Advanced Features of Oracle SQL

D
Advanced Features of Oracle SQL
Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

Objectives
After completing this appendix, you should be able to:

• Explain and create LOBs
• Explain the need and benefits of PL/SQL
• Identify the different types of PL/SQL blocks
• Use regular expression support in SQL to search,
match, and replace strings all in terms of regular
expressions
• Employ proactive tuning methodologies
D-2 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

Understanding Large Object Types
Types:
• CLOB: Character
• NCLOB: Multibyte character
• BLOB: Binary
• BFILE: Binary file

Differentiating Between LOB, LONG, and
LONG RAW Types
LOB LONG and LONG RAW

Stores up to 128 TB of data Stores up to 2 GB of data
A table can contain multiple LOB A table can have only one LONG
columns or LONG RAW column
LOBs can be accessed in LONG and LONG RAW data can
random order only be accessed sequentially

Using CLOBs and BLOBS
Creating a table having a CLOB column:

CREATE TABLE employee(
emp_id INTEGER,
emp_details CLOB);
Initializing a CLOB:
INSERT INTO employee(emp_id,emp_details)
VALUES(101,EMPTY_CLOB());
Inserting values into a CLOB:

UPDATE employee
SET emp_details = ‘Long sentence’
WHERE emp_id = 101;

Using BFILES
Creating a table having a BFILE column:

CREATE TABLE department(
dep_id INTEGER,
dep_details BFILE);
Creating a directory object:

CREATE OR REPLACE DIRECTORY file_location
AS ‘C:\dept\files’;
Inserting values into a BFILE:

INSERT INTO department(dep_id,dep_details)
VALUES(10,
BFILENAME(‘file_location’,’details.doc’));

What Is PL/SQL?
PL/SQL:
• Stands for Procedural Language extension to SQL
• Is Oracle Corporation’s standard data access
language for relational databases
• Seamlessly integrates procedural constructs with
SQL

About PL/SQL
PL/SQL:
• Provides a block structure for executable units of
code. Maintenance of code is made easier with
such a well-defined structure.
• Provides procedural constructs such as:
– Variables, constants, and types
– Control structures such as conditional statements
and loops
– Reusable program units that are written once and
executed many times

PL/SQL Environment
PL/SQL engine
procedural Procedural
PL/SQL statement
block executor
SQL
SQL statement
executor
Oracle database server

Benefits of PL/SQL
• Integration of procedural constructs with SQL

• Improved performance
SQL 1
SQL 2
…
SQL
IF...THEN
SQL
ELSE
SQL
END IF;
SQL
Benefits of PL/SQL
• Modularized program development

• Integration with Oracle tools
• Portability
• Exception handling

Benefits of PL/SQL

PL/SQL Block Structure
DECLARE (Optional)
Variables, cursors, user-defined exceptions
BEGIN (Mandatory)
- SQL statements
- PL/SQL statements
EXCEPTION (Optional)
Actions to perform
when errors occur
END; (Mandatory)

PL/SQL Block Structure

Block Types
Anonymous Procedure
Function
[DECLARE] PROCEDURE name FUNCTION name
IS RETURN datatype
IS
BEGIN BEGIN BEGIN
--statements --statements --statements
RETURN value;
[EXCEPTION] [EXCEPTION] [EXCEPTION]
END; END; END;

Block Types

Program Constructs
Database Server
Tools Constructs Constructs
Anonymous blocks Anonymous blocks
Application procedures Stored procedures or
or functions functions
Application packages Stored packages
Application triggers Database triggers
Object types Object types

Program Constructs

Creating an Anonymous Block
Enter the anonymous block in the iSQL*Plus

workspace:

Executing an Anonymous Block
Click the Execute button to execute the anonymous

block:
PL\SQL procedure successfully completed.

