Preface

This book is a comprehensive user's guide and reference for SQL*Module, an Oracle application development tool.

It includes a complete description of Module Language, an ANSI/ISO SQL standard for developing applications that access data stored in a relational database. Module Language uses parameterized procedures to encapsulate SQL statements. The procedures can then be called from an Ada application.

This Guide also describes how you can use SQL*Module to call PL/SQL procedures stored in an Oracle database. A number of complete examples using Module Language, Ada code, and stored database procedures are provided.

This preface contains these topics:

• Intended Audience

• Documentation Accessibility

• Standards Conformance

• Conventions

Intended Audience

Oracle SQL*Module for Ada Programmer's Guide is intended for systems architects, analysts, and developers who are writing large-scale applications that access an Oracle Server. Chapter 1 of this Guide can also be used by managers who need to determine if SQL*Module is an appropriate tool for a planned project.

To use this Guide effectively, you need a working knowledge of the following topics:

• applications programming in Ada

• the SQL database language

• Oracle database concepts and terminology

Familiarity with SQL-standard Module Language is not a prerequisite. This Guide fully documents Module Language.

Documentation Accessibility

Our goal is to make Oracle products, services, and supporting documentation accessible to all users, including users that are disabled. To that end, our documentation includes features that make information available to users of assistive technology. This documentation is available in HTML format, and contains markup to facilitate access by the disabled community. Accessibility standards will continue to evolve over time, and Oracle is actively engaged with other market-leading technology vendors to address technical obstacles so that our documentation can be accessible to all of our customers. For more information, visit the Oracle Accessibility Program Web site at http://www.oracle.com/accessibility/.

Accessibility of Code Examples in Documentation

Screen readers may not always correctly read the code examples in this document. The conventions for writing code require that closing braces should appear on an otherwise empty line; however, some screen readers may not always read a line of text that consists solely of a bracket or brace.

Accessibility of Links to External Web Sites in Documentation

This documentation may contain links to Web sites of other companies or organizations that Oracle does not own or control. Oracle neither evaluates nor makes any representations regarding the accessibility of these Web sites.

Deaf/Hard of Hearing Access to Oracle Support Services

To reach Oracle Support Services, use a telecommunications relay service (TRS) to call Oracle Support at 1.800.223.1711. An Oracle Support Services engineer will handle technical issues and provide customer support according to the Oracle service request process. Information about TRS is available at http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/trs.html, and a list of phone numbers is available at http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/dro/trsphonebk.html.

Standards Conformance

SQL*Module conforms to the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and International Standards Organization (ISO) standards for Module Language. This includes complete conformance with Chapter 7 of ANSI document X3.135-1989, Database Language SQL with Integrity Enhancement.

In addition, SQL*Module conforms to the "Entry SQL" subset of the SQL92 standard, as defined in Chapter 12 of the ANSI Document X3.135-1992.

Note: SQL92 is known officially as International Standard ISO/IEC 9075:1992, Database Language SQL.

SQL*Module supports the Ada83 language standard for Ada.

Oracle has also implemented extensions to the SQL language and to Module Language. This Guide describes both the SQL standard Module Language and the complete set of Oracle extensions. SQL*Module provides an option, called the FIPS flagger, which flags all non-standard extensions to SQL and to Module Language, as mandated by the Federal Information Processing Standard for Database Language SQL, FIPS publication 127-1. This publication is available at

National Technical Information Service US Department of Commerce Springfield VA 22161 U.S.A

Conventions

The following text conventions are used in this document: