Procedure

A procedure is a subprogram that performs a specific action.

You must declare and define a procedure before invoking it. You can either declare and define it at the same time, or you can declare it first and then define it later in the same block, subprogram, or package. A procedure invocation, or procedure call, is a statement.

A procedure declaration is also called a procedure specification, or procedure spec.

Note:

This topic applies to procedures that you declare and define inside a PL/SQL block, subprogram, or package. These procedures differ from standalone stored procedures that you create with the "CREATE PROCEDURE Statement", as explained in "Overview of PL/SQL Subprograms".
A procedure declared and defined in a package is affected by the AUTHID clause of the package. For more information, see "CREATE PACKAGE Statement".

Topics:

Syntax
Semantics
Examples
Related Topics

Syntax

procedure_declaration ::=

Description of the illustration procedure_declaration.gif

procedure_heading ::=

Description of the illustration procedure_heading.gif

See parameter_declaration ::=.

procedure_definition ::=

Description of the illustration procedure_definition.gif

See:

Semantics

procedure_declaration

Declares a procedure, but does not define it. The definition must appear later in the same block, subprogram, or package as the declaration.

procedure_heading

procedure_name

The name that you give to the procedure that you are declaring or defining.

procedure_definition

Either defines a procedure that was declared earlier or both declares and defines a procedure.

declare_section

The optional declarative part of the procedure. Declarations are local to the procedure, can be referenced in body, and cease to exist when the procedure completes execution.

body

The required executable part of the procedure and, optionally, the exception-handling part of the procedure.

Examples

Example 8-1, "Declaring, Defining, and Invoking a Simple PL/SQL Procedure"