Unless you buy an armful of books on current Oracle tools and technologies, you won't likely find as comprehensive a tour as this. First off, the authors are masters at using Oracle tools for high-end enterprise development, including PL/SQL (its proprietary SQL language) and Java. Developers and IT managers will appreciate the clear descriptions of relevant tools in the Oracle arsenal (including Developer and JDeveloper). Business Components for Java (BC4J), which simplify the use of Enterprise JavaBeans with Oracle databases and JSP, are also explained succinctly.
The emphasis is on server-side programming, with all features supported in Oracle, like stored procedures (and objects), written in both PL/SQL and Java. This book excels at showing the nitty-gritty details, with screen shots revealing the actual Oracle tools in action. As for using Enterprise JavaBeans, readers learn two possible methods: with standard EJB, and with BC4J components created with JDeveloper. A sample for a restaurant finder application will help you try your hand at using both approaches.
The discussion of Oracle's extensive XML support, which will be useful for taking advantage of this popular standard for real-world projects, is very strong. (Material on the emerging Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) and WML built with XML/XLST brings the book absolutely up to date.) A longer case study provides an ambitious example of enterprise Oracle at work. This Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system (with support for call centers) demonstrates a true n-tiered architecture built around Oracle.
For developers and IT managers alike, this authoritative tour on the best of the Oracle platform is really a must-have for anyone serious about development. It proves not only that Oracle is a great database platform, but also that it's ready to run the entire enterprise through powerful Internet and component-based tools. --Richard Dragan
Topics covered:
- History of Oracle
- Introduction to PL/SQL
- Overview of Oracle tools (including Forms, Reports, Portal, Designer, Oracle 8i, and JDeveloper)
- SQLJ and JavaServer Pages (JSP)
- Enterprise JavaBeans on the Oracle platform
- XML support in Oracle
- Enterprise Application Design (EAD) and n-tiered architectures on the Oracle platform
- Oracle database fundamentals (including data dictionaries, indices, and object/relational design)
- Oracle Net8 for scalability
- Designer 6i (case study for an online course-registration database)
- PL/SQL tutorial (including PL/SQL Server Pages and the Web Toolkit for Web programming)
- Case study for an online stock-tracker application
- Java stored procedures
- JDBC tutorial (including APIs, binary fields, connection pooling, and caching)
- SQLJ tutorial
- Introduction to EJB
- Oracle performance tuning
- Oracle Business Components for Java (BC4J)
- Case study for a discussion database using PL/SQL and Java
- Search engines with Oracle interMedia
- XML fundamentals and Oracle
- Case study for a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) enterprise system
- The Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP)