What is the 1z0-148 Exam? (Certification exam for Oracle Database 12c: Advanced PL/SQL)

The 1z0-148 exam is the certification exam for Oracle Database 12c: Advanced PL/SQL. This exam validates your skills in developing and managing advanced PL/SQL programs in an Oracle Database 12c environment. The exam covers a wide range of topics, including advanced PL/SQL syntax and semantics, advanced data manipulation techniques, and advanced programming techniques.

To prepare for the 1z0-148 exam, you should have a solid understanding of PL/SQL programming fundamentals and experience in developing and managing PL/SQL programs in an Oracle Database environment. You should also be familiar with the Oracle Database 12c architecture and features. Oracle offers a variety of resources to help you prepare for the exam, including online training courses, practice exams, and study guides.

Who should take this exam? (Programmers seeking PL/SQL developer certification)

The 1z0-148 exam is designed for programmers who are seeking PL/SQL developer certification. This exam validates your skills in developing and managing advanced PL/SQL programs in an Oracle Database 12c environment.

If you are a programmer with experience in developing and managing PL/SQL programs, and you want to demonstrate your skills and knowledge of Oracle Database 12c, then you should consider taking the 1z0-148 exam.

The 1z0-148 exam is also a good choice for programmers who are looking to advance their careers in the field of Oracle database development. By earning the Oracle Database 12c: Advanced PL/SQL certification, you can demonstrate your commitment to your profession and your ability to develop and manage complex PL/SQL programs.

If you are interested in taking the 1z0-148 exam, you should start by reviewing the exam objectives and preparing for the exam. Oracle offers a variety of resources to help you prepare for the exam, including online training courses, practice exams, and study guides.

Exam Topics

The 1z0-148 exam covers a wide range of topics, including:

• Advanced PL/SQL syntax and semantics
• Advanced datamanipulation techniques
• Advanced programming techniques
• Oracle Database 12c architecture and features
• PL/SQL performance tuning
• PL/SQL security
• PL/SQL debugging</li
• PL/SQL unit testing
• PL/SQL error handling
• PL/SQL packaging
• PL/SQL web services

The exam is designed to test your skills in developing and managing complex PL/SQL programs in an Oracle Database 12c environment.

To prepare for the exam, you should have a solid understanding of PL/SQL programming fundamentals and experience in developing and managing PL/SQL programs in an Oracle Database environment. You should also be familiar with the Oracle Database 12c architecture and features.

Oracle offers a variety of resources to help you prepare for the exam, including online training courses, practice exams, and study guides.

Designing PL/SQL Code

When designing PL/SQL code, there are several best practices that you should follow to ensure that your code is efficient, maintainable, and secure.

First, you should always start by understanding the requirements of the code that you are going to write. This will help you to design a code structure that meets the specific needs of your application.

Once you have a clear understanding of the requirements, you should start by designing the overall structure of your code. This includes identifying the different modules and components that will make up your code, and how they will interact with each other.

Next, you should start to develop the individual modules and components of your code. When writing your code, you should always use clear and concise variable and function names, and you should always document your code thoroughly.

Once you have written your code, you should test it thoroughly to ensure that it works as expected. This includes testing both the functional and non-functional requirements of your code.

Finally, you should deploy your code to a production environment and monitor it to ensure that it is performing as expected.

By following these best practices, you can design PL/SQL code that is efficient, maintainable, and secure.

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Exception handling

Exception handling is a critical part of any programming language, and PL/SQL is no exception. Exceptions allow you to handle errors and unexpected conditions in your code, and to ensure that your code continues to execute even when an error occurs.

There are two main types of exceptions in PL/SQL: built-in exceptions and user-defined exceptions. Built-in exceptions are exceptions that are defined by the PL/SQL language itself, while user-defined exceptions are exceptions that you can define yourself.

To handle an exception, you can use the EXCEPTION block. The EXCEPTION block is a block of code that is executed when an exception occurs. The EXCEPTION block can contain any code that you need to handle the exception, such as logging the error, sending an email notification, or rolling back a transaction.

It is important to note that you should only handle exceptions that you can actually do something about. If you cannot do anything about an exception, then you should not handle it. Instead, you should allow the exception to propagate up the call stack until it is handled by a higher-level routine.