Test the Output of a PL/SQL Block
• Enable output in iSQL*Plus with the command

SET SERVEROUTPUT ON.
• Use a predefined Oracle package and its
procedure:
– DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE
SET SERVEROUTPUT ON
…
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE(' The First Name of the
Employee is ' || f_name);
…

Test the Output of a PL/SQL Block

Regular Expression Overview
A multilingual
regular expression
support for SQL
and PLSQL string
types
ABC
A method of
describing both Several new
simple and complex functions to
patterns for support regular
searching and expressions
manipulating

Meta Characters
Symbol Description
* Matches zero or more occurrences
| Alteration operator for specifying alternative matches
^/$ Matches the start-of-line/end-of-line
[] Bracket expression for a matching list matching any one of the
expressions represented in the list
{m} Matches exactly m times
{m,n} Matches at least m times but no more than n times
[: :] Specifies a character class and matches any character in that class
\ Can have four different meanings: 1. Stand for itself. 2. Quote the next
character. 3. Introduce an operator. 4. Do nothing.
+ Matches one or more occurrence
? Matches zero or one occurrence
. Matches any character in the supported character set, except NULL
() Grouping expression, treated as a single subexpression
[==] Specifies equivalence classes
\n Back-reference expression
[..] Specifies one collation element, such as a multicharacter element

Using Meta Characters
Problem: Find 'abc' within a string:
Solution: 'abc' 1
Matches: abc
Does not match: 'def'
Problem: To find 'a' followed by any character, followed
by 'c'
Meta Character: any character is defined by '.'
Solution: 'a.c'
Matches: abc
2
Matches: adc
Matches: alc
Matches: a&c
Does not match: abb
Problem: To find one or more occurrences of 'a'
Meta Character: Use'+' sign to match one or more of the
previous characters
Solution: 'a+' 3
Matches: a
Matches: aa
Does not match: bbb

Notes Only

Regular Expression Functions
Function Name Description

REGEXP_LIKE Similar to the LIKE operator, but performs
regular expression matching instead of
simple pattern matching
REGEXP_REPLACE Searches for a regular expression pattern
and replaces it with a replacement string
REGEXP_INSTR Searches for a given string for a regular
expression pattern and returns the position
where the match is found
REGEXP_SUBSTR Searches for a regular expression pattern
within a given string and returns the matched
substring

The REGEXP Function Syntax
REGEXP_LIKE (srcstr, pattern [,match_option])
REGEXP_INSTR (srcstr, pattern [, position [, occurrence

[, return_option [, match_option]]]])
REGEXP_SUBSTR (srcstr, pattern [, position

[, occurrence [, match_option]]])
REGEXP_REPLACE(srcstr, pattern [,replacestr [, position

[, occurrence [, match_option]]]])

Performing Basic Searches
SELECT first_name, last_name

FROM employees
WHERE REGEXP_LIKE (first_name, '^Ste(v|ph)en$');

Checking the Presence of a Pattern
SELECT street_address,
REGEXP_INSTR(street_address,'[^[:alpha:]]')
FROM locations
WHERE
REGEXP_INSTR(street_address,'[^[:alpha:]]')> 1;

Example of Extracting Substrings
SELECT REGEXP_SUBSTR(street_address , ' [^ ]+ ')

"Road" FROM locations;

Replacing Patterns
SELECT REGEXP_REPLACE( country_name, '(.)',

'\1 ') "REGEXP_REPLACE"
FROM countries;

Regular Expressions and
Check Constraints
ALTER TABLE emp8

ADD CONSTRAINT email_addr 1
CHECK(REGEXP_LIKE(email,'@'))NOVALIDATE ;
INSERT INTO emp8 VALUES

(500,'Christian','Patel', 2
'ChrisP2creme.com', 1234567890,
'12-Jan-2004', 'HR_REP', 2000, null, 102, 40) ;

Proactive Tuning Methodology
• Simplifying design
• Modeling data
• Optimizing table and index design
• Using views
• Writing efficient SQL
• Sharing cursors
• Using bind variables
• Using dynamic SQL

Simplifying Application Design
• Simple tables
• Well-written SQL
• Indexing only as required
• Retrieving optimum information

Modeling Data
• Accurately represent business practices

• Focus on most frequent and important business
transactions
• Use modeling tools
• Normalize the data

Optimizing Table Design
• Compromise between flexibility and performance

– Principally normalize
– Selectively denormalize
• Use Oracle performance features
– Default values
– Check constraints
– Materialized views
– Clusters
• Focus on business-critical tables

Optimizing Index Design
• Index keys
– Primary key
– Unique key
– Foreign keys
• Index often-queried data
• Use SQL as a guide to index design.

