Oracle Built in Packages [Paperback]

Steven Feuerstein (Author), Charles Dye (Author), John Beresniewicz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 15, 1998

Oracle is the most popular database management system in use today, and PL/SQL plays a pivotal role in current and projected Oracle products and applications. PL/SQL is a programming language providing procedural extensions to the SQL relational database language and to an ever-growing number of oracle development tools. originally a rather limited tool, PL/SQL became with Oracle7 a mature and effective language for developers. now, with the introduction of Oracle8, PL/SQL has taken the next step towards becoming a fully realized programming language providing sophisticated object-oriented capabilities. Steven Feuerstein's Oracle PL/SQL Programming is a comprehensive guide to building applications with PL/SQL. That book has become the bible for PL/SQL developers who have raved about its completeness, readability, and practicality.

Built-in packages are collections of PL/SQL objects built by Oracle Corporation and stored directly in the Oracle database. The functionality of these packages is available from any programming environment that can call PL/SQL stored procedures, including Visual Basic, Oracle Developer/2000, Oracle Application Server (for web-based development), and, of course, the Oracle database itself. Built-in packages extend the capabilities and power of PL/SQL in many significant ways. for example:

• DBMS_SQL executes dynamically constructed SQL statements and PL/SQL blocks of code.
• DBMS_PIPE communicates between different Oracle sessions through a pipe in the RDBMS shared memory.
• DBMS_JOB submits and manages regularly scheduled jobs for execution inside the database.
• DBMS_LOB accesses and manipulates Oracle8's large objects (LOBs) from within PL/SQL programs.

The first edition of Oracle PL/SQL Programming contained a chapter on Oracle's built-in packages. but there is much more to say about the basic PL/SQL packages than Feuerstein could fit in his first book. In addition, now that Oracle8 has been released, there are many new Oracle8 built-in packages not described in the PL/SQL book. There are also packages extensions for specific oracle environments such as distributed database. hence this book.

Oracle Built-in Packages pulls together information about how to use the calling interface (API) to Oracle's Built-in Packages, and provides extensive examples on using the built-in packages effectively.

The windows diskette included with the book contains the companion guide, an online tool developed by RevealNet, Inc., that provides point-and-click access to the many files of source code and online documentation developed by the authors.

The table of contents follows:

Preface

Part I: Overview

• 1. Introduction

Part II: Application Development Packages

• Executing Dynamic SQL and PL/SQL
• Intersession Communication
• User Lock and Transaction Management
• Oracle Advanced Queuing
• Generating Output from PL/SQL Programs
• Defining an Application Profile
• Managing Large Objects
• Datatype Packages
• Miscellaneous Packages

Part III: Server Management Packages

• Managing Session Information
• Managing Server Resources
• Job Scheduling in the Database

Part IV: Distributed Database Packages

• Snapshots
• Advanced Replication
• Conflict Resolution
• Deferred Transactions and Remote Procedure Calls

Appendix. What's on the companion disk?

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Steven Feuerstein is considered one of the world's leading experts on the Oracle PL/SQL language. He is the author or coauthor of Oracle PL/SQL Programming, Oracle PL/SQL Best Practices, Oracle PL/SQL Programming: Guide to Oracle8i Features, Oracle PL/SQL Developer's Workbook, Oracle Built-in Packages, Advanced Oracle PL/SQL Programming with Packages, and several pocket reference books (all from O'Reilly & Associates). Steven is a Senior Technology Advisor with Quest Software, has been developing software since 1980, and worked for Oracle Corporation from 1987 to 1992.

