Oracle8i, the long-awaited "Internet database" from Oracle Corporation, has hit the streets running--and you may find yourself struggling to keep up with Oracle's fast-moving technology. Oracle boasts that Oracle8i offers more than 150 new features, many of them designed to make its popular database programming language, PL/SQL, faster, more powerful, and easier to use. This concise and engaging book is both a companion to Oracle PL/SQL Programming (widely recognized as the "bible" for PL/SQL developers) and a guide designed to bring you up to speed as quickly as possible on the new PL/SQL features of Oracle8i. Following the style of Feuerstein's earlier books, the Guide to Oracle8i Features combines easy-to-understand descriptions of the new Oracle8i features with a wealth of interesting and informative examples. The major Oracle8i PL/SQL features include the following:

• Autonomous transactions--the ability to commit or roll back changes without affecting the "main" transaction in the rest of your session
• Invoker rights--At compilation time, you can now decide whether a program (or all programs in a package) should run under the authority of the definer or the invoker of that program
• Native dynamic SQL--A native implementation of dynamic SQL that's faster and easier than the DBMS_SQL built-in package
• Bulk binds and collects--A major performance improvement that lets you process multiple rows in a single operation
• System-level database triggers--With this feature and Advanced Queueing (AQ), you can take advantage of the publish/subscribe capabilities of Oracle8i
• Fine-grained access control--This feature lets you implement security policies with functions and then use those functions to implement row-level security on tables or views.
• Many new and enhanced built-in packages--New packages include DBMS_JAVA, DBMS_PROFILER, DBMS_TRACE, and more. DBMS_UTILITY, DBMS_AQ, and others have been enhanced as well.
• Calling Java methods from within PL/SQL--The book includes enough Java know-how to help you build simple Java classes, load them into the Oracle8i database, and leverage those classes from within your PL/SQL code.

Some PL/SQL developers are uneasy about what the introduction of Java means to their applications--and their programming future. But the two languages are expected to work well together in Oracle8i. You'll be able to take advantage of all the power of Java without giving up the performance and usability advantages of PL/SQL! Included with this book is a diskette containing an online tool developed by RevealNet, Inc., that provides point-and-click access to approximately 100 files of reusable source code and examples. The Guide to Oracle8i Features showcases all the powerful new features of Oracle8i designed especially for PL/SQL developers. You'll find it indispensable as you strive to take the fullest possible advantage of everything this exciting new version has to offer. Table of Contents:

1. Oracle8i: A Bounty for PL/SQL Developers
2. Choose Your Transaction!
3. Invoker Rights: Your Schema or Mine?
4. Native Dynamic SQL in Oracle8i
5. Bulking Up with PL/SQL 8.1
6. New Trigger Features in Oracle8i
7. New and Enhanced Built-in Packages in Oracle8i
8. Deploying Fine-Grained Access Control
9. Calling Java from PL/SQL
10. More Goodies for Oracle PL/SQL Developers

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Oracle PL/SQL Programming Guide to Oracle8i Features Review,  August 18 2000
Submitted by Lucy Lugaro   [Respond | View]

My favorite book from O'Reilly is Oracle PL/SQL Programming Second Edition.
It has everything that can be posible be ask by any programmer.
Very good as a tutorial for someone new and for advance programming.

Lucy Lugaro/Ciber, Inc.


Oracle PL/SQL Programming Guide to Oracle8i Features Review,  July 18 2000
Submitted by Peter Hobday   [Respond | View]

I disagree with the tone of most of the other reviews of this book. It makes a change to find examples that are not just based on EMP or SAL or simply boring beyond comprehension. Whilst I found some of Mr Feuerstein's comments a bit too flippant for my taste, it is a change to find an IT author who appears to be able to see beyond his monitor into the world outside. I do think, however, that the editorial staff ought to have softened the tone a little.

To consider it


Oracle PL/SQL Programming Guide to Oracle8i Features Review,  April 11 2000
Submitted by John   [Respond | View]



Although the technical content of this book is good, the "In Your Face" political nature of the examples is distracting and offensive. I am very disappointed that the editors didn't see fit to ask the author to change them.

