10gR2 New Feature: Asynchronous Commit
One of the primary tests for DBMS reliability is what's known as the ACID test. ACID-compliant systems are as close as you can get to guaranteed not to lose your data. Essentially, as long as your database files are intact, you are guaranteed that your data is consistent. This is not true for non-ACID compliant systems. Non-ACID-compliant systems are vulnerable to data inconsistency, and generally aren't taken seriously for any application where
10gR2 New Feature: Case Insensitive Searches
There are always a few topics in regards to writing SQL that always seem to come up more often than others. Querying data with case insensitivity is one of those topics. And Oracle has addressed this issue in many of their release. But in Oracle 10gR2 they have reached new levels. This article takes a dive into case insensitivity and how it is now handled in 10gR2. For the better!
An Introduction to Oracle Warehouse Builder 10g
Whilst many Oracle DBAs build and maintain their data warehouses using nothing more than UNIX, SQL, and PL/SQL scripts, many are now starting to use graphical tools such as Oracle Warehouse Builder 10g (OWB) to help with development. What do tools such as OWB10g offer the DBA, and how can they help with the warehouse design and build?
An Introduction to Oracle Warehouse Builder 10g
Whilst many Oracle DBAs build and maintain their data warehouses using nothing more than UNIX, SQL, and PL/SQL scripts, many are now starting to use graphical tools such as Oracle Warehouse Builder 10g (OWB) to help with development. What do tools such as OWB10g offer the DBA, and how can they help with the warehouse design and build?
An Oracle Instructor's Guide to Oracle9i - External Tables
In this installment, we'll discuss external tables, tablespace changes, Oracle managed files, multiple blocksizes and cache configuration, on-line table reorganization and index monitoring.
An Overview of SQLJ
Instead of porting code in time-consuming fashion from one database platform to another, and dealing with proprietary procedural languages, use SQLJ to write Oracle stored procedures with database-independent code that can be easily ported to other Java-enabled database platforms...
Back to Basics: Constraints, Part 1
It is important to revisit the basics regularly or you find that your favourite mantras, beliefs, and techniques are so far out of date that they are not only inadequate, they may even be bad practice. Constraints have come a long way in Oracle since their introduction some 15 years ago, but many people still have only a faint idea of how important they are, and how they can be used most effectively in Oracle systems.
Building a Tiles Application with JSF Components in JDeveloper
In this article, you will learn how to develop a Tiles application in Oracle JDeveloper 10g (10.1.3; in EA1 release at the time of this writing) comprising several JSF component pages: the header page, a page with a Data Table generated from an Oracle database (the Data Table may also be generated from a managed bean which returns a result set), and a footer page.
Building BI Dashboards with Oracle Database 10g, Oracle Discoverer, and Oracle Portal
This article explains the features of a BI dashboard, discusses the benefits to users, and steps through the creation of a dashboard with Oracle Database 10g; Oracle Business Intelligence Discoverer (Oracle Discoverer), a component of Oracle Business Intelligence 10g; and Oracle Portal.
Connecting with Oracle: Accessing Oracle via Access and Excel
Giving your users the ability to access an Oracle database using either Access or Excel is easy to do. It takes all of three minutes to set up the link or connection. Learn how in Connecting with Oracle, Part 4.
Constrained Server Topography with Oracle’s Application Server 10g
Before building your Oracle Application Server 10g production system, you have a number of decisions to make. What load will your application place on the server and can the server handle that load? How many servers will be in your topography? Which components will you install on which servers? What is your tolerance for downtime?
Create a Robust Document Management System with Oracle Text
Oracle Text has a powerful text-search engine that allows users to search and manage documents and URLs as quickly and easily as any other data. Learn to use these features to deliver a robust content management search engine.
Creating Custom Aggregate Functions in C/ C++
The aim of this article is to describe process of creation of user defined aggregate function. Oracle 9i was used to prepare and test the function so that it may happen that some parts of the code may not work with Oracle versions older than 9i. This article gathers information needed to write the aggregate function in one place and presents clear step by step descripion of the process.
