INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOME

• Identify the benefits of modularized and layered subprogram design.

• Create and call procedures.

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Differences Between Anonymous Blocks
and Subprograms
• As the word “anonymous” indicates, anonymous blocks
are unnamed executable PL/SQL blocks.
• Because they are unnamed, they can neither be reused
nor stored in the database for later use.
• While you can store anonymous blocks on your PC, the
database is not aware of them, so no one else can
share them.
• Procedures and functions are PL/SQL blocks that are
named, and they are also known as subprograms.

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Differences Between Anonymous Blocks
and Subprograms
• These subprograms are compiled and stored in the
database.
• The block structure of the subprograms is similar to
the structure of anonymous blocks.
• While subprograms can be explicitly shared, the
default is to make them private to the owner’s
schema.
• Later subprograms become the building blocks of
packages and triggers.

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Differences Between Anonymous Blocks
and Subprograms
• Anonymous blocks
DECLARE (Optional) Variables, cursors,
etc.;
BEGIN (Mandatory)
SQL and PL/SQL statements; EXCEPTION
(Optional)
WHEN exception-handling actions; END;
(Mandatory)

• Subprograms
(procedures)
CREATE [OR REPLACE] PROCEDURE name [parameters] IS|AS (Mandatory) Variables,
cursors, etc.; (Optional)
BEGIN (Mandatory)
SQL and PL/SQL statements; EXCEPTION (Optional)
WHEN exception-handling actions; END [name]; (Mandatory)

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Differences Between Anonymous Blocks
and Subprograms
• The alternative to an anonymous block is a named
block. How the block is named depends on what
you are creating.
• You can create :
– a named procedure (does not return values except as out
parameters)
– a function (must return a single value not including out
parameters)
– a package (groups functions and procedures together)
– a trigger

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Differences Between Anonymous Blocks
and Subprograms
• The keyword DECLARE is replaced by CREATE
PROCEDURE procedure-name IS | AS.
• In anonymous blocks, DECLARE states, "this is the start
of a block."
• Because CREATE PROCEDURE states, "this is the start
of a subprogram," we do not need (and must not use)
DECLARE.

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Differences Between Anonymous Blocks
and Subprograms
Anonymous Blocks Subprograms
Unnamed PL/SQL blocks Named PL/SQL blocks
Compiled on every execution Compiled only once, when created

Not stored in the database Stored in the database

Cannot be invoked by other They are named and therefore can be
applications invoked by other applications
Do not return values Subprograms called functions must
return values
Cannot take parameters Can take parameters

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Differences Between Anonymous Blocks
and Subprograms
• The keyword DECLARE is replaced by CREATE
PROCEDURE procedure-name IS | AS.
• In anonymous blocks, DECLARE states, "this is the start
of a block."
• Because CREATE PROCEDURE states, "this is the start
of a subprogram," we do not need (and must not use)
DECLARE.

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Benefits of Subprograms
• Procedures and functions have many benefits due to
the modularizing of the code:
– Easy maintenance: Modifications need only be done once
to improve multiple applications and minimize testing.
– Code reuse: Subprograms are located in one place.
• When compiled and validated, they can be used and
reused in any number of applications.

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Benefits of Subprograms
• Improved data security: Indirect access to database
objects is permitted by the granting of security
privileges on the subprograms.
• By default, subprograms run with the privileges of
the subprogram owner, not the privileges of the user.
• Data integrity: Related actions can be grouped into a
block and are performed together (“Statement
Processed”) or not at all.

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Benefits of Subprograms
• Improved performance: You can reuse compiled PL/SQL
code that is stored in the shared SQL area cache of the
server.
• Subsequent calls to the subprogram avoid compiling
the code again.
• Also, many users can share a single copy of the
subprogram code in memory.
• Improved code clarity: By using appropriate names and
conventions to describe the action of the routines, you
can reduce the need for comments, and enhance the
clarity of the code.

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Procedures and Functions : Similarities
• Are named PL/SQL blocks
• Are called PL/SQL subprograms
• Have block structures similar to anonymous
blocks:
– Optional parameters
– Optional declarative section (but the DECLARE keyword
changes to IS or AS)
– Mandatory executable section
– Optional section to handle exceptions
• Procedures and functions can both return data as
OUT and IN OUT parameters.
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Procedures and Functions : Differences
• A function MUST return a value using the RETURN
statement.
• A procedure can only return a value using an OUT or an
IN OUT parameter.
• The return statement in a function returns control to the
calling program and returns the results of the function.
• The return statement within a procedure is optional. It
returns control to the calling program before all of the
procedure's code has been executed.
• Functions can be called from SQL, procedures cannot.
• Functions are considered expressions, procedures are
not.
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What Is a Procedure?
• A procedure is a named PL/SQL block that can accept
parameters.
• Generally, you use a procedure to perform an action
(sometimes called a “side-effect”).
• A procedure is compiled and stored in the database as
a schema object.
– Shows up in USER_OBJECTS as an object type of PROCEDURE
– More details in USER_PROCEDURES
– Detailed PL/SQL code in USER_SOURCE

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Syntax for Creating Procedures
• Parameters are optional
• Mode defaults to IN
• Datatype can be either explicit (for example,
VARCHAR2) or implicit with %TYPE
• Body is the same as an anonymous block

CREATE [OR REPLACE] PROCEDURE procedure_name

[(parameter1 [mode1] datatype1, parameter2 [mode2] datatype2,
. . .)]
IS|AS
procedure_body;

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Syntax for Creating Procedures
• Use CREATE PROCEDURE followed by the name,
optional parameters, and keyword IS or AS.
• Add the OR REPLACE option to overwrite an
existing procedure.
• Write a PL/SQL block containing local variables, a
BEGIN, and an END (or END procedure_name).

