Beginning PL/SQL: From Novice to Professional

CHAPTER 2PL/SQL Is Square, Man!

Don't know any 60's speak? Back in the 1960s, calling an authority figure square was meant to be an insult. It meant "the man" was always playing by and enforcing the rules. That could be a real drag, a downer, something that could blow your scene. However, when it comes to a programming language, it's good to be square.

The Procedure Language extension for SQL (PL/SQL) is so square that it's three-dimensional. Every piece of code executes in a block—no, not the kind you walk around when you're angry with your old man or old lady. I'm talking about four keywords:

DECLARE: Every PL/SQL block has a declaration section. This is where you will allocate memory for cursors, data type definitions, variables, embedded ...