Summary of "PL/SQL tutorial 1: PL/SQL Block Types in Oracle Database By Manish Sharma"

Summary: PL/SQL tutorial (Blocks) — Manish (RebellionRider)

Overview

PL/SQL (Procedural Language/SQL) is Oracle’s procedural extension to SQL used for server-side programming. It is case-insensitive.
PL/SQL programs are organized into blocks, which are the basic unit of PL/SQL code.

Block types

Anonymous blocks — no name; typically used for quick, one-off code.
Named blocks — reusable objects such as procedures, functions, packages, and triggers.

Structure of a PL/SQL block

Every PL/SQL block can contain up to three sections:

Declaration section (optional)
- Starts with the keyword DECLARE.
- Used to define local identifiers: variables, constants, cursors, types, etc.
Execution section (mandatory)
- Starts with BEGIN and ends with END.
- Contains executable statements, procedural logic, DML, and SQL*Plus built-ins.
- To execute DDL at runtime, use Native Dynamic SQL (EXECUTE IMMEDIATE) or the DBMS_SQL package.
Exception-handling section (optional)
- Begins with EXCEPTION.
- Contains handlers that run when runtime errors occur (specific handlers and/or WHEN OTHERS).

Anonymous block prototype

DECLARE
  -- declaration statements (optional)
BEGIN
  -- executable statements (mandatory)
EXCEPTION
  -- exception-handling statements (optional)
END;

Practical checklist when writing a PL/SQL block

Decide block type: anonymous (quick, unnamed) or named (reusable).
If you need local variables or cursors, add a DECLARE section and define identifiers.
Always include an execution section (BEGIN ... END) and place procedural logic, SQL statements, and DML there.
If runtime error handling is required, add an EXCEPTION section with specific handlers and/or WHEN OTHERS.
To execute DDL at runtime, use EXECUTE IMMEDIATE (Native Dynamic SQL) or the DBMS_SQL package.
End the block with END; (and add a trailing slash / when running in SQL*Plus if needed).

Additional notes

For detailed examples and interview/certification preparation, see the author’s blog: RebellionRider.com.
The original tutorial includes calls to action (like/share/subscribe) and social links in the video description.