Re: Advise needed: Can I use/learn Oracle quickly?

Erwin,

I have got to say that the reaction from people here towards your question is absolutely appaling.

I started on Oracle Databases knowing only MS SQL 6.5.

I have worked fine for nearly 2 years with Procedures, SQL statements, calls etc all sorts with no problems whatsoever - I slowly learnt things that were different with PL SQL and SQL calls but generally you can get away with NORMAL SQL when querying the database.

Erwin, I believe you can apply basic SQL to your teachings when passing on this BASIC knowledge to your colleagues and they will be able to query the Oracle database fine without problems.

Oracle is no different from any other database. It has its own little querks that 'experts' will no about like any other database. There is no mystical magic to it, its a database, that happens to be quite good.

Any muppet can learn it to a reasonable level (not DBA work) in a short time span as it basics are the same as any other database. Use toad with it and it becomes childs play.

Table creation is simple CREATE TABLE (field <datatype>, etc, etc, PRIMARY KEY (field));

Creating a primary key automatically indexes that table on that field.

For auto number fields you assign a sequence which is in no way related to the table.

CREATE SEQUENCE SEQ_MY SEQ INCREMENT BY 1 NOMAXVALUE; then create a public view of that sequence for use by other schemas CREATE PUBLIC SYNONYM SEQ_MY_SEQ FOR SEQ_MY_SEQ; GRANT ALL ON SEQ_MY_SEQ TO <schema>;

Then to get a new number (autonumber) you code

SELECT SEQ_MY_SEQ.NEXTVAL from DUAL

Datatypes are similar - VARCHAR2, NUMBER, DATE etc.

Select statements are the same SELECT.....FROM.....WHERE.....etc Update statements are the same UPDATE...table....SET....WHERE....etc Insert statements are the same INSERT INTO....table....(fields) VALUES (values);

This isnt the DBA's way of doing things because tablespaces etc need to be calculated, table sizes etc but for a simple starter in using Oracle it is fine.

Its not rocket science.

You go teach your colleagues simple SQL Erwin and they can quite happily interogate an Oracle database with basic SQL.

What I wont vouch for is the state that the database will be in without a professional DBA to administor it.

Anyway,
thats my tupence worth.

"Erwin Moller"
<since_humans_read_this_I_am_spammed_too_much_at_spamyourself.com> wrote in message news:402ca4a6$0$570$e4fe514c_at_news.xs4all.nl...
> Daniel Morgan wrote:
>
> >
> > I did not rip him a new one for not being an expert and for not having
> > read every document at otn. Heck I haven't either and don't plan on it
> > ... I have a life too.
> >
> > My intention was to let him know that he is wholly unqualified and
> > should defer to someone that isn't.
>
> Hi Daniel,
>
> (Please indulge me for a little while longer. I have a serious question
> about that.)
>
> Why am I wholly unqualified to teach a few newbies the basic use of SQL?
> (This is not a personaly ego-thing, I just don't understand.)
>
> I have been teaching at university as a student (math and statistics) and
> received many compliments being a lot clearer than the prof.
> Therefor I think I can teach.
> Of course I can only teach things I understand.
> I think I understand SQL enough to teach newbies.
> (I expect you to understand SQL a lot deeper for that matter, but you
don't
> have to be the worldchampion on bycicle to teach your son to ride a bike,
> do you?)
>
> So my question is: Why can I not use Oracle as a database when teaching
> basic SQL?
> I know I could use any other databse I know already for that purpose.
> What kind of problems can I expect when I use Oracle for that?
>
> >
> > If he knew Sybase and wanted to help someone with SQL Server I'd say
> > fine. If he knew DB2 or Informix ... there are considerations that would
> > be important. But Oracle is a very different animal. Its underlying
> > concepts and architecture are completely different from the others. So
> > one can not just do something in Oracle they've done elsewhere and
> > expect it to work the same way: It won't.
> >
> > I'll give you an analogy that hopefully will drive home the point.
> > In the US both dermatologists and urologists are classified as
> > surgeons. Would you want a dermatologist giving instructions to your
> > urologist during a surgery? I shudder at the thought. Same here!
> >
>
> True, but I think the following analogy makes more sense in this
situation:
> If you walk into a dermatologists office and start complaining about your
> pain when taking a leak, he will send you to a urologist.
>
> Same here: When somebody ask me a deeper question about Oracle, I'll be
the
> first to tell them to take a course with somebody more qualified.
>
> I am NOT trying to fool people.
> I told them right away my experience with Oracle is limitted to querying
the
> thing via ODBC, more than 5 years ago. In other words: zilch, nothing.
> Nevertheless, they wanted me to teach them.
>
> That's it.
> I hope you can shed some light on my above question.
> And thanks for your time.
>
> Regards,
> Erwin Moller
>
Received on Fri Feb 13 2004 - 05:14:52 CST