This is part 1_1 of our PLSQL tutorial introducing PLSQL to you. These tutorials will show you how to take full advantage of PL/SQL to improve database performance, make your applications simpler and easier to maintain and make life easier for yourself as an Oracle developer or DBA.
This part of our PLSQL tutorial examines the pros and cons of using PLSQL.
One advantage that PL/SQL has over other programming languages is its tight coupling with the Oracle database.
This makes PL/SQL programs easier to write and very efficient at accessing the database and means that they can be stored in the database and be run on the server as opposed to the client.
Of course, this tight coupling is only an advantage if your application is only going to be used with Oracle databases!
When PL/SQL programs are stored in the database, they also have the advantage
(along with Java Stored Procedures) of running on the same physical computer as the database.
This eliminates the need to send queries from the client to the database and the need to send intermediate results back from the database to the client, thereby reducing network traffic.
PLSQL is also fully portable. You can use PL/SQL on any platform which runs Oracle and you can transfer PLSQL programs from one platform to another without having to recompile them.
If you're just running Oracle databases, there are no major disadvantages to using PL/SQL as long as you're aware of its limitations.
PL/SQL is proprietary to Oracle which means if you were to change database vendors then you would have to re-write all your Oracle PL/SQL programs. Also if you use a mixture of databases or develop applications to run on different databases, you will either have to support lots of source code or write your applications in a database-neutral language like Java, VB or C and use the APIs to access the database.
The other limitation of Oracle PL/SQL is that there is very little support for i/o either to read/write files or to read from or write to a user interface. The rationale behind this is that PLSQL is designed for manipulating information from the database and not for processing files or communicating with users. These operations are possible - they just require a little bit more effort!
Go to Part 2 of this Oracle PLSQL tutorial to learn what datatypes are supported by PLSQL.
Want to extend, enhance and consolidate your knowledge of PL/SQL? We offer instructor-led PLSQL training courses at centres across the country. See the Oracle training page for details of our scheduled courses or contact us for more information.
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