CREATE [OR REPLACE] PROCEDURE procedure_name

[(parameter1 [mode] datatype1, parameter2
[mode] datatype2, ...)]
IS|AS
[local_variable_declarations; …] BEGIN
-- actions; PL/SQL Block
END [procedure_name];

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 Procedure: Example
• In the following example, the add_dept procedure
inserts a new department with the department_id
280 and department_name ST-Curriculum.
• The procedure declares two variables, v_dept_id and
v_dept_name, in the declarative section.
CREATE OR REPLACE PROCEDURE add_dept IS
v_dept_id dept.department_id%TYPE;
v_dept_name dept.department_name%TYPE;
BEGIN
v_dept_id := 280;
v_dept_name := 'ST-Curriculum'; dept(department_id, department_name)
INSERT INTO VALUES(v_dept_id, v_dept_name);
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Inserted '|| SQL%ROWCOUNT ||'
row.’);
END;

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 Procedure: Example
• The declarative section of a procedure starts
immediately after the procedure declaration and
does not begin with the keyword DECLARE.
• This procedure uses the SQL%ROWCOUNT cursor
attribute to check if the row was successfully
inserted. SQL%ROWCOUNT should return 1 in this
case.
CREATE OR REPLACE PROCEDURE add_dept IS
v_dept_id dept.department_id%TYPE;
v_dept_name dept.department_name%TYPE;
BEGIN
v_dept_id := 280;
v_dept_name := 'ST-Curriculum';
INSERT INTO dept(department_id, department_name)
VALUES(v_dept_id, v_dept_name);
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Inserted '|| SQL%ROWCOUNT || ' row.');
END;

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Invoking Procedures
• You can invoke (execute) a procedure from:
– An anonymous block
– Another procedure
– A calling application
• Note: You cannot invoke a procedure from inside a
SQL statement such as SELECT.

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Invoking the Procedure from
Application Express
• To invoke (execute) a procedure in Oracle
Application Express, write and run a small
anonymous block that invokes the procedure.
• For example:
BEGIN
add_dept; END;

SELECT department_id, department_name FROM dept WHERE department_id=280;

• The select statement at the end confirms that the

row was successfully inserted.

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Correcting Errors in
CREATE PROCEDURE Statements
• If compilation errors exist, Application Express
displays them in the output portion of the SQL
Commands window.
• You must edit the source code to make corrections.
• When a subprogram is CREATED, the source code is
stored in the database even if compilation
errors occurred.

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Correcting Errors in
CREATE PROCEDURE Statements
• After you have corrected the error in the code, you
need to recreate the procedure.
• There are two ways to do this:
– Use a CREATE OR REPLACE PROCEDURE statement to
overwrite the existing code (most common).
– DROP the procedure first and then execute the CREATE
PROCEDURE statement (less common).

25
Saving Your Work
• Once a procedure has been created successfully, you
should save its definition in case you need to modify
the code later.

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Local Subprograms
• When one procedure invokes another procedure,
we would normally create them separately, but we
can create them together as a single procedure if we
like.
CREATE OR REPLACE PROCEDURE subproc
...
END subproc;

CREATE OR REPLACE PROCEDURE mainproc

...
IS BEGIN
...
subproc(...);
...
END mainproc;

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Local Subprograms
• All the code is now in one place, and is easier to read and
maintain.
• The nested subprogram's scope is limited to the
procedure within which it is defined; SUBPROC can be
invoked from MAINPROC, but from nowhere else.
CREATE OR REPLACE PROCEDURE mainproc
...
IS
PROCEDURE subproc (...) IS BEGIN
...
END subproc; BEGIN
...
subproc(...);
...
END mainproc;

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Local Subprograms
• Every time an employee is deleted, we need to insert
a row into a logging table.
• The nested procedure LOG_EMP is called a Local
Subprogram.
CREATE OR REPLACE PROCEDURE delete_emp
(p_emp_id IN employees.employee_id%TYPE)
IS
PROCEDURE log_emp (p_emp IN employees.employee_id%TYPE) IS
BEGIN
INSERT INTO logging_table VALUES(p_emp, ...); END log_emp;
BEGIN
DELETE FROM employees
WHERE employee_id = p_emp_id; log_emp(p_emp_id);
END delete_emp;

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Reference
PL/SQL User's Guide and Reference, Release 9.0.1
Part No. A89856-01
Copyright © 1996, 2001, Oracle Corporation. All rights
reserved.
Primary Authors: Tom Portfolio, John Russell

Oracle Academy
PLSQL S8L1 Creating Procedures
Copyright © 2019, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.

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