What is the Difference Between SQL and PL SQL?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚SQL and PL/SQL are both languages used for manipulating relational databases, but they have different features and use cases. Here are the key differences between SQL and PL/SQL:
- Nature of the language: SQL is a non-procedural, declarative language that executes single queries at a time. PL/SQL, on the other hand, is a procedural language that executes blocks of code at once.
- Functionality: SQL is used for creating, maintaining, and retrieving relational databases, as well as fetching, altering, adding, deleting, or manipulating data in a database. PL/SQL extends SQL with additional features like conditional statements, loops, and error handling, allowing for more complex and application-oriented tasks.
- Performance: PL/SQL offers better performance than SQL, as it processes multiple SQL statements at the same time as one block, reducing network traffic.
- Error handling: PL/SQL is known for its effective error handling capabilities, allowing developers to manage exceptions and take specific actions depending on the type of exception.
- Integration with databases: SQL can directly interact with databases and is designed for data manipulation. PL/SQL is an extension of SQL and is primarily application-based, offering more complex data processing capabilities.
- **With PL/SQL, you can embed SQL statements in PL/SQL blocks, but PL/SQL cannot be embedded directly in SQL.
- Database platform: SQL is a general language that can be used with various database platforms, while PL/SQL is specific to Oracle databases.
In summary, SQL is a simple, non-procedural language for interacting with databases, while PL/SQL is a procedural language with additional features and error handling capabilities that extend SQL for more complex and application-oriented tasks.
Comparative Table: SQL vs PL SQL
Here is a table comparing the differences between SQL and PL/SQL:
Feature | SQL | PL/SQL |
---|---|---|
Description | SQL is a domain-specific programming language used for querying and manipulating data in relational databases. | PL/SQL is a procedural language that extends SQL with procedural constructs, enabling the creation of program blocks, procedures, functions, triggers, and packages. |
Basic Nature | SQL is declarative, focusing on what needs to be done rather than how things need to be done. | PL/SQL is procedural, defining how things need to be done by writing a sequence of instructions. |
Execution | SQL executes a single query as a single statement. | PL/SQL executes an entire block of code at once, enhancing the functionality of an operation and reducing network traffic. |
Application | SQL is mainly used to manipulate data. | PL/SQL is mainly used to create applications. |
Performance | SQL does not offer high processing speed for voluminous data. | PL/SQL offers high processing speed for voluminous data, as the engine processes multiple SQL statements at the same time as one block. |
Error Handling | SQL does not provide effective error handling capabilities. | PL/SQL effectively handles errors throughout the execution of a PL/SQL program, taking specific actions depending on the type of exception or displaying the exception to the user. |
In summary, SQL is used for querying and manipulating data, while PL/SQL is used for creating procedural programs and extending the capabilities of SQL.
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