WHILE Loop Statement

In PL/SQL, the WHILE loop statement is a control structure statement that repeatedly executes a code block that is inside the ‘While Loop’ as long as the specific condition set in the ‘While Loop’ is TRUE. The condition set in the ‘WHILE’ statement is a boolean expression that evaluates to TRUE, FALSE, or NULL. To terminate the loop prematurely or based on some specific scenario then the EXIT or EXIT WHEN statement is used.

The ‘WHILE LOOP’ is used when you are not sure about the number of times the code block needs to execute. Only during the WHILE Loop execution, the specific condition set to end the execution is made TRUE and the control moves out of the WHILE Loop statement.

Syntax:

WHILE condition

LOOP

— Statements to be executed as long as the condition is true

END LOOP;

In Oracle PL/SQL there are different loop statements to repeat a block of code until a certain condition is met to exit the loop. Loop…End Loop, While Loop…End Loop and For Loop … End Loop.

In this article, we will discuss PL/SQL WHILE loop syntax, which involves variable declarations, loop initiation, condition definition, and an optional EXIT WHEN statement for controlled termination. This structure allows developers to create flexible and dynamic iterations tailored to specific programming needs.