Chapter 1: Overview This chapter surveys the main features of PL/SQL and points out the advantages they offer. It also acquaints you with the basic concepts behind PL/SQL and the general appearance of PL/SQL programs.
Chapter 2: Fundamentals This chapter focuses on the small-scale aspects of PL/SQL. It discusses lexical units, scalar datatypes, user-defined subtypes, expressions, assignments, block structure, declarations, scope, and built-in functions.
Chapter 3: Control Structures This chapter shows you how to structure the flow of control through a PL/SQL program. It describes conditional, iterative, and sequential control. You learn how to apply simple but powerful control structures such as IF-THEN-ELSE and WHILE-LOOP.
Chapter 4: PL/SQL Tables and User-Defined Records This chapter focuses on the composite datatypes TABLE and RECORD, which can store collections of data. You learn how to reference and manipulate these collections as whole objects.
Chapter 5: Interaction with Oracle This chapter shows you how PL/SQL supports the SQL commands, functions, and operators that let you manipulate Oracle data. You also learn how to manage cursors, process transactions, and safeguard the consistency of your database.
Chapter 6: Error Handling This chapter provides an in-depth discussion of error reporting and recovery. You learn how to detect and handle errors using PL/SQL exceptions.
Chapter 7: Subprograms This chapter shows you how to write and use subprograms, which aid application development by isolating operations. It discusses procedures, functions, forward declarations, actual versus formal parameters, positional and named notation, parameter modes, parameter default values, aliasing, overloading, and recursion.
Chapter 8: Packages This chapter shows you how to bundle related PL/SQL types, objects, and subprograms into a package. Once written, your general-purpose package is compiled, then stored in an Oracle database, where its contents can be shared by many applications.
Chapter 9: Execution Environments This chapter shows you how to use PL/SQL in the SQL*Plus, Oracle Precompiler, and Oracle Call Interface (OCI) environments.
Chapter 10: Language Elements This chapter uses BNF-style syntax definitions to show how commands, parameters, and other language elements are sequenced to form PL/SQL statements. Also, it provides usage notes and short examples to help you become fluent in PL/SQL quickly.
Appendix A: New Features This appendix looks at the array of new features offered by release 2.3 of PL/SQL.
Appendix B: Sample Programs This appendix provides several PL/SQL programs to guide you in writing your own. The sample programs illustrate important PL/SQL concepts and features.
Appendix C: CHAR versus VARCHAR2 Semantics This appendix explains the subtle but important semantic differences between the CHAR and VARCHAR2 base types.
Appendix D: PL/SQL Wrapper This appendix shows you how to run the PL/SQL Wrapper, a standalone utility that enables you to deliver PL/SQL applications without exposing your source code.
Appendix E: Reserved Words This appendix lists those words reserved for use by PL/SQL.