Possible to create Oracle associative array type outside of a package/procedure?

Question

In Oracle Database 10g, is it possible to create an associative array type outside of a package or procedure? I would like to be able to do this so that I can reference this associative array type in another type. For example:

create type my_type_map is table of varchar2(10) index by varchar2(10);

create type my_other_type as object (   
    id number(15),
    member procedure initialize(p_my_type_map my_type_map)
) not instantiable not final;

The error I get is:

SQL> create type my_type_map is table of varchar2(20) index by varchar2(10); 2 /

Warning: Type created with compilation errors.

SQL> show errors; Errors for TYPE MY_TYPE_MAP:

LINE/COL ERROR

---

0/0 PL/SQL: Compilation unit analysis terminated 1/21 PLS-00355: use of pl/sql table not allowed in this context SQL>

Seems that Oracle considers:

index by varchar2(10)

to be PL/SQL and doens't allow it in the creation of SQL types. If Oracle really doesn't allow associative arrays to be defined outside of packages then is there a good alternative? Is it possible to create types that extend Oracle's Object inside of a package so that all types are defined in the same package?

Thanks, Jeff

Edit: Corrected code sample, added log, added possible alternative as question.

Answer 1

Those are PL/SQL types as the error suggests. There's nothing stopping you from declaring them in the public specification of a package, then you can refer to them in any PL/SQL code you need.

Answer 2

The answer is no, you cannot do what you're trying to do, any more than you can create a type to add a BOOLEAN typed variable to an object. The items in an object must contain Oracle types, not PL/SQL types. A bit clunky alternative could be:

CREATE TYPE t_aa AS VARRAY(10) OF VARCHAR2(10);

CREATE OR REPLACE TYPE t_ua AS OBJECT (ID NUMBER(15)
                                     , MEMBER PROCEDURE initialize(p_aa t_aa)
                                     , MEMBER PROCEDURE initialize(p_aa_i taa))
                               NOT INSTANTIABLE NOT FINAL;

Store your associated pairs of variables in the two VARRAYs. You will have to know the largest possible size of your arrays.