Optimizing Performance
Wouldn’t it be great if all developers (a) knew the ins and outs of optimizing SQL statements, (b) kept up with the latest developments in PL/SQL performance (like BULK COLLECT and FORALL), and (c) took the time to tune their code?
Many programmers do, in fact, pay close attention to how efficiently their code runs. Others are happy to get the program “working.” The bottom line, however, is that this code is passed on to you, the DBA, to put into production. Therefore, depending on the policies of your specific organizations, it may become your responsibility to make sure this code will not create a problem in your production environment. At the least, sometimes you may have to be consulted on performance issues and suggest alternative approaches. You should be comfortable enough with PL/SQL and its latest upgrades to be able to review code, identify potential bottlenecks, and suggest ways that the development team can improve performance. The chapters of this book that describe ways of optimizing cursor and table function use will be particularly helpful in this area.