Chapter 1

Lab 1: Introduction

Objectives
Introduction to Oracle and SQL.

Introduction
Oracle has many tools such as SQL * PLUS, Oracle Forms, Oracle Report Writer, Oracle
Graphics etc.

• SQL * PLUS: The SQL * PLUS tool is made up of two distinct parts. These are

– interactive SQL: Interactive SQL is designed for create, access and manipulate
data structures like tables and indexes.
– PL/SQL: PL/SQL can be used to developed programs for different applications.

• Oracle Forms: This tool allows you to create a data entry screen along with the suitable
menu objects. Thus it is the oracle forms tool that handles data gathering and data
validation in a commercial application.

• Report Writer: Report writer allows programmers to prepare innovative reports using
data from the oracle structures like tables, views etc. It is the report writer tool that
handles the reporting section of commercial application.

• Oracle Graphics: Some of the data can be better represented in the form of pictures.
The oracle graphics tool allows programmers to prepare graphs using data from oracle
structures like tables, views etc.

SQL (Structured Query Language)

Structured Query Language is a database computer language designed for managing data
in relational database management systems(RDBMS), and originally based upon Relational
Algebra. Its scope includes data query and update, schema creation and modification, and
data access control. SQL was one of the first languages for Edgar F. Codd’s relational model
in his influential 1970 paper, "A Relational Model of Data for Large Shared Data Banks" and
became the most widely used language for relational databases.

• IBM developed SQL in mid of 1970’s.

• Oracle incorporated in the year 1979.

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• SQL used by IBM/DB2 and DS Database Systems.

• SQL adopted as standard language for RDBS by ASNI in 1989.

DATA TYPES
CHAR (Size) This data type is used to store character strings values of fixed length. The size
in brackets determines the number of characters the cell can hold. The maximum number of
character is 255 characters.

• VARCHAR (Size) / VERCHAR2 (Size): This data type is used to store variable length
alphanumeric data. The maximum character can hold is 2000 character.

• NUMBER (P, S): The NUMBER data type is used to store number (fixed or floating
point). Number of virtually any magnitude may be stored up to 38 digits of precision.
Number as large as 9.99 * 10 124. The precision (p) determines the number of places
to the right of the decimal. If scale is omitted then the default is zero. If precision is
omitted, values are stored with their original precision up to the maximum of 38 digits.

• DATE: This data type is used to represent date and time. The standard format is DD-
MM-YY as in 17-SEP-2009. To enter dates other than the standard format, use the
appropriate functions. Date time stores date in the 24-Hours format. By default the
time in a date field is 12:00:00 am, if no time portion is specified. The default date for a
date field is the first day the current month.

• LONG: This data type is used to store variable length character strings containing up
to 2GB. Long data can be used to store arrays of binary data in ASCII format. LONG
values cannot be indexed, and the normal character functions such as SUBSTR cannot
be applied.

• RAW: The RAW data type is used to store binary data, such as digitized picture or
image. Data loaded into columns of these data types are stored without any further
conversion. RAW data type can have a maximum length of 255 bytes. LONG RAW
data type can contain up to 2GB.

INTERACTIVE SQL
Syntax : VERB(Parameter _1,Parameter _2,Parameter _3,........Parameter _n); SQL language is
sub-divided into several language elements, including:

• Clauses, which are in some cases optional, constituent components of statements and
queries.

• Expressions, which can produce either scalar values or tables consisting of columns and
rows of data.

• Predicates which specify conditions that can be evaluated to SQL three-valued logic
(3VL) Boolean truth values and which are used to limit the effects of statements and
queries, or to change program flow.

• Queries which retrieve data based on specific criteria.

• Statements which may have a persistent effect on schemas and data, or which may
control transactions, program flow, connections, sessions, or diagnostics.
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• SQL statements also include the semicolon (";") statement terminator. Though not re-
quired on every platform, it is defined as a standard part of the SQL grammar.

• Insignificant white space is generally ignored in SQL statements and queries, making
it easier to format SQL code for readability.

There are five types of SQL statements. They are:

• DATA DEFINITION LANGUAGE (DDL)

• DATA MANIPULATION LANGUAGE (DML)

• DATA RETRIEVAL LANGUAGE (DRL)

• TRANSATIONAL CONTROL LANGUAGE (TCL)

• DATA CONTROL LANGUAGE (DCL)

The Data Definition Language (DDL)

The Data Definition Language (DDL) is used to

• Creating a table

• Altering table structure by adding, deleting or modifying columns

• Destroy databases and database objects.

These commands will primarily be used by database administrators during the setup and
removal phases of a database project.

Create new Table

It defines each column of the table uniquely. Each column has minimum of three attributes,
a name , data type and size.

Syntax

CREATE TABLE <table name> (<col1> <datatype>(<size>),<col2> <datatype><size>));

Ex:CREATE TABLE emp(empno number(4) primary key, ename char(10));

Add new column to existing table

Once table created within a database, one may wish to modify the definition of it. The AL-
TER command allows you to make changes to the structure of a table without deleting and
recreating it.
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Syntax

ALTER TABLE <tablename> add(<new col><datatype(size),<new col>datatype(size));

Ex:ALTER TABLE emp add(sal number(7,2));

Drop Column
In an existing table, a column can be deleted or dropped using the ALTER command.

Syntax

ALTER TABLE <tablename> drop column <col>;

Ex:ALTER TABLE emp drop column sal;

Modify Column
In an existing table, a column can be modified using the ALTER command.

Syntax

ALTER TABLE <tablename> modify(<col><newdatatype>(<newsize>));

Ex:ALTER TABLE emp modify(ename varchar2(15));

Renaming the table

We can rename a table using RENAME command.

Syntax

RENAME <oldtable> to <new table>;

Ex. RENAME emp to emp1;

Destroying tables
A table can be destroyed or deleted using DROP command.

Syntax

DROP TABLE <tablename>;

Ex. DROP TABLE emp1;
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Summary
1: Create a table named BRANCH with following Structure

Data Field Name Type Constraint

Branch Number branchno number(1) Primary Key
Branch branchname varchar2(30) Not Null
• Add the column ’emailid’ to table BRANCH with Constraint UNIQUE.

• Modify the column named ’branch name’ to Varchar2(25)

• Rename the table name to ’Branch Info’

• Delete the column named ’emailid’

2: Create a table named STUDENT with following Structure

Data Field Name Type Constraint
Student Name name varchar2(30) Not Null
Student Number registerno number(11) Primary Key
Branch Number branchno number(1) Foreign Key
Section sec varchar2(1) Not Null
Joined Date joindate date Not Null
Mark mark number(5,2) Not Null
• Add the column ’emailid’ to table STUDENT with Constraint UNIQUE.

• Modify the column named ’student name’ to Varchar2(25)

• Rename the table name to ’Branch student data’

• Delete the column named ’emailid’

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Practise Exercise
1: Create a table named MARKGRADE with following Structure

Data Field Name Type Constraint

Grade grade varchar2(1) Not Null
Lowest Mark lowmark number(5,2) Not Null
Highest Mark highmark number(5,2) Not Null
• Add the column ’student name’ to table STUDENT with Constraint varchar2(30).

• Modify the column named ’student name’ to Varchar2(25)

• Rename the table name to ’students marks grade’

2: Create a table named PROJECT with following Structure

Data Field Name Type Constraint

Project Number pno number(3) Primary Key
Project Name pname varchar2(60)
Project Manager pmgr number(4) Not Null
Persons persons number(3)
Budjet budjet number(8,2)
Project Start date pstart date Not Null
Project End Date pend date