I

Introduction

Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

 Lesson Objectives

After completing this lesson, you should be able to do

the following:
• Discuss the goals of the course
• Identify the modular components of PL/SQL:
– Anonymous blocks
– Procedures and functions
– Packages
• Discuss the PL/SQL execution environment
• Describe the database schema and tables that are
used in the course
• List the PL/SQL development environments that
are available in the course

I-2 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

 Course Objectives

After completing this course, you should be able to do

the following:
• Create, execute, and maintain:
– Procedures and functions with OUT parameters
– Package constructs
– Database triggers
• Manage PL/SQL subprograms and triggers
• Use a subset of Oracle-supplied packages to:
– Generate screen, file, and Web output
– Schedule PL/SQL jobs to run independently
• Build and execute dynamic SQL statements
• Manipulate large objects (LOBs)
I-3 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.
 Course Agenda

Lessons that are to be covered on day 1:

Introduction
1. Creating Stored Procedures
2. Creating Stored Functions
3. Creating Packages
4. Using More Package Concepts

I-4 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

 Course Agenda

Lessons that are to be covered on day 2:

5. Utilizing Oracle-Supplied Packages in Application
Development
6. Dynamic SQL and Metadata
7. Design Considerations for PL/SQL Code
8. Managing Dependencies

I-5 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

 Course Agenda

Lessons that are to be covered on day 3:

9. Manipulating Large Objects
10. Creating Triggers
11. Applications for Triggers
12. Understanding and Influencing the PL/SQL
Compiler

I-6 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

 Human Resources (HR) Schema

I-7 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

 Creating a Modularized and Layered
Subprogram Design

1 xx xxx xxx
xx xxx xxx 2 3 P
xx xxx xxx ----- --- ---
xx xxx xxx ----- --- ---
----- --- --- P
----- --- --- ----- --- ---
xx xxx xxx P
xx xxx xxx
----- --- ---
• Modularize code into subprograms.
1. Locate code sequences repeated more than once.
2. Create subprogram P containing the repeated code.
3. Modify original code to invoke the new subprogram.
• Create subprogram layers for your application.
– Data access subprogram layer with SQL logic
– Business logic subprogram layer, which may or
may not use data access layer

I-8 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

 Modularizing Development
with PL/SQL Blocks

• PL/SQL is a block-structured language. The

PL/SQL code block helps modularize code by
using:
– Anonymous blocks
– Procedures and functions
– Packages
– Database triggers
• The benefits of using modular program constructs
are:
– Easy maintenance
– Improved data security and integrity
– Improved performance
– Improved code clarity
I-9 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.
 Review of Anonymous Blocks

Anonymous blocks:
• Form the basic PL/SQL block structure
• Initiate PL/SQL processing tasks from applications
• Can be nested within the executable section of
any PL/SQL block
[DECLARE -- Declaration Section (Optional)
variable declarations; ... ]
BEGIN -- Executable Section (Mandatory)
SQL or PL/SQL statements;
[EXCEPTION -- Exception Section (Optional)
WHEN exception THEN statements; ]
END; -- End of Block (Mandatory)

I-10 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

 Introduction to PL/SQL Procedures

Procedures are named PL/SQL blocks that perform a

sequence of actions.
CREATE PROCEDURE getemp IS -- header
emp_id employees.employee_id%type;
lname employees.last_name%type;
BEGIN
emp_id := 100;
SELECT last_name INTO lname
FROM EMPLOYEES
WHERE employee_id = emp_id;
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Last name: '||lname);
END;
/

I-11 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

 Introduction to PL/SQL Functions

Functions are named PL/SQL blocks that perform a

sequence of actions and return a value. A function can
be invoked from:
• Any PL/SQL block
• A SQL statement (subject to some restrictions)
CREATE FUNCTION avg_salary RETURN NUMBER IS
avg_sal employees.salary%type;
BEGIN
SELECT AVG(salary) INTO avg_sal
FROM EMPLOYEES;
RETURN avg_sal;
END;
/

I-12 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

 Introduction to PL/SQL Packages

PL/SQL packages have a specification and an optional

body. Packages group related subprograms together.
CREATE PACKAGE emp_pkg IS
PROCEDURE getemp;
FUNCTION avg_salary RETURN NUMBER;
END emp_pkg;
/
CREATE PACKAGE BODY emp_pkg IS
PROCEDURE getemp IS ...
BEGIN ... END;

FUNCTION avg_salary RETURN NUMBER IS ...

BEGIN ... RETURN avg_sal; END;
END emp_pkg;
/

I-13 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

 Introduction to PL/SQL Triggers

PL/SQL triggers are code blocks that execute when a

specified application, database, or table event occurs.
• Oracle Forms application triggers are standard
anonymous blocks.
• Oracle database triggers have a specific structure.
CREATE TRIGGER check_salary
BEFORE INSERT OR UPDATE ON employees
FOR EACH ROW
DECLARE
c_min constant number(8,2) := 1000.0;
c_max constant number(8,2) := 500000.0;
BEGIN
IF :new.salary > c_max OR
:new.salary < c_min THEN
RAISE_APPLICATION_ERROR(-20000,
'New salary is too small or large');
END IF;
END;
/

I-14 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

 PL/SQL Execution Environment

The PL/SQL run-time architecture:

PL/SQL engine
Procedural
PL/SQL PL/SQL
Block Block procedural Statement
Executor

sql

Oracle Server
SQL Statement Executor

I-15 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

 PL/SQL Development Environments

This course provides the following tools for

developing PL/SQL code:
• Oracle SQL*Plus (either the GUI or command-line
versions)
• Oracle iSQL*Plus (used from a browser)
• Oracle JDeveloper IDE

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 Coding PL/SQL in iSQL*Plus

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 Coding PL/SQL in SQL*Plus

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 Coding PL/SQL in Oracle JDeveloper

Edit

Run

I-19 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

 Summary

In this lesson, you should have learned how to:

• Declare named PL/SQL blocks: Procedures,
functions, packages, and triggers
• Use anonymous (unnamed) PL/SQL blocks to
invoke stored procedures and functions
• Use iSQL*Plus or SQL*Plus for developing PL/SQL
code
• Explain the PL/SQL execution environment:
– The client-side PL/SQL engine for executing
PL/SQL code in Oracle Forms and Oracle Reports
– The server-side PL/SQL engine for executing
PL/SQL code stored in an Oracle database

I-20 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

 Practice I: Overview

This practice covers the following topics:

• Browsing the HR tables
• Creating a simple PL/SQL procedure
• Creating a simple PL/SQL function
• Using an anonymous block to execute the PL/SQL
procedure and function

I-21 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.