By using exception handling, you can make your PL/SQL code more robust and reliable. Exception handling allows you to handle errors and unexpected conditions in a controlled manner, and to ensure that your code continues to execute even when an error occurs.

Error handling

Error handling is a critical part of any programming language, and PL/SQL is no exception. Errors can occur for a variety of reasons, such as invalid data, incorrect syntax, or hardware failures. It is important to be able to handle errors in a controlled manner to ensure that your PL/SQL code is robust and reliable.

There are two main types of errors in PL/SQL: compile-time errors and runtime errors. Compile-time errors are errors that are detected by the PL/SQL compiler before the code is executed. Runtime errors are errors that occur while the code is executing.

To handle compile-time errors, you can use the PRAGMA EXCEPTION_INIT pragma. The PRAGMA EXCEPTION_INIT pragma allows you to specify a default exception handler for all exceptions that are not explicitly handled in your code.

To handle runtime errors, you can use the EXCEPTION block. The EXCEPTION block is a block of code that is executed when an error occurs. The EXCEPTION block can contain any code that you need to handle the error, such as logging the error, sending an email notification, or rolling back a transaction.

It is important to note that you should only handle errors that you can actually do something about. If you cannot do anything about an error, then you should not handle it. Instead, you should allow the error to propagate up the call stack until it is handled by a higher-level routine.

By using error handling, you can make your PL/SQL code more robust and reliable. Error handling allows you to handle errors in a controlled manner, and to ensure that your code continues to execute even when an error occurs.

Subprograms (functions, procedures, packages)

Subprograms are a powerful tool in PL/SQL that allows you to modularize your code and improve its reusability. Subprograms can be used to perform a variety of tasks, such as performing calculations, manipulating data, and formatting output.

There are three main types of subprograms in PL/SQL: functions, procedures, and packages.

• Functions are used to perform calculations and return a single value.
• Procedures are used to perform actions and do not return a value.
• Packages are used to group related functions and procedures together.

Subprograms can be used to improve the modularity, reusability, and maintainability of your PL/SQL code. By using subprograms, you can break your code down into smaller, more manageable pieces. This can make your code easier to read, understand, and maintain.

Subprograms can also be reused in multiple programs. This can save you time and effort, and it can help to ensure that your code is consistent across all of your programs.

If you are not familiar with subprograms, I encourage you to learn more about them. Subprograms are a powerful tool that can help you to write better PL/SQL code.

Working with Collections

Collections are a powerful feature in PL/SQL that allow you to store and manipulate data in a variety of ways. Collections can be used to store data of any type, including scalar values, arrays, and other collections.

There are two main types of collections in PL/SQL:

• Indexed collections are ordered collections of elements that are accessed using an index.
• indexed collections and associative collections.
• Associative collections are unordered collections of elements that are accessed using a key.

Collections can be used to improve the performance and readability of your PL/SQL code. By using collections, you can avoid the need to use multiple variables to store related data. You can also use collections to perform complex operations on data, such as sorting, filtering, and grouping.

If you are not familiar with collections, I encourage you to learn more about them. Collections are a powerful tool that can help you to write better PL/SQL code.

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Associative arrays

Associative arrays are a type of collection in PL/SQL that allows you to store and retrieve data using a key. Associative arrays are unordered, which means that the order of the elements in the array is not guaranteed.

Associative arrays are created using the ASSOCIATIVE ARRAY keyword. The key and value of an associative array element can be any data type.

To access an element in an associative array, you use the () operator. The key of the element that you want to access is specified inside the parentheses.

Associative arrays can be used to store a variety of data, such as configuration settings, user preferences, and lookup tables. Associative arrays can also be used to implement sets and maps.

Here is an example of how to use an associative array in PL/SQL:

DECLARE
  TYPE employee_type IS RECORD (
    name VARCHAR2(50),
    salary NUMBER
  );

  employees ASSOCIATIVE ARRAY (VARCHAR2(50)) OF employee_type;
BEGIN
  

employees(‘John Doe’) := employee_type(‘John Doe’, 50000); employees(‘Jane Doe’) := employee_type(‘Jane Doe’, 60000);

FOR emp_name IN employees.FIRST .. employees.LAST LOOP DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE(employees(emp_name).name || ‘ earns ‘ || employees(emp_name).salary); END LOOP; END;

In this example, the employees associative array is used to store employee information. The key of each element in the array is the employee's name, and the value of each element is an employee record.

