In PL/SQL (Procedural Language/Structured Query Language), a cursor is a database object used to retrieve and manipulate data from result sets returned by SQL statements. Cursors provide a mechanism for sequential processing of query results within a PL/SQL block. Cursors can be classified into two types: implicit cursors and explicit cursors. Let's delve into each type of cursor in-depth:
1. Implicit Cursors:
* Implicit cursors are automatically created by the PL/SQL engine for SQL statements that are not associated with explicit cursor declarations.
* Implicit cursors are used when executing SQL statements that return a single row or a single value, such as SELECT INTO statements or SQL statements within a FOR loop.
* The attributes of an implicit cursor, such as %FOUND, %NOTFOUND, %ROWCOUNT, and %ISOPEN, can be used to check the status of the cursor and perform conditional processing based on the query result.
* Implicit cursors are managed internally by the PL/SQL engine and do not require explicit declaration, opening, or closing.
2. Explicit Cursors:
* Explicit cursors are explicitly declared and used when executing SQL statements that return multi....
Log in to view the answer