Oracle 11G R1

The following syntax introduced in Oracle 11g R1 is supported (other new syntax is not supported):

• New dataypes:
  • BINARY_DOUBLE
  • BINARY_FLOAT
  • BINARY XML
  • SIMPLE_INTEGER
• PL/SQL CONTINUE statement
• Compound trigger type
• REGEXP Built-ins
  • REGEXP_LIKE
  • REGEXP_REPLACE
  • REGEXP_SUBSTR
  • REGEXP_INSTR
  • REGEXP_COUNT
• NON ANSI JOIN relations between tables
• PIVOT/UNPIVOT
• LISTAGG

Calling external procedures implemented in a C library from a PL/SQL function

Calling external procedures implemented in a C library from a PL/SQL function is not supported and will cause syntax errors. For details refer: https://docs.oracle.com/cd/B14117_01/appdev.101/b10795/adfns_ex.htm#1006511.

OPEN FOR statement

The OPEN FOR statement for CURSORS (available since version 10G) is not supported.

Conditional compilation directives

Conditional compilation directives (i.e. directives starting with $$ or $, such as $$PLSQL_UNIT, $if, $else, $end etc.) are ignored during an analysis and therefore syntax errors do occur, and the object (function, procedure, trigger,..) is not saved in the CAST Analysis Service.

Links between objects belonging to different schemas not in the same Oracle instance

"Public DB links" are extracted and saved in the Analysis Service, but remote object resolution is not performed by a standard analysis. For instance, a PL/SQL procedure using a remote table through a DB Link on a remote Oracle instance, will have a missing link to this table. A custom workaround is possible that will create this missing link in some situations. Please contact CAST Support for more information.

Superfluous Parentheses

A syntax error is reported by the analyzer when analyzing syntactically correct code containing superfluous parentheses. A superfluous parenthesis is a parenthesis that can be omitted without changing the result of the query. The following cases have been identified causing the issue:

Case 1: SELECT statement between parentheses followed by another SELECT statement between parentheses:

...
... AS    (
             SELECT ...
          )
          ( <==== Causing syntax error
             SELECT ...
          )

Case 2: FROM clause containing an ORDER BY clause or a WITH clause followed by parentheses:

... FROM
         (
            (
              ...
            ) ORDER BY
          ) <==== Causing syntax error

or:

... FROM
       (
         (
            ...
            WITH ...
         )
       ) <==== Causing syntax error

Wrapped PL/SQL source code

Wrapping is the Oracle process of hiding PL/SQL source code. The CAST Database Extractor (either embedded in the CAST Delivery Manager Tool or standalone) cannot access the wrapped item's source code, and instead generates a generic body for these objects. These objects can be analyzed by the CAST PL/SQL Analyzer, but with limitations:

• All "fan-out" Quality Rules/metrics (for example "Avoid Artifacts with High Fan-Out - 7778") will not be taken into account
• All Quality Rules/metric based on properties (for example "Number of Code Lines - 10151")  will not be taken into account
• For wrapped package/type headers and bodies, the sub-object declaration is not available, therefore the analyzer cannot create these objects

• As wrapped objects have no fan-out, they will have no direct or indirect link to End Points and Data Functions. Therefore, you may consider them as Transaction End Points

Inter-Application links

Please note that currently inter-Application links (i.e. links between source code in separate Applications) between the following combinations of technologies is not supported:

• Between Oracle Server PL/SQL Analysis Units in different Applications
• Between Oracle Forms Analysis Units and Oracle Server PL/SQL Analysis Units in different Applications

If you do require link resolution, then all Analysis Units must belong to the same Application.

Invalid Oracle Server objects

The analyzer does not analyze objects that are marked as invalid in the Oracle Server system catalogue. Invalid objects are still visible in CAST Enlighten (with the property "Object is invalid") but no links will be created from or to these objects. An entry in the analysis log will be created as follows:

Object <object name> is found as invalid - Please check your code and eventually recompile it.

Oracle objects containing the word LOG as an alias

When the word "LOG" is used as an alias, the SQL analyzer will raise a syntax error during the attempted analysis of the object. The object that contains the alias will not be analyzed once the syntax error has been raised. To workaround this issue, edit the object and replace the alias "LOG" with another alias name.

Fine Grain Impact Analysis

The functionality known in previous releases of CAST AIP as the Fine Grain Impact Analysis (FGIA) for participating Oracle schemas is no longer available (and has not been since CAST AIP 7.2.x). There is no workaround for this feature.

Line of Code (LOC) Count

Object type declarations (for example stored procedures declared in a package header) are not included in the Line Of Code (LOC) count when using the SQL Analyzer.