Customer Reviews

Oracle SQL*Loader: The Definitive Guide

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Although Oracle does a reasonable job of clearly explaining SQL*Loader, this guide takes it a giant leap forward. First it collects everything you ever needed or wanted to know about SQL*Loader into a 251 page reference. It's written in a friendlier fashion than Oracle's documentation, and with more examples that are better written. On the whole, this promotes a better understanding of SQL*Loader, its strengths and limitations, and will allow DBAs to master every facet and nuance of this powerful tool. Considering the damage that can be inflicted on a production database if SQL*Loader is improperly used, all DBAs who use this tool to load data (and who doesn't?) should read this book and have a copy on their desk.

Another use for this book is as a training aid for new DBAs and as the basis for database administration policies and procedures that spell out when and how to load data into a production system. It also contains a wealth of information that can be incorporated into change control implementation and rollback plans when massive updates need to be performed. I like the thorough treatment, the fact that it's up-to-date, and the advice and tips that are imparted throughout this book. It's definitely a good addition to your professional library.

I searched through several manuals and guides on Oracle only to discover that very few cover the SQL Loader tool in great detail. This book does so, and in a way that's fairly easy to read. It is a huge benefit over the sparse 2-3 pages of documentation you'll typically find elsewhere.

This is the place to start if you want to know about SQL*Loader. The authors do a great job on covering how to use SQL*Loader and all the little nuances that it has. They also sprinkles in some good advise on how to handle situation that will probably come up when you use SQL*Loader. The back cover of the book indicates that it is updated for Oracle 9i. I have a little reservation about that because the book was written with an early release of Oracle 9i (it states so on page xii and xii).

Bottom line: start with this book for the easy read and clear explanations. Then go to the Oracle 9i doc for the updates like the Control File being expanded to include new parameters.

Useful for both new and experienced Oracle DBAs and developers.
Initially, some co-workers scoffed, saying that the topic of SQL Loader does not need an entire book on the subject. However, after they looked at my copy, they changed their minds, and wanted to borrow it.

I have been dealing with databases for over three years now.
Right now I am doing Siebel Consulting in which Enterprise Integration Module(EIM) is responsible for data transfer from any source to Sieble database. I came across a requirement where I had to use Oracle SQL Loader, so I went looking for a good book.
This 250 page book tells you everything you need to know about SQL Loader in less time than any other. Lots of code and real time examples.
Worth having as ref book for all DBAs or even developers.
Five Stars for sure.

Very good book on SQL loader. Eveything is in one place and easy to find. Answered all my questions and I got a few ideas about other ways to use SQL loader.

It's no secret why anyone would seek out a book on SQL*Loader, considering that Oracle's documentation on SQL*Loader, even with 11g, is notably worse than their usual excellent standard.

This book shows promise, particularly in offering a much more logical flow than the official documentation. However, now that I've owned it for several years now, I have to admit that it has never once helped me solve a SQL*Loader problem.

Why? Its examples are trivial, being far too simple when compared to practical needs, and its explanations for some of the finer points of SQL*Loader are too thin. As a classic example, consider the authors' treatment of the WHEN clause in the SQL*Loader control file, pp 146-147, 149-150. Much of the first couple of pages mirrors the syntax diagrams and such from Oracle's documentation. Moving to the examples, one sees, for example a control file that tests for two conditions in order to load a record. But what about more than one set of conditions? How do we get around the lack of an "OR" test in the control file in order to test for multiple combinations that would all load to the SAME table? Nothing. What if you want to combine multiple file records into a single database row AND test AND transform, all at the same time? Examples of this sort would be invaluable, but, again, there's nothing.

There's no coverage of external tables (which were introduced in 9i, the latest version covered by the book), even though the syntax is rather similar, and external tables offer the ability to replace SQL*Loader in many cases.

Overall, I think I'm finally going to cull this one from my collection in favor of the Internet.

This book contains a somewhat disjointed overview of SQL*Loader. It starts to explain something and then shows one little example of a character column, for instance. But then there is nothing at all about what to do if the column is a number or date. It explains a lot but it shows little. A very frustrating book.

Oracle's SQL*Loader is fragile, counter-intuitive, dated, and hard to work with. If there were ANY other books available, I would try one of those instead.

This is not light reading, but it's a great reference and much better than the Oracle manuals on SQL Loader.

This is a good book for anyone needing or wanting to learn more about SQL Loader. The book begins by laying the foundation for SQL Loader and discussing "The Mysterious Control File". After that it discusses the two types of files that can be loaded - fixed lenght and delimited files. With the basics covered, the authors turn to error recovery and advanced features such as selective loading and direct path loads. After reading this book, you should have a good idea of what SQL Loader can and cannot do along with some of the finer points of when to and not to use SQL Loader. A knowledge of Oracle SQL is really all that is required to understand the material presented. This book is a must have for any shop using Oracle for their database.