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| Chapter 1 |

# 1. Oracle PL/SQL Language Pocket Reference

Contents:
Introduction
Acknowledgments
Conventions
PL/SQL Language Fundamentals
Variables and Program Data
Conditional and Sequential Control
Loops
Database Interaction and Cursors
Cursors in PL/SQL
Exception Handling
Records in PL/SQL
Named Program Units
Triggers
Packages
Calling PL/SQL Functions in SQL
Oracle8 Objects
Collections
External Procedures
Java Language Integration

## 1.1 Introduction

The Oracle PL/SQL Language Pocket Reference is a quick reference guide to the PL/SQL programming language, which provides procedural extensions to the SQL relational database language and a range of Oracle development tools.

Where a package, program, or function is supported only for a particular version of Oracle (e.g., Oracle8i), we indicate this in the text.

The purpose of this pocket reference is to help PL/SQL users find the syntax of specific language elements. It is not a self-contained user guide; basic knowledge of the PL/SQL programming language is required. For more information, see the following books:

Oracle PL/SQL Programming, 2nd Edition, by Steven Feuerstein with Bill Pribyl (O'Reilly & Associates, 1997).

Oracle Built-in Packages, by Steven Feuerstein, Charles Dye, and John Beresniewicz (O'Reilly & Associates, 1998).

Oracle PL/SQL Built-ins Pocket Reference, by Steven Feuerstein, John Beresniewicz, and Chip Dawes (O'Reilly & Associates, 1998).

|  | 1.2 Acknowledgments

Copyright (c) 2000 O'Reilly & Associates. All rights reserved.