Product Description
Few books on the market today go beyond discussing syntax and the barest rudiments of using Oracle SQL. This book changes that, showing you how to creatively leverage the full power of SQL to write queries in an Oracle environment.This book shows you how to:

Leverage Oracle's vast library of built-in SQL functionsQuery time-based data, and write joins involving date and time rangesUse Oracle SQL's hierarchical query features to deal with data best represented in a tree formatUse DECODE and CASE to implement conditional logic in your queriesUse Oracle's new, analytic SQL features to write ranking queries, lag and lead queries, windowing queries, and moreJoin data from two or more tables using the newly supported SQL92 join syntax

Customer Reviews (17)

What is the point if you cannot run your queries
When it comes to technical books, the first thing that you would like to do is to check hands-on the examples given. I was so surprised and stumped that I poured money down the drain for a book, which the author assumes - can be read like a novel. Mr. Sanjay Mishra -Do understand that Oracle queries is not a Dan Brown novel where you can read page after page. I am utterly disappointed that even after you have Oracle Express available for free, you do not have one single instance of the part distributor database that can be used by the poor "SQL learners" audience of the book.

I HATE IT. I HATE IT. I HATE IT. when I can read through something and not work.

Get this book ONLY IF YOU feel like reading an Oracle version of a fiction novel. What was the author thinking? Shucks..!!

Junk
This book only covers basic features in Oracle 8i and there's no example code accompanying the book. PL/SQL is covered in a scant 10 pages and there's no meaningful coverage of large objects or collections.

Given O'Reilly's usual high quality, this book is a surprising miss. My advice: buy another book, there are plenty to choose from.

Average reading
It's a good book but it misses a beat here and there on the more difficult topics. It is worth a try, as all the Oracle books are silly.

The title should be changed to "Advanced Oracle SQL"
I like this book. It covers some advanced topics of Oracle SQL with some good examples. It doesn't cover everything of SQL statements and grammer, but it does teach you some techniques of writing good queries. It's hard to find similar book on the market.

Very good book -- worth the money
As a value for the dollar, I give it 5 stars.I think it is most useful to people who have some SQL experience with Oracle and want to take their skills to the next level.I agree with some of the other reviewers that "Mastering" is a bit of a marketing stretch, particularly since there is limited coverage of Oracle optimizer issues.I would also have included some further discussion on how to read and use "Explain Plan" results.With those cavaets, however, I think that almost any SQL programmer will find something in this book to improve their skills.I found the discussion of subqueries to be very useful, as well as the OLAP queries.I read the book cover to cover.It is well written and the concepts are generally presented clearly. ... Read more

Product Description
Offers a way to increase the performance of Oracle and SQL by tuning and optimizing both. Provides a single source for guidance on Oracle 8/8i SQL and P/SQL tuning. Contains specific recommendations, case studies, and benchmarks, covering everything from designing applications to repairing SQL code. Softcover. Previous edition: c1997. DLC: Oracle (Computer file). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (24)

Fantastics Oracle SQL Tuning Book!
What a perfect book describing nearly all the method to optimize performance(e.g. index, cluster, explain plan trace, tuning table access and joins, using hints etc) for developers. It provides a clear and detail explanation and somtimes illustration on each optimization methods. The book was written in plain English and hence can be easily understood.

Useful, but flawed
Of all the SQL tuning books available on the market, this one provides the most depth. It provides solid, easy to follow examples. The flaw in this book is that it just provides 'techniques' for improving performance. It's basically a book that is useful for trial and error SQL tuning.

When tuning SQL you should think in terms of sets and essentially 'What can I do to make the optimizer do the least work?' This book does not teach you to do that. I've yet to see one book that does. It also only discusses response time. Response time is an ends and is not a means in SQL tuning. By reducing the amount of work Oracle has to do, you improve response time.

There is one serious inaccuracy in this book. I emailed the author about this and he did not respond. The author states that you can improve response time of updates, by wrapping them inside of a PL/SQL cursor. This is not only inaccurate, it's not even close. Not only does it take twice as long in Oracle 8i(slightly less in 9i), but it also increases logical I/Os significantly. How something this inaccurate could be missed in a major publication astounds me. To be fair, the 8i version of Steven Fuersteins PL/SQL book has the same inaccuracy(I have not read the 9i version).

The rest of the book seems accurate. I recommend it, but beware that inaccuracy. I have not tested everything the author has stated, but I have not found any other inaccuracies.

There is no other book on SQL Tuning
I have read this book cover to cover and more. I have been using this book since 1998 and I still have to say it is good book.It is one of the Oracle Classics. It is a little outdated. If you look at the cover it clearly states it covers to oracle 8i. If you still have 8i databases this is a good book. if you are using 9i and cost based optimization it is still useful but it will not pick up on some of the newer fetures of the CBO. If you use Rule based optimization(RBO) than it is a good book. I had actually used this book as a teaching guide when I use to teach SQL Tuning for an application software company who uses oracle database.I look forward to when the revised version does ship.

A must for DBAs and plus for developers, One of the Best
Oracle performance tuning has become more critical for dba's and developers to master as database are approaching 10 plus terabytes. Some of the newest concepts have really improved performance and speed in which data can be found and retrieved.Some of this concepts include function based indexes, bitmap index, partitioning, parallel queries, and optimization hints.The basic starting permise is to make sure your system has enough memory and hardware processing speed.Two branches of thought have emerged when focusing on performance improvement: improved system tuning and improved Optimizer decisions.The Oracle DBA must become familar with how to tune operating system performance and database performance. Some of the valuable indicators are data cache hit ratios, Disk I/O activity, library cache, buffer hit ratios, and shared pool memory.Various views, scripts, tools, and data tables give the DBA insight into how the database is performing. It is safe to assume the database will grow and performance will vary from time to time. By monitoring and adjusting parameters the Oracle database can achieve relative performance to growth.If performance drops add more hardware or change object schema designs to reflect the data loads.Oracle has offered two amazing database architectures: dedicated server and Multiple Transaction Server. Each architecture has its advantages. From a developer's view performance of the schema objects are important, such as, tables, views, indexes, and PL/SQL. The Optimizer evaluates system statistics to decide how to retrieve data, whether it be by full table scans, index range scans, or join table sorts. Each type of index should be evaluated: single indexes, multiple field indexes, partitioned indexes, bitmap indexes, and function indexes.In some cases, it will make sense to use bitmap indexes for data that is relatively static.In other cases it will make sense to use function based indexes where data search on alpha data is complex.Yet in another case it will make sense to use a partitioned index where the data tables have been spread over multiple partition sectors and datafiles.Sometimes usage of indexes is not need and full tables scans are better. The developer uses the optimizer execution plan to see how the data will be retrieved.At first the execution plan may seem confusing, but understanding Oracle database architecture will make the plan readable.I've personally found that keeping the database statistic current and using oracle hints (ordered,index,and parallel)provided the best return on my performance improvements.Table joins is another critical area of performance tuning to grasp.There are a number of join types: nested loops, sort merge, cluster, hash, and index. The optimizer decides which type of join to use based on statistics and available indexes and constraints.The helpful advice, I can give you for purchasing this book is that there are PL/SQL optimization techniques to consider.One I found helpful was to use Packaged procedure calls from triggers rather than putting the PL/SQL code to execute in the trigger.I recommend adding this book to your library.

