create or replace 
FUNCTION UPDATEEXPERIMENT (
  pProtid in results.protid%type,
  pBCode in batch.bcode%type,
  pExpCode in RESULTS.EXPCODE%type,
  pValue in varchar2,
  pColumn in varchar2
)
RETURN results.expid%type AS 
  cursor getbatch is select batchcode from batch where BCODE=pbcode;
  pBatchCode BATCH.BATCHCODE%type;
  pExpId RESULTS.EXPID%type:=-1;
  cursor getexp(zebcode in BATCH.BATCHCODE%type) is
    select expid from results where batchcode=zebcode and protid=pprotid and pExpCode=expcode;
  pSeparator varchar2(1);
  pAntiSeparator varchar2(1);
  pTmp results.text1%type;
BEGIN
  open getbatch;
  fetch getbatch into pBatchCode;
  if getbatch%found then
    close getbatch;
    open getexp(pBatchCode);
    fetch getexp into pExpId;
    if getexp%notfound then
      close getexp;
      --create experiment
      pExpId := getrec;
      insert into RESULTS (expid, protid, batchcode, expcode, status)
        values (pExpId, pprotid, pBatchCode, pExpCode, 'Y');
    else
      close getexp;  
    end if;
    --CHECK IF NUMERIC FIELD
    IF UPPER(SUBSTR(pColumn,1,1))='V' THEN --numeric
      select substr(value,1,1) into pSeparator from v$nls_parameters
        where parameter = 'NLS_NUMERIC_CHARACTERS';
      if pSeparator = '.' then
        pAntiSeparator := ',';
      else
        pAntiSeparator := '.';
      end if;
      pTmp := replace(pValue, pAntiSeparator, pSeparator); --replace bad with goog in case
    ELSE
      pTmp := pvalue;      
    END IF;
    execute immediate 'update results set ' || pColumn || '=:1 where expid=:2' using pTmp, pExpId;
  else
    close getbatch;
  end if;
  return pExpId;
END UPDATEEXPERIMENT;