Charles Dye is the database architect for Excite, Inc. (www.excite.com), where he is responsible for the design and implementation of the databases theat supply content to some of the world's busiest Web sites. Prior to joining Excite, he was the senior database administrator for The Dialog Corporation. Charles also operates a small but growing consultancy with clients in the San Francisco Bay area and Hong Kong. Once upon a time, before fleeing the East Coast for California skies, Charles taught math and physics at the Georgetown Day School in Washington DC. Charles is a frequent speaker at regional and national Oracle events such as Oracle Open World and IOUG-A Live. His favorite topics are distributed databases in general and advanced replication in particular. He also writes for the Northern California Oracle Users Group newsletter and is an active contributor to the Oracle Internet list server. Look for Charles' upcoming O'Reilly book, Oracle Distributed Systems, available later in 1998. Charles lives in Los Altos, California, with his wife Kathy, daughter Natalie, and labrador Jed. You can email him at [e-mail].

John Beresniewicz is currently a product analyst at Savant Corporation (www.savant-corp.com) responsible for design and development of the Q Diagnostic Center for Oracle. Prior to joining Savant, he was an Oracle DBA with eight years experience in large corporate client-server environments. Developing the Q product's server-side PL/SQL engine has given John extensive and unique experience with using Oracle built-in packages to develop large package-based applications. John is also known in the Oracle user community as a frequent speaker on DBA and PL/SQL topics and an active participant in various Oracle online discussion groups. He has given papers at numerous IOUW, ECO, and local Oracle User Groups. At ECO '97, he received the "Outstanding Speaker" award for his talk on using the PL/SQL built-in packages DBMS_PIPE and DBMS_LOCK. John lives with his wife Arlene in Gaithersburg, MD, where they enjoy going to the $2 movie theater. He can be reached by email at [e-mail].

Product Details

• Paperback: 956 pages
• Publisher: O'Reilly Media; Pap/Dskt edition (May 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1565923758
• ISBN-13: 978-1565923751
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,500,455 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Steven Feuerstein is considered to be one of the world's leading experts on the Oracle PL/SQL language, having written ten books on PL/SQL, including Oracle PL/SQL Programming and Oracle PL/SQL Best Practices (all published by O'Reilly Media). Steven has been developing software since 1980, spent five years with Oracle (1987-1992), and has served as PL/SQL Evangelist for Quest Software since January 2001. He is an Oracle ACE Director and writes regularly for Oracle Magazine, which named him the PL/SQL Developer of the Year in both 2002 and 2006. He is also the first recipient of ODTUG's Lifetime Achievement Award (2009). Since 2005 he has focused his attention on improving the testing of PL/SQL programs, primarily through the creation of Quest Code Tester for Oracle, which automates PL/SQL code testing. Steven's online PL/SQL cyberhome is located at www.ToadWorld.com/SF; but you can also find out more about Steven at http://www.StevenFeuerstein.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is a Lifesaver if you're using Oracle Packages!, March 9, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Oracle Built in Packages (Paperback)

If you want to take advantage of Oracle's Built-in packages (and you should, if you're doing anything with PL/SQL), this book is a lifesaver. After struggling to follow Oracle's documentation regarding Dynamic SQL in PL/SQL procedures, I spent a few days with this book and was able to understand and utilize the DBMS_SQL package to create some powerful PL/SQL stored procedures. The book (like most of O'Reilly's books) is well-written, and has great examples--something sorely lacking in Oracle's documentation. This and Mr. Feuerstein's other book on PL/SQL "Oracle PL/SQL Programming" are great resources. Look at the O'Reilly Oracle series before you buy similar Oracle Press books.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Oracle Built-In Packages, January 18, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Oracle Built in Packages (Paperback)

This book was a definite job saver. The book covers procedures not covered in Oracle documentation and not even known by Oracle support staff. Each package and procedure is indexed and offers at a minimum a brief description and usage of the procedure. I highly recommend the book for anyone trying to implement complex features of Oracle such as replication.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Encyclopedia on Oracle Packages, March 28, 2000

By 

jaramill "gjaram" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Oracle Built in Packages (Paperback)

Oracle should just have O'Reilly publish all of their documentation. Though I haven't had a need to use 85% of Oracle's packages, the ones that I have read are thoroughly documented. Even the author (Steve Feuerstein) mentioned that there are even MORE builtin packages that he didn't put into his book. Word is that he may add more of them.

Excellent book.

Gio