![PL/SQL - the Really Readable Language Let's compare Java and PL/SQL.... public class Hello { public static void main ( String [] args ) { System . out . println ( "Hello World!" ); } } CREATE OR REPLACE PROCEDURE hello ( IS BEGIN DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE ('Hello world!'); END hello ; PL/SQL isn't as powerful as Java, but it's much easier to write - and understand!](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/weird-plsql-1214531627375002-9/85/Weird-Plsql-6-320.jpg)
Weird Plsql
- 1. Weird PL/SQL Steven Feuerstein PL/SQL Evangelist, Quest Software www.quest.com [email protected]
- 2. How to benefit most from this session Watch, listen, ask questions . Then afterwards.... Download and use any of my the training materials, available at my "cyber home" on Toad World, a portal for Toad Users and PL/SQL developers: You have my permission to use all these materials to do internal trainings and build your own applications. But they should not considered production ready. You must test them and modify them to fit your needs. filename_from_demo_zip.sql Download and use any of my scripts (examples, performance scripts, reusable code) from the demo.zip, available from the same place. http://www.ToadWorld.com/SF PL/SQL Obsession
- 3. I Love PL/SQL And... We all love PL/SQL. But we all know there are ways in which it could be improved. And I will be pointing to lots of such ways in this seminar. I created ILovePLSQLAnd.net to make it easy for PL/SQL users to influence the future direction of the language. Please use it! http://www.ILovePLSQLAnd.net
- 4. The agenda C'mon, PL/SQL is not weird. SQLERRM and DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE Error codes: positive, negative, either, both? The built-in string parsing program - NOT! VARCHAR2 memory allocation VARRAY - what kind of varrying is that? $IF I understood $IF I would be amazing! The mystery of "reserved words" in PL/SQL Where's my line number? Where's my program name? Zero length strings and NULL %ROWTYPE and %TYPE
- 5. C'mon, PL/SQL is not WEIRD! That's true. It really isn't a weird language. Anybody ever use LISP? In fact, it is a very readable, accessible and enjoyable language. It is also a very robust and powerful language. All thanks to the PL/SQL dev team! So when I make fun of certain aspects of PL/SQL, I do it out of the deepest respect and appreciation - and desire to make PL/SQL even better! Thank you, PL/SQL Dev Team!
- 6. PL/SQL - the Really Readable Language Let's compare Java and PL/SQL.... public class Hello { public static void main ( String [] args ) { System . out . println ( "Hello World!" ); } } CREATE OR REPLACE PROCEDURE hello ( IS BEGIN DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE ('Hello world!'); END hello ; PL/SQL isn't as powerful as Java, but it's much easier to write - and understand!
- 7. SQLERRM and DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE SQLERRM returns the error text for the specified error code. If none is provided, then SQLCODE is assumed. But SQLERRM might truncate your error message! Currently at 512, earlier at 255. 255...255...what does that number remind us of! Ah, yes: DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE So use DBMS_UTILITY.FORMAT_ERROR_STACK instead! sqlerrm.sql
- 8. Error codes: positive, negative, either, both? We all know that Oracle errors are negative. Well, except for 1 and 100. Hey, that NO_DATA_FOUND is pretty strange all by itself! Oh, and error codes saved by SAVE EXCEPTIONS. And error codes saved by DBMS_ERRLOG At least the EXCEPTION_INIT pragma has it straight - more or less. STANDARD package in RDBMS\Admin: stdspec.sql stdbody.sql bulkexc.sql dbms_errlog*.* exception_init.sql
- 9. More on errors: the price of laziness - or is it cost-cutting? It's as if someone at Oracle calculated that declaring new exceptions cost $74 each. Larry: "Save $1B in costs this year!" Developers: "OK, we won't declare new exceptions." And so we have "recycled" exceptions: NO_DATA_FOUND: pure confusion VALUE_ERROR: sub-message text excquiz6*.sql value_error_demo.sql
- 10. The built-in string parsing program - NOT! Surely any robust programming language provides a program to parse a delimited string. And PL/SQL is no exception.... Well, sort of. Oracle gave us: DBMS_UTILITY.COMMA_TO_TABLE String cannot be NULL - raises error! Only parses comma-delimited strings. Every element in the list must be a valid PL/SQL identifier. You can't make this stuff up! commatotable.tst sqlerrm.sql
