ORA-4062 Error: A solution

From: Jean-Louis Lamacchia <jean-louis.lamacchia_at_virgin.net>
Date: Tue, 16 Oct 2001 20:33:24 +0100
Message-ID: <VY%y7.7099$T05.732154@news2-win.server.ntlworld.com>

We've just upgraded from form 4.5 to 6i, a big step! Unfortunately a big surprise was waiting for us: In several occasions, changes made to packages triggered ORA-4062 error (signature of the package has changed). If the package was used by one two forms, it was alright to recompile the forms alongside the package. Last week it happened to me but the package was a core package involving about 40 forms!

One of us managed to reproduce the conditions in which this happens:

The scenario:

A package P has a number of functions:

           -Fa,
           -Fb,
           -Fc.

A form calls P.Fc.

You have to add a function Fa1 to the package. Because it is closely related to Fa, you place it just between Fa and Fb. We now have: P

Well this is your mistake.
It seems that when you compiled the form, it did not register the name of the function but its position in the package. It does not call P.Fc but something like P.FunctionInTheThirdPosition. And because you added a function in the middle it is now trying to call P.Fb (now the third one!!!!!). (of course its signature has changed!)

The solution:

Try to move your new function after the last original function, recompile the package,
run your form unchanged...et voila!

Try it, it works in this situation.

There are other situations in which this happens:

the package was invalidated.
the interface of a function was changed.

I hope this will help a few people like us.

(Thanks to the clever guy who designed this part of Oracle Forms) Received on Tue Oct 16 2001 - 14:33:24 CDT