Using dynamic SQL

With dynamic SQL, we have SQL that is not known until run time. The PLSQL engine does not know how many columns might be fetched, what tables will be accessed, what inputs are expected. You, the programmer, must do more work to deal with this.

You can use the DBMS_SQL package to run dynamic SQL or you can use EXECUTE IMMEDIATE. EXECUTE IMMEDIATE is a bit easier to code and a more recent implementation of what we used to use DBMS_SQL alone to do.

There's a good example that Oracle provides on its OTN site (technet.oracle.com) at the following link: http://technet.oracle.com/sample_code/tech/pl_sql/htdocs/ndsdemo.txt

For More Information

• Dozens more answers to tough Oracle questions from Karen Morton are available.
• The Best Oracle Web Links: tips, tutorials, scripts, and more.
• Have an Oracle or SQL tip to offer your fellow DBAs and developers? The best tips submitted will receive a cool prize. Submit your tip today!
• Ask your technical Oracle and SQL questions -- or help out your peers by answering them -- in our live discussion forums.
• Ask the Experts yourself: Our SQL, database design, Oracle, SQL Server, DB2, metadata, object-oriented and data warehousing gurus are waiting to answer your toughest questions.