Creating NOT NULL Columns in Huge Oracle Tables
Databases are often taxed by applying SQL statements to enormous tables. One such activity is when we add a new NOT NULL column with default value to a huge transaction table. Amar Padhi shares several methods to add a new column with default value, comparing the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Data structure denormalization with Oracle9i
The process of removing redundancy from tables is called data
normalization, which attempts to minimize the amount of
duplication within the database design. Although normalization
was an excellent technique during the 1980s, when disk space
was very expensive, the rules have changed in the 21st century,
with disk costs dramatically lower. Today, adding redundancy is
a very important aspect of designing high-performance Oracle
databases.
Database Development in SQLJ, Part II: SQLJ Language Elements
SQLJ is the evolving industry standard language that allows you
to write Oracle stored procedures with database-independent
code that can be easily ported to other Java-enabled database
platforms. This article describes the elements of SQLJ
connection contexts, iterators, executable statements, and host
expressions so you can put some actual SQLJ to use.
Database Interaction with PL/SQL, User-defined Packages
This article is part of a series focusing on database interactions with Oracle PL/SQL. In my previous article, we examined named notation, default values of parameters, stored procedures, stored functions and finally took our first look at package and package body. In this article, we will focus completely on package and package body.
Dates in DB2 and Oracle: Same Data Type, Different Behavior
This article provides an analysis of the basic differences between the date and time data types in DB2 and Oracle, focusing on DATE, TIME (available only in DB2), and TIMESTAMP in particular. It begins by introducing the data types in each database and moves on to cover their storage needs, internal representation, and values ranges. Finally, it discusses the differences in their date arithmetic operations. Understanding these differences can come in handy, especially when you are migrating data from one database to another.
Demystifying Application Contexts
Learn all about a reliable mechanism for passing data from within a session securely to help with a variety of cases such as Virtual Private Database, Application User Management in Connection Pools, and more.
Forms: Oracle Forms in the SOA World
Oracle Forms interacts with Oracle BPEL Process Manager, using Java Importer, a feature that can expose your Oracle Forms applications to server-side Java classes. Java Importer allows you to import Java classes into your Oracle Forms modules, generating PL/SQL wrappers for the classes you select. You can then use PL/SQL throughout your Oracle Forms application, and at runtime Oracle Forms will send those PL/SQL calls to the Java classes you have imported. This article illustrates how a simple Oracle Forms application can interact with Oracle BPEL Process Manager.
Generic Architecture for Caching Table Data: Supercharge Your PL/SQL Applications
In this series I am going to introduce you to a generic PL/SQL caching architecture. The goal is to give you an understanding of how you can store Table data in PL/SQL collections (the cache) and how to retrieve data from those same PL/SQL collections. The proposed architecture will be generic enough for you to use throughout your applications everywhere you need to retrieve data from the database (and isn’t that what PL/SQL applications are all about?).
Globalization: Going Global
The project's development cycle was nearly complete, and the whole team felt as though it'd been through the ringer. It was six months of late nights, excruciatingly long meetings, rah-rah speeches delivered by Jerry, the company president, and countless cups of coffee. In just two weeks the company's flagship product would ship a major release, and nobody was happier than Scott, the lead Oracle database developer. There was a light at the end of the tunnel.
Globalize with Character Semantics
Does the declaration VARCHAR(3) give you three bytes or three characters? What's the difference? Does it matter? The answers change in Oracle9i, and believe me, you need to know what the new answers are.
Improvements to Summary Management with Oracle 10g
With Oracle Database 10g, Oracle has introduced a number of improvements to summary management and query rewrite. This article details these improvements and explains how they can be used to improve performance for your data warehouse.
Improvements to Summary Management with Oracle 10g
With Oracle Database 10g, Oracle has introduced a number of improvements to summary management and query rewrite. This article details these improvements and explains how they can be used to improve performance for your data warehouse.
Integrate COM Component Functionality into Your PL/SQL Codebase
Oracle provides developers a simple API that enables them to interact with most Microsoft COM objects directly from PL/SQL. Learn how to install the COM option and tap into the functionality of pre-built COM components on your machine right now.
