Actual source line in ORA-06550 message

Question

When developing an Oracle PL/SQL procedure in Toad, I encounter errors like

• ORA-06550: line 97, column 25: PLS-00330: invalid use of type name or subtype name
• ORA-06550: line 97, column 9: PL/SQL: Statement ignored

These given line numbers and column numbers seem to have little or nothing to do with source code line numbers. Where can I find tips or tricks that will help me identify the actual source line or actual code that caused the error? This is especially important in situations like the above (which is the result of a 700+ line source) where the error message doesn't provide clues as to details of the actual problem. (By the way, line 101 in that source is the third of a series of comment lines, and is followed by a blank line.)

(Note that this is not [yet] in a stored procedure; it is being developed and executed from source at this time. Not sure if that makes a difference since at present there is no database in which we developers have authority to CREATE PROCEDURE.)

Sample code:

SET SERVEROUTPUT ON;

DECLARE
TYPE bendemo_hdr IS RECORD
(
    recid      CHAR(1)
  , client     CHAR(30)
  , filedesc   CHAR(30)
  , seqnum     CHAR(2)
  , crtdate    CHAR(20)
  , srtdate    CHAR(8)
  , stpdate    CHAR(8)
);

TYPE bendemo_record IS RECORD
(
    recid        CHAR(1)
  , ssn          CHAR(9)
  , empnum       CHAR(15)
  , eeflag       CHAR(1)
  , titlecode    CHAR(6)
  , fname        CHAR(30)
  , mname        CHAR(30)
  , lname        CHAR(30)
  , namesuffix   CHAR(6)
  , prefname     CHAR(30)
  , dob          CHAR(8)
  , dod          CHAR(8)
  , dverdte      CHAR(8)
  , dauddte      CHAR(8)
  , ddtesrc      CHAR(6)
  , gender       CHAR(1)
  , martstat     CHAR(6)
  , mstateffdt   CHAR(8)
  , lang         CHAR(1)
  , citzcde      CHAR(6)
  , vipflag      CHAR(1)
  , kyeeflag     CHAR(1)
  , orghrdte     CHAR(8)
  , lathrdte     CHAR(8)
  , adjhrdte     CHAR(8)
  , jobtitle     CHAR(30)
  , precntmthd   CHAR(6)
  , mailpref     CHAR(6)
  , phnepref     CHAR(6)
  , emalpref     CHAR(6)
  , hmaddrefdt   CHAR(8)
  , hmaddr1      CHAR(60)
  , hmaddr2      CHAR(60)
  , hmaddr3      CHAR(60)
  , hmaddr4      CHAR(60)
  , hmaddcity    CHAR(60)
  , hmaddstate   CHAR(60)
  , hmaddzip     CHAR(10)
  , hmaddcnty    CHAR(3)
  , hmphcnty     CHAR(6)
  , hmphnbr      CHAR(16)
  , hmphext      CHAR(4)
  , mbphcnty     CHAR(6)
  , mbphnbr      CHAR(16)
  , faxcnty      CHAR(6)
  , faxnbr       CHAR(16)
  , hmemail      CHAR(100)
  , wkaddrefdt   CHAR(8)
  , wkaddr1      CHAR(60)
  , wkaddr2      CHAR(60)
  , wkaddr3      CHAR(60)
  , wkaddr4      CHAR(60)
  , wkaddcity    CHAR(60)
  , wkaddstate   CHAR(60)
  , wkaddzip     CHAR(10)
  , wkaddcnty    CHAR(3)
  , wkphcnty     CHAR(6)
  , wkphnbr      CHAR(16)
  , wkphext      CHAR(4)
  , wkemail      CHAR(100)
  , hiresrc      CHAR(30)
  , bgnunit      CHAR(30)
  , qdroflag     CHAR(1)
  , hiresrcdt    CHAR(8)
);

