14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The best book to understand Oracle's PL/SQL and how to use it effectively., May 24, 2008
This is one of the best technical books I have read. It makes PL/SQL easy to learn for the beginners and it is so detailed that very experienced users will find it extremely useful. It covers the usage of PL/SQL with many different types of applications such as JAVA, XML, PHP, etc. I have recommended very few language books in my time, because, I have found them to be written with the writer's logic as to how the writer thinks the code would be better executed. However this is the first book that I have seen that is written logically based on how the language would be better used to efficiently interact with the database. In short, I give this book my highest recommendation. I would like to congratulate Michael on writing such a great book.
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13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Mike Farmer, April 2, 2008
Michael McLaughlin has delivered the most comprehensive book on PL/SQL on the market. No matter where you are, novice or master, you will find this book helpful. The book is loaded with practical, working examples and detailed descriptions that will help you from getting lost. Even the most complex topics are covered thoroughly and comprehensively in a way that makes them feel simple. Even if you are not on 11g yet, you need to buy this book. It's not only a great reference, but an interesting and captivating read that will give you ideas and understanding which will help in any project.
Most of all, this book reveals the power of PL/SQL as a viable and fully-featured programming language. It covers complex subjects such as Object Oriented Programming and utilizing Large Objects (LOBS) with striking detail. It also contains a primer on using PHP and Java with PL/SQL! You'll also find a revealing discussion on using Functions, Procedures, and Packages that enhance understanding in a way that no other book does. Other books teach you the "how", this book covers the "what" and the "why" so that you not only can write the code, but you understand everything that it is doing.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone that uses PL/SQL no matter your current skill level. There's great content for everyone.
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8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Oracle Database 11g PL/SQL Programming by Michael McLaughlin. New York, 2008 by McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., December 20, 2008
Oracle Database 11g PL/SQL Programming by Michael McLaughlin. New York, 2008 by McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
As business processes and problems rely more and more on reporting and data analysis from Oracle databases, there is an increasing need for personnel that have a working knowledge of the PL/SQL language. In this book, the author intends to teach those just beginning to learn PL/SQL the basic concepts through some of the more challenging capabilities of the language. McLaughlin does quite a respectable job of accomplishing this difficult task.
Throughout the book a reader is supplied with example code that works as prescribed, personal experiences illustrating code hazards and successes for various applications, figures demonstrating how code works in complex situations, appendices abundant with relevant information for easy reference and finally even a bit of humor here and there. Although the intended audience is new users, experienced PL/SQL programmers would benefit as new features in 11g are explained and clarified with code examples.
There are many ways to present methods for learning programming languages, ranging from brief explanations with code snippets to extraordinary or mind numbing details with few or no examples. In the former case many gaps exist and a reader is usually left without a clue as to how to use the language at all, let alone effectively. And in the latter case, by the time a reader finishes a paragraph she is left wondering how to use and apply the material in a realistic scenario. In this book McLaughlin balances the two extremes to provide a consistent method useful for both new and experienced programmers. Clearly and succinctly he presents a topic and then provides an easily understandable example. However, for some of the more complex concepts presented in Part III of the book the PL/SQL novice should be prepared to spend some time reading and practicing coding. There are a few cases where a concept is presented briefly in early chapters without a complete coding example and then in later chapters details are revealed in more advanced situations. In such cases a reader is expected to have the memory and insight to integrate this information to fully appreciate the code example. I spotted such a condition while reading the technique of overloading a function in Chapter 9 Packages. I was looking forward to an example but one did not exist. Later while working in Chapter 15 Java Libraries, to my surprise found that complete code example in HelloWorld2.sql for an overloaded procedure. This minor oversight would not faze an experienced programmer and hopefully should not prove too frustrating for a new user either. It could serve as a discovery or maybe was intended as a self-check on how well previous chapters were understood.
In summary, whether you are new to Oracle Corporation's PL/SQLÒ or an experienced PL/SQL programmer, this book provides valuable direction and advice for learning the language. It introduces and details new features for 11g and provides readers the opportunity to expand their repertoire of programming tools.
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