Oracle PL/SQL Programming, 2nd Edition
by Steve Feuerstein with Bill Pribyl


Unconfirmed error reports are from readers. They have not yet been 
approved or disproved by the author or editor and represent solely the
opinion of the reader.

If you have technical questions or error reports, you can send them to 
booktech@oreilly.com. (Please specify the printing date of your copy.)


This page was last updated July 17, 2002.


Here's a key to the markup:

        [page-number]: serious technical mistake
        {page-number}: minor technical mistake
        <page-number>: important language/formatting problem
        (page-number): language change or minor formatting problem
        ?page-number?: reader question or request for clarification


UNCONFIRMED errors and suggestions from readers:


(70)  At the bottom 1/4:

The example on page 70 has the following statement in it:

l_errmsg    PLS_INTEGER := NVL (errmsg, SQLERRM);

The statement should be (as is shown in your err.pkg):

l_errmsg    VARCHAR2(1000) := NVL (errmsg, SQLERRM);


{89}  Definition of NATURAL subtype;
The definitions for NATURAL and POSITIVE subtypes, seems to have no differences, but
I think NATURAL should be NON-NEGATIVE (including the number "0"):

when you read:

   NATURAL
      1 through 2e31

In my opinion, should be:

   NATURAL
      0 through 2e31

(126)  Last Line;
Under the heading "Named Constant", the last line reads:
     c_last_date CONSTANT DATE := SYSDATE :

It should read:
     c_last_date CONSTANT DATE := SYSDATE;


{345}  3rd snippet of code after 3rd paragraph;
In the snippets of code below:

------------
IF UPPER (access_type_in) = 'REUSE'
THEN
   RETURN company_table (id_in);
ELSE
   RETURN name_from_database;
END IF;

and further:

EXCEPTION
   WHEN NO_DATA_FOUND
   THEN
      return_value := name_from_database;
      IF return_value IS NOT NULL
      THEN
         company_table (id_in) := return_value;
      END IF;

      RETURN return_value;
END;

and further in code of fuction company.name
-------------

the function name_from_database is used without parameter.
But declaration of this function is :

FUNCTION name_from_database (id_in IN company.company%TYPE)
   RETURN company.name%TYPE
IS
   CURSOR comp_cur IS
      SELECT name FROM company
       WHERE company_id = id_in;
   return_value company.name%TYPE := NULL;
BEGIN
   OPEN comp_cur;
   FETCH comp_cur INTO return_value;
   CLOSE comp_cur;
   RETURN return_value;
END;    

It is a mistake I think. Function name_from_database must be used with parameter id_in. 


(498)  9th line from bottom;
line now reads:

"There are several consquences ..."

should read:

"There are several consequences ..."


{504}  First paragraph of Default Values, third sentence;
Sentence now reads:
"You must, of course, include an actual parameter for any IN OUT 
parameters, even if they have default values."

This line gives the impression that it is o.k. to assign default values to 
IN OUT parameters, thus contradicting page 499, The IN OUT mode, numeral 1.:

1. An IN OUT parameter cannot have a default value.


[775]  The first code fragment uses a procedure called MESSAGE:

	MESSAGE ('Invalid status code: ' || status_cd_in);

But when I try to use this Oracle complains "identifier 'MESSAGE' must be 
declared".  MESSAGE is not in this book's index or in the index of "Oracle 8: 
The Complete Reference."

So there is definitely a missing index entry, and there may or may not be a 
missing explanation of where the MESSAGE procedure comes from.