# Oracle DBMS\_OUTPUT and PostgreSQL RAISE
Oracle’s `DBMS_OUTPUT` and PostgreSQL’s `RAISE` are utilities that let you display status information and handle errors during the migration process.
| Feature compatibility | Amazon SCT / Amazon DMS automation level | Amazon SCT action code index | Key differences |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  |  | N/A | N/A |
## Oracle usage
The Oracle `DBMS_OUTPUT` package is typically used for debugging or for displaying output messages from PL/SQL procedures.
**Examples**
In the following example, `DBMS_OUTPUT` with `PUT_LINE` is used with a combination of bind variables to dynamically construct a string and print a notification to the screen from within an Oracle PL/SQL procedure. In order to display notifications on to the screen, you must configure the session with `SET SERVEROUTPUT ON`.
```
SET SERVEROUTPUT ON
DECLARE
CURSOR c1 IS
SELECT last_name, job_id FROM employees
WHERE REGEXP_LIKE (job_id, 'S[HT]_CLERK')
ORDER BY last_name;
v_lastname employees.last_name%TYPE; -- variable to store last_name
v_jobid employees.job_id%TYPE; -- variable to store job_id
BEGIN
OPEN c1;
LOOP -- Fetches 2 columns into variables
FETCH c1 INTO v_lastname, v_jobid;
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE ('The employee id is:' || v_jobid || ' and his last name is:' ||
v_lastname);
EXIT WHEN c1%NOTFOUND;
END LOOP;
CLOSE c1;
END;
```
In addition to the output of information on the screen, the `PUT` and `PUT_LINE` procedures in the `DBMS_OUTPUT` package enable you to place information in a buffer that can be read later by another PL/SQL procedure or package. You can display the previously buffered information using the `GET_LINE` and `GET_LINES` procedures.
For more information, see [DBMS\_OUTPUT](https://docs.oracle.com/en/database/oracle/oracle-database/19/arpls/DBMS_OUTPUT.html#GUID-C1400094-18D5-4F36-A2C9-D28B0E12FD8C) in the *Oracle documentation*.
## PostgreSQL usage
You can use the PostgreSQL `RAISE` statement as an alternative to `DBMS_OUTPUT`. You can combine `RAISE` with several levels of severity including.
| Severity | Usage |
| --- | --- |
| `DEBUG1..DEBUG5` | Provides successively-more-detailed information for use by developers. |
| `INFO` | Provides information implicitly requested by the user |
| `NOTICE` | Provides information that might be helpful to users |
| `WARNING` | Provides warnings of likely problems |
| `ERROR` | Reports an error that caused the current command to abort. |
| `LOG` | Reports information of interest to administrators, e.g., checkpoint activity. |
| `FATAL` | Reports an error that caused the current session to abort. |
| `PANIC` | Reports an error that caused all database sessions to abort. |
**Examples**
Use `RAISE DEBUG` (where `DEBUG` is the configurable severity level) for similar functionality as Oracle `DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE` feature.
```
SET CLIENT_MIN_MESSAGES = 'debug';
-- Equivalent To Oracle SET SERVEROUTPUT ON
DO $$
BEGIN
RAISE DEBUG USING MESSAGE := 'hello world';
END $$;
DEBUG: hello world
DO
```
Use the `client_min_messages` parameter to control the level of message sent to the client. The default is `NOTICE`. Use the log\_min\_messages parameter to control which message levels are written to the server log. The default is `WARNING`.
```
SET CLIENT_MIN_MESSAGES = 'debug';
```
For more information, see [Errors and Messages](https://www.postgresql.org/docs/13/plpgsql-errors-and-messages.html) and [When to Log](https://www.postgresql.org/docs/13/runtime-config-logging.html#GUC-LOG-MIN-MESSAGES) in the *PostgreSQL documentation*.
## Summary
| Feature | Oracle | PostgreSQL |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Disables message output. | DISABLE
| Configure “client\_min\_message” or “log\_min\_message” for the desired results. |
| Enables message output. | ENABLE
| Configure “client\_min\_message” or “log\_min\_message” for the desired results. |
| Retrieves one line from buffer. | GET_LINE
| Consider storing messages in an array or temporary table so that you can retrieve them from another procedure or package. |
| Retrieves an array of lines from buffer. | GET_LINES
| Consider storing messages in an array or temporary table so that you can retrieve them from another procedure or package. |
| Terminates a line created with `PUT` and places a partial line in the buffer. | PUT + NEW_LINE
BEGIN
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT ('1,');
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT('2,');
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT('3,');
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT('4');
DBMS_OUTPUT.NEW_LINE();
END;
/
| Store and concatenate the message string in a varchar variable before raisingdo $$
DECLARE
message varchar :='';
begin
message := concat(message,'1,');
message := concat(message,'2,');
message := concat(message,'3,');
message := concat(message,'4,');
RAISE NOTICE '%',
message;
END$$;
|
| Places line in buffer | PUT_LINE
| RAISE
|
| Returns the number code of the most recent exception | SQLCODE + SQLERRM
| SQLSTATE + SQLERRM
|
| Returns the error message associated with its errornumber argument. | DECLARE
Name employees.last_name%TYPE;
BEGIN
SELECT last_name INTO name
FROM employees
WHERE employee_id = -1;
EXCEPTION
WHEN OTHERS then
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE
(CONCAT('Error code ',
SQLCODE,': ',sqlerrm);
END;
/
| do $$
declare
Name employees%ROWTYPE;
BEGIN
SELECT last_name INTO name FROM
employees WHERE employee_id = -1;
EXCEPTION
WHEN OTHERS then
RAISE NOTICE 'Error code %: %', sqlstate,
sqlerrm;
end$$;
|
For more information, see [PostgreSQL Error Codes](https://www.postgresql.org/docs/13/errcodes-appendix.html) in the *PostgreSQL documentation*.