Semicolons vs. Slashes in Oracle SQL: When Should I Use Each?

Semicolons and Slashes in Oracle SQL

In Oracle SQL, the use of semicolons (;) and slashes (/) is often controversial. This article will guide you in using these characters correctly to avoid script execution errors.

Semicolon (;)

The semicolon indicates the end of the SQL statement. When executed, the database parses and executes the statement. For example:

ALTER TABLE foo.bar DROP CONSTRAINT bar1;

slash (/)

Slashes are used to execute the SQL statement contained in the current buffer. A slash is often used when multiple statements need to be run in batches, as it separates statements and triggers their execution. For example:

ALTER TABLE foo.bar DROP CONSTRAINT bar1;
/
ALTER TABLE foo.can DROP CONSTRAINT can1;
/

When to use semicolons and slashes

Semicolon:

• Always use a semicolon at the end of a SQL statement when executing it on its own or within a script.

Slash:

• Use slashes when batch executing a series of statements from SQL*Plus or similar tools.
• Use a slash before a PL/SQL subroutine (DECLARE, BEGIN, END) because the semicolon is considered part of the subroutine.

Example

Consider the following script:

ALTER TABLE foo.bar DROP CONSTRAINT bar1;
ALTER TABLE foo.can DROP CONSTRAINT can1;

CREATE TRIGGER trigger1 ON foo.bar ...
CREATE VIEW view1 AS ...
CREATE PROCEDURE proc1 AS ...

• SQL Developer and TOAD: Both tools automatically handle statement separation, so semicolons can be omitted.
• *SQLPlus:** A semicolon must be used at the end of a statement, and a slash must be used between statements to trigger their execution.

Summary

Understanding the correct use of semicolons and slashes in Oracle SQL is critical to avoiding execution errors and ensuring script consistency. By adhering to the above guidelines, you can ensure that your scripts execute correctly and efficiently.

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