Great tuning book
I had a nagging and peculiar performance problem with a specific query involving a quirk in the Oracle optimizer which I had been trying to solve on and off for months. With the help of this book, I resolved the problem. It has a level of detail in query optimization way beyond other "highly recommended" books. The explanations are clear, *complete* (completeness was lacking in the other books), and easy and enjoyable to read. I finally have the understanding of these Oracle internals that I have been seeking! ... Read more

Product Description

This special signature edition includes a CD that contains a searchable PDF version of the book and a sample chapter from the forthcoming 10g edition which will be released in fall 2005.

This remains the defining book on the older 8i Oracle database if you are a developer or DBA who works with Oracle-driven database applications. You will encounter wisdom on designing, developing, and administering these applications from one of the world's foremost Oracle experts, Thomas Kyte.

The book covers every important feature and function of the 8i version of Oracle, and it is unique in the technical depth and insight that it provides on each topic. This book will show you how to expertly program with the database and exploit its feature set effectively. The result: you will build fast, effective, scalable, and secure Oracle applications.

Topics covered: Deep wisdom on developing applications for Oracle database management systems, as well as plenty of advice on designing and administering them. There are sections on general design and implementation practices, application architecture, locking and concurrency, transactions and rollbacks, importing and exporting, and lots more of interest to developers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (78)

Great Pricing Great Service
Got the book on time and in a better condition than explained.

Thank You
Kanthi

Best $12 I ever spent!!!
I bought this book on cheap clearance after the original publisher went out of business -- the best $12 I ever invested.Remembering even 10% of this book makes you better than 90% of Oracle developers, modelers and architects.Mr. Kyte's real world experience and reliance on solid examples instead of folklore makes this light-years ahead of any other Oracle book; it's the only Oracle book I re-read regularly.If you can afford only one Oracle book, this is it.And you may not need any other.

Fantasic
A true masterpiece, and a great way to learn Oracle concepts.No more to say.

Detailed and well explained
Thick Oracle book which is intended for developers who might need to understand the Oracle internals and administration parts besides writing SQL. It's useful for them working in other database also as the general database concept is simlar. Developers can now have more DBA knowledges after reading before on-going performing some DBA task.

Good stuff for all
Gr8 stuff for all the Oracle ppl. ... Read more

Product Description

Programming with Oracle Developer is packed with expert advice, detailed explanations, and complete solutions that show you how to produce robust, precise, Internet-ready applications for developers. You'll get step-by-step guidance from prototyping through delivering a high-powered Internet application.After reading this book, the reader will

• Understand the nuts and bolts of building applications, including how to choose an appropriate application development life cycle
• Master design and prototyping issues including the new wizards and GUI design features of Developer forms, reports, and graphics
• Extend the reusability and optimize the security of your applications
• Deploy Internet applications and integrate them with other tools
• Create robust, Web-enabled Oracle applications

Customer Reviews (4)

Good book certainly but not exciting
I am using this book as supplement for the Building Internet Applications I and II study guide by Christopher Allen. I bought this with the intent to get some information on report not covered well in the book. This book certainly has the information I wanted. This book may be written for a beginers. The book has useful information but overall I was not excited about the book. But I still give 4 stars for the contents.

....

Joe or Matthew
In my view the 'From the back cover' in the editorial review is eufimistic. It also annouces Joe Duer as the author.
This makes it misleading, and no explanation was offered.

For beginner
This book is ok for beginner. Some typo and no need to explain the toolbars icon in lots of pages.
I recommand to read the last serveral chapters "how to develop a real word project using form builder and report builder and deploy them to the web".

Excellent Intro and Review Book
Bennett and Duer have done an excellent job in explaining the underlying technology of Oracle Developer.This material is as useful to the beginner as it is for review by the accomplished, but not Oracle-savvy developer.This book will find its way onto many reference shelves, and deservedly so.Good work! ... Read more

Product Description
Java Database Development with Oracle is a hands-on book for Java developers who want to learn how use Oracle and integrate it with their Java applications. It assumes an intermediate knowledge of Java and no knowledge of Oracle. This book is segmented into three parts. Part One begins by investigating how and why databases relate to object-oriented programming with Java. Introductory chapters on the Oracle database, SQL and other Oracle features, including its object-relational support, lay the groundwork for the chapters that follow. Part Two presents thorough coverage of the essential Java technologies for database programming, with chapters on SQLJ, JDBC and JDO (Java Data Objects). Part Three takes a higher-level view of application architecture and considers the role of Oracle in enterprise applications, particularly with regard to EJB (Enterprise Java Beans) and the J2EE framework. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A hands-on guide for intermediate-level Java users
Java Oracle: Database Development by independent software consultant David J. Gallardo is a straightforward, hands-on guide for intermediate-level Java users seeking to learn the Oracle database technology (covering both Oracle 8i and 9i), and wanting perform database work quickly and efficiently. Presenting means to compare, contrast, and integrate Java and Oracle database technologies, with especial focus upon JDBC 2.0 and JDBC 3.0, Java Oracle a solid instructional tool and a core Java and Oracle user reference shelf addition. ... Read more

Product Description
SQL (Structured Query Language) is the heart of a relational databasemanagement system. Despite SQL's long history and relative simplicity,few developers and database administrators are truly masters of thelanguage. The syntax can be confusing, especially because each vendorenhances SQL in various ways, and each new system release brings with itnew SQL statement options.Oracle SQL: The Essential Reference will keep everyone who needsto access an Oracle database using SQL--developers, DBAs, designers, andmanagers--ahead of the learning curve on standard SQL and Oracle'sextensions to it. This single, concise reference volume will hold itsown against a stack of Oracle manuals and even yield insights andexamples not available in those manuals.There are chapters on basic SQL elements, Data Definition Language (DDL)and Data Manipulation Language (DML), common language elements, SQLfunctions, PL/SQL, SQL*Plus, and Oracle SQL optimization and tuning. Thebook covers Oracle 8i, release 8.1.6. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Pretty good reference, with some minor issues
likes:
pretty complete on sql statements and functions

dislikes:
why organize it into "data definition" and "data manipulation" sections? Why not just put all the statements in one alphabetically organized section?

missing section on operator precedence (at least, accding to the index. maybe it's in there somewhere)

It's not a "reference" -- it's an "overview" or a "tour"
This book gives a great overview of Oracle's flavor of SQL, and if you already know some other brand's SQL, you'll breeze right through, and have a very good idea of what's new and different in Oracle.You'll be able to sit right down and get to work.

