Building Oracle XML Applications (Paperback)

by Steve Muench (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Aimed at Oracle professionals planning or doing XML work, this in-depth guide, covering Oracle8 and Oracle8i, comes from Oracle's lead XML technical evangelist, Steve Muench. No prior knowledge of XML is required to dive into the book, but readers are assumed to be familiar with SQL and with programming using Java or PL/SQL.

Building Oracle XML Applications introduces XML, gives an overview of Oracle XML technologies, and shows what they do and how they fit together. There is a focus on JDeveloper, Oracle's Java and XML development tool, which can be installed from the CD-ROM, and there are plenty of hands-on examples of how to use it. Then there are chapters on processing XML with PL/SQL or Java, transforming XML with XSLT, publishing data with XSQL pages, generating datagrams (XML documents used for exchanging data), and techniques for storing and loading XML data. The final section concentrates on Oracle XML applications, and topics include an XSQL publishing framework, Java extension functions, and using XSQL and XSLT to build personalized portals and discussion forums.

This fast-paced handbook is packed with example code. The presentation is clear, and the technical content is based on the author's deep knowledge of Oracle in general and XML technologies in particular. Highly recommended. --Tim Anderson, Amazon.co.uk

Product Description
XML (Extensible Markup Language)has emerged as the industry standard for describing data for e-commerce, particularly for business-to-business exchange. Oracle Corporation supports XML in a wide range of products, and the company describes Oracle8i, its "Internet database" as "the first XML-enabled database." XML is a key part of the company's e-business strategy. Building Oracle XML Applications gives both Java and PL/SQL developers a rich and detailed look at the range of available Oracle XML technologies. The book shows how to combine the power of XML and XSLT with the speed, functionality, and reliability of the Oracle database to build flexible applications. The author delivers nearly 800 pages of entertaining text, helpful and time-saving hints, and extensive examples that developers can put to use immediately to build custom XML applications. Products covered include:

XSQL pages and the XSQL servlet JDeveloper XSLT Processor XML Parser interMedia Advanced Queuing

The accompanying CD-ROM contains JDeveloper 3.1, an integrated development environment for Java developers.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 812 pages
• Publisher: O'Reilly Media, Inc. (October 2, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1565926919
• ISBN-13: 978-1565926912
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #513,173 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Find your "missing" Oracle XML documentation here..., October 19, 2000

By	Brian Shensky (Ann Arbor, MI USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Finally!

You've heard the one about the IT manager and the CEO, the punch line reading something like "the information you've given me is technically accurate but totally useless"? This is exactly how I was beginning to feel about Oracle's XML documentation (primarily on TechNet) -- tons of what I needed, with no degree of coherency or focus to task.

I eventually gave up on wading through countless Oracle URLs and READMEs and simply decided to wait for the release of Steve Muench's book. I'm glad I did.

Steve takes us on a journey of well-documented *examples* that explain the "why" and "how" of the Oracle XML API, not just the "what". Especially good is Chapter 5, the PL/SQL XML API - great for long-time Oracle dweebs that have yet to polish up on Java.

I have few criticisms - I had hoped to see an electronic version of the examples on the included CD (any maybe they're there but they were not immediately apparent). I also recently purchased O'Reilly's XML Pocket Quick Reference - it does a bit better job at concisely explaining XML and XSL syntax. Rather than dis Muench's effort, I prefer to believe that the Quick Ref is an essential companion to this otherwise stellar find.

If you plan to "do XML" with Oracle, you MUST BUY THIS BOOK, period. 'Nuff said.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I wish all programming books were like this one!!!, January 7, 2001

By	Dr. Zoidberg (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

First, I must say, when I picked this book a few weeks ago, I already was working with XML/Oracle/Etc for almost a year. At the time the variety of books in the market was very limited (I had to learn XSLT from a site in the Czecz republic because no book offered a decent coverage!). So, I picked this book to see what I had missed, and what I was doing perhaps not in the best way. This book was everything that I expected and more. It covers *a lot* of material, XML, XML Storage (How to use Oracle Clobs, for example), XPATH, XSLT and more - the authors don't cut corners, they explain everything thoroughly, and that's why the book takes more than 700 pages. The examples are excellent - concise and right to the point. The material is written in a clear and comprehensive way. Usually programming books take a lot out of me - but not this one! I thought I knew a lot about XML, but I learned much I didn't know from this book. To summarize, this is how a programming book should be! Simply above and beyond the call of duty. I also think it would be useful for people which intend to use XML with databases other than Oracle.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nearly a Panacea, March 26, 2001

By	Roderick Barnes (San Antonio, Texas) - See all my reviews

Steve preaches words of wisdom and exhortation to the many would-be software development practitioners endeavoring to claim the promises of Java and XML. His book is second to none with regard to explaining Java-Oracle-XML because

(1) he provides deep and wide coverage of the concepts (2) he provides meaningful example code for nearly everything discussed in the book (3) he has a command of Java, PL/SQL and XML that enables him to speak fluently in any of these languages. Consequently he becomes an ambassador from any of these camps to any of the others.

The book shelves are crowded with XML, Java and Oracle books that dabble in the nexus of these technologies - applications. Where they all fall short of describing the intersection of these technologies in ways that are germane to business (Oracle XML Applications) OXA succeeds.

Especially noteworthy are the many examples of using LOBs to store, manipulate and retrieve XML documents and his treatment of XSLT in chapters 7 and 9. After taking great pains to explain the use of XPath he then goes to great lengths to show how it is used in XSLT to transform XML documents into HTML, XML or other document types. Pay special attention to the explanation of the operation on page 279.

Those who read his book will certainly benefit from its disclosures.