APEX: Create and Parse Arrays

It's been awhile since I've been able to work with APEX extensively, so I am rusty.

A question came up today whether we could get multiple values into a single variable (Item in APEX).

Yes we can!

APEX_UTILSNeed some data first:

CREATE TABLE t ( some_text VARCHAR2(10) );

INSERT INTO t ( some_text )
SELECT dbms_random.string( 'a', 10 ) some_text
FROM dual
  CONNECT BY LEVEL <= 5;

CJUSTICE@TESTING>SELECT * FROM t;

SOME_TEXT
----------
thrFXviVWJ
kpfGRRwctv
EVxNrcmBHC
gcBlHaKrLa
irYduOZfkS

I want that table data to be in a single item. TABLE_TO_STRING is your function.

VAR C VARCHAR2(100);

DECLARE
  l_table APEX_APPLICATION_GLOBAL.VC_ARR2;
BEGIN
  SELECT some_text
  BULK COLLECT INTO l_table
  FROM t;

  :c := apex_util.table_to_string( p_table => l_table );
END;
/

PL/SQL procedure successfully completed.


C
-----------------------------------------------------------
thrFXviVWJ:kpfGRRwctv:EVxNrcmBHC:gcBlHaKrLa:irYduOZfkS

Easy enough. How about converting it back to a table? STRING_TO_TABLE is your answer.

DECLARE
  l_table APEX_APPLICATION_GLOBAL.VC_ARR2;
BEGIN
  l_table := apex_util.string_to_table( p_string => :c );
  
  FOR i IN 1..l_table.COUNT LOOP
    d( 'value ' || i || ':  ' || l_table(i) );
  END LOOP;
END;
/

value 1:  thrFXviVWJ
value 2:  kpfGRRwctv
value 3:  EVxNrcmBHC
value 4:  gcBlHaKrLa
value 5:  irYduOZfkS

PL/SQL procedure successfully completed.

Done.