 Procedural Language – SQL
 An extension to SQL with design features of
programming languages (procedural and object
oriented)
 PL/SQL and Java are both supported as internal
host languages within Oracle products.
 Acts as host language for stored procedures
and triggers.
 Provides the ability to add middle tier business
logic to client/server applications.
 Provides Portability of code from one
environment to another
 Improves performance of multi-query
transactions.
 Provides error handling
DECLARE (optional)
- variable declarations
BEGIN (required)
- SQL statements
- PL/SQL statements or sub-blocks
EXCEPTION (optional)
- actions to perform when errors occur
END; (required)
Anonymous
DECLARE
BEGIN
-statements
EXCEPTION
END;
Procedure
PROCEDURE <name>
IS
BEGIN
-statements
EXCEPTION
END;
Function
FUNCTION <name>
RETURN <datatype>
IS
BEGIN
-statements
EXCEPTION
END;
 Scalar (char, varchar2, number, date, etc)
 Composite (%rowtype)
 Reference (pointers)
 LOB (large objects)
Note: Non PL/SQL variables include bind variables,
host (“global”) variables, and parameters.
 Two variables can have the same name if they are
in different blocks (bad idea)
 The variable name should not be the same as any
table column names used in the block.
 All variables must be declared before their use.
 The assignment statement
: =
is not the same as the equality operator
=
 All statements end with a ;
Variable g_inv_value number
DECLARE
v_price number(8,2) := 10.25;
v_quantity number(8,0) := 400;
BEGIN
:g_inv_value := v_price * v_quantity;
END;
/
Print g_inv_value
/
Set serveroutput on
DECLARE
v_inv_value number(10,2);
v_price number(8,2) := 10.25;
v_quantity number(8,0) := 400;
BEGIN
v_inv_value := v_price * v_quantity;
dbms_output.put('The value is: ');
dbms_output.put_line(v_inv_value);
END;
/
Set serveroutput on
Accept p_price Prompt 'Enter the Price: '
DECLARE
v_inv_value number(8,2);
v_price number(8,2);
v_quantity number(8,0) := 400;
BEGIN
v_price := &p_price;
v_inv_value := v_price * v_quantity;
dbms_output.put_line('******');
dbms_output.put_line('price * quantity=');
dbms_output.put_line(v_inv_value);
END;
/
Note: PL/SQL not designed for user interface programming
DECLARE
v_salary number(9,2) := 40000;
BEGIN
/* this is a multi-line comment that
will be ignored by the pl/sql
interpreter */
v_salary := v_salary * 2; -- nice raise
END; -- end of program
SET SERVEROUTPUT ON
DECLARE
v_max_gpa number(3,2);
v_numstudents number(4);
v_lname students.lname%type;
v_major students.major%type;
BEGIN
select max(gpa) into v_max_gpa
from students;
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE ('The highest GPA is '||v_max_gpa);
select count(sid) into v_numstudents
from students
where gpa = v_max_gpa;
IF v_numstudents > 1 then
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE ('There are '||v_numstudents||' with that GPA');
ELSE
select lname, major into v_lname, v_major
from students
where gpa=v_max_gpa;
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE ('The student name is '||v_lname);
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE ('The student major is '||v_major);
END IF;
END;
/
 CHR(asciivalue)
 ASCII(string)
 LOWER(string)
 SUBSTR(string,start,substrlength)
 LTRIM(string)
 RTRIM(string)
 LPAD(string_to_be_padded, spaces_to_pad, |string_to_pad_with|)
 RPAD(string_to_be_padded, spaces_to_pad, |string_to_pad_with|)
 REPLACE(string, searchstring, replacestring)
 UPPER(string)
 INITCAP(string)
 LENGTH(string)
 ABS(value)
 ROUND(value, precision)
 MOD(value,divisor)
 SQRT(value)
 TRUNC(value,|precision|)
 LEAST(exp1, exp2…)
 GREATEST(exp1, exp2…)
Set serveroutput on
DECLARE
v_student students%rowtype;
BEGIN
select * into v_student
from students
where sid='123456';
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE (v_student.lname);
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE (v_student.major);
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE (v_student.gpa);
END;
/
 A cursor is a private set of records
 An Oracle Cursor = VB recordset = JDBC
ResultSet
 Implicit cursors are created for every query made
in Oracle
 Explicit cursors can be declared by a programmer
within PL/SQL.
 cursorname%ROWCOUNT Rows returned so far
 cursorname%FOUND One or more rows retrieved
 cursorname%NOTFOUND No rows found
 Cursorname%ISOPEN Is the cursor open
 Declare the cursor
 Open the cursor
 Fetch a row
 Test for end of cursor
 Close the cursor
Note: there is a FOR LOOP available with an implicit fetch
DECLARE
CURSOR students_cursor IS
SELECT * from students;
v_student students_cursor%rowtype;
/* instead we could do v_student students%rowtype */
BEGIN
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE ('******************');
OPEN students_cursor;
FETCH students_cursor into v_student;
WHILE students_cursor%found LOOP
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE (v_student.last);
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE (v_student.major);
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE ('******************');
FETCH students_cursor into v_student;
END LOOP;
CLOSE students_cursor;
END;
/
DECLARE
CURSOR students_cursor IS
SELECT last, major from students;
v_Last students.last%type;
v_major students.major%type;
BEGIN
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE ('******************');
OPEN students_cursor;
FETCH students_cursor into v_last, v_major;
WHILE students_cursor%found LOOP
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE (v_last);
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE (v_major);
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE ('******************');
FETCH students_cursor into v_last, v_major;
END LOOP;
CLOSE students_cursor;
END;
/
 When something is too complicated for SQL
 When conditional branching and looping are needed
 Example
 Write a PL/SQL program that assigns email address to each employee or
student in a table. Following these rules:
- email address should be all lower case
- email address should default to first initial plus the first seven letters of the last name
- email can be no longer than eight characters
- if email is already used than use first initial plus middle initial plus first
six letters of last name
- if the previous address is taken use the first two letters of the first name
and the first six letters of the last name.
