Oracle PL/SQL Programming: A Developer's Workbook

Preface

When I first started writing about the Oracle PL/SQL language back in 1994, there were precious few resources on the language besides Oracle’s documentation. Six years later, the situation has changed radically. Not only does O’Reilly & Associates offer four full-length texts and two quick references on PL/SQL, but other publishers have also focused their attention on this important database programming language for Oracle developers.

Given this state of affairs, you might then reasonably ask: what need does the Oracle PL/SQL Developer’s Workbook fill that thousands of other pages of writings on PL/SQL do not manage to meet?

One concern I have about texts on computer software is that reading a book is inherently a passive activity. You read, and you attempt to absorb information from another, more experienced (you hope) developer. Now, it is true that the act of engaging with the material is not entirely passive. Yet it is also true that until you actually try to write some code or solve some problem with the language, you will not really have tested or integrated your newfound knowledge.

The object of this workbook is to provide you with an active learning experience with PL/SQL. While you could simply read the workbook as you might read my first text, Oracle PL/SQL Programming, the book you are holding has been designed to engage you actively, to provoke a response, to get you solving problems immediately with the techniques at hand.

It is my hope that through your use of ...