Parameter SELF in pl/sql

The MEMBER methods recognize a built-in parameter named SELF that is an instance of the object type. Whether declared explicitly or implicitly, it is forever the first parameter passed to the MEMBER method. Though, the STATIC methods cannot accept or reference SELF.

In the method body, the SELF represents the object whose method was invoked. For illustration, the method transform declares SELF as an IN OUT parameter:

CREATE TYPE Complex AS OBJECT (

MEMBER FUNCTION transform (SELF IN OUT Complex) ...

You cannot specify a unlike datatype for SELF. In the MEMBER functions, if SELF is not declared, its parameter mode defaults to IN. Though, in the MEMBER procedures, if SELF is not declared then its parameter mode defaults to IN OUT. You can't specify the OUT parameter mode for SELF. As the illustration below shows, the methods can reference the attributes of SELF lacking a qualifier:

CREATE FUNCTION gcd (x INTEGER, y INTEGER) RETURN INTEGER AS

-- find maximum common divisor of x and y

ans INTEGER;

BEGIN

IF (y <= x) AND (x MOD y = 0) THEN ans := y;

ELSIF x < y THEN ans := gcd(y, x);

ELSE ans := gcd(y, x MOD y);

END IF;

RETURN ans;

END;

CREATE TYPE Rational AS OBJECT (

num INTEGER,

den INTEGER,

MEMBER PROCEDURE normalize,

...

);

CREATE TYPE BODY Rational AS

MEMBER PROCEDURE normalize IS

g INTEGER;

BEGIN

g := gcd(SELF.num, SELF.den);

g := gcd(num, den); -- equivalent to previous statement

num := num / g;

den := den / g;

END normalize;

...

END;

From the SQL statement, if you call a MEMBER method on a null instance, the method is not invoked and a null is returned. From the procedural statement, when you call the  MEMBER method on a null instance, the PL/SQL raises the predefined exception SELF_IS_NULL before the method is invoked.