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Introduction
SQL stands for Structured Query Language. It is used to conduct operations on database records such as inserting records, updating records, deleting records, creating, updating, and removing tables, views, etc.
SQL does not give programmers a mechanism for condition checking, looping, and branching.
SQL queries are delivered to the Oracle engine one at a time, increasing traffic and decreasing performance.
SQL does not support error checking during data manipulation.
PL/SQL enhances SQL by including elements from procedural languages, resulting in a more powerful structural language than SQL.
PL/SQL is a block-structured programming language. PL/SQL programs are logical blocks that can include an unlimited number of nested sub-blocks. Pl/SQL is an abbreviation for "Procedural Language Extension of SQL," which is used in Oracle. Oracle database is connected with PL/SQL (since version 7). Although PL/SQL is closely related to SQL, it adds several programming limitations that SQL does not have.
PL/SQL Functionalities and Features
Procedural language components such as conditions and loops are included in PL/SQL. It supports the definition of constants and variables, procedures and functions, types and variables of those kinds, and triggers. It can work with arrays and handle exceptions (runtime errors). Following Oracle database version 8, capabilities linked with object orientation were added. Users may write PL/SQL components such as procedures, functions, packages, types, and triggers that are saved in the Database and can be reused by other applications.
PL/SQL is well-known for combining the data manipulation strength of SQL with the data processing capabilities of procedural languages. It inherits the Oracle Database's robustness, security, and portability.
In PL/SQL, SQL statements can be used to alter Oracle data, and the flow of control statements can process the data.
Because PL/SQL is not case sensitive, users can use lower or upper case letters except within string and character literals. A PL/SQL text line includes lexical units, which are groupings of characters. It is categorizable as follows:
Delimiters
Identifiers
Literals
Comments
5. The exception handling block is a feature of PL/SQL that allows us to handle exceptions that occur in PL/SQL blocks.
The syntax of the PL/SQL block structure is shown below.
DECLARE -->optional < declaration statements> BEGIN -->mandatory <executable statements. At least one executable statement is mandatory> EXCEPTION -->optional <exception handling statements> END; -->mandatory
PL/SQL Block sections
Declaration section (optional) Declare section begins with the DECLARE keyword, where variables, constants, records, and cursors can be declared to store data temporarily. It mainly consists of the defining of PL/SQL identifiers. This section of code is optional.
Execution section (mandatory) The execution section begins with the keyword BEGIN and finishes with the END keyword. This is a required part in which the program logic, such as loops and conditional statements, is written. It supports all DML and DDL commands and SQL*PLUS built-in functions.
Exception handling section (optional) The EXCEPTION keyword is used to begin the Exception section. This optional section includes statements that are performed when a run-time error occurs. This section can handle any exceptions.
Execution Environment for PL/SQL
The Oracle engine contains the PL/SQL engine. The Oracle engine can handle a single SQL statement and a block of many statements. If the SQL statements are included within a PL/SQL block, the call to the Oracle engine only has to be performed once to execute any number of SQL statements.
Is PL SQL the same as MySQL? While MySQL has similar components, PLSQL cannot be used in MySQL. The same is true for T-SQL, which is utilized by MS SQL Server. MySQL's website has a wealth of documentation. Both PLSQL and T-SQL are Turing-complete and likely give significantly greater capabilities.
What is PL SQL used for? Function. A PL/SQL function is often used to compute and return a single value. This value might be a single scalar value (such as a number, date, or character string) or a single collection (such as a nested table or array).
What is a trigger in Plsql? Triggers are stored programs that are executed or triggered when certain circumstances occur. In actuality, triggers are written to be invoked in reaction to any of the following events: A DML (database manipulation) statement (DELETE, INSERT, or UPDATE) A database definition (DDL) statement is a declaration that describes the structure of a database (CREATE, ALTER, or DROP).
What is a procedure in PL SQL? A procedure is a collection of PL/SQL statements that may be called by name. A call specification (also known as a call specification) specifies a Java method or a third-generation language (3GL) procedure that may be called from SQL and PL/SQL. A procedure can also be created as part of a package.
Key Takeaways
Cheers if you reached here! In this blog, we learned about basic PL/SQL.
We have covered the features of PL/SQL.
We have also seen how PL/SQL is different from SQL.
Further, we saw its Block Structure and Advantages.
On the other hand, learning never ceases, and there is always more to learn. So, keep learning and keep growing, ninjas! If you want more practice in DBMS and SQL, then try these Top 100 SQL Problems asked in various companies. With this fantastic course from CodingNinjas, you can make learning enjoyable and stress-free. Good luck with your preparation!
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