• A CONTINUE handler cannot execute any DML statements (such as SELECT and UPDATE) if a DML statement is active when the handler is invoked. (Rule-fired procedures and FOR loop bodies are examples of active DML statement contexts.)

• Handlers are not active across CALLPROCs.

• No variable declarations are allowed in nested BEGIN blocks. (All variable and condition declarations must be at the beginning of the procedure.)

• No statements are allowed in handler_action that are otherwise not allowed in a database procedure, including DDL. GOTO is not allowed into or out of a handler_action.