Oracle8i for Dummies (Paperback)

by Carol McCullough-Dieter (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Oracle8i for Dummies provides an easily absorbable explanation of what you need to know about Oracle8i to use it effectively. The book includes accurate, easy-to-follow tutorials on Structured Query Language (SQL), the Enterprise Manager, system tables, and the data-dictionary views that derive from them. The coverage of Object SQL, though brief, is particularly praiseworthy, and there's a similarly fine but short introduction to SQLJ, the Java-based language that's slated to replace PL/SQL.

As is the case with most Dummies books, you'll find that this one gets you off to a great start before leaving you hungry for more detailed coverage of advanced features. Once you get to that stage, look into Oracle8 Design Tips. You may also like SQL Fundamentals, particularly if you need to adapt your knowledge of Microsoft SQL for use in an Oracle environment. --David Wall

Topics covered: New features of Oracle8i; creating and administering Oracle databases; creating tables, tablespaces, objects, and relationships among objects; and user administration and security data.

Product Description

Does the prospect of using Oracle8i have you quaking in your boots? Are you having a recurring nightmare about a database that's out to get you? Let Oracle8i For Dummies give you back your freedom! Oracle8i is the first relational database to integrate Java programs, but discovering the many ways that you can use Oracle8i can seem like a daunting task. Let professional Oracle database administrator Carol McCullough walk you through the basics before she guides you into the essentials, all the while saving you time with her expert tips and advice.

Discover the fun and easy way to get through the nuts and bolts of Oracle8i. Find out the parameters of your databases, including an in-depth look at accessing that information with SQL*Plus Worksheet. Maximize the use of your system by understanding the basics of an object-relational database. You even discover how to create tables, secure them, and back them up. For those who are a bit more advanced, the latest features of Oracle8i are covered, highlighted with a nifty icon.

Discover all the added power of the latest Java features in Oracle8i For Dummies and do it with a book that's down to earth and easy to understand.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Inc (Computers) (June 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 076450570X
• ISBN-13: 978-0764505706
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,596,580 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Get Primed, February 22, 2000

By A Customer

Oracle beginners will definitely want to take a look at Oracle 8i for Dummies. This is one Oracle book that requires very little prior knowledge of relational databases. The author will get you going with a good theoretical discussion of topics such as database structures, data normalization and the use of primary and foreign keys. If you don't need a theory primer, then jump straight into the sample data examples that form the core of this book.

This book is true to its `Dummies' tradition. The examples, which are provided on the CD that accompanies the book, are very down-to-earth. The author demystifies even the most complicated features of Oracle 8i, such as object types and object tables. The SQL presented in the examples is easy to understand and is more than adequate for beginners. The book will also give you enough basic knowledge of database administration to keep you out of trouble. And yes, the source code on the CD installs and works well.

To benefit from this book, you need to have Oracle 8i, the Oracle Enterprise Manager, and Oracle WebDB already installed on your system. All of these products can be downloaded for free, on a trial basis, at technet.oracle.com. The book does not cover the installation of these products.

I got what I wanted from this book. I was a complete beginner to Oracle. I needed an inexpensive way to get exposed to Oracle's complicated features. For me, this book was the answer.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent starting point, February 17, 2000

By A Customer

Oracle 8i for Dummies has two things going for it that other Oracle books don't. First, it sells for 1/2 the price of the others and second, it isn't 400+ pages thick. I was able to go through 8i, Enterprise Manager and WebDB within a day or two and get a good feel for the types of things that can be done. I haven't seen another book yet which would have helped me accomplish this.

I have to admit that those reviews complaining about lack of depth or completeness are somewhat valid. However, if you want this, go get one of the 400+ page monsters. If you want to get started fast, grab this book.

My strategy was to use this book as a starting point. I gained the experience to get around the most significant features with relative ease and I also learned which parts of Oracle 8i I really am interested in. I think that this book was perfect for this. Now I can get a more advanced book to cover the specific topics I need to dive into and expand my Oracle knowledge further.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Alternatives to "Oracle 8i for Dummies", June 13, 2000

By	Steven Hartman (San Jose, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As the guy who wrote that last pan, I thought I'd give you my recommendation for some absolute beginner books I HAVE found to be helpful.

They're both published by Oracle Press.

First, there's "Oracle NT Handbook," by Adkoli and Velpuri.

And there's "Oracle 8i for Windows NT Starter Kit" by Bobrowski.

For my dollar, these books are everything that "Oracle 8i for Dummies" should have been but wasn't.