SQL vs PL/SQL

SQL	PL/SQL
Used to access data within Oracle database	Used to access data within oracle databases
Not include all normal programming language features.	Includes all normal programing language features, e.g. loops, IF…THEN…ELSE statements
Tells the database what to do (declarative)	Tells the database how to do things (procedural)
Is used to code queries, DML and DDL statements	Used to code program blocks, triggers, functions, procedures and packages
Is executed one statement at a time	Executed as a block of codes
Can be embedded in a PL/SQL program	Can’t be embedded in a SQL statement
	PL/SQL has the ability to easily integrate with SQL Eg 1: SET SERVEROUTPUT ON SIZE 4000; DECLARE todays_date DATE; BEGIN todays_date := SYSDATE; DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Today''s date is ' || todays_date); END; Eg 2: SET SERVEROUTPUT ON SIZE 4000; DECLARE todays_date DATE; BEGIN todays_date := SYSDATE; DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Today''s date is ' || TO_CHAR(todays_date, 'Month DD, YYYY')); END