Associative arrays are a powerful tool that can be used to store and retrieve data in a variety of ways. If you are not familiar with associative arrays, I encourage you to learn more about them.

Nested tables

Nested tables are a type of collection in PL/SQL that allows you to store a collection of elements within a single table column. Nested tables can be used to store data of any type, including scalar values, arrays, and other collections.

Nested tables are created using the NESTED TABLE keyword. The type of the nested table is specified inside the parentheses.

To access an element in a nested table, you use the () operator. The index of the element that you want to access is specified inside the parentheses.

Nested tables can be used to store a variety of data, such as:

• Historical data
• Multi-valued attributes
• Complex data structures
• Hierarchical data

Nested tables can also be used to implement sets and maps.

Here is an example of how to use a nested table in PL/SQL:

CREATE TABLE employees (
  employee_id NUMBER PRIMARY KEY,
  name VARCHAR2(50),
  addresses NESTED

TABLE OF VARCHAR2(100) );

INSERT INTO employees (employee_id, name, addresses) VALUES ( 1, ‘John Doe’, NESTED TABLE (‘123 Main Street’, ‘456 Elm Street’) );

SELECT * FROM employees;

<p>In this example, the addresses column is a nested table that can store multiple addresses for each employee.</p>

<p>Nested tables are a powerful tool that can be used to store and retrieve data in a variety of ways. If you are not familiar with nested tables, I encourage you to learn more about them.</p>

Varrays

VARRAYs are a type of collection in PL/SQL that allows you to store a fixed number of elements of the same type. VARRAYs are created using the VARRAY keyword. The type of the elements in the VARRAY is specified inside the angle brackets.

To access an element in a VARRAY, you use the () operator. The index of the element that you want to access is specified inside the parentheses.

VARRAYs can be used to store a variety of data, such as:

• Lists of values
• Arrays of data
• Fixed-length buffers
• Multi-dimensional arrays

VARRAYs can also be used to implement stacks and queues.

Here is an example of how to use a VARRAY in PL/SQL:

DECLARE
  TYPE string_array_type IS VARRAY(10) OF VARCHAR2(50);
  string_array string_array_type;
BEGIN
  string_array(1) :=

‘John Doe’; string_array(2) := ‘Jane Doe’;

FOR i IN 1 .. string_array.COUNT LOOP DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE(string_array(i)); END LOOP; END;

In this example, the string_array variable is a VARRAY that can store up to 10 VARCHAR2 values. The values in the VARRAY are accessed using the () operator.

VARRAYs are a powerful tool that can be used to store and retrieve data in a variety of ways. If you are not familiar with VARRAYs, I encourage you to learn more about them.

Using Advanced Interface Methods

Advanced interface methods provide a way to extend the functionality of an interface by adding new methods that are not defined in the interface itself. This can be useful for adding functionality that is specific to a particular implementation of the interface, or for adding functionality that is not yet supported by the interface.

To define an advanced interface method, you use the following syntax:

METHOD <method_name> (<argument_list>) RETURN <return_type>;

This is the name of the method that you are adding to the interface. The <argument_list> is a list of the arguments that the method takes. The <return_type> is the type of value that the method returns.

Advanced interface methods can be used in the same way as regular interface methods. They can be called from any class that implements the interface, and they can be overridden in subclasses.

Here is an example of how to use an advanced interface method:

interface IMyInterface {
  METHOD myMethod() RETURN NUMBER;}

class MyClass implements IMyInterface { METHOD myMethod() RETURN NUMBER { RETURN 10; }

METHOD myAdvancedMethod() RETURN VARCHAR2 { RETURN ‘Hello, world!’; } }

MyClass myClass = new MyClass(); myClass.myMethod(); // Returns 10 myClass.myAdvancedMethod(); // Returns ‘Hello, world!’

In this example, the MyClass class implements the IMyInterface interface. The MyClass class also defines an advanced interface method called myAdvancedMethod(). The myAdvancedMethod() method is not defined in the IMyInterface interface, but it can be called from any class that implements the interface.

