Oracle PL/SQL Language Pocket Reference, Second Edition

Packages

A package is a collection of PL/SQL objects that are grouped together. There are a number of benefits to using packages, including information hiding, object-oriented design, top-down design, object persistence across transactions, and improved performance.

Elements that can be placed in a package include procedures, functions, constants, variables, cursors, exception names, and TYPE statements (for associative arrays [formerly known as index-by tables], records, REF CURSORs, etc.).

Package Structure

A package can have two parts: the specification and the body. The package specification is required and lists all the objects that are publicly available (i.e., may be referenced from outside the package) for use in applications. It also provides all the information a developer needs in order to use objects in the package; essentially, it is the package’s API.

The package body contains all the code needed to implement procedures, functions, and cursors listed in the specification, as well as any private objects (accessible only to other elements defined in that package), and an optional initialization section.

If a package specification does not contain any procedures or functions and no private code is needed, then that package does not need to have a package body.

The syntax for the package specification is:

CREATE [OR REPLACE] PACKAGE package_name 
[ AUTHID { CURRENT_USER | DEFINER } ] 
{ IS | AS }

   [definitions of public TYPEs
   ,declarations of public variables, types, and ...