(If, on the other hand, you're a SQL beginner, stop right here.This is not a book for SQL newbies.There is not a chapter with 100 examples of different types of SELECT statements, for example.It is not a tutorial!)

Each chapter covers a different area.For example, chapter 5 is about "SQL Functions".It goes through all the functions, giving you the syntax, a paragraph saying what it does, and then an actual example.Many of the examples are pretty trivial, just a couple of lines, but the ones in the PL/SQL chapter have some meaningful code to illustrate things like the LOOP statement, which is nice.

But.When you come back after the weekend and want to look something up, you'll be banging your head against the wall, because the index on this thing is sorely lacking.Just now I spent ten minutes trying to look up %TYPE, and had to leaf through the book before finding it on page 266.Very annoying.O'Reilly should know better: an "essential" part of any "reference" book is a kick-ass index.

I give it five stars for content and one star for lack of meaningful index, for an overall rating of three stars.Maybe in the next release they'll get it right.(Speaking of which: this book is (c)2000 and covers up to Oracle 8i.)

It's a SQL REFERENCE, dummy!
I have found this book to be an invaluable reference to SQL, PL/SQL, and SQL*Plus syntax and usage.The previous review by Kevin McCormick seems to entirely miss the point of an Essential Reference - it is not intended to teach SQL concepts, and the introduction clearly states this.The book is well organized with exactly the information needed to write a particular statement.The examples are simple and to the point - I don't need a complex example; just something to show me what the statement should look like (for example, to show me that an argument should be a string and not a number).I bought two copies: one for the office and one for home.The book is as close to indispensible as you can get.I only hope the author is planning an update to Oracle 9!

Shame! Shame! Shame!
I was a programmer/analyst having used SQL and Oracle for some time, who was very much interested in adding a good SQL text to my IT reference library. My primary SQL reference at that time was the "Oracle Complete Reference" from Oracle Press. I had excellent success with O'reilly Oracle books in the past and thus purchased Oracle SQL.
I cant believe some of the basic SQL concepts that are omitted from this book!! The concept of a table alias, the Oracle DUAL table, SQL statements that accept a single value vs a list - not even mentioned in this book!! An entire text book on the single subject of SQL should be thorough! By thorough I mean cover in good detail the introductory concepts as well as the advanced.
O'reilly has excellent books published on the subjects of PL/SQL and SQL*Plus. Why does this author skimp on SQL concepts and waste chapters on these subjects that I'm not interested in!!! I usually find the O'reilly books preferable to the one's from Oracle Press. Not in the case of SQL!

Overrated

I have to disagree with the other reviewers and say that this book is overrated. It's one of those books where it's often hard to find the information and you end up looking elsewhere.

To start off with, the index is not the greatest. Try looking up "ORDER BY". It's only mentioned in the index as one item in an EXPLAIN PLAN command. In general, I found the examples they use to be only bare bones examples. It would be nice to see some more complex SQL.

On the plus side, the book seems fairly free of errors and a lot of information is packed into the pages. There's not a whole lot of writing but you shouldn't be expecting that given that it's an "essential reference".

This isn't a bad book per se. However, it's been on my desk for nearly a year and I just don't find myself using it much. ... Read more

Product Description
David Litchfield has devoted years to relentlessly searching out the flaws in the Oracle database system and creating defenses against them. Now he offers you his complete arsenal to assess and defend your own Oracle systems. This in-depth guide explores every technique and tool used by black hat hackers to invade and compromise Oracle and then it shows you how to find the weak spots and defend them. Without that knowledge, you have little chance of keeping your databases truly secure. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

70% satisfied
The book contains interesting Oracle security topics, but it is old and not all the topics are still valid, I would suggest to buy the book just if you don't have much idea of Oracle DB security.

Required Reading for Breaking into Oracle Databases
I've been doing some Oracle research and of course this is the only book on the market that really covers breaking into Oracle with the exception of The Database Hacker's Handbook which came out in 2005.Justin Clark's (and others) SQL Injection Book published in 2009 also covers some Oracle material but not enough to make this book obsolete.

I bought this book immediately when it came out in 2007 (yeah I'm super late on the review) but frankly put it down because it was confusing and definitely not suited for anyone that didn't already have a basic exposure to Oracle.I picked it up again in late 2008 after doing the background research on Oracle security and administration. Armed with a better understanding of Oracle in general I attacked the book again, focusing on SQL Injection in the Oracle PL/SQL packages with the goal of going from locating an open TNS listener to getting a shell on the system.

The author is well known in the security industry and one of only a handful of Oracle Security "experts", so the skill level was definitely there.

Breakdown of the Chapters:
Introduction.
Chapter 1 Overview of the Oracle RDBMS.
Chapter 2 The Oracle Network Architecture.
Chapter 3 Attacking the TNS Listener and Dispatchers.
Chapter 4 Attacking the Authentication Process.
Chapter 5 Oracle and PL/SQL.
Chapter 6 Triggers.
Chapter 7 Indirect Privilege Escalation.
Chapter 8 Defeating Virtual Private Databases.
Chapter 9 Attacking Oracle PL/SQL Web Applications.
Chapter 10 Running Operating System Commands.
Chapter 11 Accessing the File System.
Chapter 12 Accessing the Network.
Appendix A Default Usernames and Passwords.

