Introduction to PL/SQL

Lecture 0 Self Study

Akhtar Ali

Overview

Overview of PL/SQL
Development of a coded block
Interacting with an Oracle database
Controlling PL/SQL process flow
Cursor handling
Error handling

Re-visiting SQL

Instructions to Oracle identifying the

information you wish to select, insert,
delete or update
SQL*Plus is Oracle's simple interface for
interaction with Oracle DBMS using SQL.
Notes on SQL are on Blackboard

PL/SQL - introduction

Procedural extension allowing for

modularity, variable declaration, loops and
logical constructs.
Allows for advanced error handling
Communicates natively with other oracle
database objects.
Managed centrally within the Oracle
database.

Other Databases

All have procedural facilities

SQL is not functionally complete

Lacks full facilities of a programming language

So top up functionality by embedding SQL in a

procedural language
PL/SQL techniques are specific to Oracle

but procedures and functions can be ported to other

systems

Why use PL/SQL

Manage business rules through middle

layer application logic.
Generate code for triggers
Generate code for interface
Enable database-centric client/server
applications

Centralised Vs De-centralised

Begin
:

Serve
r

End;

Common copy of
executed code one
copy to maintain

Begin

Begin

Begin

End;

End;

End;

Multiple copies of
executable code
on the
decentralised
system multiple
copies to maintain
leading to increase
difficulty in
maintaining the
system

Serve
r

Advantages of using PL/SQL to

access Oracle

PL/SQL is managed centrally within the database

Code is managed by the DBA and execution
privileges are managed in the same way as with
other objects
PL/SQL objects are first-class Oracle DB objects
Easy to read
With modularity features and error handling

Centralised control

Enables DBA to:

Specify rules in one place (as procedure,

function, package in PL/SQL)
Force user access through the predefined
PL/SQL so users cannot write their own
procedural code and use this instead.

Define for instance security privileges giving users

access to table(s) only through a particular
procedure

Using PL/SQL as a programming

language

Permits all operations of standard programming

languages e.g.

Provides loops for controlling iteration

Conditions IF-THEN-ELSE-END IF;

Jumps GOTO
LOOP-EXIT; WHEN-END LOOP; FOR-END
LOOP; WHILE-END LOOP

Allows extraction of data into variables and its

subsequent manipulation

Modules in PL/SQL
There are 4 types of modules in PL/SQL

Procedures series of statements may or may

not return a value
Functions series of statements must return a
single value
Triggers series of PL/SQL statements (actions)
executing after an event has triggered a condition
(ECA)
Packages collection of procedures and function
that has 2 parts:
a listing and a body.

Procedures
Creation command

Create or replace procedure sample1 as

Variable
declarations

v_num1 constant number := 2.5;

v_num2 constant number := 4;
v_product number;
BEGIN
v_product := v_num1 * v_num2;

Body of procedure

END;

Use of Data-Types

Number used to store any number

Char(size) & varchar2(size) e.g.: char(10)
used to store alphanumerical text strings,
the char data type will pad the value stored
to the full length declared.
Date used to store dates
Long used to store large blocks of text up
to 2 gigabytes in length (limited
operations)

More data-types

Long raw stores large blocks of data

stored in binary format
Raw stores smaller blocks of data in
binary formal
Rowid used to store the special format of
rowids in the database

Non-database Data Types

DEC, DECIMAL, REAL, INTEGER, INT these are

numerical data types that are a subset of number.
Binary_integer binary format for number type but can
not be stored in database unless converted first.
Character same as char
Boolean true/false value
Table/record tables can be used to store the equivalent
of an array while records store the variables with
composite data types.

Using SQL in procedures

Select values into PL/SQL variables

using INTO
Record.element notation will address
components of tuples (dot notation)
%rowtype allows full rows to be selected
into one variable

V_employee
employee%rowtype

Empid empname

addr1

addr2

addr3

postcode

grade

salary

Example (Anonymous Block of

Code)
Declare
v_employee

employee%rowtype;

Begin
select *
into v_employee

Selects entire row of data

into 1 variable called
v_employee

from employee
where empid = 65284;
update employee
set salary = v_employee.salary + 1000
where empid = v_employee.empid;
End;

Is updating the value

of salary based on
selected element of a
variable

Cursor overview

Very powerful in PL/SQL modules

Allows more than one set of data to be
retrieved and accessed at the same time in
loops
Sets are created by executing SQL
statements embedded in the PL/SQL code
Cursor attributes - %notfound, %rowcount,
%found & %isopen

Error handling

Prevents database locking

Ensures that errors are presented to the user
in a sensible format
Makes code robust
Essential when using PL/SQL as formal
programming language or interfacing with
Oracle applications.