Duration 5 days – 35 hrs
Overview
This Oracle PL/SQL training course provides a practical and structured introduction to Oracle’s Procedural Language extension for SQL (PL/SQL). Participants will learn how to write efficient SQL queries, build PL/SQL blocks, create reusable program units (procedures, functions, packages), handle exceptions, and work with cursors to build robust database programs.
The course also covers best practices for performance, security, debugging, and writing maintainable code for real-world business applications such as reporting, data validation, data processing, and database automation.
Objectives
- Understand Oracle database architecture concepts related to PL/SQL execution
- Write and optimize SQL queries for use in PL/SQL programs
- Build PL/SQL anonymous blocks with variables, control structures, and loops
- Use cursors to process query results efficiently
- Create stored procedures and functions for reusable business logic
- Implement exception handling and error reporting
- Work with packages to organize and manage PL/SQL code
- Create triggers for database automation and enforcement of rules (overview or optional)
- Apply best practices for debugging, performance, and maintainable code
Target Audience
- Database Developers and SQL Developers
- Software Developers working with Oracle databases
- Back-End Developers supporting database-heavy applications
- Data Analysts / Report Developers using Oracle
- Application Support / Production Support Engineers
- IT professionals transitioning into Oracle development roles
Prerequisites
- Basic understanding of database concepts (tables, keys, relationships)
- Basic SQL knowledge (SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE)
- Familiarity with any programming language is helpful but not required
- Laptop access to Oracle environment or sandbox (provided by company/trainer)
Course Content
SQL Review + PL/SQL Fundamentals
Module 1: Oracle SQL Essentials (Quick Review)
- Oracle database basics and tools overview (SQL Developer / SQL*Plus)
- Writing queries using SELECT, WHERE, ORDER BY
- Joins, subqueries, group functions
- DML operations: INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE
- Transaction control: COMMIT, ROLLBACK
Module 2: Introduction to PL/SQL
- What is PL/SQL and why it’s used
- Structure of PL/SQL blocks (DECLARE, BEGIN, EXCEPTION, END)
- Variables, constants, data types
- Assignment and expressions
- Output using DBMS_OUTPUT
Hands-on Lab: Write your first PL/SQL blocks
Control Structures, Cursors, and Exception Handling
Module 3: Control Structures
- IF / ELSIF / ELSE statements
- CASE statements
- Loops: LOOP, WHILE, FOR
- Nested loops and performance considerations
Module 4: Cursors
- Implicit vs explicit cursors
- Cursor attributes (%FOUND, %NOTFOUND, %ROWCOUNT)
- Cursor FOR loops
- Parameterized cursors
- Fetching and processing multiple rows
Module 5: Exception Handling
- Handling runtime errors using EXCEPTION block
- Predefined exceptions (NO_DATA_FOUND, TOO_MANY_ROWS, etc.)
- User-defined exceptions
- Error logging and troubleshooting best practices
Hands-on Lab: Build a cursor-based processing program with proper exception handling
Stored Program Units + Packages + Best Practices
Module 6: Stored Procedures & Functions
- Creating and executing procedures
- IN, OUT, IN OUT parameters
- Creating functions and return types
- Function vs procedure use cases
- Compilation errors and troubleshooting
Module 7: Packages (Code Organization)
- Package specification vs package body
- Encapsulating related procedures/functions
- Benefits of packages (security, performance, maintainability)
- Overloading and shared variables
Module 8: Introduction to Triggers (Optional / Overview)
- When to use triggers
- Row-level vs statement-level triggers
- BEFORE/AFTER triggers
- Common trigger risks and best practices
Module 9: Debugging, Performance, and Secure Coding Practices
- Using SQL Developer debugger (overview)
- Avoiding common performance problems
- Bulk processing basics (FORALL, BULK COLLECT overview)
- Code standards and naming conventions
- Security considerations: privileges and SQL injection prevention
✅ Capstone Lab: Create a mini PL/SQL module using procedures + functions + package
