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Home → All Courses → Programming Courses → Certified PL/SQL Developer → Flashcard

What are the different data types available in PL/SQL?



PL/SQL (Procedural Language/Structured Query Language) provides a comprehensive set of data types that can be used to define variables, parameters, and database objects within PL/SQL code. These data types facilitate efficient storage and manipulation of data. Here is an in-depth explanation of the different data types available in PL/SQL:

1. Scalar Data Types:

* NUMBER: Represents numeric values, both integers and floating-point numbers.
* VARCHAR2 and CHAR: Used for storing character data with varying and fixed lengths, respectively.
* DATE: Stores date and time information.
* BOOLEAN: Represents Boolean values, either TRUE or FALSE.
* BINARY\_INTEGER: Used for integer values within a predefined range.
* PLS\_INTEGER: Similar to BINARY\_INTEGER, but optimized for performance in PL/SQL.
* FLOAT and REAL: Represent floating-point numbers with different precision levels.
2. LOB Data Types:

* CLOB: Stores large character data, typically used for storing large amounts of text.
* BLOB: Stores binary large objects, such as images, audio, or video files.
* NCLOB: Similar to CLOB but supports national character set data.
3. ROWID: Represents the unique identifier of a row in a database table.
4. Composite Data Types:

* RECORD: A user-defined composite data type that can hold multiple values.
* ROWTYPE: Represents the structure of a row in a table or cursor.
5. Collection Data Types:

* PL/SQL provides various collection data types to store multiple values in a single variable. These include:
+ Nested Tables: Unordered collection of elements with a variable size.
+ Varrays (Variable Size Arrays): Ordered collection of elements with a fixed size.
+ Associative Arrays (Index-by Tables): Collection of key-value pairs, where the keys are unique and user-defined.
+ PL/SQL Tables: Index-by tables with a default key type of BINARY\_INTEGER.
6. Cursor Variables:

* Also known as REF CURSOR, it allows dynamic SQL and provides a way to fetch and manipulate query results.
7. Object Types:

* PL/SQL supports the creation of user-defined object types, allowing the creation of custom data structures and encapsulation of data and behavior within a single object.
8. LOB Locator Types:

* CLOB, BLOB, and NCLOB locators are used to manipulate large objects stored in the database.
9. RAW and LONG RAW: Used for storing binary data.
10. UROWID: Represents the unique identifier of a row in a universal table.

These data types in PL/SQL provide flexibility and precision when handling different types of data, ranging from numeric values, strings, dates, and large objects to complex composite data structures. The availability of a wide range of data types enables developers to efficiently handle and manipulate data within their PL/SQL programs, ensuring accuracy and performance in database operations.