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What is PL/SQL and what is it used for?


PL/SQL is Oracle's Procedural Language extension to SQL. PL/SQL's language syntax, structure and data types are similar to that of ADA. The PL/SQL language includes object oriented programming techniques such as encapsulation, function overloading, information hiding (all but inheritance). PL/SQL is commonly used to write data-centric programs to manipulate data in an Oracle database.

Should one use PL/SQL or Java to code procedures and triggers?

Internally the Oracle database supports two procedural languages, namely PL/SQL and Java. This leads to questions like "Which of the two is the best?" and "Will Oracle ever desupport PL/SQL in favour of Java?".

Many Oracle applications are based on PL/SQL and it would be difficult of Oracle to ever desupport PL/SQL. In fact, all indications are that PL/SQL still has a bright future ahead of it. Many enhancements are still being made to PL/SQL. For example, Oracle 9iDB supports native compilation of Pl/SQL code to binaries.

PL/SQL and Java appeal to different people in different job roles. The following table briefly describes the difference between these two language environments:

PL/SQL:

• Data centric and tightly integrated into the database

• Proprietary to Oracle and difficult to port to other database systems

• Data manipulation is slightly faster in PL/SQL than in Java

• Easier to use than Java (depending on your background)

Java:

• Open standard, not proprietary to Oracle

• Incurs some data conversion overhead between the Database and Java type systems

• Java is more difficult to use (depending on your background)