Too much of our lives are becoming politicized -- Must PL/SQL programming also be politicized? If I want to discuss or read about politics, I'll discuss or read about politics. If I want to program, I'll program, free of distractions. This is one of the few O'Reilly books that I don't think was worth the money I paid for it. I am going to return it to the bookstore for a refund. I will not buy anymore books or products created by Mr. Feuerstein, no matter how good the technical information, if he insists on cluttering them with his superficial "cause of the day" politics.


Oracle PL/SQL Programming Guide to Oracle8i Features Review,  March 19 2000
Submitted by An Oracle Professional from Chicago   [Respond | View]



Steven has consistently written excellent descriptions of how to use PLSQL well. His weak point has always been good examples. Scott Urman's book on the other hand has good examples. I usually reach for Scott's book first and then consult Steven's for an alternate view - they usually complement each other. In this latest book, Steven has thrown his mediocre examples away in favor of weaving offensive political rubbish into his book in the form of examples.

I am loath to understand how O'Reilly would choose to endorse this political crap in a book they market as teaching the feature set of Oracle 8i. Steven has every right to flaunt his anti-NATO, anti-democracy, anti-gun, pro-communist views on his web site, where we could expect it. I've read his web sight and find it amusing but in context, appropriate. On the other hand, I have come to expect Nutshell computer books from O'Reilly to be chock full of insight into how to create and use computer systems and not attempt to foment revolutionary political extremism.

Steven's recent books have all had co-authors; perhaps no one cared to join in his Quixotic quest on this one.



Oracle PL/SQL Programming Guide to Oracle8i Features Review,  February 16 2000
Submitted by Robin   [Respond | View]



While the technical content of this book is
(as usual) complete and very useful, the inclusion of political commentary is distasteful and extremely unprofessional. I was unaware that O'Reilly had begun publishing political treatises, and this book has definitely damaged their credibility. I found the examples in the book to be annoying, distracting, and in some cases offensive. I am very disappointed in the editing staff.


Oracle PL/SQL Programming Guide to Oracle8i Features Review,  December 26 1999
Submitted by Robert   [Respond | View]



I have come to expect great things of Steven Feuerstein, particularly after the Oracle Supplied Packages book he wrote. I found that particular book to be a wonderful resource since I bought it.

I was therefore expecting great things of Steven when I purchased his latest work, "Guide to Oracle8i Features". The content of the book appeared to be right up my alley and indeed I was not disappointed by the range of topics he covered (though I would have preferred more Java depth as others had mentioned and a few other new 8i features that I haven't seen mentioned in detail that I would think applied to PL/SQL such as temporary tables (though he does talk about temporary LOB's) ).

What REALLY disappoints me about the book is that Steven seems to feel that he needs to use it as a platform for his political views. Constantly his political views are expressed in both the code samples he writes and the text associated with those examples. Obviously, I disagree with Steven on a great many of the points he tries to make (is this an odd attempt at being subliminal on his part?), regardless I would never attempt to do what he has done. Technical books are NOT a place for political commentary.

So, in brief, Steve has written a good text that is clouded, heavily in my opinion, with political overtones that distract from the subject at hand. I am also surprised that O'Reilly would allow their published texts to become such a platform for political activism.

Better luck next time Steve, I still have faith in your ability to write good, clean, technical text.

Robert



Oracle PL/SQL Programming Guide to Oracle8i Features Review,  November 27 1999
Submitted by Mike   [Respond | View]



Excellent extention to 'Programming PL/SQL, version 2'. Despire many minor errors in syntax and some in logic, the 1st edition manages to introduce Autonomous Transactions, Definer/Invoker Rights, new trigger types, Dynamic SQL, and Bulk binds/collects well. Java expositions (JDBC, SQLJ) needs more thought and more material as it begins to dominate Oracle API. The included source code goes very well with text's discussions.
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