Managing Triggers

A database trigger is a stored subprogram associated with a database table, view, or event. You can use Object Browser to create, view, edit, compile, download, drop, and disable or enable a trigger.

The trigger can be called once, for example when an event occurs, or many times, for example for each row affected by an INSERT, UPDATE, or DELETE statement.

See Also:

Creating a Trigger

Create a trigger using Object Browser.

To create a trigger in Object Browser:

  1. In Object Browser, click the Create Database Objects menu and select Trigger.

    Tip:

    To create new objects from the Object Tree, right-click the object and select the Create option.

    The Create Trigger Wizard appears.

  2. On Create Trigger:

    1. Table - Select the table you want to create a trigger on.

    2. Trigger Name - Trigger name is automatically generated based on selected table. Modify the trigger name, if required. This name must conform to Oracle naming conventions and cannot contain spaces, or start with a number or underscore.

    3. Firing Point - Specify the firing point:

      • Before - Causes the database to fire the trigger before running the triggering event.

      • After - Causes the database to fire the trigger after running the triggering event.

  3. Click Create Trigger.

Viewing a Trigger

Select a trigger from the Object Tree and access tabs in the Object Detail View.

To view a trigger:

  1. In Object Browser, Object Tree, expand Triggers and select a trigger.

  2. The Object Detail View appears and displays four tabs:

    Tip:

    The Code and DDL tabs feature a fully functional Code Editor. To learn more about the Code Editor, seeCode Editor in Object Browser.

    • Code - View the trigger code, or edit it manually. Available actions include:

      • Download

      • Save and Compile

      • Drop

      • Refresh

    • Errors - View errors related to the current trigger. Select the Refresh button to refresh the list of errors.

    • Object Details - View the details of the trigger. Available actions include:

      • Compile

      • Drop

      • Enable

      • Disable

      • Refresh

    • DDL - Displays the DDL necessary to re-create the trigger. Available actions include:

      • Download

      • Refresh

Editing a Trigger

Select a trigger from the Object Tree.

  1. The Object Detail View appears.

  2. In the Code tab, edit the code. Other edit controls include:

    • Undo

    • Redo

    • Find

    • Auto Complete

    Tip:

    To learn more about the Code Editor, seeCode Editor in Object Browser.

  3. Select Save and Compile to save your changes.

Compiling a Trigger

Select a trigger from the Object Tree and click Save and Compile.

To compile a trigger in Object Browser:

  1. In Object Browser, Object Tree, expand Triggers and select a trigger.

    The Object Detail View appears.

  2. Compile the trigger:

    • On the Code tab, click Save and Compile.

    • On the Object Details tab, click Compile.

    If the compilation fails, an error message displays. Correct the error, and compile the trigger again.

Downloading a Trigger

Select a trigger from the Object Tree and click Download to save the trigger as a file.

To download a trigger as a file:

  1. In Object Browser, Object Tree, expand Triggers and select a trigger.

    The Object Details View appears.

  2. Download the trigger:

    • On the Code tab, click Download.

    • On the DDL tab, click Download.

  3. Enter a file name for the file and click Save.

    The file saves in .sql format.

Disabling and Enabling a Trigger

Select a trigger from the Object Tree and click Enable or Disable.

To disable and enable a trigger in Object Browser:

  1. In Object Browser, Object Tree, expand Triggers and select a trigger.

    The Object Detail View appears.

  2. On the Object Details tab, click Enable or Disable.

    Tip:

    Trigger Status, on the Object Details tab, indicates whether the trigger is currently ENABLED or DISABLED.

The Trigger Status updates.

Dropping a Trigger

Select a trigger from the Object Tree and click Drop.

To drop a trigger:

  1. In Object Browser, Object Tree, expand Triggers and select a trigger.

    The Object Detail View appears.

  2. Drop the trigger:

    • On the Code tab, click Drop.

    • On the Object Details tab, click Drop.

  3. Click Drop to drop the trigger.