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Re: How to learn PL/SQL

From: <ben.salemi_at_gcgc.com>
Date: 1998/03/31
Message-ID: <6fqr7e$j3n$1@nnrp1.dejanews.com>#1/1

My two cents ...

It sounds from the original posting like Christoph just needs to learn PL/SQL and is wondering if he needs to learn something else first (in order to understand PL/SQL). If this is the case, go ahead and pick up a copy of _Oracle:_The_Complete_Reference_ by Oracle Press and go to it! If you are just trying to get a few things done, not develop an enterprise-wide object architecture, don't sweat it too much. PL/SQL is relatively easy to learn and you can accomplish a fair number of useful things in a short amount of time.

On the other hand, if you are looking for a base on which to build a career, I would agree with Mssr. Barnett on Java. As an old (for this industry) structured programming guy, I really like Pascal and Turing as teaching languages (no marketplace demand though). I would avoid C, only because it allows you to get into too much trouble, ditto C++. And definitely avoid VB, way to many bad habits.

Ben Salemi

In article <01bd5c72$12bc4f40$8c0564a1_at_azmelw1358.mel.az.bp.com>,   "Andrew Barnett" <nobody_at_spamandeggs.bp.com> wrote:
>
> I would argue that PL/SQL is not a bad procedural language to learn
> programming. Being based on ADA, it at least might help instil some idea of
> good programming practice: little things like encapsulation and proper
> exception handling. The basic concepts of programming are applicable across
> PL/SQL or C or whatever.
>
> Having said that, I would advise learning Java first. PL/SQL isn't a full
> language and lacks things that general purpose languages have. Neither is
> it properly object-oriented. Learn OOP to start with, and you won't face
> the battle of trying to unlearn older ways of doing things. Finally, I get
> the feeling that Java will probably displace PL/SQL as Oracle's preferred
> procedural offering.
>
> Speak not of VB. Yes, one can program well with it, having learned on
> something else, but I don't think it does much to encourage and enforce
> such practice: it suffers too many hangovers from old versions of BASIC.
>
> --
> Andrew - Wizzard
>
> barnetaj_at_bp.com
>
> John Leggitt <johnml_at_istar.ca> wrote in article
> <Bn%T.70$U55.903414_at_NewsRead.Toronto.iSTAR.net>...
> > I would not advise someone to learn Oracle as a first language. By
 learning
> > the fundamentals of C (use text-based to see results of program
 structures)
> > or VB (more visual), one can learn the principles of algorithms and logic
> > and then move to Oracle. I would then advise learning SQL next so that
 you
> > understand how to access a RDBMS. Then you would be ready for PL/SQL.
 When
> > you finsh that, move on to Forms development. Check out the Oracle Press
> > books to help you learn.
> >
> > Good Luck!
> > JohnL
> >
> >
> > Christoph Ruepprich wrote in message <35207A36.AEC28E84_at_yahoo.com>...
> > >What is the best way to learn PL/SQL if you only have minor programming
> > >experience? Should you learn a language like VB, C++, or Java first?
> >
> >
> >
> >
>

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