PL/SQL Interview Questions

1. Compare SQL & PL/SQL

Criteria	SQL	PL/SQL
What it is	Single query or command execution	Full programming language
What it comprises	Data source for reports, web pages	Application language to build, format and display report, web pages
Characteristic	Declarative in nature	Procedural in nature
Used for	Manipulating data	Creating applications

2. What is PL/SQL?

Oracle PL/SQL is a procedural language that has both interactive SQL and procedural programming language constructs such as iteration, conditional branching.

3. What is the basic structure of PL/SQL?

PL/SQL uses block structure as its basic structure. Anonymous blocks or nested blocks can be used in PL/SQL.

4. Explain the uses of database trigger?

A PL/SQL program unit associated with a particular database table is called a database trigger. It is used for :

• Audit data modifications.
• Log events transparently.
• Enforce complex business rules.
• Maintain replica tables
• Derive column values
• Implement Complex security authorizations

Any of the constant, variable or parameter has a data type depending on which the storage constraints, format and range of values and operations are determined.

5. How is a process of PL/SQL compiled?

Compilation process includes syntax check, bind and p-code generation processes.Syntax checking checks the PL/SQL codes for compilation errors. When all errors are corrected, a storage address is assigned to the variables that hold data. It is called Binding. P-code is a list of instructions for the PL/SQL engine. P-code is stored in the database for named blocks and is used the next time it is executed.

6. Mention what PL/SQL package consists of?

A PL/SQL package consists of

• PL/SQL table and record TYPE statements
• Procedures and Functions
• Cursors
• Variables ( tables, scalars, records, etc.) and constants
• Exception names and pragmas for relating an error number with an exception
• Cursors

7. What are the benefits of PL/SQL packages?

It provides several benefits like

• Enforced Information Hiding: It offers the liberty to choose whether to keep data private or public
• Top-down design: You can design the interface to the code hidden in the package before you actually implemented the modules themselves
• Object persistence: Objects declared in a package specification behaves like a global data for all PL/SQL objects in the application. You can modify the package in one module and then reference those changes to another module
• Object oriented design: The package gives developers strong hold over how the modules and data structures inside the package can be used
• Guaranteeing transaction integrity: It provides a level of transaction integrity
• Performance improvement: The RDBMS automatically tracks the validity of all program objects stored in the database and enhance the performance of packages.

8. What are different methods to trace the PL/SQL code?

Tracing code is a crucial technique to measure the code performance during the runtime. Different methods for tracing includes

• DBMS_APPLICATION_INFO
• DBMS_TRACE
• DBMS_SESSION and DBMS_MONITOR
• trcsess and tkproof utilities

9. What is the difference between FUNCTION, PROCEDURE AND PACKAGE in PL/SQL?

Function: The main purpose of a PL/SQL function is generally to compute and return a single value. A function has a return type in its specification and must return a value specified in that type.
Procedure: A procedure does not have a return type and should not return any value but it can have a return statement that simply stops its execution and returns to the caller. A procedure is used to return multiple values otherwise it is generally similar to a function.
Package: A package is schema object which groups logically related PL/SQL types , items and subprograms. You can also say that it is a group of functions, procedure, variables and record type statement. It provides modularity, due to this facility it aids application development. It is used to hide information from unauthorized users.

10. What is stored Procedure?

A stored procedure is a sequence of statement or a named PL/SQL block which performs one or more specific functions. It is similar to a procedure in other programming languages. It is stored in the database and can be repeatedly executed. It is stored as schema object. It can be nested, invoked and parameterized.

11. What is cursor and why it is required?

A cursor is a temporary work area created in a system memory when an SQL statement is executed.A cursor contains information on a select statement and the row of data accessed by it. This temporary work area stores the data retrieved from the database and manipulate this data. A cursor can hold more than one row, but can process only one row at a time. Cursor are required to process rows individually for queries.