Oracle SQL by Example (3rd Edition) [Paperback]

Alice Rischert (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0131451316 | ISBN-13: 978-0131451315 | Publication Date: June 27, 2004 | Edition: 3

Oracle SQL by Example, Third Edition is a convenient, quick way to master Oracle SQL. This unique integrated book-and-Web learning solution teaches all the SQL skills you will need to succeed in an Oracle environment. Through hands-on, real-world labs, exercises, projects, and a superb Web-based training site, the book teaches administrators and programemrs alike the core skills required for their jobs. Coverage includes every key Oracle SQL concept, including: entity-relationship diagrams, the SQL*Plus environment, SELECT and other statements, Boolean operations, joins, aggregate and not-aggregate functions. Each chapter contains review exercises that help the reader master the important skills before they move on.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

The book ... has enough depth for even a seasoned professional to pick up enough tips to pay back the price of the book many times over.—Dr. Paul Dorsey, President Dulcian, Inc., and President, New York Oracle Users Group.

Students find Oracle SQL by Example to be extremely helpful not only to their coursework but also in preparing them for future careers as Oracle DBAs and developers. The layout of the text is conducive to the learning process. It introduces a concept and then reinforces that concept with an exercise.—Betsy Jenaway, Coordinator, Malcomb Operations, and Senior Lecturer College of Management, Lawrence Technological University, Southfield, MI.

The world's #1 hands-on Oracle SQL workbook ... fully updated for Oracle 10g

Crafted for hands-on learning and tested in classrooms worldwide this book illuminates in-depth every Oracle SQL technique you'll need. From the simplest query fundamentals through the newest regular expression database enhancements, you will focus on the tasks that matter most. Hundreds of guided lab exercises will systematically strengthen your expertise in writing effective, high-performance SQL. Along the way, you will acquire an arsenal of useful Oracle SQL knowledge and techniques: an extraordinary library of solutions for your real-world challenges with Oracle SQL.

• Creating and using tables, views, indexes, and sequences
• Working in SQL*Plus and iSQL*Plus environments
• Oracle functions in depth—especially number, character, date, timestamp, interval, time zone, aggregate, and analytical functions
• All types of joins, including equijoins, outer joins, self joins and ANSI join syntax options
• Every type of subquery, including correlated and scalar subqueries, set operators, hierarchical queries, flashback queries, data dictionary, object-relational features, regular expressions, and more
• Common pitfalls to avoid, and solutions for common mistakes
• Practical performance, security, and architectural solutions
• Insights, tips, and tricks-of-the-trade from an experienced Oracle professional
• For every database developer, administrator, designer or architect, regardless of experience!

About the Author

ALICE RISCHERT chairs the Database Application Development and Design program at Columbia University's School of Continuing Education. She has worked with Oracle for well over a decade as a database administrator, database architect, and project leader for Fortune 100 companies.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 960 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall; 3 edition (June 27, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0131451316
• ISBN-13: 978-0131451315
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #651,769 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #71 in Books > Computers & Technology > Databases > Oracle

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best and most under rated SQL book, September 15, 2009

By 

justicescale.org "justice" (Colorado) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Oracle SQL by Example (3rd Edition) (Paperback)

I use SQL daily and I'm still not very good at it.
I don't pick up languages easily or memorize syntax
or vocabulary be it French, Spanish or SQL.
So, several times a day I pick up this book
to reference how to do something with SQL that I need
to know NOW before moving on to my next 20
emergency du jures.
.
This is a great book........ the best that I have found.
.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Learning By Examples, April 24, 2008

By 

F. Riaz (Toronto, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Oracle SQL by Example (3rd Edition) (Paperback)

I had picked up a copy of O'Reilly's "Oracle SQL*Plus" text. Read through the first few pages, got discouraged, and the book sat on the shelf for five years.
Since then, I have become a strong believer of "Learning by doing". Last year, I had bought this book with the same philosophy in mind. Needless to say, I was not disappointed. As the other reviewers have pointed out, the author starts with simple examples and builds on the material. Every concept is followed by at least one example.

The questions at the end of each chapter reinforce the concepts covered in the chapter. The answers (to the questions) introduce more concepts followed by more examples, and the learning process goes on and on ...

All in all, an excellent resource to learn Oracle's sqlplus.

Having said that, what this book is not is a certification guide. For those aspiring to write the Oracle certification exams will have to go an extra mile of investing time & money in another text that is specifically geared towards certifications. And this is where I am heading next.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Good Resource for SQL and Oracle., November 4, 2006

By 

J. Stark (Phoenix, Arizona) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Oracle SQL by Example (3rd Edition) (Paperback)

You will like this book! I knew absolutely nothing about SQL, but this book will put your mind at ease. The author is easygoing and writes what could be a very tough topic in a non-intimating way. Believe me, this book will quickly become your best friend when it comes to learning SQL/Oracle. This book is so detailed that it covers every conceivable aspect of SQL/Oracle. Personally, I just wanted to learn SQL and really don't know what database I want to use at this point, but this book is an excellent way to learn SQL -- especially for those that like to learn at their own pace like I do. So, if you are a "learn-it-yourselfer" like I am, you will love it. It even has end of chapter review questions to reinforce in the learning. Plus, it's a terrific resource after you complete the chapters.

Now the downside: I would say the only confusing part is uploading the tutorial database (which you have to do from the author's website. It will take a little brainpower and a few aspirin because the directions on the author's website assume some previous knowledge. But trust me; you will eventually get it to work. I should tell you that it would be helpful, not necessary, but helpful to know a little bit about relational databases (like MS Access) before you tackle Oracle. Anther thing to know is that the author tells you that you need the Standard or Professional full editions, which would be very expensive and only necessary if you own a Fortune 500 company! But, thankfully, you do not need the full versions. All you need is the Express Edition to practice on and the book tutorials are well suited to it. The Express Edition is free software downloadable from Oracle's website, and really, it's all the casual hobbyist needs anyway and it's plenty powerful. Now, for those who are not familiar with Oracle, it has a completely different look and feel from ...like MS Access, for example. Oracle looks like DOS and initially feels just as clunky. But, it will grow on you. You also can apply the SQL concepts to Microsoft SQL Server if you want to learn another DB.

So if you are really serious and dedicated about learning databases, and don't mind a difficult initial set up, buy this book.