What is a Cursor ?

What is a Cursor ?


A cursor is a pointer to the private memory area allocated by the Oracle server.

There are two types of cursors:
Implicit: Created and managed internally by the Oracle server to process SQL statements
Explicit: Explicitly declared by the programmer

The Oracle server allocates a private memory area called the context area for processing SQL statements. The SQL statement is parsed and

processed in this area. Information required for processing and information retrieved after processing is all stored in this area. You have no control

over this area because it is internally managed by the Oracle server.
A cursor is a pointer to the context area. However, this cursor is an implicit cursor and is automatically managed by the Oracle server. When the

executable block issues a SQL statement, PL/SQL creates an implicit cursor.
There are two types of cursors:
Implicit: Implicit cursors are created and managed by the Oracle server. You do not have access to them. The Oracle server creates such a cursor

when it has to execute a SQL statement.