Learning Oracle PL/SQL

Book description

PL/SQL, Oracle's programming language for stored procedures, delivers a world of possibilities for your database programs. PL/SQL supplements the standard relational database language, SQL, with a wide range of procedural features, including loops, IF-THEN statements, advanced data structures, and rich transactional control--all closely integrated with the Oracle database server. Knowing where to start with Oracle's procedural language is not always obvious to a newcomer, especially considering the language's feature set and the sheer size of the official documentation (not to mention Oracle's ever-increasing number of pre-built PL/SQL programs). But Learning Oracle PL/SQL offers the signposts and guidance you need to come up to speed on the language, delivered in a manageable number of pages while covering all the essentials. Topics include:

  • PL/SQL--what is it, and why use it? Why use PL/SQL instead of Java?

  • Syntax and examples of all core language constructs

  • Creating, using, and reusing stored procedures, functions, and packages

  • Building web-based applications using PL/SQL features available "out of the box" (such as PL/SQL Server Pages)

  • Securing PL/SQL programs against attack

  • Benefits of third-party developer tools and integrated development environments

  • Connecting PL/SQL to email, Java, and the Internet

Meticulously crafted with all-new examples downloadable from examples.oreilly.com/learnoracle, the book addresses language features available in all versions of Oracle, from Oracle7 to Oracle8i to Oracle9i. Learning Oracle PL/SQL was written by PL/SQL experts Bill Pribyl and Steven Feuerstein, whose easy-to-read style and attention to detail has made other O'Reilly books (such as the bestselling Oracle PL/SQL Programming) very popular among Oracle developers worldwide. Learning Oracle PL/SQL is meant for a wide range of target audiences, including both beginning programmers and those already experienced with other programming languages. Whether you are a new developer, a crossover programmer from another database system, or a new database administrator who needs to learn PL/SQL, this book will get you well on your way. It is the perfect introduction to Oracle PL/SQL Programming, also by Pribyl and Feuerstein.

Table of contents

  1. Copyright
  2. Dedication
  3. Preface
    1. Is This Book for You?
    2. Other Books in This Series
    3. Why This Book?
    4. Which Oracle and PL/SQL Versions?
    5. Organization of This Book
    6. Conventions Used in This Book
    7. Comments and Questions
    8. Acknowledgments
  4. PL/SQL: What, When, and Where
    1. What Is PL/SQL?
    2. Why Use PL/SQL?
    3. What You Need to Get Started with PL/SQL
  5. Fundamentals
    1. PL/Lingo
    2. Running Your First PL/SQL Program
    3. Introduction to Program Structure
    4. Variables
    5. Common Operators
    6. Conditional Logic
    7. Executing in Circles: Loop Statements
    8. Code Formatting: Requirements and Guidelines
    9. Some Advanced Fundamentals
  6. Let's Code!
    1. Some Background on the Example
    2. A First Programming Exercise
    3. Retrieving a Book Count with a Function
    4. Make Your Code Resilient
    5. Using PL/SQL Packages to Organize Code
    6. Going to the Next Level
    7. Now What?
  7. Go Web, Young Man
    1. Introduction to HTML
    2. Using PL/SQL to Create Web Pages
    3. What Else?
  8. Fetch!
    1. What's the Big Deal?
    2. A Simple-Minded Approach to Retrieving One Row
    3. Retrieving More than One Row Using a Cursor
    4. Presenting Query Results via a Web Page
    5. Building a Web-Based Search Page Using Dynamic SQL
    6. Advanced Data Retrieval Topics
  9. Keeping House
    1. Organize Your Code
    2. Use Tools to Write Code Effectively
  10. Security: Keep the Bad Guys Out
    1. Oracle Security Primer
    2. Organizing Accounts to Improve Security
    3. Analyzing the Library System's Requirements
    4. Keeping a Trail of Database Changes
    5. Special Security Topics for PL/SQL Developers
  11. Communicating with the Outside World
    1. Sending Internet Email from PL/SQL
    2. Using the Mail Sender in the Library System
    3. Receiving Email Inside the Database
    4. Fetching Data from a Remote Web Site
    5. Integration with Other Languages
  12. Intermediate Topics and Other Diversions
    1. Riding the Software Lifecycle
    2. Lists o' Stuff (Collections) in PL/SQL
    3. Exception-Handling Packages
    4. Transaction Control
    5. The PL/SQL Compiler
    6. Managing Patron and Librarian Privileges
    7. Still More PL/SQL Features
  13. Afterword: "Making Good" of Database Programming
    1. The Evidence
    2. The Problem
    3. Answering the Objections
    4. What to Do
  14. Glossary
  15. Colophon
  16. Index

Product information

  • Title: Learning Oracle PL/SQL
  • Author(s): Bill Pribyl, Steven Feuerstein
  • Release date: November 2001
  • Publisher(s): O'Reilly Media, Inc.
  • ISBN: 9780596001803