Oracle8i Advanced PL/SQL Programming

This latest edition of Scott Urman's definitive guide to PL/SQL programming under Oracle databases, Oracle8i Advanced PL/SQL Programming, takes into account the new features of the language under Oracle 8i. Urman cut out some of the introductory PL/SQL material that appears in his earlier Oracle works, letting him focus more fully on higher-level aspects of the language and advanced techniques for putting them to use. Still, quite a bit of introductory material--including information on PL/SQL development environments--appears here, so don't be afraid to dive into Oracle 8i PL/SQL with this book if you can afford to buy only one guide.

Urman follows the classic didactic strategy of explaining a concept in general terms, introducing code that implements that concept, and then commenting on the code and presenting variations on it. The result is an effective tutorial and a moderately complete reference to approximate solutions for on-the-job problems. You'll also find a fair bit of straight-language reference material in these pages, typically in the form of an operator or clause followed by a bit of commentary on its appropriate use. The index includes all mentions of clauses and other language elements, so it's the best place to look for references to specific elements of the language. Stick with a straight-through read if you're out to learn PL/SQL for the first time. --David Wall

Topics covered: The PL/SQL programming language, particularly as implemented under Oracle 8i. The book touches on the non-object aspects of PL/SQL and its object model, and explains how to implement database triggers, file I/O operations, and communications among database sessions. Large Objects (LOBs) are also discussed.