Oracle / PLSQL: WHILE LOOP
This Oracle tutorial explains how to use the WHILE LOOP in Oracle with syntax and examples.
Description
In Oracle, you use a WHILE LOOP when you are not sure how many times you will execute the loop body and the loop body may not execute even once.
Syntax
The syntax for the WHILE Loop in Oracle/PLSQL is:
WHILE condition
LOOP
{...statements...}
END LOOP;
Parameters or Arguments
- condition
- The condition is tested each pass through the loop. If condition evaluates to TRUE, the loop body is executed. If condition evaluates to FALSE, the loop is terminated.
- statements
- The statements of code to execute each pass through the loop.
Note
- You would use a WHILE LOOP statement when you are unsure of how many times you want the loop body to execute.
- Since the WHILE condition is evaluated before entering the loop, it is possible that the loop body may not execute even once.
Example
Let's look at a WHILE LOOP example in Oracle:
WHILE monthly_value <= 4000 LOOP monthly_value := daily_value * 31; END LOOP;
In this WHILE LOOP example, the loop would terminate once the monthly_value exceeded 4000 as specified by:
WHILE monthly_value <= 4000
The WHILE LOOP will continue while monthly_value <= 4000. And once monthly_value is > 4000, the loop will terminate.
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