Using Oracle Collections

A Collection is an ordered group of elements, all of the same type. Each element has a unique subscript, called an index, that determines its position in the collection. A Collection can be subdivided into following types.

· Nested table type, viewed as a table stored in the column of a database table. When retrieved, the rows of a Nested Table are given consecutive subscripts starting at 1 and individual rows are accessed using array-like access.

· VARRAY type, viewed as an array stored in the column of a database table. To reference an element in VARRAY, standard subscripting syntax can be used. For example, Grade(3) references the third element in VARRAY Grades. See Creating a VARRAY Collection Type.

Note: An OraCollection element index starts at 1.

In Oracle Objects for OLE, Oracle Collection type is represented by the OraCollection interface. The following topics provide more information:

· Retrieving a Collection Type Instance from the Database

· Accessing Collection Elements

· Modifying Collection Elements