Managing PL/SQL Code (
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Creating the code for an application is just the first step; you must then manage it, and that includes everything from compiling to testing and debugging. This article, the first part in a nine-part series, covers these issues for PL/SQL. It is excerpted from chapter 20 of the book Oracle PL/SQL Programming, Fourth Edition, written by Steven Feuerstein and Bill Pribyl (O'Reilly; ISBN: 0596009771). Copyright © 2006 O'Reilly Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission from the publisher. Available from booksellers or direct from O'Reilly Media.
Writing the code for an application is just one step toward putting that application into production and then maintaining the code base. It is not possible within the scope of this book to fully address the entire life cycle of application design, development, and deployment. We do have room, however, to offer some ideas and advice about the following topics:
Managing and analyzing code in the database
When you compile PL/SQL programs, the source code is loaded into the data dictionary in a variety of forms (the text of the code, dependency relationships, parameter information, etc.). You can therefore use SQL to query these dictionary views to help you manage your code base.
Using native compilation
Beginning with Oracle9i Database, PL/SQL source code may optionally be compiled into native object code that is linked into Oracle. Native compilation can noticeably improve overall application performance (its impact is felt in
compute-intensive programs, but does not affect SQL performance).
Using the optimizing compiler and compile-time warnings
Oracle Database 10g Release 1 added significant new and transparent capabilities to the PL/SQL compiler. The compiler will now automatically optimize your code, often resulting in substantial improvements in performance. In addition, the compiler will provide warnings about your code that will help you improve its readability, performance, and/or functionality.
Testing PL/SQL programs
This section offers suggestions for PL/SQL program testing based on the open source unit-testing framework, utPLSQL.
Debugging PL/SQL programs
Many development tools now offer graphical debuggers based on Oracle’s DBMS_DEBUG API. These provide the most powerful way to debug programs, but they are still just a small part of the overall debugging process. This section also discusses program tracing and explores some of the techniques and (dare I say) philosophical approaches you should utilize to debug effectively.
Tuning PL/SQL programs
This section offers a roundup of some of the more useful and generally applicable tuning tips, along with instructions for how you can analyze your program’s execution with built-in profiling and tracing utilities.
Protecting stored code
Oracle offers a way to “wrap” source code so that confidential and proprietary information can be hidden from prying eyes. This feature is most useful to vendors who sell applications based on PL/SQL stored code.
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