SQL cursor is a database object used to process data line by line, usually including steps such as declaring a query, opening a cursor, obtaining a cursor line by line, processing data and closing a cursor. The main scenarios for using cursors include: 1. The lines need to be processed in order, especially the next line depends on the previous line; 2. Execute complex business logic that is difficult to express with a single query; 3. Execute dynamic SQL or process code through the result set; 4. Generate reports that need to be formatted line by line. However, cursors should be avoided as they are: 1. consume more memory and server resources; 2. May cause blocking and locking problems; 3. It is harder to maintain and debug than standard queries; 4. It often indicates that the correct SQL method is not adopted. In most cases, it can be replaced by JOIN, CTE, window functions, or set operations based on temporary tables. For example, in SQL Server, cursors can be used to iterate through the customer list and print customer names one by one, but should only be used as a last resort when collection operations cannot be used.
A SQL cursor is a database object that allows you to process data row by row, rather than operating on entire result sets at once. While set-based operations are usually preferred in SQL for performance reasons, cursors come in handy when you need to perform complex logic or actions that depend on the order of rows or require per-row processing.

What Exactly Is a Cursor?
In simple terms, a cursor acts like a pointer to a specific row in a result set. You can think of it as similar to reading through a list one item at a time — moving forward (or sometimes backward), and doing something with each item individually.

Cursors typically involve these steps:
- Declaring the SELECT statement that defines the result set
- Opening the cursor
- Fetching rows one at a time
- Processing each row
- Closening and deallocating the cursor
They're supported in most major RDBMS platforms like SQL Server, Oracle, MySQL, and PostgreSQL, though syntax and capabilities may vary slightly.

When Should You Use a Cursor?
You should consider using a cursor when:
- You need to process rows sequentially , especially when later rows depend on earlier ones
- You're performing complex business logic that's hard to express in a single query
- You want to loop through a result set and execute dynamic SQL or other procedural code per row
- You're generating reports or output where row-by-row formatting matters
For example, imagine you're looping through a list of customers to send personalized emails via a stored procedure — you'd likely use a cursor to grab each customer's info and call an email-sending routine.
Still, keep in mind: cursors are generally slower than set-based operations because they process data one row at a time.
Why Avoid Cursors When Possible?
Cursors have several downsides:
- They consume more memory and server resources
- They can lead to blocking and locking issues , especially with large datasets
- They're harder to maintain and debug compared to standard queries
- They often indicate that a problem isn't being solved the "SQL way"
Most tasks that seem to require cursors can be rewriteten using:
-
JOIN
s - Common Table Expressions (CTEs)
- Window functions like
ROW_NUMBER()
- Set-based loops using
WHILE
with temp tables
If you're dealing with thousands of rows or more, stepping back and rethinking your approach without a cursor is usually better for performance and scalability.
Basic Example of Using a Cursor
Here's a simplified example from SQL Server:
DECLARE @CustomerID INT; DECLARE @CustomerName NVARCHAR(100); -- Declare cursor DECLARE CustomerCursor CURSOR FOR SELECT CustomerID, CustomerName FROM Customers; -- Open cursor OPEN CustomerCursor; -- Fetch first row FETCH NEXT FROM CustomerCursor INTO @CustomerID, @CustomerName; -- Loop through rows WHILE @@FETCH_STATUS = 0 BEGIN PRINT 'Processing customer: ' @CustomerName; -- Do something with each row FETCH NEXT FROM CustomerCursor INTO @CustomerID, @CustomerName; END -- Clean up CLOSE CustomerCursor; DEALLOCATE CustomerCursor;
This script loops through all customers and prints their name — not super useful on its own, but it shows how a cursor works.
So yes, cursors are powerful but should be used sparingly. Think of them as a tool of last resort when set-based logic won't cut it.
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