Advanced interface methods are a powerful tool that can be used to extend the functionality of an interface. If you are not familiar with advanced interface methods, I encourage you to learn more about them.

Object types

Object types allow you to define your own custom data types in PL/SQL. Object types can contain a variety of different data members, including scalar values, collections, and other object types.

Object types are created using the CREATE TYPE statement. The CREATE TYPE statement defines the name of the object type, the data members of the object type, and the methods of the object type.

Once an object type has been created, it can be used to declare variables, parameters, and attributes.

Object types can also be used to create collections and nested tables.

Here is an example of how to create an object type:

CREATE TYPE employee_type AS OBJECT (
  employee_id NUMBER,
  name VARCHAR2(50),
  salary NUMBER 
);

This object type defines three data members: employee_id, name, and salary. The employee_id data member is a NUMBER, the name data member is a VARCHAR2(50), and the salary data member is a NUMBER.

Once the object type has been created, it can be used to declare variables, parameters, and attributes. For example:

DECLARE
  employee employee_type;
BEGIN
  employee.employee_id := 1;
  employee.name := 'John Doe';
  employee.salary := 50000;
END;

In this example, the employee variable is declared as an employee_type object. The data members of the employee object are then assigned values.

Object types are a powerful tool that can be used to create complex data structures in PL/SQL. If you are not familiar with object types, I encourage you to learn more about them.

Inheritance

Inheritance is a powerful feature of object-oriented programming that allows you to create new classes (subclasses) that inherit the properties and methods of existing classes (superclasses).

Inheritance allows you to reuse code and create new classes that are more specialized than their superclasses. This can make your code more organized and easier to maintain.

To create a subclass, you use the following syntax:

CREATE TYPE <subclass_name> AS <superclass_name>;

This is the name of the new subclass. The is the name of the superclass from which the subclass inherits.

Once a subclass has been created, it can inherit all of the properties and methods of its superclass. The subclass can also define its own properties and methods.

Here is an example of how to create a subclass:

CREATE TYPE employee_type AS OBJECT (
  employee_id NUMBER,
  name VARCHAR2(50),
  salary NUMBER
);

CREATE TYPE manager_type AS employee_type ( department_id NUMBER );

In this example, the manager_type class inherits all of the properties and methods of the employee_type class. The manager_type class also defines its own property, department_id.</p>

Inheritance is a powerful tool that can be used to create complex and reusable class hierarchies. If you are not familiar with inheritance, I encourage you to learn more about it.

Improving Performance with Caching

Caching is a technique that can be used to improve the performance of your PL/SQL code by storing frequently accessed data in memory. This can reduce the number of times that your code needs to access the database, which can lead to significant performance improvements.

There are a number of different ways to implement caching in PL/SQL. One common approach is to use the PL/SQL Collections cache. The PL/SQL Collections cache is a built-in cache that can be used to store any type of data, including scalar values, collections, and objects.

To use the PL/SQL Collections cache, you simply need to create a collection and then add the data that you want to cache to the collection. The data will then be stored in the cache and will be available for future use.

Here is an example of how to use the PL/SQL Collections cache:

DECLARE
  TYPE employee_type IS RECORD (
    employee_id NUMBER,
    name VARCHAR2(50),
    salary NUMBER
  );

  employees_cache PLS_

INTEGER := DBMS_COLLECTION_CACHE.NEW_COLLECTION_CACHE(‘EMPLOYEES’); BEGIN FOR employee IN ( SELECT * FROM employees ) LOOP DBMS_COLLECTION_CACHE.ADD_MEMBER(employees_cache, employee.employee_id, employee); END LOOP;

— Get an employee from the cache employee:= DBMS_COLLECTION_CACHE.GET_MEMBER(employees_cache, 1); END;

In this example, the employees_cache variable is a collection cache that is used to store employee data. The FOR loop is used to add all of the employees from the employees table to the cache. Once the employees have been added to the cache, they can be retrieved using the DBMS_COLLECTION_CACHE.GET_MEMBER() function.

Caching can be a very effective way to improve the performance of your PL/SQL code. If you are not familiar with caching, I encourage you to learn more about it.

