', REC.COUNTRY_CODE, REC.COUNTRY_CODE_2, REC.GID, NULL, REC.LASTMODIFIED);
COMMA_FINDER := INSTR(REC.ALTERNATENAMES, ',', COMMA_FINDER);
END LOOP SEPARATE_ALTERNATENAMES;
END LOOP;
END
/
I hope that helps you proceed. I haven't test it and I'm afraid that SUBSTR will fail once it reaches the last name. But you'll figure that out.

Answer 2

Here is a little function I use to loop things like you are asking for. You can specify a delimiter.
The type...
type split_array is table of varchar2(32767) index by binary_integer;
The function...
function split(string_in varchar2, delim_in varchar2) return split_array is
i number :=0;
pos number :=0;
lv_str varchar2(32767) := string_in;
strings split_array;
dl number;
begin
-- determine first chuck of string
pos := instr(lv_str,delim_in,1,1);
-- get the length of the delimiter
dl := length(delim_in);
if (pos = 0) then --then we assume there is only 1 items in the list. so we just add the delimiter to the end which would make the pos length+1;
strings(1) := lv_str;
end if;
-- while there are chunks left, loop
while ( pos != 0) loop
-- increment counter
i := i + 1;
-- create array element for chuck of string
strings(i) := substr(lv_str,1,pos-1);
-- remove chunk from string
lv_str := substr(lv_str,pos+dl,length(lv_str));
-- determine next chunk
pos := instr(lv_str,delim_in,1,1);
-- no last chunk, add to array
if pos = 0 then
strings(i+1) := lv_str;
end if;
end loop;
-- return array
return strings;
end split;
How to use it...
declare
/* alternatenames varchar2(32767) := 'one,two,three,four'; */
nameArray split_array;
begin
for c1 in ( select alternatenames from yourTable where alternatenames is not null )
loop
nameArray := split(c1.alternatenames,',');
for i in 1..nameArray.count loop
/* dbms_output.put_line(nameArray(i)); */
insert into yourTable ( yourColumn ) values ( nameArray(i) );
end loop;
end loop;
end;
/