Sams Teach Yourself SQL in 21 Days, Fourth Edition

Programming with SQL

So far, we have discussed two uses for programming with SQL. The first, which was the focus of the first 11 days of this book, used SQL to write queries and modify data. The second is the capability to embed SQL statements within third- or fourth-generation language code. Obviously, the first use for SQL is essential if you want to understand the language and database programming in general. We have already discussed the drawbacks to using Embedded or Static SQL as opposed to Dynamic SQL. Bonus Day 4, “An Introduction to Oracle PL/SQL,” and Bonus Day 5, “An Introduction to Transact-SQL,” cover two extensions to SQL that you can use instead of embedded SQL to perform the same types of functions discussed in this section.