Reusable plsql components to solve common technical problems.

1. PLSQL Commons v1.0
How to enrich the programmer's PLSQL toolkit
Arnold Reuser

2. Agenda
1 Serving a need
2 What PLSQL Commons can do for you
3 How you can make a difference
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3. Serving a need
Reusable PLSQL Components
 PLSQL Commons is a project focused on creating and maintaining
reusable PLSQL components.
 Components that will enrich the PLSQL programmer's toolkit
 Components that promote the programmers shift from solving purely
technical problems to actual business problems
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4. Serving a need
Reusable PLSQL Components
 PLSQL Commons is used by a CRM service provider of General Motors
to handle their specific needs
 Used on their production Oracle database servers as the defacto standard
components for the past three years
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5. What PLSQL Commons can do for you
 Current status
 Practical applications
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6. Current Status
There are several upcoming sandbox components not mentioned.
This presentation will focus on just a few components.
Component Focus
plsql_async Parallel processing of tasks
plsql_cache General purpose memory based caching
plsql_error Exception management
plsql_file Reading and writing operating system text files
plsql_ftp Copy a file from one host to another based on the ftp protocol.
plsql_host Executing a command in the host environment
plsql_log Logging application behavior
plsql_match Text search engine
plsql_test Writing repeatable unit tests
plsql_timeit Measuring the execution time of a program unit
plsql_util General purpose utilities
plsql_soap Lightweight webservices based on the soap protocol
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7. Practical Applications
Parallel processing of tasks
 Imagine a potential pipeline of an ETL process to load CRM data.
 The pipeline passes several processing elements.
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8. Practical Applications
Parallel processing of tasks
 If the elements Address and Communication are independent.
 The pipeline could be organized to process these elements in parallel
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9. Practical Applications
Parallel processing of tasks
 Fundamental questions :
• How can you maintain the processing flow?
• What if Address and Communication would like to pass their identifiers?
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10. Practical Applications
Parallel processing of tasks
 The answers provided :
- plsql_async can be used to route and maintain the processing flow
- plsql_async can be used to pass information between sequential processes
- plsql_cache can be used to cache session and cross-session based information
 Read the user guide for more details on this.
 If your interest in building a processing flow. Read the book Enterprise Integration Patterns.
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11. Practical Applications
Exception management
Assertion at any location you assume will not be reached.
gender char(1) := 'A';
plsql_test.assert(gender in ('M','F'),'Gender can be M or F; current value is {1}',varchars_t(gender));
Error to identify an exceptional condition that an application might want to catch
soapFaultReason varchar2(100) := ImportDataRecord has been invoked at an illegal or inappropriate time.';
err.raise(err.SOAPFaultException,'operation raised exception : {1}',varchars_t(soapFaultReason));
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12. Practical Applications
Testing application behavior
 plsql_test is a testing facility for the plsql programming
 plsql_test will help you :
- measure your progress, spot unintended side effects, and focus your
development efforts
- without automated testing tools like this facility retesting can be a tedious and
inaccurate process.
- by allowing the testing process to occur frequently and automatically, you can
keep software coding errors at a minimum
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13. Practical Applications
Testing application behavior
Developing a test suite
create package body test_plsql_util_pck
as
procedure t_varchars
is
vt1 varchars_t:= new varchars_t('A','B');
begin
plsql_test.assert(vt1.count = 2,'list contains only two elements');
end;
procedure t_isWhiteSpace
is
cause varchar2(2000) := 'incorrect implementation of contract';
begin
plsql_test.assert(putil.isWhiteSpace(' '),cause); -- a space is whitespace
plsql_test.assert(not putil.isWhiteSpace(null),cause); -- null is not whitespace
plsql_test.assert(not putil.isWhiteSpace(''),cause); -- empty string is not whitespace
end;
end;
 Each and every package can become a test suite.
- Just add a few procedures with prefix t_ to turn it into a test suite.
- Once that's done. It can be run as a test suite.
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14. Practical Applications
Testing application behavior
Running a test suite DBMS Output
===== Run Test Suite ====
plsql_test.runTestSuite unit TST_PLSQL_UTIL_PCK.T_ISWHITESPACE succeeded
( module => 'test_plsql_util_pck unit TST_PLSQL_UTIL_PCK.T_VARCHARS succeeded
, runAll => true ===== Test Report =====
); Run 2 tests of which 2 succeeded and 0 failed
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15. Practical Applications
Logging application behavior
Sneak Preview DBMS Output
20110113-10:47:45.228 INFO gender is M
plog.turn_on;
gender char(1) := 'M';
plog.info('gender is {1}',varchars_t(gender));
 Logging supports
- Different layout types : text, rich_text, custom
- Different output types : dbms_pipe, dbms_output, http, table
- Different levels of logging : trace, debug, info, info, warn, error, fatal
 Read the userguide for more details on this.
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16. Practical Applications
Measuring application behavior
Sneak Preview
number idx;
plsql_timeit.remove;
plsql_timeit.start_watch(pp_context => 'assignment');
idx := 1;
plsql_timeit.stop_watch(pp_context => 'assignment');
plog.info('took {1} millisec',varchars_t(mmit_plsql_timeit_pck.period(pp_context => 'assignment',pp_total => true));
 plsql_timeit is a facility to measure the execution time of a program unit
- measure if the execution time of your code is fit for use
 plsql_timeit and plsql_test could be combined to introduce
load, volume, overload and stress test functionality.
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17. Practical Applications
General purpose utilities
Sneak Preview
var varchar2(200) := chr(10); -- new line
isWhiteSpace boolean := putil.isWhiteSpace(var);
plog.info(putil.toChar(isWhiteSpace));
 The standard libraries fail to provide enough general purpose methods.
 plsql_util provides these methods
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18. Practical Applications
General purpose utilities
Sneak Preview
list StringList := new StringList('el2','el1');
list := putil.sort(list);
val varchar2(32767) := putil.join(list,'#');
list := putil.split(val,'#');
 The standard libraries fail to provide enough general purpose methods.
 plsql_util provides these methods
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19. Practical Applications
General purpose utilities
Sneak Preview
list StringList := new StringList('el2','el1');
list := putil.sort(list);
val varchar2(32767) := putil.join(list,'#');
list := putil.split(val,'#');
 The standard libraries fail to provide enough general purpose methods.
 plsql_util provides these methods
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20. How you can make a difference
 Give it a try
 Be a happy user
 Tell us and the whole wide world about it!
 If you would like to get in touch.
Drop me a mail at arnold@reuser.info
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21. Do You Have
Any Questions?
We would be happy to help.
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