Scope and visibility- pl/sql, PL-SQL Programming

Assignment Help:

Scope and Visibility

The References to an identifier are resolved according to its visibility and scope. The scope of an identifier is that area of a program unit (subprogram, block, or package) from which you can reference the identifier. An identifier is visible only in the areas from which you can reference the identifier using an unqualified name. The Figure shows the visibility and scope of a variable named x that is declared in an enclosing block, and then re-declared in a sub-block.

The Identifiers declared in a PL/SQL block are considered local to that block and global to all its sub-blocks. If a global identifier is re-declared in a sub-block, both the identifiers remain in the scope. Within the sub-block, though, only the local identifier is visible as you must use a qualified name to reference the global identifier.

Though you cannot declare an identifier twice in the similar block, you can declare the same identifier in two various blocks. The two items represented by the identifier are discrete, and any change in one does not affect the other. Though, a block cannot reference the identifiers declared in other blocks at the similar level as these identifiers are neither global nor local to the block.

 

2006_Scope and Visibility.jpg

 

                                          Figure: Scope and Visibility




The example below describes the scope rules. Note that the identifiers declared in one sub-block cannot be referenced in another sub-block. That is because the block cannot reference the identifiers declared in another blocks nested at similar level.


DECLARE
a CHAR;
b REAL;
BEGIN

-- identifiers available here: a (CHAR), b
DECLARE
a INTEGER;
c REAL;
BEGIN
-- identifiers available here: a (INTEGER), b, c
END;
DECLARE
d REAL;
BEGIN
-- identifiers available here: a (CHAR), b, d
END;
-- identifiers available here: a (CHAR), b
END;


Remember that the global identifiers can be re-declared in a sub-block, in that case the local declaration prevails and the sub-block cannot reference the global identifier unless you use a qualified name. The qualifier can be the label of an enclose block, as the example below shows:


<>
DECLARE
birthdate DATE;
BEGIN
DECLARE
birthdate DATE;
BEGIN
...
IF birthdate = outer.birthdate THEN...


As the next illustration shown below, the qualifier can also be the name of an enclosing subprogram:


PROCEDURE check_credit (...) IS
rating NUMBER;
FUNCTION valid (...) RETURN BOOLEAN IS
rating NUMBER;
BEGIN
...
IF check_credit.rating < 3 THEN...


Though, within the same scope, a label and a subprogram cannot have the similar name.


Related Discussions:- Scope and visibility- pl/sql

Declaring records, Declaring Records Whenever you define a RECORD type...

Declaring Records Whenever you define a RECORD type, you may declare records of that type, as the illustration shows: DECLARE TYPE StockItem IS RECORD ( item_no INTEG

Declarations in sql-pl/sql, Declarations in SQL Your program stores value...

Declarations in SQL Your program stores values in the variables and constants. As the program executes, the value of the variables can change, but the values constants cannot.

Natural join - sql, Natural Join - SQL In the absence of NATURAL JOIN...

Natural Join - SQL In the absence of NATURAL JOIN Example has to be replaced by something rather more longwinded, as shown in Example. Example: Joining IS_CALLED and IS_EN

Forall statement - syntax, FORALL Statement The FORALL statements instr...

FORALL Statement The FORALL statements instruct the PL/SQL engine to bulk-bind the input collections before sending them to the SQL engine. Though the FORALL statement consists

Cause of indeterminacy in sql, Cause of Indeterminacy in SQL One root ...

Cause of Indeterminacy in SQL One root cause of indeterminacy in SQL lies in its implementation of comparison for equality. For certain system-defined types it is possible for

Delimiters, Delimiters A delimiter is a simple or compound symbol whi...

Delimiters A delimiter is a simple or compound symbol which has a special meaning to PL/SQL. For example, you use delimiters to symbolize an arithmetic operation like additio

Package utl file in pl/sql, UTL_FILE: The Package UTL_FILE permits you...

UTL_FILE: The Package UTL_FILE permits your PL/SQL programs to read & write operating system (OS) text files. It gives a restricted version of the standard OS stream file I/O,

Running the pl/sql wrapper, Running the PL/SQL Wrapper To run the PL/SQ...

Running the PL/SQL Wrapper To run the PL/SQL Wrapper, go through the wrap command at your operating system prompt by using the syntax as shown: wrap iname=input_file [oname=

Using forall and bulk collect - bulk bind performance, Using FORALL and BUL...

Using FORALL and BULK COLLECT Together You can unite the BULK COLLECT clause with the FORALL statement, in that case, the SQL engine bulk-binds column values incrementally. In

Write Your Message!

Captcha
Free Assignment Quote

Assured A++ Grade

Get guaranteed satisfaction & time on delivery in every assignment order you paid with us! We ensure premium quality solution document along with free turntin report!

All rights reserved! Copyrights ©2019-2020 ExpertsMind IT Educational Pvt Ltd