I think most of the background chapters are "adequate" and the exploitation chapters are very good. At the time of publishing the author released code for vulnerabilities that were brand new.I do have issues with Chapter 5 Oracle and PL/SQL.I think the coverage of PL/SQL is only adequate if you already know PL/SQL. It took me going and reading a lot of other material on the net about PL/SQL to understand things that are glossed over in the chapter.The chapter is good and covers tons of material but from an attackingOracle perspective more time should have been spent on teaching the reading how to use the "describe" package option in PL/SQL to describe the package to learn how to craft your queries correctly as well as how to research and write your own SQL Injection queries based on published vulnerabilities. More coverage on default privileges and roles would have been useful as well.Again, if you have been an Oracle DBA, you understand this already. If you are an Oracle security researchers you know this already. If you are a pentester trying to get some Oracle under your belt you'll have to go pick up another book or hit the internet to get the background material.

The other chapters are good and they cover their stated topics.More examples would have been nice of course.A couple of times we are told to check out the Oracle coverage in The Database Hacker's Handbook. That's just frustrating.While I'm not a huge fan of republishing materials, if information is needed to understand or better understand a topic then include it, its not like OHH was "running long" its very slim for a security book.

What knocked the book down to 4 stars was when I went and read the Oracle sections of The Database Hacker's Handbook and it had material that wasn't included in OHH.Given the "slimness" of the book, it wouldn't have hurt the book to reproduce the content from DHH as it is relevant and helps explain the concepts better than the coverage in OHH.

Excellent Book
I found this book to be an excellent resource, and use it quite often at work.

Interesting Reading
After reading it I thought "...well what were you expecting?, the keys to the house of Larry Ellison also?". It has interesting information for a non hacker like me, but much of the security problems are in the Oracle source code, and therefore there is not much I can do about it. Yes, now I know what not to do in the new code I program. You have to be a programmer to make sense of the code listings and have seen like dumps of snifers before. The language used by the author is clear for me.

Hope this helps

Nice to read a book with no waffle !!!
Have just read this book this week and it was a nice read, especialy after some of the c***p I have been reading lately!

Basicaly - If your systems estate has Oracle - Then you MUST read this.

I like this book, its good and the author really does know his stuff - its a light weight (easy to carry) book and good value for money

Some nice C / Java Snipets - so it helps if you know C. ... Read more

Product Description

Oracle Application Express is an easy-to-use application development environment built on the Oracle technology stack. There are two aspects of that previous sentence that you may find jarring—that Oracle, a company widely known for its database technology, has an application development environment, and that Oracle, a company thought of as delivering high-end, enterprise-ready technology, has anything that is easy to use.

But, as this book will show, the introductory statement is completely accurate. Oracle Application Express, commonly known as Oracle APEX or simply APEX, does benefit from the long-established enterprise-class robustness that is the hallmark of Oracle technology. The applications you build will be able to support hundreds of users and many terabytes of data, scalability far beyond even the imagination of most other development environments.

And Oracle APEX, with its declarative, wizard-driven methodology, is truly easy to use. In the course of the few hundred pages of this book, you will not only learn about how to use APEX, you will create a usable order entry system. The fast learning curve presented in these pages is a consequence of many years of development and refinement of the APEX product, which began life almost a decade ago within Oracle.

By the end of this volume, you will know enough to create your own applications, as well as having the knowledge and understanding of Oracle APEX and the world of Oracle technology to explore further refinements on your own.

Best of all, you can use APEX with absolutely no cost—either in a hosted environment, as suggested in Chapter 1, or with a free version of the Oracle database.

Welcome to the world of Oracle Application Express!

This book is aimed at a particular group of users—those who are not familiar with Oracle Application Express. The book assumes that you have a basic knowledge of application development, the type you could get from playing around with a personal database such as Access. In fact, this book was written with an Access developer in mind—an Access developer looking to step up to a more scalable and reliable environment, with reduced maintenance overhead and greater integration between application systems.

This book covers the use of Oracle Application Express. Although the book is based on the 3.5 version, you can use the book with older versions as well. However, since the book will use a hosted version of Oracle Application Express, and since both the Oracle database that support the product and the product itself are available as free downloads from http://otn.oracle.com, you should be able to use the latest version easily.

This book is structured to give the reader a gradual introduction to the essentials of development with Oracle Application Express. The book contains the following:

• Welcome to Oracle!—This contains an overview of Oracle Application Express, as well as instructions on how to set up a hosted development environment for performing the exercises used in the book.

• Jumpstart Oracle Application Express—You will leap into creating applications with Oracle Application Express and finish a simple application by the end of this.

• Extending Your Oracle APEX Application—This will introduce you to the options in Oracle APEX that let you ensure that your users will enter correct data while using your application.

• Validation, Calculation, Navigation, and Lists—This continues the exploration of the aspects of APEX that help you to ensure that data used in your application is correct. Additionally, this covers basic navigation options for your application.

• Reporting and Charting—This covers the powerful and flexible reports you can create with Oracle APEX, and introduces you to the graphical capabilities of APEX reporting.

• Components Working Together—This extends your work with charts, showing how you can create charts that link to a more detailed view of the data they represent. You will also learn how to create a calendar page with links to the data shown as part of the calendar, and how to add images taken from the underlying database to an Oracle APEX report.

• Customizing User Interfaces—This explores advanced options for customizing user interfaces, on individual pages as well as across your entire APEX application.

• PL/SQL—This introduces you to PL/SQL, the underlying language used to implement your APEX application, and demonstrates how to use the power of PL/SQL to extend the logic in your application.

• Security—This covers how security is implemented for your APEX environment.

• Deployment and Administration—This covers the options you have for deploying an APEX application to another environment and walks you through one of those options. Additionally, this introduces you to the administrative functionality you can use to monitor and manage your APEX applications.

• Packaged Applications—This gives an overview of packaged applications available for Oracle Application Express, with a more detailed look at a select few.

• Migration—This describes how to migrate applications from Microsoft Access to Oracle Application Express.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Great book for beginners
I went through this book and found it easy to follow and well thought out.There were plenty of screen shots to help.This book will not make you an expert, but it is certainly a great place to start if you want to move to Apex.

DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT THIS BOOK
I am using this book for a class.

My classmates and I agree: THIS BOOK SUCKS.I am a seasoned SQL programmer and I find this book confusing.The directions are not clear.Getting to the places described in the book is ambiguous (at best).There are numerous errors and omissions of steps.The list of errors is endless.


I can't tell you how many times, I have restarted the project.When I fix one thing, something else breaks.All of us have had to drop the sample project and redo it many times to get the proper outcome.And even then...

Considering learning APEX - GOOD for you

Considering this APEX book - JUST SAY NO!

