How to fix the Oracle error PLS-00492: variable or constant initialization may not refer to functions declared in the same package?

In this post, you’ll learn more about the Oracle ErrorPLS-00492: variable or constant initialization may not refer to functions declared in the same package with the details on why you receive this error and the possible solution to fix it.

Oracle Error Description

PLS-00492: variable or constant initialization may not refer to functions declared in the same package

Reason for the Error PLS-00492: variable or constant initialization may not refer to functions declared in the same package

If a package spec p declares a function f, that function may not be used in any variable declarations in that same package spec. This is because of a circular instantiation problem: in order to fully instantiate the package spec, the variable must be initialized. To initialize the variable, the function body code in the package body must be executed. That requires that the package body be instantiated. However, the package body cannot be instantiated until the package spec is fully instantiated.

How to fix the Error PLS-00492: variable or constant initialization may not refer to functions declared in the same package ?

You can fix this error in Oracle by following the below steps

Remove the reference to the function from the variable initialization. A technique which often works is to move the variable initialization from the variable declaration (in the package spec) to the package body initialization block.