Public Function ExecPackageFunction(ByVal PackageAndFunctionName As String, ByVal Parms As Parameters) As Parameters
        '   Author:         Franklin Gray
        '   Created Date:   9/29/2005
        '   Purpose:        Call an Oracle package function and return the return value
        '
        '   Process:        Create parm collection
        '                   Call package
        '                   Load output parms into collection
        '
        '   Input:          package name and collection of parameters
        '   Output:         return value
        '
        '   Changes:        (who, what, where, and when)
        '
        If _Conn.State = ConnectionState.Closed Or _Conn.State = ConnectionState.Broken Then _Conn.Open()
        PackageAndFunctionName = "declare RET INT; BEGIN :RET := " & PackageAndFunctionName & "("
        
        Dim P As DBManager.Parameters.Parameter, Outputs As New DBManager.Parameters
        'add parms to ADO parm collection
        If Not (Parms Is Nothing) Then
            For Each P In Parms
                If Not P.Direction = ParameterDirection.ReturnValue Then PackageAndFunctionName = PackageAndFunctionName & ":" & P.Name & ","
            Next
        End If

        PackageAndFunctionName = PackageAndFunctionName.Substring(0, PackageAndFunctionName.Length - 2) & "); END;"

        Dim cmd As New Oracle.DataAccess.Client.OracleCommand(PackageAndFunctionName, _Conn)
        cmd.CommandType = CommandType.Text
        'add parms to ADO parm collection

        If Not (Parms Is Nothing) Then
            For Each P In Parms
                'Debug.Write(P.Name & " = " & P.Value & ", ")
                Dim L As Int32
                If P.Size > 0 Then
                    L = P.Size
                Else
                    If P.Value Is System.DBNull.Value Then
                        L = 1
                    Else
                        L = Len(P.Value)
                    End If
                End If
                cmd.Parameters.Add(P.Name, P.type, L, P.Value, P.Direction)
                If P.Direction = ParameterDirection.Output Or P.Direction = ParameterDirection.ReturnValue Then Outputs.Add(P)
            Next
        End If
        'run package
        cmd.ExecuteScalar()
        Dim OutputDataTables As New Parameters
        'loop through all parms and find all output and add to collection
        If Not (Outputs Is Nothing) Then
            For Each P In Outputs
                If P.Direction = ParameterDirection.Output Or P.Direction = ParameterDirection.ReturnValue Then
                    P.Value = cmd.Parameters(P.Name).Value
                    OutputDataTables.Add(P)
                End If
            Next
        End If
        ExecPackageFunction = OutputDataTables
        cmd.Dispose()
    End Function