InterMedia - Import-Export Of Images
Prior to Oracle 8.1.7 the interMedia support for import and export of data was a little flunky. Even now the API forces you to use directory object to access the file system. The code supplied here will free you from the constraints of interMedia.
Introduction to Pro*C
Embedded SQL is a method of combining the computing power of a high-level language like C/C++ and the database manipulation capabilities of SQL. It allows you to execute any SQL statement from an application program.
JDeveloper Comes of Age: Visual and Declarative J2EE Development in 10g
Oracle's JDeveloper supports more open source tools and frameworks and introduces a visual and declarative development approach in combination with the Application Development Framework (ADF). Find out how these combined features can help experienced Java developers and beginners alike to improve productivity and performance.
Make Your ASP Work With An Oracle Database
Oracle is one of the most popular databases in the world, also Active Server Pages (ASP) is a powerful server-side scripting language widely used to build dynamic Web pages. There are many ASP developers who wonder if they can use the ASP technology with Oracle database to build a web application, E-commerce and E-business web sites or internet management systems. The answer is YES! You can access Oracle using VB to create Oracle Applications as well. Here, I will discuss with you how to use ASP...
Managing Exceptional Behavior, Part 1
Many programmers don't take the time to properly bulletproof
their programs. Most of us find it hard enough and more than
enough work to simply write the code that implements the
positive aspects of an application: maintaining customers,
generating invoices, and so on.
Managing Web Development with Oracle
This article explores several of the most important issues involved in choosing a scalable Oracle Web architecture and describes some of the choices made by successful e-commerce companies when implementing Oracle databases over the Web.
Monitoring Open and Cached Cursors
Just about every DBA has had to deal with ora-1000 errors, "Maximum open cursors exceeded." This article will discuss initialization parameters that affect open cursors, the difference between open and cached cursors, closing cursors, and monitoring open and cached cursors.
Multimedia and Geospatial Data
The Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition (J2EE), offers several application server technologies that simplify the development and deployment of this kind of application. These technologies include Java Classes for Servlets and JavaServer Pages (JSP), JSP Tag Libraries, JSP Data Tag Libraries for Java integrated development environments (IDEs), Image Adaptation Servlets based on Sun's Java Advanced Imaging (JAI) API, Map Visualization Servlets, and Java Database Connectivity (JDBC) to media and geospatial content. All of these J2EE technologies and components are available in Oracle9i Application Server (Oracle9iAS), Oracle Database, and development tools.
ODP.NET: The Values That Bind
There are many ways to access data from Oracle databases in .NET applications. In terms of features and performance, however, the Oracle Data Provider for .NET (ODP.NET) is your best choice for connecting .NET applications with Oracle Database. This new column will focus on how to make your .NET applications benefit from key features in ODP.NET 10g. My first topic: how to use bind variables with ODP.NET 10g.
Oracle and Pro*C - Part 1
Pro*C is another one of those tools or features from Oracle that keeps a low profile, quietly waiting its turn for you to use it when the need arises. Learn where to get Pro*C, and how to configure the environment.
Oracle Database 10g Release 2: Top Features for DBAs
Transparent Data Encryption and XQuery support are the two major new SQL-related features in Oracle Database 10g Release 2, but the list doesn't end there.
Oracle Database Access using .NET Data Providers
This article shows you how to retrieve data from an Oracle and
SQL Server 2000 database using the so called data providers
shipped with the .NET Framework. It also covers practices when
using objects available in ADO.NET and offers suggestions that
can help you optimize the design of ADO.NET applications.
Oracle Function Based Indexes
This is the first of many articles on new Oracle8i release 8.1 database features. I will be discussing in some depth many of the 150+ new features contained in the Oracle database over the next couple of months. In each of these articles we will explore some new feature found in the database and explain/provide
Oracle metabase scripting language for warehouse builder
One of the most challenging areas for any Oracle DBA is the management of complex job streams. Fortunately, Oracle has come to the rescue with the dbms_scheduler package and the Oracle Warehouse Builder MetaBase Plus (OMB) scripting language.