Using Views
• Simplifies application design

• Is transparent to the end user
• Can cause suboptimal execution plans

Increasing the Efficiency of SQL Execution
• Good database connectivity

• Using cursors
• Minimizing parsing
• Using bind variables

Bind Variable Peeking
• During the first invocation of a cursor, the query

optimizer peeks at user-defined bind variable
values.
• During subsequent invocations, no peeking takes
place, and the cursor is shared.

Sharing Cursors
• Reduces parsing
• Dynamically adjusts memory
• Improves memory usage

Writing SQL to Share Cursors
• Create generic code using the following:

– Stored procedures and packages
– Database triggers
• Any other library routines and procedures
• Writing to format standards
– Case
– White space
– Comments
– Object references
– Bind variables

Dynamic SQL
• Provides the ability to dynamically execute SQL

statements whose complete text is unknown until
execution time
• Can place dynamic SQL statements directly into
PL/SQL blocks
• Consists of:
– DML statements
– Queries
– PL/SQL anonymous blocks
– DDL statements
– Transaction control statements
– Session control statements
• Should be used cautiously

Implementing the Application
• Use an appropriate development environment.

• Isolate software components.
• Check that the application is complete and self
sufficient.
• Use programming languages for procedural logic.
• Cache frequently accessed relatively constant
data.
• Ensure seamless integration of application
components and scalability.
• Enforce referential integrity using foreign keys.

Summary
In this appendix, you should have learned how to:

• Explain and create LOBs
• Explain the need and benefits of PL/SQL
• Identify the different types of PL/SQL blocks
• Use regular expression support in SQL to search,
match, and replace strings all in terms of regular
expressions
• Employ proactive tuning methodologies

Advanced Features of Oracle SQL

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D

Advanced Features of Oracle SQL

Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

After completing this appendix, you should be able to:

D-2 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

D-3 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

LOB LONG and LONG RAW

D-4 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

Creating a table having a CLOB column:

Inserting values into a CLOB:

D-5 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

Creating a table having a BFILE column:

Creating a directory object:

Inserting values into a BFILE:

D-6 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

D-7 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

D-8 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

Oracle database server

D-9 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

• Integration of procedural constructs with SQL

• Modularized program development

D-11 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

D-12 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

D-13 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

D-14 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

END; END; END;

D-15 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

D-16 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

Application triggers Database triggers

Object types Object types

D-17 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

D-18 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

Enter the anonymous block in the iSQL*Plus

D-19 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

Click the Execute button to execute the anonymous

PL\SQL procedure successfully completed.

D-20 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

• Enable output in iSQL*Plus with the command

D-21 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

D-22 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

D-23 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

D-24 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

D-25 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

D-26 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

Function Name Description

D-27 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

REGEXP_LIKE (srcstr, pattern [,match_option])

REGEXP_INSTR (srcstr, pattern [, position [, occurrence

REGEXP_SUBSTR (srcstr, pattern [, position

REGEXP_REPLACE(srcstr, pattern [,replacestr [, position

D-28 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

SELECT first_name, last_name

D-29 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

D-30 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

SELECT REGEXP_SUBSTR(street_address , ' [^ ]+ ')

D-31 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

SELECT REGEXP_REPLACE( country_name, '(.)',

D-32 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

ALTER TABLE emp8

INSERT INTO emp8 VALUES

D-33 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

D-34 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.

D-35 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.