CREATE TABLE STUDENT (
STUDENT_ID NUMBER PRIMARY KEY,
FIRST_NAME VARCHAR2(50),
LAST_NAME VARCHAR2(50),
AGE NUMBER,
GRADE CHAR(2)
);
INSERT INTO STUDENT (STUDENT_ID, FIRST_NAME, LAST_NAME, AGE, GRADE) VALUES (1, 'John', 'Doe',
20, 'A');
INSERT INTO STUDENT (STUDENT_ID, FIRST_NAME, LAST_NAME, AGE, GRADE) VALUES (2, 'Jane',
'Smith', 21, 'B');
INSERT INTO STUDENT (STUDENT_ID, FIRST_NAME, LAST_NAME, AGE, GRADE) VALUES (3, 'Jim', 'Brown',
19, 'C');
COMMIT; -- Make sure to commit the transaction
IMPLICIT CURSOR
DECLARE
v_first_name STUDENT.FIRST_NAME%TYPE;
v_last_name STUDENT.LAST_NAME%TYPE;
v_age STUDENT.AGE%TYPE;
v_grade STUDENT.GRADE%TYPE;
BEGIN
-- Implicit cursor for selecting all students
FOR student_record IN (SELECT FIRST_NAME, LAST_NAME, AGE, GRADE FROM STUDENT) LOOP
v_first_name := student_record.FIRST_NAME;
v_last_name := student_record.LAST_NAME;
v_age := student_record.AGE;
v_grade := student_record.GRADE;
-- Display the student information
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Name: ' || v_first_name || ' ' || v_last_name ||
', Age: ' || v_age || ', Grade: ' || v_grade);
END LOOP;
END;
EXAMPLE 2
Begin
for e_record in ( select * from student)
loop
dbms_output.put_line('Name: '|| e_record.FIRST_NAME
|| ' '|| e_record.LAST_NAME ||', Age: ' || e_record.AGE
||', Roll no: ' ||e_record.STUDENT_ID);
End loop;
End;
You define a cursor, open it, fetch rows from it, and then close it when done.
select * from STUDENT;
Steps to Use an Explicit Cursor
Declare the Cursor: Define the SQL query to be executed.
Open the Cursor: Allocate memory and execute the SQL statement.
Fetch from the Cursor: Retrieve rows one by one.
Close the Cursor: Release the memory allocated for the cursor.
DECLARE
CURSOR student_cursor IS
SELECT FIRST_NAME, LAST_NAME, AGE, STUDENT_ID FROM STUDENT;
v_first_name STUDENT.FIRST_NAME%TYPE;
v_last_name STUDENT.LAST_NAME%TYPE;
v_age STUDENT.AGE%TYPE;
v_student_id STUDENT.STUDENT_ID%TYPE;
BEGIN
-- Open the cursor
OPEN student_cursor;
-- Fetch each row from the cursor
LOOP
FETCH student_cursor INTO v_first_name, v_last_name, v_age, v_student_id;
EXIT WHEN student_cursor%NOTFOUND; -- Exit loop if no more rows
-- Print student details
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Name: ' || v_first_name || ' ' || v_last_name ||
', Age: ' || v_age ||
', Rollno: ' || v_student_id);
END LOOP;
-- Close the cursor
CLOSE student_cursor;
END;
Implicit Cursor
Automatic: Oracle automatically creates this when you run a SQL query.
Less Control: You can’t control it as much; it’s just a quick way to fetch data.
Usage: Ideal for simple queries where you don’t need to manage the cursor lifecycle.
Example: You directly run a loop over a SQL query and print results. No need to declare or manage the
cursor.
Explicit Cursor
Manual: You define it yourself in your code.
More Control: You can open, fetch, and close it. This gives you more flexibility, especially for complex
queries.
Usage: Useful when you need to process rows one at a time or perform additional logic between
fetches.
Example: You declare the cursor, open it, fetch data in a loop, and then close it when done.
Key Points
Output: Both types can produce the same output, but explicit cursors let you manage the fetching
process more precisely.
When to Use:
Use implicit cursors for simple queries.
Use explicit cursors for more control and complex logic
