Placeholder Column In Oracle Reports

It works like global variable it can be used across the report

Formula column is function which is return only one values but if we want to return multiple values from the formula columns we can use the place holder columns

Data Model:

Take place holder column inside of group and go Property inspector and give below details as followed

Take formula column inside of group and go Property inspector and give below details as followed

Open the PL/SQL formula for formula column write the following code as showed below

PL/SQL Code:

FUNCTION cf_gradeformula

   RETURN CHAR

IS

BEGIN

   BEGIN

      SELECT dname

        INTO :cp_dname

        FROM dept

       WHERE deptno = :deptno;

   EXCEPTION

      WHEN NO_DATA_FOUND

      THEN

         :cp_dname := 'No Dept';

      WHEN TOO_MANY_ROWS

      THEN

         :cp_dname := 'Multiple Dept';

      WHEN OTHERS

      THEN

         :cp_dname := 'Un known';

   END;

   BEGIN

      IF :sal >= 10000

      THEN

         RETURN 'A';

      ELSIF :sal >= 5000

      THEN

         RETURN 'B';

      ELSIF :sal >= 3000

      THEN

         RETURN 'C';

      ELSE

         RETURN 'D';

      END IF;

   END;

END;

Layout Model:

Report output: