Re: Oracle #1? Then why are these still missing...

Paul wrote:

> When are Oracle going to listen to their users and start to implement
> fundamental requirements which already exist in other RDBMSs. I am
> sick and tired with Oracle Support saying, "it's a bug, and there are
> no known fixes", "it might be in the next version, but then again it
> might not", "you want me to put in an enhancement request..might take
> 3-5 years though", "it has been asked for before, but we have no plans
> to do it", "you'll have to write a work around", "speak to your
> account manager, he might be able to get it put in, if you are a
> really big corporate customer"
>
> Listen Mr Ellison and your crew, Oracle is still missing basic
> functionality. So let me suggest something, instead of poncing around
> with new Oracle technologies like Java, why don't you sort out the
> basics first.
>
> Oh and before you read this list and reply: "But this is easy to
> implement" or "I've written something to do this anyway" let me
> explain....so have I had to write / find workarounds for all these.
> But at the end of the day it shouldn't need to happen, it should have
> been in Oracle years ago. They're fundamental.
>

If you don't like using Oracle then go try your luck with Sybase or Informix. I've been using the Oracle RDBMS for years now and am quite satisfied with it.

>
> 1. A "RANDOM" function.
> 2. A RANDOMIZE function to accompany "RANDOM" function.

Neither of these are essential to the concept of a relational database. In fact, theoretically they would be diametrically opposed to the concept of "organized" data. If you need to perform randomization then you need to do it programatically rather than blaming the database for not providing that functionality.

>
> 3. A native "DIV" function. Oracle has MOD an integer remainder
> function but not an integer division function. DIV and MOD always
> appear together, but not in Oracle.

Again, Oracle doesn't need to provide such functionality. You've been working with COBOL too long.

>
> 4. Bitwise boolean functions OR, XOR, AND, NOT (not the same as
> boolean operators). Ever tried to write a decent encryption algorithm
> in Oracle without these? Ever tried to mask an integer to see if a
> bit is set? Just overload the existing boolean operators to allow
> Bitwise boolean opeartions.

What on earth do these have to do with Oracle? What were you smoking when you came up with this nonsense. The Oracle RDBMS provides a means of storing data and extracting data. Except for data columns like RAW (which can only be stored or extracted), Oracle has no concept of binary data. That only exists outside of Oracle. If you want to do this stuff then learn C.

>
> 5. TO_HEX function. Are they stupid or what?

You mean you don't know how to do this yourself? I learned this 20 years ago.

>
> 6. TO_BASE function which can handle bases up to 64.

This too.

>
> 7. A variant of REPLACE that only replaces the first instance of
> search_string found. Come on Oracle simply overload it and add another
> parameter Max_Replaces (Max_Replaces > 0).

Have you ever heard of instr(). Duh!!

>
> 8. Alter Table RENAME COLUMN .... How bloody obvious is this? How
> many times do you need to be asked? OK you have constraints to
> consider but they know this. We don't like using the data-dictionary
> hack.

Why didn't you name it correctly in the first place? Those of us who are EXPERIENCED with Oracle know a dozen ways around this problem.

>
> 9. Constraint fk_MyForeignKey References MyOtherTable (MyPKField) ON
> UPDATE CASCASE. Is Oracle the only RDBMS that doesn't have a native
> on update cascade?

Have you ever heard of programatic solutions? The RDBMS isn't there to solve your MIS problems - it provides a means of storing data so that you can retrieve it in a relational way. Learn programming and you'll solve these problems.

>
> 10. Constraint fk_MyForeignKey References MyOtherTable (MyPKField) ON
> DELETE SET NULL. Another Oracle gotcha. It is basic referential
> principles. Every single DB design case tool has this but oh no not
> Oracle, it is far too obvious for them.

How many of the other RDBMSs have decode()? How many of them have the equivalent of pl/sql? You've been reading too many database weenie theory books lately. But then you are probably the type that would argue with Donald Knuth because he has never developed a compiler consistant with the books her wrote.

>
> 11. The ability to find out who is the locker when using pessimistic
> locking (e.g. when "select 1 from MYTable where MyPrimaryKey = MyValue
> for update nowait" fails because someone else has already
> pessimistically locked it.)

Have you ever heard of security? It is none of your business who has a lock on a table. If you want a lock then you need to wait for it. What are you going to do? Kill the pid of the process that has the lock? Gimme a break. That is hacker mentality.

>
> 12 The ability to move the cursor back to correct typos in SQL plus.
> Why is it still not possible? Sometimes we haven't gone into another
> editor and we accidentally make a typo at the end of a 200 character
> line, so Oracle makes us retype the whole lot again. SQL Plus is and
> always has been an extremely poor interface.

Why don't you learn how to type accurately? Alternatively, why don't you RTFM - there are plenty of editing capabilities in sqlplus and it also allows you to use the OS native editor. sqlplus is ONLY a tool. If you don't like the tool then write your own. What? You don't know how to write your own version of sqlplus? I wrote a replacement years ago to serve my own particular needs and it works quite well.

>
> 13 Polymorphism in Objects. What other object modeling language
> doesn't have Polymorphism? derrrrr

Oracle is not a language. Oracle is an RDBMS. Oracle has supplied interfaces such as pre-compilers, Developer 2000, etc., but they are for convenience in developing appliations. There is nothing essentially object-oriented about the database itself.

>
> 14. Binary operator XOR.

Get off the binary kick. If you need to do binary operations then use a 3GL language. Don't blame Oracle for your own shortcomings.

>
> 15. Give SQL Loader the ability to skip columns in CSV format. Not
> all fields in a CSV file may be needed Oracle, so come on.

If you don't like SQL Loader, write your own load program. It is so simple that I'd even let an intern do it.

>
> 16 Allow Oracle Debugger Probe to watch of implicit loop variables.

Can you spell PROPRIETARY? If you want this stuff then buy the company so you can learn all the secrets.

>
> 17. Allow "OR REPLACE" syntax on all create object commands.
> etc. etc. etc.
>

You don't know a lot about how this works do you? If you did, you wouldn't make such dumb requests. In some cases this would be disasterous - especially when integrity constraints are involved.

>
> I could continue, but I'm sure others will add to this.
>

I sure hope not. My advise to you is just get out of the Oracle programming world if you find it so dxxx inconvenient. I'm sure with all your wisdom you'd be able to come out with a product that can do all these things, so why are you wasting your breathe moaning and complaining about why Oracle doesn't. I bet they won't come groveling and ask you to come work for them to solve all these problems.

To all of the other reasonable people on the forum, I apologize for the harshness of this responce, but the originating author was asking for it.

>
> Kind regards
> Paul Scott
> aspscott_at_tcp.co.uk
> ^^ remove 'as' anti-spam prefix to E-mail
Received on Wed Jul 28 1999 - 07:54:08 CDT