DO NOT EVEN CONSIDER THIS BOOK...IT SUCKS BIG TIME

Muy buen material
Es un excelente libro para alguien que se quiera iniciar en el uso y desarrollo de aplicaciones con Apex de Oracle. No cubre los aspectos más complejos de la herramienta, pero es un buena base para comenzar.

Making the Transition......
Beginning Oracle Application Express (Wrox Programmer to Programmer)I strongly recommend this book for everyone wanting to make the transition to developing "state-of-the-art" dynamic data-driven web applications or implement a transformation project of a legacy system with a prototype model. Using the Oracle-hosted APEX account, I was up and running within 10 minutes after creating the account.The book is based on APEX version 3.1 and the current hosted/download APEX version is 3.2 however the many screen shots are the same. The author introduces you to the APEX Functionalities as the "best practices" for the "User/Customer", "Administrator" and reports for Management with explanations and step-by-step instructions. Also the author expresses extending the APEX functionalities.

I can definitely say "I'm an Oracle APEX-or".

Oracle Instructor Review
I have taught the Oracle Application Express course for Oracle for as long as the software has been available. I developed and teach a course for Portland Community College and I am using this book as the primary resource book for my students. I strongly recommend this book for those interested in getting a great start with Application Express.
David Jacob-Daub
www.oracle-educate.com
Beginning Oracle Application Express (Wrox Programmer to Programmer) ... Read more

Product Description
The essential guide for every Oracle programmer, with new information on performance and tuning. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (29)

PL/SQL Learning Tool
I use this book to learn PL/SQL. It is well-written and easy to follow. The codes in the book are also helpful for learning and practicing what you are reading. The book is good for biginners and certainly useful for intermediates and experts. If you are new to PL/SQL programming, after going through this book carefully you should start writing your own codes in PL/SQL. The book can also be used as reference to check syntax or to review concepts. There are certainly other PL/SQL books but this one can be a starting point. Overall the author did a good job and I can recommend the book.

Good reference of PL/SQL programming!
I use this book for reference of PL/SQL programming. Ther're some examples in the book. The format and index of this book is good too.

Judging a book by its promise
I rate books by what the author states as the goals for the book. The Introduction to any book should tell you this. Oracle 8 PL/SQL Programming states that the book "is appropriate for both experienced programmers who neet to know just the syntax for PL/SQL and its advanced features, and for novice programmers who are not familiar with other third-generation languages." While there is much to recommend in this book it does not fulfill its promise.

Novice programers will find this book a diffuclt read. It does contain useful information, particularly when the authors delves into his expereinces. However it is not structured as an instruction text that a novice programmer can pick up and learn from.

How does it work as a reference? The explinations of the syntax vary between encyclopedic, as in Chapeter 5: Built-in SQL Functions and lacking completenes as in Chapter 7: Subprograms: Procedures and Functions.

In Chapter 5 the author catalogues over a hundred functions available in PL/SQL. If the goal is to be a reference work this is a fine approach. It is not very useful to a novice programmer trying to learn PL/SQL. For the novice cataloguse do not demonstrate how to put the pieces together.

In Chapter 7 we are formally intorduced to the Procedured and Functions. The problem is each element of the all important features of the language is NOT explained.

For example, the AS and IN clauses are presented in the specification of the formal syntax but are not explained in the chapter. This oversite would be acceptable if these terms had been discussed elsewhere. A check of the Index for pointer to an explination revealed nothing useful.

With respect to this example we are left with one of two conlusions. Either there is not explination for these terms or the index is not up to the task of providing us a pointer. In either case it makes this work a poor reference. How are we supposed to find details when there is no path to them?

The Best PL/SQL Programming Book!
I think this book is the best book to begin writting PL/SQL code, so It has all programming level, from beginner to expert.

The best PL/SQL manual around!
After reading this book, my programming skills leaped from Oracle kindergartener to Oracle goddess!As well as a great introduction to PL/SQL and a thorough reference, this book sits right next to my keyboard when I program.It not only covers basic PL/SQL, but also Oracle built-in packages, objects, collections, debugging, and the list goes on.Whether you're just getting started or having been programming for a while, this is an invaluable resource. ... Read more

Product Description
Oracle SQL Interactive Workbook, Second Edition is the only integrated book-and-Web learning solution that teaches all the Oracle 9i SQL skills you need, hands on, through labs, exercises, and projects-complete with a Web-based training site! Fully updated for Oracle 9i, author Alice Rischert covers all types of joins (including the new ANSI join syntax); SQL functions; subqueries set operators; sequences, views, and indexes; data dictionary; dynamic SQL; security; optimization; the SQL*Plus and iSQL*Plus environments; and much more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Good book
The new version of Oracle does not include MySQL*Plus, which is a very useful tool while learning SQL, however learning with only the console, while sporting a larger learning curve, will prepare you for working with the Oracle console.

If you are definitely going to be using SQL with only Oracle, this is a good book. If you are going to be using SQL with other DBMS (like MySQL), a book about just SQL would be a better choice. The O'Reilly series is fantastic.

Bite-size and Interactive
I teach college computer classes, although my BA & MA are in linguistics. The only computer course I've actually taken was a non-credit course in Oracle SQL. I was pretty satisfied with it.

I'm only in lab 2 of 16 in this book, and have already learned MANY new things! It's very well written, giving you a little, testing you a little, etc. I strongly recommend it.

Oracle SQL needs Help
This book waltzes through conceptually difficult material for the novice SQL'er. Correlated subqueries are given 3 pages. This is ridiculous! Furthermore, before a SQL novice can digest the conceptual ideas, Rishert presents examples which differ from what the novice is trying to digest. Yes, the examples present true information, but they leave the novice wondering what makes sense. The book needs a re-write if it wants to be presented to the community as a 'learning tool'. I'd recommend it to a novice provided the novice has a tutor on call.

