Oracle PL/SQL Tutorial #1 - An

Introduction to PL/SQL

This is the first Oracle PL/SQL tutorial in a series of introductory tutorials demonstrating how you can use PL/SQL to make your Oracle applications better, faster and smarter.

What is Oracle PLSQL

PL/SQL is Oracle's SQL++ programming language providing structure and flow control extensions to SQL. The name PL/SQL is derived from the term "Procedural Language extensions to SQL". On its own, SQL enables you to specify what you want done but not how it is done. However, you often need more control over how data is retrieved and manipulated and this is where PL/SQL comes in. The procedural capabilities combined with standard SQL in Oracle PL/SQL gives developers far more control of how their SQL statements interact with the database and makes using PL/SQL an excellent alternative to developing applications in other languages such as Java, C or VB. The language itself is modeled on Ada, so Java/C/C++ programmers will find the syntax rather strange and probably won't like the single"=" being used for comparison, but anyone who's used Pascal or Ada or Modula2 will feel right at home. PL/SQL is not a pure object-oriented language like Java or Ada, but it does support some object-oriented features such as classification, polymorphism and, in the later versions, inheritance. Oracle PL/SQL tutorial #2 discusses the pros and cons of using PLSQL Tutorial #3 covers supported data types and language elements Tutorial #4 is all about using Oracle PL/SQL in the real world Tutorial #5 shows you how to use explicit cursors in Oracle PL/SQL PL/SQL tutorial #6 discusses the benefits of using cursor for loops to keep things simple In tutorial #7 you'll learn why PL/SQL procedures should be stored in the Oracle database Tutoral #8 takes this 1 step further to show how you make things even easier using PL/SQL PL/SQL tutorial #9 provides an introduction to the use of collections in PL/SQL PL/SQL Nested Tables are discussed in #10 PL/SQL varrays are covered in tutorial #11. In tutorial #12 we look at PLSQL associative arrays See tutorial #13 for an introduction to multilevel PL/SQL collections.   PL/SQL tutorial #14 shows you how to populate your collections from the Oracle database. Tutorial #15 covers the interaction of multi-level PL/SQL collections with Oracle Why not take advantage of our classroom-based Oracle training courses to enhance your knowledge of PL/SQL? With our partners we offer courses across the country and can provide on-site and/or customised training. See the Oracle training page for details of our scheduled courses or contact us  for more information. For help on other aspects of Oracle see the oracle tips and tricks page and see our Oracle resources section for recommended books and links to other excellent Oracle resources.  --------------------------------------- Looking to sky-rocket productivity, save time and reduce costs? Training is a highly cost-effective and proven method of boosting productivity. Smartsoft offers instructor-led training in Oracle and related technologies on or off site in cities across the UK as well as self-study online training. See our scheduled Oracle training courses, or let us know your requirements. Looking for more Oracle tips and tricks? For no frills, no fluff, just solid, reliable technical information, take a short cut now and subscribe to our newsletter. Jam-packed full of tips and tricks, it will help you make your Oracle systems faster and more reliable and save you hours searching for information. Subscribe today - there's no charge - and your first issue will soon be winging its way to your mailbox. Smartsoft Computing Ltd, Bristol, England  Contact Us View our privacy policy This site uses woopra.com to gather statistical information about our visitors. This data is aggregated to show industry trends (such as browser share). However, this data shall be the average of many thousands of visits and is in no way linked to individuals. View woopra privacy policy.  Oracle and Java are registered trademarks of Oracle and/or its affiliates. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners. © Copyright Smartsoft Computing Ltd. All rights reserved.