PL-SQL interview questions cover broad topics such as differences between SQL and PL-SQL, advantages of stored procedures, and language specifics. Fundamental concepts include procedures, packages, triggers, and exception handling. Specific questions cover data types, cursors, and concurrency issues. Candidates can demonstrate mastery of PL-SQL through these questions.
The most common procedural language structured query language (PL-SQL) interview questions are designed to reveal the depth of knowledge the candidate has on the subject. For this reason, opening questions are generally broad in scope and relate to subjects such as the differences between SQL and PL-SQL from the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Likewise, a candidate might be asked to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using stored procedures rather than a client-side solution. Other questions detail language specifics.
There are some fundamental concepts that almost always come up in PL-SQL interview questions. Some examples are: What is a procedure? What is a package? How and when should you implement triggers? How do you handle exceptions in PL-SQL? Anyone working with PL-SQL, even at a basic level, should be very familiar with these concepts.
More direct and specific PL-SQL interview questions attempt to reveal deeper knowledge and experience with common issues faced by the PL-SQL developer. How do you handle NULL values? What is the difference between a NULL value and a zero value? What are the most common data types used in PL-SQL? What is a BLOB? When is it appropriate to use a varchar type? Handling data types is critical to data integrity and the overall performance of a system; therefore, these matters will be foremost on a manager’s mind.
Another favorite topic for PL-SQL interview questions is cursors. The use of cursors in PL-SQL is fundamental to all data retrieval and manipulation, so many PL-SQL interview questions focus on this subject. Some typical questions you might encounter are: What keyword identifies the column type of a cursor field? How do you handle a situation where a SELECT cursor returns no data? How often should you run a commit when inserting records? What issues might you face regarding concurrent access on a table? What is an impasse and what is the most efficient way to resolve it?
PL-SQL is a very rich programming language, so it’s rare for anyone to know all the details. Some of these common interview questions can reveal the knowledge and experience a candidate has gained. The broad discussion-type questions are a real opportunity for a candidate to demonstrate mastery of the features and complexity of PL-SQL.
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