Package caching

Package caching is a feature of Oracle Database that allows you to cache the execution plan of a PL/SQL package in memory. This can improve the performance of your PL/SQL code by reducing the amount of time that is spent parsing and compiling the package.

To enable package caching, you need to set the PLSQL_OPTIMIZE_MODE initialization parameter to a value of 2 or higher. You can also specify the PLSQL_CODE_TYPE initialization parameter to control the type of code that is cached.

Once package caching is enabled, the execution plan for any PL/SQL package that is executed will be cached in memory. The next time that the package is executed, the cached execution plan will be used, which will improve the performance of the package.

Package caching can be a very effective way to improve the performance of your PL/SQL code. If you are not familiar with package caching, I encourage you to learn more about it.

Here is an example of how to enable package caching:

ALTER SYSTEM SET PLSQL_OPTIMIZE

_MODE=2;

Once package caching has been enabled, you can verify that it is working by querying the V$SQL_PLAN view. The V$SQL_PLAN view will show you the execution plan for each SQL statement that has been executed, and it will also show you whether or not the execution plan was cached.</p>

Here is an example of how to query the V$SQL_PLAN view to verify that package caching is working:

Database caching

Database caching is a technique that can be used to improve the performance of your PL/SQL code by storing frequently accessed data in memory. This can reduce the number of times that your code needs to access the database, which can lead to significant performance improvements.

There are a number of different ways to implement database caching in PL/SQL. One common approach is to use the DBMS_CACHE package. The DBMS_CACHE package provides a set of procedures that can be used to create and manage caches.

To use the DBMS_CACHE package, you simply need to create a cache and then add the data that you want to cache to the cache. The data will then be stored in the cache and will be available for future use.

Here is an example of how to use the DBMS_CACHE package to create a cache and add data to the cache:

DECLARE
  cache_handle DBMS_CACHE.CACHE_HANDLE;
BEGIN
  -- Create a cache
  cache_handle := DBMS_CACHE.CREATE_CACHE('MY_CACHE', 10 00);

— Add data to the cache DBMS_CACHE.ADD_TO_CACHE(cache_handle, 1, ‘John Doe’); DBMS_CACHE.ADD_TO_CACHE(cache_handle, 2, ‘Jane Doe’); END;

In this example, the MY_CACHE cache is created and a maximum of 1000 items can be stored in the cache. The ADD_TO_CACHE() procedure is then used to add two items to the cache.</p>

Once data has been added to the cache, it can be retrieved using the DBMS_CACHE.GET_FROM_CACHE() procedure.

