1

Overview of PL/SQL Subprograms

Copyright © Oracle Corporation, 2001. All rights

 Course Objectives

After completing this course, you should be able to

do the following:
• Create, execute, and maintain procedures,
functions, packages, and database triggers
• Manage PL/SQL subprograms and triggers
• Describe Oracle-supplied packages
• Manipulate large objects (LOBs)

1-2 Copyright © Oracle Corporation, 2001. All rights

 Lesson Objectives

After completing this lesson, you should be able to

do the following:
• Distinguish anonymous PL/SQL blocks from
named PL/SQL blocks (subprograms)
• Describe subprograms
• List the benefits of using subprograms
• List the different environments from which
subprograms can be invoked

1-3 Copyright © Oracle Corporation, 2001. All rights

 Oracle Internet Platform
Clients Any mail
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System management

Development tools
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SQL
SQL
Business logic Presentation and
and data business logic
PL/SQL
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Application
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1-4 Copyright © Oracle Corporation, 2001. All rights

 PL/SQL Program Constructs
<header> IS|AS
or DECLARE

BEGIN

EXCEPTION
Database Server
Tools Constructs Constructs
Anonymous blocks END;
Anonymous blocks
Application procedures or
Stored procedures or
functions
functions
Application packages
Stored packages
Application triggers
Database triggers
Object types
Object types

1-5 Copyright © Oracle Corporation, 2001. All rights

 Overview of Subprograms

A subprogram:
• Is a named PL/SQL block that can accept parameters
and be invoked from a calling environment
• Is of two types:
– A procedure that performs an action
– A function that computes a value
• Is based on standard PL/SQL block structure
• Provides modularity, reusability, extensibility,
and maintainability
• Provides easy maintenance, improved data security
and integrity, improved performance, and improved
code clarity

1-6 Copyright © Oracle Corporation, 2001. All rights

 Block Structure for Anonymous
PL/SQL Blocks

DECLARE (optional)
Declare PL/SQL objects to be used
within this block
BEGIN (mandatory)
Define the executable statements
EXCEPTION (optional)
Define the actions that take place if
an error or exception arises
END; (mandatory)

1-7 Copyright © Oracle Corporation, 2001. All rights

 Block Structure for PL/SQL Subprograms

<header>
Subprogram Specification
IS | AS
Declaration section
BEGIN
Executable section
Subprogram Body
EXCEPTION (optional)
Exception section
END;

1-8 Copyright © Oracle Corporation, 2001. All rights

 PL/SQL Subprograms
----- --- --- ---
-----xxx
---xxx
--- xxx
---
xxx xxx xxx
----- --- --- ---
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xxx xxx xxx
xxx xxx xxx
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xxx xxx xxx
xxx xxx xxx
----- --- --- ---
----- --- --- ---
----- --- --- ---
Code repeated more than
once in a PL/SQL program
1-9 Copyright © Oracle Corporation, 2001. All rights
----- --- --- ---
----- --- --- ---
P
----- --- --- ---
----- --- --- ---
xxx xxx xxx ----- --- --- ---
xxx xxx xxx
P
Subprogram P, ----- --- --- ---
which contains the ----- --- --- ---
repeated code P
----- --- --- ---
PL/SQL program invoking
the subprogram at multiple
locations
 Benefits of Subprograms

• Easy maintenance
• Improved data security and integrity
• Improved performance
• Improved code clarity

1-10 Copyright © Oracle Corporation, 2001. All rights

 Developing Subprograms by Using
iSQL*Plus

2 3

1-11 Copyright © Oracle Corporation, 2001. All rights

 Invoking Stored Procedures
and Functions

Scott LOG_EXECUTION
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4
Scott

1-12 Copyright © Oracle Corporation, 2001. All rights

 Summary

In this lesson, you should have learned that:

• Anonymous blocks are unnamed PL/SQL blocks.
• Subprograms are named PL/SQL blocks, declared
as either procedures or functions.
• You can create subprograms in iSQL*Plus using a
text editor.
• You can invoke subprograms from different
environments.

1-13 Copyright © Oracle Corporation, 2001. All rights