Contents:
Introduction
Acknowledgments
Conventions
PL/SQL Language Fundamentals
Variables and Program Data
Conditional and Sequential Control
Loops
Database Interaction and Cursors
Cursors in PL/SQL
Exception Handling
Records in PL/SQL
Named Program Units
Triggers
Packages
Calling PL/SQL Functions in SQL
Oracle8 Objects
Collections
External Procedures
Java Language Integration
1.1 Introduction
The Oracle PL/SQL Language Pocket Reference is a quick reference guide to the PL/SQL programming
language, which provides procedural extensions to the SQL relational database language and a range of
Oracle development tools.
Where a package, program, or function is supported only for a particular version of Oracle (e.g., Oracle8i), we
indicate this in the text.
The purpose of this pocket reference is to help PL/SQL users find the syntax of specific language elements. It
is not a self-contained user guide; basic knowledge of the PL/SQL programming language is required. For
more information, see the following books:
Oracle PL/SQL Programming, 2nd Edition, by Steven Feuerstein with Bill Pribyl (O'Reilly & Associates,
1997).
Oracle Built-in Packages, by Steven Feuerstein, Charles Dye, and John Beresniewicz (O'Reilly &
Associates, 1998).
Oracle PL/SQL Built-ins Pocket Reference, by Steven Feuerstein, John Beresniewicz, and Chip Dawes
(O'Reilly & Associates, 1998).
1.2 Acknowledgments
Copyright (c) 2000 O'Reilly & Associates. All rights reserved.
1. Oracle PL/SQL Language Pocket Reference 2
Chapter 1
Oracle PL/SQL Language
Pocket Reference
1.2 Acknowledgments
We would like to thank our reviewers: Eric J. Givler, Department of Environmental Protection, Harrisburg,
Pennsylvania; and Stephen Nelson, HK Systems, New Berlin, Wisconsin.
1.1 Introduction 1.3 Conventions
Copyright (c) 2000 O'Reilly & Associates. All rights reserved.
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1.3 Conventions
UPPERCASE indicates PL/SQL keywords.
lowercase indicates user-defined items such as parameters.
Italic indicates file names and parameters within text.
Constant width is used for code examples.
[] enclose optional items in syntax descriptions.
{ } enclose a list of items in syntax descriptions; you must choose one item from the list.
| separates bracketed list items in syntax descriptions.
1.2 Acknowledgments 1.4 PL/SQL Language
Fundamentals
Copyright (c) 2000 O'Reilly & Associates. All rights reserved.
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1.4 PL/SQL Language Fundamentals
1.4.1 The PL/SQL Character Set
The PL/SQL language is constructed from letters, digits, symbols, and whitespace, as defined in the following
table.
Type Characters
Letters A-Z, a-z
Digits 0-9
Symbols ~!@#$%&*()_-+=|[ ]{ }:;"'< >?/
Whitespace space, tab, carriage return
Characters are grouped together into the four lexical units: identifiers, literals, delimiters, and comments.
1.4.1.1 Identifiers
Identifiers are names ...

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