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Databases Intermediate

What is Cursor?

A database object that enables row-by-row processing of query results, useful for operations that cannot be done in bulk.

Cursors provide a way to iterate over query results one row at a time, rather than fetching everything at once. They are useful when processing each row requires complex logic or when result sets are too large for memory.

However, cursors are generally slower than set-based operations. Most SQL operations should use standard SELECT/UPDATE/DELETE statements. Cursors are mainly useful in stored procedures and migration scripts that need row-level processing.

Related Terms

Graph Database
A database that uses graph structures with nodes, edges, and properties to store and query highly connected data.
Primary Key
A column or set of columns that uniquely identifies each row in a database table.
Prepared Statement
A pre-compiled SQL template that uses parameters instead of literal values, preventing SQL injection and improving performance.
Database Connection Pooling
A technique that maintains a cache of database connections for reuse, reducing the overhead of creating new connections.
Index
A data structure that improves the speed of data retrieval operations on database tables at the cost of additional storage.
EXPLAIN Plan
A database command that shows how the query planner will execute a SQL query, revealing join methods, scan types, and estimated costs.
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