Here is an example of how to use the DBMS_CACHE.GET_FROM_CACHE() procedure to retrieve data from the cache:

```plsql
DECLARE
  value VARCHAR2(50);
BEGIN
  -- Get data from the cache
  value := DBMS_CACHE.GET_FROM_CACHE('MY_CACHE', 1);
END;

In this example, the value of the item with the key of 1 is retrieved from the MY_CACHE cache and stored in the value variable.

Database caching can be a very effective way to improve the performance of your PL/SQL code. If you are not familiar with database caching, I encourage you to learn more about it.

Profiling and Tracing PL/SQL Code

Profiling and tracing are two techniques that can be used to identify performance bottlenecks in your PL/SQL code. Profiling measures the time that is spent executing different parts of your code while tracing logs the execution of your code in detail.

Profiling can be used to identify which parts of your code are taking the most time to execute. This information can then be used to optimize your code and improve its performance.

Tracing can be used to log the execution of your code in detail. This information can be used to debug your code and identify any errors that may be occurring.

There are a number of different tools that can be used to profile and trace PL/SQL code. One common tool is the Oracle Database Performance Analyzer (DPA). The DPA is a graphical tool that can be used to profile and trace PL/SQL code, and it can also provide recommendations for how to improve the performance of your code.

If you are experiencing performance problems with your PL/SQL code, I encourage you to try profiling and tracing your code to identify the source of the problem. Profiling and tracing can be very effective tools for improving the performance of your PL/SQL code.

Here is an example of how to use the DPA to profile a PL/SQL procedure:

1. Open the DPA and connect to your database.
2. Click on the “Profiling” tab.
3. Click on the “Create Profile” button.
4. Select the PL/SQL procedure that you want to profile and click on the “Start” button.
5. The DPA will start profiling the PL/SQL procedure.
6. Once the profiling is complete, click on the “Stop” button.
7. The DPA will display a report that shows the time that was spent executing different parts of the PL/SQL procedure.

The DPA report can be used to identify which parts of the PL/SQL procedure are taking the most time to execute. This information can then be used to optimize the PL/SQL procedure and improve its performance.

Identifying performance bottlenecks

Identifying performance bottlenecks is a critical step in optimizing the performance of your PL/SQL code. A performance bottleneck is any part of your code that is causing it to run slowly.

There are a number of different ways to identify performance bottlenecks in your PL/SQL code. One common approach is to use a profiler. A profiler is a tool that can measure the time that is spent executing different parts of your code.

Another approach to identifying performance bottlenecks is to use tracing. Tracing logs the execution of your code in detail. This information can be used to identify any areas of your code that are taking a long time to execute.

Once you have identified the performance bottlenecks in your PL/SQL code, you can start to optimize your code to improve its performance. There are a number of different ways to optimize your code, such as.

• Rewriting your code to make it more efficient
• Using indexes to improve the performance of your queries
• Caching data to reduce the number of times that your code needs to access the database
• Tuning your database to improve its performance

By following these tips, you can identify and eliminate performance bottlenecks in your PL/SQL code and improve its performance.

Here are some specific examples of performance bottlenecks that you may encounter in your PL/SQL code:

• Slow queries
• Inefficient use of loops
• Excessive use of recursion
• Poorly designed data structures
• Inadequate use of indexes

By being aware of these potential performance bottlenecks, you can take steps to avoid them in your code.

Optimizing code execution

Optimizing code execution is essential for improving the performance of your PL/SQL code. There are a number of different techniques that you can use to optimize your code, including:

• Rewriting your code to make it more efficient

This may involve using more efficient algorithms or data structures or avoiding unnecessary loops or branches.

• Using indexes to improve the performance of your queries

Indexes can help the database to quickly find the data that you need, which can improve the performance of your queries.

• Caching data to reduce the number of times that your code needs to access the database

Caching can be used to store frequently accessed data in memory, which can improve the performance of your code.

• Tuning your database to improve its performance

There are a number of different ways to tune your database to improve its performance, such as adjusting the buffer cache size or using materialized views.

By following these tips, you can optimize your PL/SQL code and improve its performance.

Here are some specific examples of how you can optimize your PL/SQL code:

• Use the correct data type for your variables

Using the correct data type for your variables can help to improve the performance of your code by reducing the amount of memory that is used and the number of conversions that are required.

• Avoid using cursors whenever possible

Cursors can be inefficient, especially if they are used to fetch a large number of rows. If possible, use set-based operations instead of cursors.

• Use bind variables to improve the performance of your queries

Bind variables can help to improve the performance of your queries by reducing the number of times that the query needs to be parsed and compiled.

• Use bulk operations to improve the performance of your data manipulation statements

Bulk operations can be used to perform multiple data manipulation operations in a single statement. This can improve the performance of your code by reducing the number of round trips to the database.

By following these tips, you can write more efficient PL/SQL code and improve the performance of your applications.

Safeguarding Your Code Against SQL Injection Attacks Secure coding practices

