Understanding the Difference between Cursor and Ref Cursor in Oracle

In Oracle, a cursor is a temporary work area created in memory for processing the result set of a SQL query. It allows you to iterate over a set of rows one by one and perform operations on them. Cursors in Oracle can be explicitly declared and managed within PL/SQL code.

On the other hand, a ref cursor (short for reference cursor) is a pointer or reference to a cursor result set that is defined in a stored procedure or a function. Ref cursors are used to pass query results between PL/SQL code blocks or to external applications. They provide a more flexible and dynamic way to handle result sets compared to static cursors.

So, while a cursor is a specific instance of a result set being processed in memory, a ref cursor is a reference to a result set that can be passed around and reused in different parts of a program or application.

Understanding the difference between a cursor and a ref cursor is crucial for effective handling of result sets in Oracle databases, especially in the context of PL/SQL programming.