PL/SQL or me -- which one is more stupid?

[Steve Frampton, Computer Operator/Systems Clerk]

Hello:

I am writing a calendar-generating application in PL/SQL. I would really
like to know why the following code generates two very different results:

--- begin ---
set serveroutput on;

declare
test varchar2(29);
begin
test:='';
for i in 1..7 loop
test := test||' '||'|'; /* 3 spaces */
end loop;

dbms_output.put_line(test);

test:='';
for i in 1..7 loop
test := test||'***'||'|'; /* 3 stars */
end loop;

dbms_output.put_line(test);

end;
/

set serveroutput off;
--- end ---

And, here is the output:

--- begin ---
| | | | | | |
***|***|***|***|***|***|***|
--- end ---

This all seems pretty silly, to me. Any ideas?

Thanks in advance...

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This article contains my own words formed by my own opinions. I speak on my
own behalf and my views do not necessarily agree with those of my employer.
-----------------------------------+-------------------------------------------
Steve Frampton | Phone: (613) 544-4927, extension 331
Computer Operator/Systems Clerk | Fax: (613) 530-4761
Frontenac-Lennox & Addington RCSSB | E-mail: fram...@admin.flarc.edu.on.ca
-----------------------------------+-------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This article contains my own words formed by my own opinions. I speak on my
own behalf and my views do not necessarily agree with those of my employer.
-----------------------------------+-------------------------------------------
Steve Frampton | Phone: (613) 544-4927, extension 331
Computer Operator/Systems Clerk | Fax: (613) 530-4761
Frontenac-Lennox & Addington RCSSB | E-mail: fram...@admin.flarc.edu.on.ca
-----------------------------------+-------------------------------------------

['`'\/''%Kelfink@~~@)]

In article <43uoi2$f...@govonca3.gov.on.ca>,

Steve Frampton, Computer Operator/Systems Clerk <fram...@admin.flarc.edu.on.ca> wrote:
>Hello:
>
>I am writing a calendar-generating application in PL/SQL. I would really
>like to know why the following code generates two very different results:
>

-- code deleted --

>And, here is the output:
>
>--- begin ---
>| | | | | | |
>***|***|***|***|***|***|***|
>--- end ---
>
>This all seems pretty silly, to me. Any ideas?

I got the same results, running your script.
Oracle is left-trimming!

Here's a simplified example:

declare
test varchar2(40);
begin
dbms_output.put_line(' Right justified.');
end
/
Generates output:

Right Justified

Looks like put_line is trimming your output on the left.
I'm not practiced in these routines, but maybe there's an alternate
function, or some other parameter/option to prevent this.

Hope that helps, or at least lets you know you're not crazy.

Kevin Fries
Developer/DBA
e-mail kel...@ecst.csuchico.edu
--
<Insert signature here>

[Christopher Jones]

In article <43v9k1$r...@charnel.ecst.csuchico.edu>

kel...@ecst.csuchico.edu ('`'\\"/''%Kelfink@~~\@) writes:

> I got the same results, running your script.
> Oracle is left-trimming!
>
> Here's a simplified example:
>
> declare
> test varchar2(40);
> begin
> dbms_output.put_line(' Right justified.');
> end
> /
> Generates output:
>
> Right Justified
>
> Looks like put_line is trimming your output on the left.

Put_line is OK. SQL*Plus itself does a form of word wrapping when it
displays server output. The left trimming is similar to the age-old
trimming behavior of the COLUMN x WORD_WRAPPED command.

SQL*Plus 3.3 allows you to specify TRUNCATED, WRAPPED or WORD_WRAPPED
(the default) in the SET SERVEROUTPUT command.

Chris

--
Christopher Jones, cjo...@au.oracle.com

[Pauli Salmu]

fram...@admin.flarc.edu.on.ca (Steve Frampton, Computer Operator/Systems Clerk) wrote:
>
> Hello:
>
> I am writing a calendar-generating application in PL/SQL. I would really
> like to know why the following code generates two very different results:
>

> --- begin ---
> set serveroutput on;
>
> declare
> test varchar2(29);
> begin
> test:='';
> for i in 1..7 loop
> test := test||' '||'|'; /* 3 spaces */
> end loop;
>
> dbms_output.put_line(test);
>
> test:='';
> for i in 1..7 loop
> test := test||'***'||'|'; /* 3 stars */
> end loop;
>
> dbms_output.put_line(test);
>
> end;
> /
>
> set serveroutput off;
> --- end ---
>

> And, here is the output:
>
> --- begin ---
> | | | | | | |
> ***|***|***|***|***|***|***|
> --- end ---
>
> This all seems pretty silly, to me. Any ideas?
>

It's as simple as it looks: put_line strips leading spaces. You can
use some other blank character in the beginning of the line,
preferably produced with function CHR to make the code readable.

[Stefan Ladwig]

Hello Steve,

it don't seems silly to me. DBMS_Output.Putline surpresses
Spaces, wich are in front. If you have declared a number-varaible
with a fixed precision, you also see no beginning 0's.

I hope it helps you.

Stefan