A Guide to Oracle9i 1

Advanced SQL And

PL/SQL Topics
Chapter 9
A Guide to Oracle9i 2
Lesson A Objectives
Learn how to create and use indexes
Become familiar with PL/SQL stored program units
Learn how to create server-side stored program units
in SQL*Plus
Learn how to use Forms Builder to create stored
program units
A Guide to Oracle9i 3
Database Indexes
Similar to an index in a book
Table with list of sorted data values and
corresponding physical location
Used to speed searches
Uses ROWID column to represent physical location
Primary key indexed automatically
Unlimited number allowed, but more indexes means
more processing time for action queries (insert,
update, delete)
A Guide to Oracle9i 4
Creating an Index
Create index after table data is loaded
CREATE INDEX index_name ON tablename
(index_fieldname);
Convention for naming index: tablename_fieldname.
A Guide to Oracle9i 5
Composite Index
Contains multiple (up to 16) sorted columns
Used for queries with multiple search conditions
CREATE INDEX index_name ON
tablename(index_fieldname1, index_fieldname2, );
A Guide to Oracle9i 6
Viewing Index Information
Use data dictionary view USER_INDEXES
A Guide to Oracle9i 7
Dropping an Index
If an index is no longer needed or does not
improve performance, delete it
DROP INDEX index_name;
A Guide to Oracle9i 8
Use an Index When
Table contains a large number of records (a rule of
thumb is that a large table contains over 100,000
records)
The field contains a wide range of values
The field contains a large number of NULL values
Application queries frequently use the field in a
search condition or join condition
Most queries retrieve less than 2% to 4% of the table
rows
A Guide to Oracle9i 9
Do Not Use an Index When
The table does not contain a large number of records
Applications do not use the proposed index field in a
query search condition
Most queries retrieve more than 2% to 4% of the
table records
Applications frequently insert or modify table data
A Guide to Oracle9i 10
Overview of PL/SQL
Stored Program Units
Self-contained group of program statements
that can be used within a larger program.
Easier to conceptualize, design, and debug
Save valuable programming time because
you can reuse them in multiple database
applications
Other PL/SQL programs can reference them
A Guide to Oracle9i 11
Overview of PL/SQL
Stored Program Units
Server-side program units stored in the
database as database objects and execute
on the database server
Client-side program units stored in the file
system of the client workstation and execute
on the client workstation

A Guide to Oracle9i 12
Types of Program Units
A Guide to Oracle9i 13
Creating Stored Program Units
Procedure: a program unit that can receive multiple input
parameters and return multiple output values or return no output
values
Function: a program unit that can receive multiple input
parameters, and always returns a single output value.
A Guide to Oracle9i 14
Parameter Declarations List
Defines the parameters and declares their
associated data types
Enclosed in parentheses
Separated by commas
A Guide to Oracle9i 15
Parameter Declarations List
Parameter mode describes how the program unit can
change the parameter value:
IN - specifies a parameter that is passed to the program unit
as a read-only value that the program unit cannot change.
OUT - specifies a parameter that is a write-only value that
can appear only on the left side of an assignment statement
in the program unit
IN OUT - specifies a parameter that is passed to the
program unit, and whose value can also be changed within
the program unit