On a desert island querying dbases, have this book with you.
Could you master a foreign language with a reference work? If so, then this book is not for you because you're already a guru. Oracle Press books handle that nicely. SQL is analogous to a foreign language, and most people learn foreign languages through extensive exercises that build towards mastery. This book does that, and, as such, there's little out there that compares. If you patiently enter every SQL query in this book and break it down into its constituent parts, examine each query's output, do every exercise even if it means looking at the solution as you solve it, complete every "Test Your Thinking" exercise, redo chapters 4, 5, and 7 at every opportunity, and think, this book will become the most extensive SQL reference work you can imagine--that's right SQL, not simply Oracle's implementation of it. This is because this book shows you how to apply SQL in ways you may not have imagined (my brain still hurts). The drawbacks: (1) Oracle dbase software required for the companion dbase--don't get this book if you don't have access to Oracle because it relies on intimate knowledge of the companion dbase, (2) dizziness from the frequency of your hand smacking your forehead when asking yourself "Why didn't I think of that"? The prose is succinct and elegant in its clarity except for chapter 7, where the need for and role of correlative subqueries, inline views, and scalar subquery expressions and the theory behind them could have been explicated better, particularly where and when they can/should substitute for equijoins. Specifically, a one-stop-shopping set of guidelines as to when these types of subqueries are desirable over their equijoin counterparts would have been very helpful.

Book lacks detail
The book informs you of various sql commands, but fails to give you the general syntax.If what you are trying to do has not been explicitely done in the book, it is unlikely to find what you are looking for in the book.The book is truly a workbook, and nothing else, and should not be purchased as an oracle sql refrence book. ... Read more

Product Description
The Oracle PL/SQL CD Bookshelf contains a powerhouse of Animal books for the Oracle PL/SQL developer--all readable with your web browser on a convenient CD-ROM. A bonus hard-copy book, Oracle PL/SQL Programming: A Guide to Oracle 8i Features, is also included.In addition, the CD-ROM supplies the complete text of seven books: Oracle PL/SQL Programming; Advanced PL/SQL Programming; Oracle Web Applications; Oracle Built-in Packages; Oracle PL/SQL Pocket Reference; Oracle Built-insPocket Reference; and Oracle PL/SQL Programming: A Guide to Oracle 8iFeatures. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

Great technical reference, bad political humor......
would gave this book 4 stars if it wasn't for the bad political jokes and awkward plaements of them such as 'in code'. I recommend Oracle PL/SQL by Benjamin Rozenweig(it even features an actual database to perform against.) Please keep in mind this recommendation is for beginners.

A great technical PL/SQL reference
O'Reilly simply has the best PL/SQL reference library on the market.This collection of 7 books on CD, along with soft-cover book "Guide to Oracle 8i Features" is the PL/SQL reference standard.Having some previous experience with a couple of the books on the CD, particularly with Steve Feuerstein's work, I found the writing to be clear, insightful and very readable.The programming comments and suggestions are right on the mark.What I also enjoyed was the price, which represents a significant savings over the list cost of the individual books in the bookshelf.

When I first started looking at the CD, I wondered how I would best make use of this reference.I tried reading it on my monitor, starting on the first page and continuing on from there, but after awhile I realized that wasn't going to work.I then started playing with the text searching capabilities provided on the CD.What I found is that O'Reilly has done a very nice job of first indexing and then implementing electronic searches.I am now using the CD exclusively as a reference via this search.Although I didn't know it then, I now believe that is the best way to use the reference if you have some prior knowledge of PL/SQL.I now keep the CD at work, consulting it whenever I need to refresh my memory on how best to write PL/SQL.If you have no prior experience with PL/SQL or you don't like reading books on-line, consider just purchasing the soft-cover components of the bookshelf.However, if you are like me and have some experience in the area, this bookshelf is an indispensable part of the Oracle reference library.

One last thought.Although the bookshelf is great, I do have a problem with it.The collection is dated.The CD covers PL/SQL through to version 8.0 of the Oracle RDBMS.A soft-cover book, included in the distribution but not on the CD, includes new features provided with Oracle 8i.That leaves a sizable hole in that PL/SQL features introduced with Oracle 9i are not discussed.I suspect that even as I write this Steve Feuerstein et. al. are hard at work filling that void.In the meantime this collection is the best PL/SQL reference for Oracle 8i.

Technical side: 5+ stars; Political side: 0 or less
Pro: Great reference for Oracle 8i PL/SQL, a bit lacking in the Java side, but for the rest is really good.

Con: Mr. Feuerstein should leave politics out of the book. He has the right to hold any political view, which by the way I don't subscribe to, but this was supposed to be a technical text that should help readers all over the world, not only those in Berkley who vote left wing.

Next time he better stick to the usual, neutral and actually more useful, examples.

Generally a very useful book
I have been working with Oracle for serveral years.We recently upgraded to Oracle8i from Oracle7.I found this book to be very useful in quickly getting up to speed on the new features of Oracle8i.I found the chapters on Built-in packages and fine-grained access control to be particularly useful.

I agree with another reviewers comment that more should have been done with Java.Perhaps, Java rates a book of its own.

I hope Mr. Feuerstein will produce a similar book for Oracle9i.

Technically excellent!AND a well rounded person
I particularly needed the chapters on NDS and Bulk Collections - also good is the TUSC book Advanced PL/SQL Tips and Techniques.How unusual to find a programmer with a political conscience, not just another self-centered, workaholic, money-hungry, vacation in the Bahamas type ;>I found it refreshing. ... Read more

Product Description
Before embarking on a career as an Oracle DBA, you need a solid understanding of database administration and SQL programming fundamentals, and that's exactly what this book provides. Oracle Database Foundations assumes no prior knowledge of databases and provides a comprehensive introduction to the major topics involved, explaining the fundamentals of database administration in simple terms with tangible examples. Aspiring database administrators will enjoy this book's straightforward approach and abundance of valuable information. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

said like new, but really was NEW
:D
so happy with this book, it was new new newwww and at very good price
shipping very fast :D
brand new condition :D ... Read more

Product Description
The dynamic memory features of Oracle9i make it possible to create a self-tuning database.This book explores proven techniques for monitoring the behavior of the Oracle System Global Area (SGA) and shows proven techniques that can be used to anticipate upcoming problems and adjust the SGA before a performance problem occurs. Written for senior Oracle DBA's this guide focuses on proactive tuning and scripting, and shows how to collect historical data and use it to develop signatures for all memory areas. Using these metrics DBAs will be able to develop scripts that will anticipate and correct upcoming SGA performance problems. Provided are the commands to modify the Oracle9i SGA areas, sample scripts for automating SGA tuning, and access to an online code deport full of interesting Oracle scripts. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Gobs of Great advice
Statspack is a Godsend tool from Oracle, and this book goes even further than 10g.

This and the previous edition of the book provide DBAs with an excellent introduction into understanding statspack internal tables and great ideas on how to integrate critically important OS statistics into the statspack data gathering process to a self tuning database.