Oracle on the Web Part 1 - Exploring Oracle's HTTP Server
Hidden away in the depths of your Oracle installation is a valuable resource you can use to get a jump-start on learning how to combine Oracle's strength as a relational database management system and the power of the Internet. Join Steve Callan as he delves into the Oracle HTTP Server (OHS).
Outer join query in Oracle using the (+) sign
This article will show you how to create outer join query in Oracle using the (+) sign rather than LEFT OUTER JOIN, RIGHT OUTER JOIN, and FULL OUTER JOIN
PL/SQL: Picking Your Packages
This article reviews the underlying concepts and key benefits of PL/SQL packages and then explores some of the less familiar nuances of package behavior. Finally, I look at a situation where it makes sense to avoid packages.
PL/SQL: Tracing Lines
PL/SQL offers a powerful and flexible exception architecture. Of course, there is always room for improvement, and in Oracle Database 10g, exception handling takes a big step forward with the introduction of the DBMS_UTILITY.FORMAT_ERROR_BACKTRACE function. This article explores the problem that this function solves and how best to use it.
Refactoring for PL/SQL Developers
Go beyond identifying best PL/SQL practices to create better code. What is refactoring? Most PL/SQL developers stay very busy building applications. As a result, relatively few explore the wider world of software programming, in which the topic of refactoring is known.
Regular Expressions Everywhere
Regular Expression have been a part of the UNIX/Linux world from the beginning. Some of us have been using regular expressions without even knowing it. If you use Linux/Unix, you have probably used grep. Grep searches lines for matching patterns using regulare expresions.
Resource Manager
Prevent batch processes interfering with your OLTP transactions by using this simple PL/SQL API to assign a priority to each type of session.
Securing a .NET Application on the Oracle Database
In this installment of Mastering .NET Application Development with Oracle, I will explain how to design an application with security in mind, including; How to use proxy authentication to pass actual end user IDs to the Oracle server while maintaining all of the advantages of connection pooling. Proxy authentication also allows per-user authentication to the database server when connection pooling is used.; How to use the client identifier to pass either custom identifier strings or actual end user IDs to the Oracle server...
Securing Java Execution
Security is a prime concern for DBAs, CTOs, every architect and
developer in between, and every end user of a system that is
running software modules close to that most valuable corporate
asset your business data. In contrast to traditional JDK-based
Java virtual machines, the Oracle Java Virtual Machine
(OracleJVM) lets you run Java objects inside Oracle9i Database,
giving you all the performance advantages of the Oracle
database. But how does OracleJVM enforce Java security?
Spice up your SQL Scripts with Variables
Everyone knows the basic features of sql*plus, but one underused feature that can make your scripts an order of magnitude more useful is the ability to store and reuse values, including values read from the database, in variables. This lets you use user-defined and database values not just in subsequent queries, but also in calls to other scripts and sql*plus's other functionality.
SQL: Filter Data Before You Get It
Oracle Database 10g introduces an intriguing new feature for continuously monitoring incoming data. Called the Oracle Expression Filter, it allows you to write what is essentially a WHERE clause to describe data of interest. You can store one or more such WHERE clauses in a text column and then have the database watch a table and alert you when rows matching any of those WHERE clause expressions become available.
SQL: Nulls: Nothing to Worry About
Called null values in the ISO SQL standard, nulls are anything but values. Nulls are markers indicating the complete lack of a value. They lead to three-valued logic, which is confusing to work with, and that confusion often leads the unwary down the path of writing SELECT statements that return wrong results. This article highlights some of the pitfalls you'll encounter and gives advice for avoiding them.
Strings Attached
Many PL/SQL programs manipulate data, often by using SQL to work with that data directly in the database. Yet you often need to declare and manage data within PL/SQL programs themselves. This program data might consist of individual values (scalars). In many other situations, however, you deal with much more complex data structures, from records to objects (instances of object types) to lists.
