PL/SQL which is Oracle Corporation's extension of SQL with a procedural language enables developers and database administrators to carry out complex operations in the databases. One of the frequently performed operations in the process of database maintenance is the change of names of objects to accomplish better organization and clarity.
In this guide, we will focus on changing the names of views in PL/SQL as well as analyze their significance, syntax, and best practices.
PL/SQL RENAME VIEW
Views are the virtual tables that display the data from one or more tables, in a dynamic manner. Renaming views can achieve clarity and maintainability of the database by the view names corresponding with their functionality or improving the consistency of the schema. Also, renaming views results in smooth integration with application flows thus improving the development productivity
Syntax for Renaming Views in PL/SQL:
The PL/SQL syntax for renaming a view is not complicated; it uses the RENAME statement with the old view name and the new one. Here's the basic syntax.
RENAME old_view_name TO new_view_name;
Explanation: The purpose of the RENAME statement is to rename views without making any changes to its underlying structure or functionality. However, it has a mechanism that ensures all applications that still reference the view function properly with the new name.
Examples of PL/SQL RENAME VIEW
To show the procedure of building a view in PL/ SQL, let`s suppose that we have an employees table.
| EmployeeID | FirstName | LastName | Department |
|---|
| 1 | John | Doe | Engineering |
| 2 | Jane | Smith | Marketing |
| 3 | David | Brown | Finance |
| 1 | John | Doe | Engineering |
| 2 | Jane | Smith | Marketing |
| 3 | David | Brown | Finance |
let's create a view named employee_view that displays the first name, last name, department, and salary of employees:
CREATE OR REPLACE VIEW employee_view AS
SELECT first_name, last_name, department, salary
FROM employees;
Output:
| first_name | last_name | department | salary |
|---|
| John | Doe | Engineering | NULL |
| Jane | Smith | Marketing | NULL |
| David | Brown | Finance | NULL |
| John | Doe | Engineering | NULL |
| Jane | Smith | Marketing | NULL |
| David | Brown | Finance | NULL |
RENAME VIEW FROM employee_view TO employee_data_view
RENAME employee_view TO employee_data_view;
Output:
| first_name | last_name | department | salary |
|---|
| John | Doe | Engineering | NULL |
| Jane | Smith | Marketing | NULL |
| David | Brown | Finance | NULL |
| John | Doe | Engineering | NULL |
| Jane | Smith | Marketing | NULL |
| David | Brown | Finance | NULL |
The RENAME statement renames the view "employee_view" to "employee_data_view" while preserving its structure as well as content. The output can be trimmed to include the employee data such as their first name, last name, department, and salary for ease of retrieval.
Best Practices
When renaming views in PL/SQL, it's essential to adhere to best practices to ensure smooth execution and maintain database integrity:
- Verify Dependencies: Make sure there are no dependencies on that view in any other database object like stored procedure, function, or the other views before renaming the view. Failure to react to this may lead to mistakes or unpredictable responses.
- Communicate Changes: Address the developers and users so that they will be aware of the renaming of the view to eliminate any possibility of confusion, and that all the affected applications and queries are updated.
- Test Thoroughly: After renaming a view, respective applications or queries that refer to it be extensively tested to make sure they work in the same manner as they were functional with the previous name. Extensive testing allows for revealing such problems in the beginning or planning their resolution.
Conclusion
Overall, View renaming in PL/SQL can be considered as a more than simple operation a necessary one for managing databases. With the syntax and guidelines being demonstrated, developers and database administrators can successfully rename views to achieve an ordered database, understandable, and consistent appearance. If it is deftly planned and delivered then view renaming becomes a final stage and thus eases the database maintenance and makes application development a convenient one
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