TYPE bendemo_trlr IS RECORD
(
    recid      CHAR(1)
  , client     CHAR(30)
  , filedesc   CHAR(30)
  , reccount   CHAR(9)
  , field1     CHAR(15)
);

demo_hdr    bendemo_hdr;
demo_rec    bendemo_record;
demo_trlr   bendemo_trlr;
i           NUMBER;

PROCEDURE dump_hdr_rec IS
BEGIN
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_hdr.recid);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_hdr.client);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_hdr.filedesc);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_hdr.seqnum);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_hdr.crtdate);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_hdr.srtdate);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_hdr.stpdate);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put_line('<');
END dump_hdr_rec;



PROCEDURE dump_demo_rec IS
BEGIN
    --      IF l_output IS NULL THEN
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.recid);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.ssn);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.empnum);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.eeflag);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.titlecode);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.fname);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.mname);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.lname);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.namesuffix);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.prefname);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.dob);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.dod);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.dverdte);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.dauddte);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.ddtesrc);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.gender);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.martstat);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.mstateffdt);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.lang);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.citzcde);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.vipflag);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.kyeeflag);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.orghrdte);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.lathrdte);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.adjhrdte);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.jobtitle);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.precntmthd);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.mailpref);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.phnepref);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.emalpref);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.hmaddrefdt);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.hmaddr1);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.hmaddr2);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.hmaddr3);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.hmaddr4);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.hmaddcity);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.hmaddstate);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.hmaddzip);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.hmaddcnty);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.hmphcnty);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.hmphnbr);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.hmphext);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.mbphcnty);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.mbphnbr);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.faxcnty);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.faxnbr);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.hmemail);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.wkaddrefdt);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.wkaddr1);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.wkaddr2);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.wkaddr3);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.wkaddr4);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.wkaddcity);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.wkaddstate);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.wkaddzip);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.wkaddcnty);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.wkphcnty);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.wkphnbr);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.wkphext);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.wkemail);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.hiresrc);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.bgnunit);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.qdroflag);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_record.hiresrcdt);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put_line('<');
END dump_demo_rec;



PROCEDURE dump_hdr_trlr IS
BEGIN
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_trlr.recid);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_trlr.client);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_trlr.filedesc);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_trlr.reccount);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_trlr.field1);
    DBMS_OUTPUT.put_line('<');
END dump_hdr_trlr;
BEGIN
demo_bendemo_hdr.recid := 'x';
demo_bendemo_hdr.client := 'Client';
demo_bendemo_hdr.filedesc := 'Descr';
demo_bendemo_hdr.seqnum := 'a';
demo_bendemo_hdr.crtdate := 'Created';
demo_bendemo_hdr.srtdate := 'Sorted';
demo_bendemo_hdr.stpdate := 'stop';
dump_demo_hdr(l_output, demo_hdr);
END;

Answer 1

Without seeing an example of the sort of code you are running it is hard to be sure if this answer is relevant, but the line number specified in the message relates to the overall block of PL/SQL being compiled, and ignores any blank lines or comments before that line. For example if your script says (with line numbers added for clarity only):

1
2 -- test script
3
4
5 begin
6
7     rubbish;
8
9 end;

Then when you try to run it you will get the error:

ORA-06550: line 3, column 3: 
PLS-00201: identifier 'RUBBISH' must be declared ...

It says line 3 not line 7 because "rubbish;" is the 3rd line of the PL/SQL being compiled. The blank lines and comments above that do not count. Blank lines and comments within the block do count however.

EDIT

So, applying my rule to the code sample you posted we can ignore the 2 lines above DECLARE and so "line 97" is the 99th line:

DBMS_OUTPUT.put(bendemo_hdr.recid);

But bendemo_hdr is a TYPE not a variable, and so it makes no sense in this statement, hence the error. It is analagous to writing:

DBMS_OUTPUT.put(CHAR(1)); --!!!

What you probably meant was:

DBMS_OUTPUT.put(demo_hdr.recid);