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In this chapter, we will discuss the cursors in PL/SQL. Oracle creates a memory area, known as the context area, for processing an SQL statement, which contains all the information needed for processing the statement; for example, the number of rows processed, etc. A cursor is a pointer to this context area. PL/SQL controls the context area…

In this chapter, we will discuss the functions in PL/SQL. A function is same as a procedure except that it returns a value. Therefore, all the discussions of the previous chapter are true for functions too. Creating a Function A standalone function is created using the CREATE FUNCTION statement. The simplified syntax for the CREATE OR REPLACE PROCEDURE statement…

In this chapter, we will discuss Procedures in PL/SQL. A subprogram is a program unit/module that performs a particular task. These subprograms are combined to form larger programs. This is basically called the ‘Modular design’. A subprogram can be invoked by another subprogram or program which is called the calling program. A subprogram can be created − At…

In this chapter, we will discuss arrays in PL/SQL. The PL/SQL programming language provides a data structure called the VARRAY, which can store a fixed-size sequential collection of elements of the same type. A varray is used to store an ordered collection of data, however it is often better to think of an array as a…

The string in PL/SQL is actually a sequence of characters with an optional size specification. The characters could be numeric, letters, blank, special characters or a combination of all. PL/SQL offers three kinds of strings − PL/SQL strings could be either variables or literals. A string literal is enclosed within quotation marks. For example, To…

In this chapter, we will discuss Loops in PL/SQL. There may be a situation when you need to execute a block of code several number of times. In general, statements are executed sequentially: The first statement in a function is executed first, followed by the second, and so on. Programming languages provide various control structures…

In this chapter, we will discuss conditions in PL/SQL. Decision-making structures require that the programmer specify one or more conditions to be evaluated or tested by the program, along with a statement or statements to be executed if the condition is determined to be true, and optionally, other statements to be executed if the condition…

In this chapter, we will discuss operators in PL/SQL. An operator is a symbol that tells the compiler to perform specific mathematical or logical manipulation. PL/SQL language is rich in built-in operators and provides the following types of operators − Here, we will understand the arithmetic, relational, comparison and logical operators one by one. The…

In this chapter, we will discuss constants and literals in PL/SQL. A constant holds a value that once declared, does not change in the program. A constant declaration specifies its name, data type, and value, and allocates storage for it. The declaration can also impose the NOT NULL constraint. Declaring a Constant A constant is declared using the CONSTANT keyword. It requires…

In this chapter, we will discuss Variables in Pl/SQL. A variable is nothing but a name given to a storage area that our programs can manipulate. Each variable in PL/SQL has a specific data type, which determines the size and the layout of the variable’s memory; the range of values that can be stored within…