Oracle Database: PL/SQL Fundamentals

This course begins with an explanation of the intent and usage of the PL/SQL programming language for database applications. Important reasons why one should incorporate PL/SQL modules within the application architecture right from the initial design and planning phase are presented. Next one learns how to begin building executable PL/SQL program units. One learns about each of the major segments of a working program and how these interact with each other during program execution, including the important error or exception handling capabilities of the language. The final section goes beyond the basics and begins to explore advanced topics that will be useful later in the Sideris Oracle PL/SQL developer textbook series. One learns techniques and features that allow modular and reusable programs to be developed, increasing productivity and maintainability of database applications. In addition, this course explains how database-resident program units can be used as part of the overall database application architecture and the benefits realized by doing so. It then builds upon one's knowledge of database-resident program units and applies these to the development of PL/SQL packages. In a production environment most PL/SQL program units should be packaged, and these advanced database programming capabilities along with the benefits of using these are discussed. It concludes with extensive demonstrations on how a particular type of database-resident program unit known as a database trigger can be used as part of an advanced database application design.