I found this book and the WISE Oracle tool to be invaluable tools that extend statspack capabilities and help to resolve complex performance problems.

Fluff
The majority of the information in this book, while looking impressive, is actually so much fluff.A majority of it will either do nothing for performance or make performance worse.Yes, on some systems, some of the suggestions may improve performance, but there is not enough information provided to show you where or when which changes will make which improvements.

Here is an interesting section:

- Plotting the Data Buffer Hit Ratio by Hour of the Day

Isn't that nice.I can graph my buffer hit ratio by hour by day.That is going to help me a lot!The author is still stuck in the ratio mindset and doesn't seem to truly understand how the Oracle SGA actually works.Doesn't show it to the reader anyways.

Please Read Technical Criticism of Don Burleson Before Buying
Don Burleson has his name on more Oracle books than (I believe) any other author.However, many other experts on the Oracle database spend a significant portion of their time debunking errors and misinformation that he disseminates in articles and books like these. [...] where a search for "Burleson" will turn up several articles which point out inaccuracies in his articles or statements.

Short and Incisive
The book is everything the other reviewers have already said. The author surely knows what he is writing and the book contains lot of useful information on the inner workings of SGA and how to fine tune it.

One caveat, the author deliberately leaves out the details on the STATSPACK so he can sell you an ANOTHER book on STATSPACK which he also wrote. I found this little annoying since STATSPACK is the primary utility to monitor SGA, and hence, I felt it should have been covered in complete detail instead of just a glimpse in order to sell an another book.

Most useful for me
This was very enjoyable read and I'm very happy to see that many of the details about using the Oracle9i dynamic SGA are revealed.The problem has always been that the Oracle documentation tells you about the new features yet fail to tell you about how to apply them.

After reading this book I was able to understand the automatic-tuning methods in Oracle10g and they made sense because the author revealed some of the mechanisms that they use.The online scripts are very nice also, with many I had never seen before. ... Read more

Product Description
Oracle database administration goes far beyond installation and tuning of the database--topics covered by the majority of books on the market. As DBAs become more involved in the business process, architecture, and planning, there may be more to do up front, but the end result is less chaotic. To better prepare those who are up to the new eBusiness challenges, the chapters in this book have been organized with information to not only provide IT professionals with information that can be applied for a more challenging and successful career, but also for those companies who are trying to attract and retain them.ItemID: 0761529365 ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Implementing an Oracle internet application? this book helps
Our department just purchased mission critical internet applications that use Oracle, and no one had any idea what else we would need. This book helped us not only prepare for the implementation project, but also what we would need to look out for once we are in production. ... Read more

Product Description
Streamline and supercharge Oracle application development!* Expert techniques for Web, data warehousing, and distributed* applications.Covers Designer/2000, Developer/2000, PL/SQL coding,* and much more!Covers the entire lifecycle -- and includes* state-of-the-art tuning and optimization techniques!

From strategic business analysis through rollout andoptimization, Oracle: A Database Developer's Guide will help youstreamline your entire Oracle development process.It's replete withproven solutions and worked examples for Designer/2000,Developer/2000, the Oracle database engine, PL/SQL coding, and more -all designed to maximize performance, even on tight developmentschedules.In this book, the leading Oracle consultant Ulka Rodgersdemonstrates key techniques for building Web, client/server, and datawarehousing applications.Learn how to make the most of the OracleApplication Server and Oracle Designer/2000 application generator;practical techniques for object-oriented data and process-modeling;and better ways to develop screens, reports and proceduralcode. Discover when and how to use third-party alternatives to Oracletools.Get expert tuning help, covering query optimization, SQL*DBAmonitor facilities, dynamic performance tables and more.You'll alsofind crucial design and coding information for optimizing today'sdistributed applications.If you run Oracle, this book will help youachieve more - and get it done faster. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

I DO GET IT! So should you. This is a GREAT book!
Ulka Rodgers has provided a unique book that stands out from the run-of-the-mill "how to" books overpopulating the technology shelves today.While the "how to" is addressed, so is the"what, when, and why to".If you are a database developer whoreceives very specific requests, and you simply need to know how commandswork so you can put together the most efficient code, this book is not foryou.If you are a database developer who needs to determine the bestcourse of action to achieve success in a variety of situations, take a goodlook at this book.

The book takes you step by step through thedevelopment of a world class database environment. It provides insightsthat will help you make the right decisions each step of the way, from thefirst decisions regarding methodology and approach, to the final decisionsregarding system performance.The book delves into the latest technologyareas one needs to know about to succeed such as the internet and datawarehouse technology.I find it to be invaluable as a learning toolwhenever I enter into unfamiliar territory.

The book is structured toimpart knowledge that Ulka Rodgers has gained through her extensiveexperience.As such, it is the type of book you want to read and enjoy. It is the type of book that has so much to offer, you may want readsections more than once.

I don't mean to take away from the "howto" value this book provides.There are tips and techniques as wellas detailed examples throughout the book that I find extremely useful.Thecoverage is thorough.But tips and techniques, although important, do notmake a project succeed.What Ulka Rodgers has done here is provided a roadmap that, if followed properly, will clearly have a significant positiveimpact on your likelihood of success.

A must have tool for every consultant & manager!
Ulka Rogers approaches this topic from the perspective of a seasoned practitioner. The topics of this text are covered in an intelligent, informed manner. Developing Oracle applications is a challenging endeavorand requires the consideration of many factors. These factors arethoroughly explained in the book. This book has one of the best coveragesof Designer/2000 and its use in design and construction.

This is a largetopic and no corner, from data design to data warehousing, is leftuncovered by the author. Many of the sections cover deep issues related todifficult project challenges, ranging from requirements creep, architectureto object-oriented design. Ulka succinctly has made many points that everyproject manager should consider conveying to their management. I will usethis book for both the technical design and the management aspects. Becauseit is self-contained, this is one of the best values in Oracle literaturetoday. Where most technical books cover only one or two points, this bookis full of ideas and concepts. You can buy the other books, including theOsborn series, but if you need only one Oracle book from which to getpractical advice, this is the one.

I don't get it!
I bought this book after reading the review for it in Select magazine (written by the same fellow who wrote the one on Amazon, Dr. Paul Dorsey).I could not disagree with his appraisal more.

In short, I found the book useless.The author's treatment of the material was, in my opinion,superficial.As a businessman, I needed to understand the value of thetechnology and to get an appreciation for Developer issues.I simplycouldn't get this from the book.The book's style was high-handed and theauthor appears very satisfied with herself and her accomplishments,although she shares little insight given her "years ofexperience."Obviously, this is a technical person who is trying toimpress beyond her capabilities.

