You can add subprograms to a package without losing other subprograms, but when you change a package and recompile, you lose package “state” - which means that the values of package level variables will no longer be valid and available in your session. No way to avoid this, except to reorganize your package into two separate packages: one that contains your subprograms and another that contains the variables.

Steven Feuerstein

I’m wondering if there is any way that someone could update and add a function to a package without loosing the other functions and or variables declared previously in that package

best regards,
Wiz

~ Siri

Seriously, you cannot have

create function f1 return number is begin return f2; end;
/

create function f2 return number is begin return f1; end;
/

  CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION odd_or_even (n NATURAL)
     RETURN VARCHAR2
  IS
     l_return_var VARCHAR2 (4);

     FUNCTION odd (n NATURAL )
        RETURN BOOLEAN;   -- forward declaration

     FUNCTION even (n NATURAL)
        RETURN BOOLEAN
     IS
     BEGIN
        IF n = 0
        THEN
           RETURN TRUE;
        ELSE
           RETURN odd (n - 1);   -- mutually recursive call
        END IF;
     END even;

     FUNCTION odd (n NATURAL)
        RETURN BOOLEAN
     IS
     BEGIN
        IF n = 0
        THEN
           RETURN FALSE;
        ELSE
           RETURN even (n - 1);   -- mutually recursive call
        END IF;
     END odd;
  BEGIN
     IF even (n)
     THEN
        l_return_var := 'even';
     ELSIF odd (n)
     THEN
        l_return_var := 'odd';
     ELSE
        l_return_var := 'oops';
     END IF;

     RETURN l_return_var;
  END odd_or_even;
  /

Of course, as a general rule, I keep away from using standalone functions and procedures and use packages instead.

However, what if you do not have a package? Instead you have CREATE FUNCTION for example.