Re: PL/SQL v. SQL*PLUS v. SQL*REPORTWRITER

Strong datatypes for weak minds. (secrist_at_kxovax.enet.dec.com) wrote:

: What is the high-level difference between PL/SQL, SQL*PLUS, and
: SQL*REPORTWRITER ? SQL*PLUS seems like it could be a pretty

Think of PL/SQL as a 3GL-like "shell" around the SQL language. It allows looping, user defined vars, if-then-else logic. It has no I/O other than to the database via select/insert/delete/etc into/from PL/SQL variables.

SQL*Plus can be pretty heavy duty but parent-child, master-detail, difficult format(s), are not easy (and in some cases impossible) to implement. Enter SQL*ReportWriter: the "industrial strength" reporting tool. Not terribly easy to use (but not terribly difficult), with enough effort, you can do 'almost' anything with it, including embedding other SQL statements.

: Good reporter writer on its own from my cursory reading.
  

Until RPT/PRF (extinct) and SRW, SQL*Plus was all there was unless you went third party or wrote in a 3GL. It's respectable, but IMHO, there are other, better tools.

: Regards,
: rcs
 

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: Richard C. Secrist "The superior man understands +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
: Digital Equipment Corp. what is right; the inferior man |d|i|g|i|t|a|l|
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Received on Wed Aug 25 1993 - 22:46:12 CEST