Skip to main content
PHP Blog

Back to all posts

How to Call an Oracle Function In A Package In C#?

Published on
5 min read
How to Call an Oracle Function In A Package In C#? image

Best Oracle Function Calling Books to Buy in October 2025

1 Oracle PL / SQL For Dummies

Oracle PL / SQL For Dummies

  • AFFORDABLE PRICES ON QUALITY PRE-OWNED BOOKS FOR SAVVY READERS.
  • ECO-FRIENDLY CHOICE: REDUCE WASTE BY BUYING USED, SAVING THE PLANET.
  • UNIQUE FINDS: DISCOVER RARE TITLES AND HIDDEN GEMS IN EVERY PURCHASE.
BUY & SAVE
$13.96 $31.99
Save 56%
Oracle PL / SQL For Dummies
2 OCA: Oracle Certified Associate Java SE 8 Programmer I Study Guide: Exam 1Z0-808 (Sybex Study Guide)

OCA: Oracle Certified Associate Java SE 8 Programmer I Study Guide: Exam 1Z0-808 (Sybex Study Guide)

  • COMPREHENSIVE COVERAGE OF JAVA SE 8 CONCEPTS AND EXAM OBJECTIVES.
  • HANDS-ON EXERCISES AND PRACTICE QUESTIONS BOOST EXAM READINESS.
  • EXPERT TIPS AND STRATEGIES FOR EFFECTIVE STUDY AND EXAM SUCCESS.
BUY & SAVE
$19.89 $63.00
Save 68%
OCA: Oracle Certified Associate Java SE 8 Programmer I Study Guide: Exam 1Z0-808 (Sybex Study Guide)
3 Mastering Oracle SQL, 2nd Edition

Mastering Oracle SQL, 2nd Edition

  • QUALITY ASSURANCE: THOROUGHLY INSPECTED FOR READABILITY AND RELIABILITY.
  • ECO-FRIENDLY CHOICE: PROMOTE SUSTAINABILITY BY BUYING PRE-OWNED BOOKS.
  • COST-EFFECTIVE SAVINGS: ENJOY SUBSTANTIAL DISCOUNTS ON QUALITY READS.
BUY & SAVE
$21.76 $49.99
Save 56%
Mastering Oracle SQL, 2nd Edition
4 Oracle PL/SQL Programming: Covers Versions Through Oracle Database 12c

Oracle PL/SQL Programming: Covers Versions Through Oracle Database 12c

BUY & SAVE
$45.02 $79.99
Save 44%
Oracle PL/SQL Programming: Covers Versions Through Oracle Database 12c
5 Oracle PL/SQL by Example (The Oracle Press Database and Data Science)

Oracle PL/SQL by Example (The Oracle Press Database and Data Science)

BUY & SAVE
$55.91 $69.99
Save 20%
Oracle PL/SQL by Example (The Oracle Press Database and Data Science)
6 Oracle PL/SQL Best Practices: Write the Best PL/SQL Code of Your Life

Oracle PL/SQL Best Practices: Write the Best PL/SQL Code of Your Life

  • QUALITY GUARANTEED: AFFORDABLE READS AT A FRACTION OF THE COST!
  • ECO-FRIENDLY CHOICE: PROMOTE SUSTAINABILITY BY BUYING USED BOOKS.
  • UNIQUE FINDS: DISCOVER RARE TITLES AND HIDDEN GEMS IN OUR COLLECTION!
BUY & SAVE
$14.27 $29.99
Save 52%
Oracle PL/SQL Best Practices: Write the Best PL/SQL Code of Your Life
+
ONE MORE?

To call an Oracle function in a package using C#, you can follow these steps:

  1. Create a new OracleConnection object and provide the necessary connection string to connect to the Oracle database.
  2. Open the connection using the Open() method of the OracleConnection object.
  3. Create an OracleCommand object and set its Connection property to the OracleConnection object created in the previous step.
  4. Set the CommandType property of the OracleCommand object to CommandType.StoredProcedure to indicate that you will be executing a stored procedure or function.
  5. Set the CommandText property to the name of the function you want to call, including the package name, using the following format: "package_name.function_name".
  6. Add parameters to the OracleCommand object using the Parameters collection. You can create OracleParameter objects and set their values accordingly.
  7. Create an OracleParameter object to retrieve the return value of the function (if any) and set its Direction property to ParameterDirection.ReturnValue.
  8. Execute the function using the ExecuteNonQuery() or ExecuteScalar() method of the OracleCommand object, depending on whether the function returns a value or not.
  9. Retrieve the return value (if any) from the OracleParameter object created in step 7 using its Value property.
  10. Close the OracleConnection by calling its Close() method to release the resources.