I am puzzled by the dramaticdifference between my impressions and the other reviewer's impressions.Ihope he doesn't mislead others into buying this essentially useless book

A well-written guide to the Oracle environment
Overall, Oracle - A Database Developer's Guide 2nd Edition is clear and well written. It is the type of book that you might want to read a chapter of in an evening of your spare time. The book is written from theperspective of someone with a great deal of experience managing projectsand building real-world systems. This experience is reflected in what Ms.Rodgers wants to tell her readers about systems development. A usefulcomprehensive example is woven throughout the book. This device works verywell to reinforce the real world applications of the materialdiscussed.

The book is directed at the CIO or project manager of anorganization, who may not know any more about Oracle than what they read inthe trade papers. The Oracle environment is very complex. Ms. Rodgers hasprovided us with a guided tour of this environment, shrewdly pointing outthe lovely vistas as well as the swamps. Given this scope, the booksucceeds admirably; although it is impossible to cover this range of topicsin depth in a mere 400 pages. The book is an excellent overview. Any one ofits chapters could easily be expanded into its own book.

If you are asenior project manager and want a different perspective on approaching anOracle development project, this book has value. For those new to theindustry who want to get a sense of why projects work and why many fail,the book also has merit. If you are merely looking for SQL tuning tips orthe best init.ora parameter to accomplish a specific task, this is not theright resource for you. However, there are numerous useful tidbits ofinformation scattered throughout the book.

Ultimately, in reviewing abook, I always ask myself two questions: 1. Was it worth the cover price?2. Was it worth the time it took to read? In both cases, for Ms. Rodgersbook, the answer is a resounding "Yes." ... Read more

Product Description
Oracle Database Construction Kit teaches you how to build an entire Oracle database system from start to finish. You'll learn short-cuts, tips and work-arounds when creating table structures, embedding graphics in forms or executing triggers using Pl/SQL. This book utilizes all the primary Oracle development tools (Forms, Report Writer, SQL*PLUS, PL/SQL, SQL* LOADER, Developer 2000) to create an Oracle database system. Learn how to move your newly created application to the Web using the Oracle Web Server CD-ROM with code and the actual Template application that is built throughout the book, and more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Deceiving Cover, Outdated Content
Publisher Que's book cover claims, "Includes Oracle8 Coverage", which is deceiving. There are only four pages on Oracle 8i. This book is written for the outdated Forms Designer 4.5. What a disappointment! The newer Oracle Forms Builder 6 is considerably different. Furthermore, the forms used in the exercises often will not compile, (because the author made the unfortunate choice of the PL/SQL-Forms reserved word "TOOLS" for one of the table names). You can drop the TOOLS table and create it with another name to make the examples work.
Some example forms need additional debugging. Taking empch14x.fmb as an example, this is what you need to do:
1. Set mapping of other values to "M" for the Gender item in data block one.
2. Change the post query trigger to point to the correct file location for the images. For example:filename := 'c:\palinski\ch14\'||to_char(:one.payroll_number)||'emp.tif';
3. Also in the post query trigger, you may need to change the "filename varchar2(25);" to something longer such as filename varchar2(30); to handle a longer path name.
4. Open the property palette for block two and change the Query Data Source Name and DML Data Target Name to the name of the re-named tools table. For example, if you renamed the TOOLS table to P_TOOLS, then enter the name P_TOOLS here.
Once these changes are made, the form works well and displays a TIF image associated with each record.
5. Open the property palette for the relation between block one and block two. Change the name of the TOOLS table to the name of the re-named tools table.
Another example is form DirCh16.fmb. This is a "directory" form, useful for finding records in large tables. To make this form work, open the property palette for block one and set Database Data Block = "No". This example form should have used parameters in the call to the next form, but instead the author used an unusual home-baked solution to pass a parameter to the called form.
The text omits instructions on how to pass parameters to a form using a parameter list, and instead describes a makeshift way of adding a non-database block to a form to pass a variable. Students would be better off to use a parameter list as Oracle intended.
Chapter 17 on reports briefly covers outdated Reports 2.5, which helps little towards learning Oracle 8i's Reports 6. Chapter 18 explains how to customize and create reports manually.This is something that is valuable, since the report wizards in Reports 6 are not flexible enough to cover all your needs. It should go further than is does. Few texts explain the full features of customizing reports with the manual tools of Oracle reports. A good follow-up text is Edelstein's "Report Builder 3.0".
A final red flag is on the author's acknowledgement page, (just prior to page 1), where he gives credit to his son for helping set up his new PC and for helping him learn Windows 95 and to Rush Limbaugh for inspiration. If you choose this book, you will not be learning standard techniques for making the most of Oracle. The book needs a good proofreading to eliminate all the typos and it needs updating to Oracle 8 or better. It is helpful as a review, once you have gone through some other text. Because of its shortcomings, a better beginner's choice is Prentice Hall's Oracle Forms Interactive Workbook by Motivala. That book builds concepts in a more logical step-by-step process and it describes how to send parameters to a called form with a parameter list. One drawback of this latter text is that the format of splitting the chapters between text, exercises, and answers can be confusing at times.

No Proofreading - Poor Quality Writing
There are so many mistakes that the examples are endless...but for one, pp 222-223 are terrible.Two sentences are repeated multiple times in different paragraphs.Also on p. 46, the Locical Operators table, the "greater than" symbol is listed as a DOT rather than a ">".These are just two of many errors that should have been caught by basic editing/proofreading.

It may answer your questions, but be careful...

I enjoyed this book immensely
This was a very good book for me, and I liked the organization and software scripts.I highly recommend this one.

Keep Looking!
Horrible reference.The source code supplied with the book is full of bugs.The text contains numerous copy errors.The discussion on normalization is both erroneous and incomplete.Save your money!!!

Keep Looking!
Horrible reference book.The source code has bugs.The discussion of normalization is both inaccurate and incomplete.Several typos in the text.It's also very dated as of this writing (9i just came out - this text only touches on version 8, so it's two versions behind now).You're better off to spend your money on "Oracle 8i - The Complete Reference", as it's a much better reference. ... Read more

Product Description
This guide to ORACLE is written for programmers, application programmers and consultants who work with ORACLE software and need a focused, coherent set of concepts and techniques for applications development. Numerous examples illustrate key techniques. ... Read more