- if the previous address is taken use first six letters of last name + 01 or 02 …etc
 PL/SQL code stored in the database and executed when called by the
user.
 Called by procedure name from another PL/SQL block or using EXECUTE
from SQL+. For example EXEC SQR(50)
 Example:
Create procedure SQR (v_num_to_square IN number)
AS
v_answer number(10);
BEGIN
v_answer := v_num_to_square * v_num_to_square;
dbms_output.put_line(v_answer);
END;
/
 PL/SQL user defined function stored in the database and executed
when a function call is made in code: example x := SQUARED(50)
 Example:
Create or Replace Function SQUARED
(p_number_to_square IN number)
RETURN number
IS
v_answer number(10);
BEGIN
v_answer := p_number_to_square * p_number_to_square;
RETURN(v_answer);
END;
/
Create or replace procedure mytabs
AS
CURSOR table_cursor IS
Select table_name from user_tables;
v_tablename varchar2(30);
BEGIN
open table_cursor;
fetch table_cursor into v_tablename;
while table_cursor%found loop
dbms_output.put_line(v_tablename);
fetch table_cursor into v_tablename;
end loop;
close table_cursor;
END;
 PL/SQL code executed automatically in response to a database event,
typically DML.
 Like other stored procedures, triggers are stored in the database.
 Often used to:
◦ enforce complex constraints, especially multi-table constraints. Financial
posting is an example of this.
◦ Trigger related actions
◦ implement auditing “logs”
◦ pop a sequence when creating token keys
 Triggers do not issue transaction control statements (such as commit).
Triggers are part of the SQL transaction that invoked them.
 USER_TRIGGERS provides a data dictionary view of triggers.
CREATE OR REPLACE TRIGGER <trigger_name>
[BEFORE/AFTER][DELETE/INSERT/UPDATE of <column_name |, column_name… |>
ON <table_name>
|FOR EACH ROW|
|WHEN <triggering condition>|
|DECLARE|
BEGIN
trigger statements
…………
END;
To delete a trigger use:
DROP TRIGGER <trigger_name>;
CREATE OR REPLACE TRIGGER LOGSTUDENTCHANGES
BEFORE INSERT OR DELETE OR UPDATE of Major ON STUDENTS
FOR EACH ROW
DECLARE
v_ChangeType CHAR(1);
v_sid varchar2(10);
BEGIN
IF INSERTING THEN
V_ChangeType := 'I';
v_sid := :new.sid;
ELSIF UPDATING THEN
V_ChangeType := 'U';
v_sid := :new.sid;
ELSE
V_ChangeType := 'D';
v_sid := :old.sid;
END IF;
INSERT INTO MAJ_AUDIT (change_type, changed_by, timestamp,
SID, old_major, new_major)
VALUES (v_ChangeType, USER, SYSDATE, v_sid, :old.major, :new.major);
END LOGSTUDENTCHANGES;
CREATE OR REPLACE TRIGGER UPPERCASE
BEFORE INSERT OR UPDATE ON STUDENTS
FOR EACH ROW
DECLARE
BEGIN
:new.lastname:=UPPER(:new.lastname);
:new.firstname:=UPPER(:new.firstname);
END UPPERCASE;
/
CREATE OR REPLACE TRIGGER SalaryTrig
BEFORE INSERT ON Employees
FOR EACH ROW
DECLARE
v_upper_sal_limit NUMBER(10,2);
v_lower_sal_limit NUMBER(10,2);
BEGIN
SELECT MIN(salary)*10 INTO v_upper_sal_limit
FROM employees;
SELECT MAX(salary)/10 INTO v_lower_sal_limit
FROM employees;
IF :new.salary NOT BETWEEN v_lower_sal_limit AND v_upper_sal_limit THEN
RAISE_APPLICATION_ERROR(-20001,'salary out of allowed range');
END IF;
END SalaryTrig;
/
Notes: Application error number is a parameter between –20,000 and –20,999.
You could also stop the insert by "poisoning" it, changing a :new
buffer value to one that you know will not pass constraint evaluation.
CREATE SEQUENCE <sequence_name>
|INCREMENT BY <number>|
|START WITH <start_value>|
|MAXVALUE <maximum_value>|NOMAXVALUE|
|MINVALUE <minimum_value>|
|CYCLE|NOCYLE|
|CACHE <number of values>|NOCACHE|
|ORDER|NOORDER|
To pop the next sequence use:
SEQUENCENAME.NEXTVAL (CURRVAL shows last pop)