Remember to handle any exceptions that may occur during this process, and dispose of the Oracle objects appropriately to free up system resources.

How to call a function with default parameters from an Oracle package in C#?

To call a function with default parameters from an Oracle package in C#, you can follow these steps:

  1. Import the necessary namespaces:

using Oracle.ManagedDataAccess.Client; // For Oracle database connection

  1. Create an Oracle database connection:

string connectionString = "Your_Connection_String"; OracleConnection connection = new OracleConnection(connectionString);

  1. Open the database connection:

connection.Open();

  1. Create a command object to execute the function:

OracleCommand command = new OracleCommand(); command.Connection = connection; command.CommandType = CommandType.StoredProcedure; command.CommandText = "Your_Package_Name.Your_Function_Name";

Replace Your_Package_Name with the name of your Oracle package and Your_Function_Name with the name of the function you want to call.

  1. Set the default parameter values (if any):

command.Parameters.Add("Param1", OracleDbType.Varchar2).Value = "Default_Value1"; command.Parameters.Add("Param2", OracleDbType.Int32).Value = 10;

Replace Param1 and Param2 with the actual parameter names defined in your function, and provide the default values you want to use.

  1. Execute the function and get the result (if any):

OracleParameter returnValue = new OracleParameter("ReturnValue", OracleDbType.Varchar2); returnValue.Direction = ParameterDirection.ReturnValue; command.Parameters.Add(returnValue);

command.ExecuteNonQuery(); // Execute the function

string result = command.Parameters["ReturnValue"].Value.ToString(); // Get the return value (if any)

Replace "ReturnValue" with the actual parameter name used for the return value in your function.

  1. Close the database connection when done:

connection.Close();

That's it! You have now called a function with default parameters from an Oracle package in C#.

What is the purpose of a package in Oracle?

In Oracle, a package is a database object that groups related procedures, functions, variables, and other program objects. Its purpose is to provide a modular and reusable way to organize and store these objects.

The main purposes of using packages in Oracle are:

  1. Encapsulation: Packages allow you to hide the implementation details of the procedures and functions within the package. By grouping related objects, you can encapsulate the logic and provide a single API or interface for accessing the functionality.
  2. Modularity and Reusability: Packages enhance code modularity, as related program objects are grouped together. They provide a way to organize and structure the code, making it more maintainable and reusable across different applications.
  3. Performance: The use of packages can improve performance by reducing the network traffic between the database and client applications. The package objects reside and execute within the database, so calling a packaged procedure or function incurs less overhead compared to individual SQL or PL/SQL statements.
  4. Privilege Control: Packages enable better control over access and privileges. By granting privileges to the package instead of individual objects, you can restrict access to a specific set of procedures and functions. This simplifies security management.
  5. Global Variables: Packages can contain variables that are accessible by multiple procedures and functions within the package. These global variables can retain their values throughout the session and provide a shared context.

Overall, the purpose of a package in Oracle is to provide a structured and organized mechanism for encapsulating and reusing related program objects, improving performance, and simplifying management and maintenance of the code.

How to retrieve a specific column value from the result of an Oracle function called in C#?

To retrieve a specific column value from the result of an Oracle function called in C#, you can use the OracleDataReader class to retrieve the result set and access the specific column value.

Here is an example:

  1. Create an OracleConnection object and open the connection:

using Oracle.ManagedDataAccess.Client;

OracleConnection connection = new OracleConnection("YourConnectionString"); connection.Open();

  1. Create an OracleCommand object and set the command text to call the Oracle function:

OracleCommand command = new OracleCommand(); command.Connection = connection; command.CommandText = "YourOracleFunction"; command.CommandType = CommandType.StoredProcedure;

  1. Add any input parameters if required for the Oracle function:

command.Parameters.Add("Param1", OracleDbType.Varchar2).Value = "Value1"; ...

  1. Create an OracleDataReader object to execute the command and retrieve the result set:

OracleDataReader reader = command.ExecuteReader();

  1. Use the Read method of the OracleDataReader to move to the next row of the result set:

if (reader.Read()) { // Access the specific column value using its ordinal position or column name string columnValue = reader.GetString(0); // Assuming the column is of string type and its ordinal position is 0 // or string columnValue = reader.GetString(reader.GetOrdinal("ColumnName")); // Assuming the column name is "ColumnName" }

  1. Close the OracleDataReader and OracleConnection objects when done:

reader.Close(); connection.Close();

Make sure to handle any exceptions that may occur during the execution and retrieval process to ensure proper error handling in your code.