PL/SQL function call syntax hassle

HiYa

when tryingto use a procedure in a PL/SQL script I have found that I have to declare the local variables BEFORE I declare the PROCEDURES.

Like this works:

DECLARE     PROCEDURE Boing(p_in NUMBER) IS

• declare local variables cart NUMBER(3); float NUMBER(3); BEGIN cart := 2; float := p_in * cart; END Boing;

    FUNCTION Skew(p_in NUMBER) RETURN NUMBER IS

• declare local variables one NUMBER(3); two NUMBER(3); BEGIN one := 1; two := p_in * one; RETURN two; END Skew;
  • local variables startNumber NUMBER; displayNumber NUMBER; resultNumber NUMBER;

BEGIN
    dbms_output.enable(1000000);
    startNumber := 5;
    Boing(startNumber);

blah blah blah....

and this doesn't:
DECLARE

• local variables startNumber NUMBER; displayNumber NUMBER; resultNumber NUMBER;

    PROCEDURE Boing(p_in NUMBER) IS

• declare local variables cart NUMBER(3); float NUMBER(3); BEGIN cart := 2; float := p_in * cart; END Boing;

    FUNCTION Skew(p_in NUMBER) RETURN NUMBER IS

• declare local variables one NUMBER(3); two NUMBER(3); BEGIN one := 1; two := p_in * one; RETURN two; END Skew;

BEGIN
    dbms_output.enable(1000000);
    startNumber := 5;
    Boing(startNumber);

blah blah blah....

why?

Thanks

---

Chris Eastwood                           email the mirror image above
Software Engineer                          ie->  doowtsae | eastwood
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