How can i pass multiple values to an array parameter function - function

Question

i need your help.....how can i pass multi values into single parameter in a function?
The values 'AAA 1','BBB 2', 'CCC 3' 'DDD 4' are to be passed to the same parameter "v_type", the values will be sent based on the selection from the drop down in the front end screen. The user can select one or more values from the list and those values should be passed to the procedure which in turn will be passed to the WHERE clause of the SELECT statement inside the procedure.
My function is somenthing like this:
Example
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION FN_GET_ROWS
(v_date_ini IN DATE,
v_date_end IN DATE,
v_type IN VARCHAR2
)
RETURN TEST_TABTYPE
AS
V_Test_Tabtype Test_TabType;
BEGIN
SELECT TEST_OBJ_TYPE(DATE, NAME, ALERT)
BULK COLLECT INTO V_Test_TabType
FROM (select date, name, alert
from Table
where DATE BETWEEN v_date_ini AND v_date_end
AND Alert in (select REGEXP_SUBSTR (v_type, '[^,]+', 1, level)
from dual
connect by level <= length(regexp_replace(v_type,'[^,]*'))+1)
);
RETURN V_Test_TabType;
END;
Searching internet i found that maybe an Varray works but i dont know how to assign it to the variable :type with the parameters that the user selects on the screen.
I create this types on database, how can i used it? i'm kind a new in plsql.
CREATE TYPE alert_obj AS OBJECT (type_alert VARCHAR2(60));
CREATE TYPE alert_varray_typ AS VARRAY(100) OF alert_obj;
Thanks for your help
Emanuel.

Answer 1

I dont know, if I really understand your problem. But I think, that there is more solutions.
You can use string of VARCHAR2 as parameter and after that parse it with function like that:
PROCEDURE p_parse_into_array (
lv_str IN VARCHAR2,
lt_table IN OUT sys.dbms_debug_vc2coll,
lv_splitter IN VARCHAR2)
IS
ln_position NUMBER := 0;
ln_position_2 NUMBER;
ln_i NUMBER := 1;
BEGIN
ln_position_2 := INSTR(lv_str,lv_splitter,1,1);
WHILE ln_position_2 != 0
LOOP
lt_table.extend(1);
lt_table(ln_i) := SUBSTR(lv_str,ln_position+1,ln_position_2-ln_position-1);
ln_position := INSTR(lv_str,lv_splitter,1,ln_i);
ln_position_2 := INSTR(lv_str,lv_splitter,1,ln_i+1);
ln_i := ln_i + 1;
END LOOP;
END;
where lv_str is string to parse, lt_table is table of varchar(2000) and lv_splitter is character to split (, . ; - etc) and this function return values into lt_table, which you can use in you select menu.
Second solution is to use varray as you say, but there you need to use dynamic sql with command:
execute immediate 'select * from dual where some_value in (select * from table('||my_varray_table||'));
And other solution is to use nested table. It´s your choice, which of this solution you prefer :)