Pl/Sql Table vs Performance

I need feedback wrt the usage of pl/sql tables in Oracle 10g. Questions I am looking to answer are;
1. When to use them and when not.
2. Size of tables; ie what ia a llimit one could apply when using a pl/sql table in a stored procedure.
3. When does swapping become an issue.
4. Is it best practice to have the table remain static or does deleting unwanted rows not have performance issues when processing in a loop.

My query relates to a system I have which does replenishment on approx. 58 products over 1100 stores. The demand for all stores and all products range from 200 000 to 300 000 per day. The app runs daily calculating each store/product demand and then processing against available orders. All data is stored in pl/sql tables. The product table remains static throughout the process, while the store and order tables are populated and deleted regularly within a product loop. Any suggestions would be welcome.

Thanks. Received on Wed Sep 20 2006 - 04:48:51 CDT