Oracle8: A Beginner's Guide (Paperback)

by Michael Abbey (Author), Michael J. Corey (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
A concise comprehensive survey of Oracle8 for novice users. Features the new Network Computing Architecture revealed!

From the Back Cover

At last--a concise, comprehensive survey of Oracle8 for novice users!

Begin your exploration of Oracle with expanded coverage of the revolutionary new Oracle8. Oracle 8: A Beginner's Guide will introduce you to the essential concepts behind the latest version of this complex and powerful database management system -- and will teach you the basics of setting up, querying, and managing your database.

In this official guide, authorized by Oracle Corporation and written by two renowned members of the Oracle community, database experts Michael Abbey and Michael J. Corey discuss:

Oracle8's new object environment and object-oriented programming concepts, data warehousing, and Oracle's Network Computing Architecture with an emphasis on Windows NT Basic to advanced SQL, and the principles of database design Oracle tools, showing you how to create tables; how to add search through, query, and sort data; and how to generate reports Management of your database and how to unravel the mysteries of tuning the system for optimal performance Developer/2000 Forms, Reports, and SQL Loader, as well as provide a guide to Oracle's latest products Oracle Enterprise manager and how it fits so well into the database administrator's toolset Key information on Oracle 8's object-relational technology and the Network Computing Architecture

If you're looking for the single best introduction to Oracle8 Server and the key products related to it, look no further than Oracle8: A Beginner's Guide.

Product Details

• Paperback: 767 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Companies (June 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0078823935
• ISBN-13: 978-0078823930
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,544,054 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars For people who know absolutely nothing about Oracle, April 21, 1999

By A Customer

I came in knowing nothing about Oracle except that it was a database program. I didn't even know exactly what to do with it. If you are in a similar situation, then this book is good, because it'll get you on your feet, and introduce you to what it's all about. It will give you a VERY LIGHT introduction to most features of Oracle.

However, once you need to do anything useful, this book SUCKS. I installed Oracle on my system, and I needed to somehow log in. How do I do it? What are the default passwords and accounts? This book did not tell me anything on this subject. In the examples for the installation procedure, they say "Let's assume you have an account Polly with the password 'gone'" HOW DID THEY CREATE THIS USER WITHOUT FIRST LOGGING IN???? HOW DID THEY LOG IN??? They never explain this, and these types of oversights are throughout the entire book.

Basically, if you know nothing about Oracle, this book explains things in a way that you can understand what the purpose of all the functions and programs are. If you want a 2-minute introduction to everything, get this book, and then once you roll up your sleeves, go buy another one. I don't regret buying this book, but I quickly realized I needed another one to help me do anything useful.

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars It should have been called the Morons guide to Oracle ..., December 28, 1999

By	Dave Gustafson (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

for those that don't know enough (or want to learn enough) to qualify as idiots.

The book has many mistakes, too much fawning over Oracle, and not enough useful information. A better choice would be the Complete Guide to Oracle.

I made the mistake of buying it at a Bricks and Mortar store after a quick look at it. I returned it a couple days later when I realized that however little I knew about Oracle that this book taught even less. This shows why reader comments at Amazon are so useful, had I read them I never would have wasted my time with the book.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good start, June 2, 2000

By	Andre Bastos V. Branco (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

It's a good book if you don't have any idea what is a relational database. Sometimes it's boring to read, but it has a wide range of topics. The chapters are very well explained and it isn't about Oracle database only, it talks about SQL fundamentals, Oracle Forms, Oracle Reports, database tuning, Oracle Loader, PL/SQL, installation and so on. I like it to learn and as a reference.