Sql Query as an Item formula

[Quoted] [Quoted] I'm trying to improve/simplify a function I wrote to use a generic SQL statement to Use as a Formula calculation for an Item. Example:
Item Formula = sql_query('SELECT last_name FROM emp_table WHERE emp_no = '''||:EMP_NO'''') I have an extra Dummy table I'd rather be rid of... BTW Forms6i, Oracle9i
Here's what I have so far.

FUNCTION sql_query(select_query IN VARCHAR2) RETURN VARCHAR2 IS
 sql_statement VARCHAR2(2000);
 result VARCHAR2(200);
BEGIN

• clear all entries from Dummy table -- DELETE FROM dummy_table;
• built Dynamic Select Statement -- sql_statement := 'INSERT INTO dummy_table ('||select_query||')';
• Issue Statement -- FORMS_DDL(sql_statement);
• Assign Local Variable -- SELECT dummy_val INTO result FROM dummy_table;

  RETURN result;
EXCEPTION
 WHEN NO_DATA_FOUND THEN
  RETURN NULL;
END; Any Help would be great, Thanks

• Aaron V