PL/SQL

Agenda:
Basic PL/SQL block structure
Example procedures and
functions
Executing PL/SQL from SQL*Plus
Exceptions
Packages

More PL/SQL - block

structure
Block Header
IS
Declaration Header

-- defines type of block (procedure,

function, anonymous) and the way it is
called
-- declare any variables used in the block

BEGIN
Execution Section
EXCEPTION
Exception Section

-- use variables and other PL/SQL objects

to perform actions
-- handle any problems that arise during
execution of the block

END;
REQUIRED

PL/SQL
Is not case sensitive
Uses the same datatypes as SQL
Also has boolean, record, table, varray and LOB
Allows reference datatypes
%type and %rowtype

Allows comments
/* and */ for multiline and -- for single line

Uses := for assignment

Uses ; to indicate end of line (instruction)

PL/SQL - example
DECLARE
loop_count BINARY_INTEGER := 0;
BEGIN
LOOP
INSERT INTO count_table VALUES (loop_count);
DBMS_output.put_line
(loop_count is || to_char(loop_count));
loop_count := loop_count + 1;
EXIT WHEN loop_count = 6;
END LOOP;
END;

Scott.GIVE_RAISE
CREATE OR REPLACE PROCEDURE give_raise (
p_deptno IN number,
p_raise_percent IN number )
AS

BEGIN
update emp
set sal = sal + (sal * p_raise_percent * .01)
where deptno = p_deptno;
commit;
END give_raise;

Another example
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION get_company_name
(comp_id_in IN company.id%TYPE)
RETURN varchar2
IS
cname company.name%TYPE;
BEGIN
SELECT name INTO cname FROM company
WHERE id = comp_id_in;
RETURN cname;
EXCEPTION
WHEN NO_DATA_FOUND THEN
RETURN NULL;
WHEN OTHERS
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE (error code= || SQLCODE);
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE (error msg= || SQLERRM);
END;

Cursors
Implicit
Created automatically in Oracle
Dont need to be declared
Can be used only when 1 and only 1 record is
returned

Explicit
Declared in declaration section
attributes specifying the state of the cursor
%notfound, %found, %rowcount, %isopen

Use cursor for loop to work with

FOR item IN cursor LOOP END LOOP;
Substitute cursor name and row variable for cursor and item
Opens cursor and fetches results into cursor automatically

Another PL/SQL example

DECLARE
current_bldg_code VARCHAR2(5);
CURSOR location_cursor IS
SELECT room, capacity
FROM location
WHERE bldg_code = current_bldg_code
FOR UPDATE of capacity;
location_row location_cursor%rowtype;
BEGIN
current_bldg_code := LIB;
FOR location_row IN location_cursor LOOP
UPDATE location
Set capacity = capacity +1
WHERE CURRENT OF location_cursor;
END LOOP;
COMMIT;
END;

Using PL/SQL - functions

From SQL*Plus command line
Functions require that you create a variable in
SQL*Plus to hold the value returned first
variable cname varchar2(100)

then
select get_company_name(1) from dual;

valid commands to execute stored function

f1 returns number) from SQL*Plus.

exec :a := f1;
execute :a := f1;
call f1() into :a;
begin :a := f1; end;
select f1 from dual;

Using PL/SQL - procedures

From SQL*Plus command line
Procedures dont return a value, so
Execute Give_raise(20,10);

valid commands to execute stored

procedure p1 from SQL*Plus.

exec p1;
execute p1;
call p1();
begin p1; end;

Debugging PL/SQL
Remember the Oracle error message
facility will help figure out the problem
Comment out lines that may be causing
problems
Use dbms_output.put_line to show
variable values
Fix from the top down 1 error may
cause multiple error messages
Data dictionary views: user_errors,
user_source

Exception types
NO_DATA_FOUND
TOO_MANY_ROWS
DUP_VAL_ON_INDEX
And more
Create your own

Another PL/SQL example

FUNCTION build_name (name_in IN VARCHAR2, sex_in IN VARCHAR2)

RETURN VARCHAR2 IS
unknown_sex EXCEPTION;
name_out VARCHAR2(100);
BEGIN
IF sex_in =M THEN name_out := Mr. || name_in;
ELSIF sex_in =F THEN name_out := Ms. || name_in;
ELSE
RAISE unknown_sex
END IF;
RETURN name_out;
EXCEPTION
WHEN unknown_sex THEN

DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE
(Unable to determine gender of individual!);
END;

Packages
Structure of Packages
package header vs. package body

Advantages of Packages
invalidated objects
hiding details of code
code maintainability

Oracle provided packages

DBMS_output
DBMS_job
DBMS_pipe
And more
Set serveroutput on size 4000;
Dbms_output.put_line (text to be
displayed);