Super-Sizing A Database: Oracle 10g Tablespace Enhancements
Oracle's highest-level logical container for data, the tablespace, is a lot like an orphaned, lonely child. Tablespaces live in that lonely place between the physical raw data contained in their datafiles and the myriad logical objects whose structure they organize, manage, and control: tables, indexes, and LOBs, to name just a few. I was heartened to see that Oracle 10g has made some significant improvements to tablespaces that considerably extend the size, manageability, and cohesiveness of an Oracle database. I will dive right into what I believe is the most impressive new feature in this group: the BIGFILE tablespace.
The Globalization of Language in Oracle - National Language Support
Oracle allows National Language Support (NLS) at the instance level as well as at the session level providing the ability to default the NLS parameters for our end users' client PCs to the instance settings or override them when needed because they are truly in a different locale.
The Globalization of Language in Oracle - The NLS_COMP and NLS_SORT variables
Ever since I was a newbie to databases I never questioned how sorting occurred in a database. I just knew that there was a predefined order to the character set (English) and I never thought much more of it. How does Oracle compare and sort data. There is more to it than meets the eye.
The ORA-01555 Error: A PL/SQL Developer Solution
This error, which causes user transactions to fail, is a nightmare for Oracle DBAs and developers. This article shows you how to avoid the ORA-01555 error programmatically, from the PL/SQL developer's perspective.
The Secrets of Dimensions
A dimension defines hierarchical (parent/child) relationships between pairs of columns or column sets. Each value at the child level is associated with one and only one value at the parent level. A hierarchical relationship is a functional dependency from one level of a hierarchy to the next level in the hierarchy. A dimension is a container of logical relationships between columns, and it does not have any data storage assigned to it.
The Secrets of Oracle ASSM and Freelists
Most Oracle databases use locally managed tablespaces (LMT) today - dictionary managed tablespaces (DMT) are now obsolet. The reasons to use LMTs are the following.
Unicode Enables Globalization
Letters, numerals, and punctuation- all characters, in fact are
Represented in a computer as numbers, and there are dozens of
different schemes for encoding characters. As computer
applications became more global, driving the need to support
characters from languages the world over, it became clear to
many that a single, unified encoding scheme was needed. Enter
the Unicode Standard. Unicode is the default encoding for XML,
is required by LDAP, is the underlying character set used by
Java and Windows XP, and more. Years ago, you needed to
understand ASCII to be a successful programmer. Today you need
to understand Unicode.
Use an Oracle API to Extract and Store Database Objects' DDL
The usual method for extracting DDL commands from objects (such as database tables, indexes, constraints, triggers, etc.) involves extracting the metadata from those objects and storing it in memory. While there are many scripts capable of doing this, they are usually incomplete and out-of-date. Luckily, Oracle 9.2 provides an API that does the trick: the DBMS_METADATA package.
Using .NET Stored Procedures in Oracle
You will learn how .NET stored procedures are supported, how to install and configure the Oracle Database to enable support for .NET stored procedures, how to develop and deploy .NET stored procedures, and, finally, how to debug .NET stored procedures.
Using Oracle Database Transactions in .NET
In this article, you will learn how to use database transactions in Visual Basic .NET (VB.NET) and Visual C# .NET (C#). Specifically, you will explore database transactions, use OracleTransaction objects in .NET programs, and learn how to set a transaction savepoint. All the scripts and files referenced in this article are available here. This article assumes familiarity with C# and VB.NET programming in general.
Using Oracle Global Database Links
Jonathan Gennick of O'Reilly Books demonstrates how global database links can simplify your multi-server Oracle environment.
Using Oracle PL/SQL
PL/SQL stands for Procedural Language/SQL. PL/SQL extends SQL by adding constructs found in procedural languages, resulting in a structural language that is more powerful than SQL
Using XML with XML DB and ODP.NET
This article explores the basics of working with XML data in an Oracle database using ODP.NET and Visual Studio. NET, paying particular attention to: Loading an XML Schema into the database; Loading an XML Instance Document into the database; Creating a .NET application that performs DML operations on the XML data.
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