Secure coding practices are essential for protecting your PL/SQL code from vulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers. There are a number of different secure coding practices that you should follow, including:

• Input validation

Input validation is the process of checking that all input data is valid before it is used by your code. This can help to prevent attackers from injecting malicious code into your application.

• Output encoding

Output encoding is the process of converting data into a format that is safe to display in a web page or other untrusted environment. This can help to prevent attackers from injecting malicious code into your application.

• Use of stored procedures

Stored procedures are a good way to protect your code from SQL injection attacks. Stored procedures are pre-compiled and stored in the database, so they are not vulnerable to SQL injection attacks.

• Use of bind variables

Bind variables are a good way to protect your code from SQL injection attacks. Bind variables allow you to pass parameters to an SQL statement without having to embed them in the statement itself.

• Use of encryption

Encryption is a good way to protect sensitive data from unauthorized access. Encryption can be used to protect data in transit or at rest.

By following these secure coding practices, you can help to protect your PL/SQL code from vulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers.

Here are some specific examples of secure coding practices that you can follow:

• Use the DBMS_ASSERT package to validate input data

The DBMS_ASSERT package provides a set of procedures that can be used to validate input data. These procedures can help to prevent attackers from injecting malicious code into your application.

• Use the DBMS_OUTPUT package to encode output data

The DBMS_OUTPUT package provides a set of procedures that can be used to encode output data. These procedures can help to prevent attackers from injecting malicious code into your application.

• Use stored procedures to protect your code from SQL injection attacks

Stored procedures are a good way to protect your code from SQL injection attacks. Stored procedures are pre-compiled and stored in the database, so they are not vulnerable to SQL injection attacks.

• Use bind variables to protect your code from SQL injection attacks

Bind variables are a good way to protect your code from SQL injection attacks. Bind variables allow you to pass parameters to an SQL statement without having to embed them in the statement itself.

• Use encryption to protect sensitive data

Encryption is a good way to protect sensitive data from unauthorized access. Encryption can be used to protect data in transit or at rest.

By following these secure coding practices, you can help to protect your PL/SQL code from vulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers.

Input validation

Input validation is the process of checking that all input data is valid before it is used by your code. This can help to prevent attackers from injecting malicious code into your application.

There are a number of different ways to validate input data, including:

• Type checking

Type checking ensures that the data is of the correct type. For example, you can use the DBMS_ASSERT.IS_NUMBER() procedure to check that a value is a number.

• Range checking

Range checking ensures that the data is within a specified range. For example, you can use the DBMS_ASSERT.IN_RANGE() procedure to check that a value is between two specified values.

• Format checking

Format checking ensures that the data is in a specified format. For example, you can use the DBMS_ASSERT.IS_EMAIL() procedure to check that a value is a valid email address.

• Custom validation Custom validation allows you to define your own validation rules. For example, you can use the DBMS_ASSERT.CUSTOM() procedure to check that a value is not equal to a specified value.

By following these input validation techniques, you can help prevent attackers from injecting malicious code into your application.

Here is an example of how to use the DBMS_ASSERT package to validate input data:

DECLARE
  name VARCHAR2(50);
BEGIN
  -- Check that the name is not null
  DBMS_ASSERT.NOT_NULL(name);

  -- Check that the name is a valid string
  DBMS_ASSERT.IS_STRING(name);

  -- Check that the name is not too long
  DBMS_ASSERT.LENGTH(name) <= 50;

  -- Check that the name does not contain any special characters
  DBMS_ASSERT.NO_SPECIAL_CHARACTERS(name);
END;

In this example, the DBMS_ASSERT package is used to check that the name variable is not null, is a valid string, is not too long,

and does not contain any special characters.

By using input validation techniques, you can help to protect your PL/SQL code from vulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers.

(Optional) Where to find official study guides or training courses

There are a number of official study guides and training courses available to help you prepare for the 1z0-148 exam. These resources can help you to learn the material that is covered on the exam and to develop the skills that you need to pass the exam.

The following are some of the official study guides and training courses that are available:

• Oracle Database 12c: Advanced PL/SQL Study Guide

This study guide is available from Oracle Press and covers all of the topics that are covered on the 1z0-148 exam. The study guide includes practice questions and exercises to help you prepare for the exam.

• Oracle Database 12c: Advanced PL/SQL Training Course

This training course is available from Oracle University and covers all of the topics that are covered on the 1z0-148 exam. The training course includes hands-on labs and exercises to help you prepare for the exam.

In addition to the official study guides and training courses, there are a number of other resources available to help you prepare for the 1z0-148 exam. These resources include.

• Online forums and discussion groups

There are a number of online forums and discussion groups where you can ask questions and get help from other people who are preparing for the 1z0-148 exam.

• Books and articles

There are a number of books and articles available that can help you to learn the material that is covered on the 1z0-148 exam.

• Practice exams

There are a number of practice exams available that can help you to test your knowledge of the material that is covered on the 1z0-148 exam.

By using these resources, you can prepare for the 1z0-148 exam and increase your chances of passing the exam.