A Guide to Oracle9i 16
Creating a Stored Procedure
in SQL*Plus
A Guide to Oracle9i 17
Debugging Stored Program
Units in SQL*Plus
A Guide to Oracle9i 18
Debugging Stored Program
Units in SQL*Plus
A Guide to Oracle9i 19
Calling a Stored Procedure
From SQL*Plus command line:
EXECUTE procedure_name (parameter1_value,
parameter2_value, ...);
From PL/SQL program:
Omit execute command
Passing parameters (see Figure 9-13)
A Guide to Oracle9i 20
Creating a Stored Program Unit
Function
A Guide to Oracle9i 21
Creating a Stored
Program Unit Function
Last command in function must be RETURN
A Guide to Oracle9i 22
Calling a Function
variable_name := function_name(parameter1,
parameter2, ...);
A Guide to Oracle9i 23
Using Forms Builder to Create
Stored Procedures and Functions
Create and test the program unit within a form
Save it as a stored program unit in your database
schema
Provides an enhanced development and debugging
environment:
Color-coded editor for entering and debugging program unit
commands
Displays compile error messages immediately
Use the Forms Debugger to step through program unit
commands and view how variable values change
A Guide to Oracle9i 24
Using Forms Builder to Create
Stored Procedures and Functions
Create the procedure or function as a form
program unit
Test and debug the form program unit by
calling it from commands within a form trigger
Save the form program unit as a stored
program unit in the database
A Guide to Oracle9i 25
Lesson B Objectives
Learn how to call stored procedures from other
stored procedures and pass parameter values
Create libraries
Create packages
Create database triggers
A Guide to Oracle9i 26
Calling Stored Program Units
from Other Stored Program Units
Decompose applications into logical units of work and
then write individual program units for each logical
unit
Code is in a single location
Developers do not need to rewrite program units that
already exist
References procedures must be declared first
A Guide to Oracle9i 27
PL/SQL Libraries
Operating system file that contains code for multiple
related procedures and functions
Attach a PL/SQL library to a form or report
Triggers within the form or report reference librarys
procedures and functions
Store a PL/SQL library in the file system of the client
workstation
.pll extension - stands for PL/SQL Library
Compile the library into a library executable file - .plx
extension - stands for PL/SQL Library Executable
Library places the commands for multiple related
program units in a single location that developers can
access and use
A Guide to Oracle9i 28
Creating a PL/SQL Library
Use Forms Builder to create libraries
Add form program units and stored program units to
the library.
A Guide to Oracle9i 29
Packages
Another way to make PL/SQL program units
available to multiple applications
A code library that contains related program units and
variables
Stored in the database and executes on the database
server
Have more functionality than PL/SQL libraries:
Can create variables in packages
Definitions for explicit cursors
More convenient to use than PL/SQL libraries
Available without explicitly attaching them to a form or report
A Guide to Oracle9i 30
Package Specification
Also called package header
Declares package objects, including
variables, cursors, procedures, and functions,
Use to declare public variables:
Remain in memory after the programs that declare
and reference them terminate
Declared in the DECLARE section of a package
Referenced same as private variables
A Guide to Oracle9i 31
Package Specification
A Guide to Oracle9i 32
Package Header
Package_name identifies the package
Must adhere to the Oracle Naming Standard
Declare the package objects in any order
Package can consist of just variable
declarations, or it can consist of just
procedure or function declarations
A Guide to Oracle9i 33
Procedure and Function Declarations
Declare a procedure:
PROCEDURE procedure_name
(parameter1 parameter1_data_type,
parameter2 parameter2_data_type, ...);
Declare a function:
FUNCTION function_name
(parameter1 parameter1_data_type,
parameter2 parameter2_data_type, ...)
RETURN return_datatype;
A Guide to Oracle9i 34
Package Body
Contains the implementation of declared
procedures and functions
Specification comes before body
Optional: sometimes a package contains
only variable or cursor declarations, and no
procedure or function declarations
See Figure 9-35 for general syntax
A Guide to Oracle9i 35
Package Body
Package_name in the package body must be the
same as package_name in the package specification
Variables that you declare at the beginning of the
package body are private to the package
Each package program unit has its own declaration
section and BEGIN and END statements
Each program unit declared in the package body
must have a matching program unit forward
declaration in the package specification, with an
identical parameter list
A Guide to Oracle9i 36
Creating a Package Header in
SQL*Plus
A Guide to Oracle9i 37
Creating a Package Body in
SQL*Plus
A Guide to Oracle9i 38
Using Package Objects
Must preface the item with the package
name:
package_name.item_name.
To grant other users the privilege to execute
a package:
GRANT EXECUTE ON package_name TO
username;
A Guide to Oracle9i 39
Creating a Package in Forms Builder
Create a program unit of type Package Spec
Type the package specification in the PL/SQL editor
Create a program unit of type Package Body
Type package body in the PL/SQL editor
Compile package body and test using a form trigger
Save the package in the database for future use
A Guide to Oracle9i 40
Database Triggers
Program units that execute in response to the
database events of inserting, updating, or deleting a
record
Different from form triggers
Useful for maintaining integrity constraints and audit
information
Cannot accept input parameters
Executes only when its triggering event occurs
A Guide to Oracle9i 41
Trigger Properties
Trigger timing:
Defines whether a trigger fires before or after the
SQL statement executes
Can have the values BEFORE or AFTER
Trigger statement:
Defines the type of SQL statement that causes a
trigger to fire
Can be INSERT, UPDATE, or DELETE
A Guide to Oracle9i 42
Trigger Properties
Trigger level:
Defines whether a trigger fires once for each triggering
statement or once for each row affected by the triggering
statement
Can have the values ROW or STATEMENT
Statement-level triggers fire once, either before or after the
SQL triggering statement executes.
Row-level triggers fire once for each row affected by the
triggering statement
Use :OLD.fieldname to reference previous value
Use :NEW.fieldname to reference changed value
A Guide to Oracle9i 43
Creating Database Triggers
A Guide to Oracle9i 44
Database Trigger Header
Trigger_name must follow Oracle Naming Standard
Join statement types using the OR operator to fire for
multiple statement types (INSERT OR UPDATE)
WHEN (condition) clause:
Trigger will fire only for rows that satisfy a specific search
condition
WHEN OLD.grade IS NOT NULL;
A Guide to Oracle9i 45
Database Trigger Body
Contains the commands that execute when the
trigger fires
PL/SQL code block that contains the usual
declaration, body, and exception sections
Cannot contain transaction control statements
Reference the NEW and OLD field values only in a
row-level trigger
A Guide to Oracle9i 46
Trigger Use Audit Trail
A Guide to Oracle9i 47
Creating Audit Trigger in SQL*Plus
A Guide to Oracle9i 48
Creating a Database Trigger
in Forms Builder
Use the Database Trigger Dialog Box to
specify trigger properties
Type trigger body into Trigger Body entry field
A Guide to Oracle9i 49
Disabling and Dropping Triggers
To remove a trigger:
DROP TRIGGER trigger_name;
To disable/enable a trigger:
ALTER TRIGGER trigger_name [ENABLE |
DISABLE];
A Guide to Oracle9i 50
Viewing Trigger Information
A Guide to Oracle9i 51
Summary
Database indexes store an ordered list of field values
with corresponding ROWID
Indexes are used to speed query performance
Stored program units are named PL/SQL blocks that
are saved
Procedures accept parameters and return 0,1, or
many values
Functions accept parameters and return exactly one
value
A Guide to Oracle9i 52
Summary
PL/SQL Library is a client-side file containing
procedures and functions
PL/SQL Package is a collection of public variables,
cursors, procedures and functions stored in the
DBMS
Database triggers are PL/SQL blocks that are run in
response to table changes
Database triggers are used to enforce integrity
constraints and track changes
Forms Builder may be used as an IDE to develop
functions, procedures, libraries, packages and
triggers