- 11. Parsing programs to the rescue Well, the main thing is that you should not have to write these algorithms over and over yourself. So here are some options: parse.pkg - parse any delimited string, returns a collection of type defined in package. str2list.pkg - parse any delimited string, returns a collection based on your own type . Regular expressions parse.pkg str2list.pkg str2list2.pkg
- 12. VARCHAR2 memory allocation Memory for VARCHAR2 variables is only allocated as needed, right? Variable-length strings! OK, then which of the following variables consume the most memory? DECLARE l_var1 VARCHAR2 (32767); l_var2 VARCHAR2 (4050); l_var3 VARCHAR2 (500); BEGIN l_var1 := 'a'; l_var2 := 'a'; l_var3 := 'a'; END; / That's right! l_var3
- 13. VARRAY - what kind of varrying is that? Oracle offers three kinds of collections Associative Array Nested table Varray, a.k.a, "Varrying array" That's weird enough, all by itself, really. But what I find truly odd is the use of the name "varrying array". It is the least varrying of all the different types of collections! associative_array_example.sql nested_table_example.sql varray_example.sql collection_of_records.sql
- 14. $IF I understood $IF I would be amazing! Have you ever used the $ syntax added to PL/SQL in Oracle10g Release 2? It looks very weird . But it is very useful . With conditional compilation, you can.... Write code that will compile and run under different versions of Oracle (relevant for future releases). Run different code for test, debug and production phases. That is, compile debug statements in and out of your code. Expose private modules for unit testing. cc_version_check.sql cc_debug_trace.sql 11g_emplu.pkg
- 15. The mystery of "reserved words" in PL/SQL What will happen when I run this code? DECLARE PLS_INTEGER VARCHAR2 (1); NO_DATA_FOUND EXCEPTION; BEGIN SELECT dummy INTO PLS_INTEGER FROM DUAL WHERE 1 = 2; IF PLS_INTEGER IS NULL THEN RAISE NO_DATA_FOUND; END IF; EXCEPTION WHEN NO_DATA_FOUND THEN DBMS_OUTPUT.put_line ('No dummy!'); END; excquiz5.sql
- 16. Exploring the STANDARD package Much of what we consider to be the base PL/SQL language is defined in the STANDARD package. One of two "default" packages; the other is DBMS_STANDARD. You can view the contents of the STANDARD package (and other "supplied" packages by visiting the appropriate variation of: $ORACLE_HOME/Rdbms/Admin
- 17. Where's my line number? An exception is raised. I trap it and log the error. I want to see the line number on which the error is raised. If I am not yet on Oracle 10g Release 2, I am totally out of luck. Keep up with Oracle, though, and then you can take advantage of DBMS_UTILITY.FORMAT_ERROR_BACKTRACE Call it every time you log an error! Backtrace.sql Quest Error Manager - www.ToadWorld.com - Downloads
- 18. Where's my program name? DBMS_UTILITY.FORMAT_CALL_STACK answers the question: "How did I get here?" DBMS_UTILITY.FORMAT_ERROR_BACKTRACE answers the question: "Where did my error come from?" But in both cases....if the program in question is located inside a package, I don't see the name of that subprogram. Please, Oracle, give me my program name! Heck, and my overloading, while you are at it.
- 19. Zero length strings and NULL A NULL string and a zero length string ( '' ) are supposed to be treated the same way inside Oracle. And for the most part it is true. But when it comes to ORA-06502: PL/SQL: numeric or value error: NULL index table key value You can get some rather weird behavior! Especially on Oracle11g.... null_index_value.sql zero_length_string.sql
- 20. %TYPE and %ROWTYPE? I have enormous respect for the PL/SQL team. Not only are they are all smarter than me, they are real computer scientists. I am an amateur by comparison. And their design of the PL/SQL syntax is for the most part very elegant and minimalist. But why do we have to have both %TYPE and %ROWTYPE?
- 21. So I hope you now agree with me... PL/SQL can be a little bit weird sometimes. But it is still a truly elegant and straightforward language. Those features make it, in turn, accessible and productive . And that's why so many of us have achieved personal success , and have implemented so many successful applications with the PL/SQL language.