PL/SQL User's Guide and Reference

What Are Subprograms?

Subprograms are named PL/SQL blocks that can take parameters and be invoked. PL/SQL has two types of subprograms called procedures and functions. Generally, you use a procedure to perform an action and a function to compute a value.

Like unnamed or anonymous PL/SQL blocks, subprograms have a declarative part, an executable part, and an optional exception-handling part. The declarative part contains declarations of types, cursors, constants, variables, exceptions, and nested subprograms. These objects are local and cease to exist when you exit the subprogram. The executable part contains statements that assign values, control execution, and manipulate Oracle data. The exception-handling part contains exception handlers, which deal with exceptions raised during execution.

Consider the following procedure named debit_account, which debits a bank account:

PROCEDURE debit_account (acct_id INTEGER, amount REAL) IS
   old_balance REAL;
   new_balance REAL;
   overdrawn   EXCEPTION;
BEGIN
   SELECT bal INTO old_balance FROM accts
      WHERE acctno = acct_id;
   new_balance := old_balance - amount;
   IF new_balance < 0 THEN
      RAISE overdrawn;
   ELSE
      UPDATE accts SET bal = new_balance
         WHERE acctno = acct_id;
   END IF;
EXCEPTION
   WHEN overdrawn THEN
      ...
END debit_account;

When invoked or called, this procedure accepts an account number and a debit amount. It uses the account number to select the account balance from the accts database table. Then, it uses the debit amount to compute a new balance. If the new balance is less than zero, an exception is raised; otherwise, the bank account is updated.