Re: Learning Oracle for the First Time -- where to start???

"Ringo Langly" <rlangly_at_gmail.com> wrote in message news:7d96e89e.0411040735.b7d38c8_at_posting.google.com...
> Hi folks,
>
> I'd like to start working with and learning Oracle at home for no
> other reason then to get more knowledgeable with the platform and
> become a bit more marketable in the future. I have some questions
> though:
>
> I noticed on the Oracle website I can download Oracle 10g. I'm
> assuming this is a demo or eval copy, but how long does it last? And
> how is it limited?
> http://www.oracle.com/technology/software/products/database/oracle10g/index.html

It's not limited in any way, except in the terms of the license that accompanies it. You are free to play with the download version, and to test and evaluate. You are not free to put it into production and start using it for commerical gain.

> I have some books on Oracle 8i, but will these work if I'm using 10g?

Yes. 10g adds features, it doesn't take them away. Naturally some things are done better or differently in the later version, and some things have disappeared because of those new capabilities. But the basics will still apply.

> I'd rather not go out and buy all new books, but I will if needed.
> Also is 10g the latest version?

Yes.

> My plan is to work with Oracle on Linux, but is Oracle on Linux and
> Windows different enough where I should learn both?

They are practically identical, except that the version on Linux actually works acceptably.

> What books would you guys suggest? I have the following books
> already:
> Wrox: Oracle Expert one-on-one by Thomas Kyte
> Wiley: Oracle8i Admin and Management
> Oracle Press/Osborne: Oracle8i Backup and Recovery Handbook by Velpuri
> and Adkoli
> O'Reilly: Oracle PL/SQL Programming
> And the little O'Reilly Oracle PL/SQL book
>
> These are all on Oracle 8i... so should I stick with learning 8i now,
> or move to 10g -- which given this should I get new books for 10g or
> is it close enough to 8i to use the 8i books?

Already answered. Learn 10g. Keep your books. I have a book recommendation page at www.dizwell.com. You already possess one of them. That is a good start.

Use that site, and the ones it links to, as the basis of a good start in Internet research on all topics Oracle. Don't forget http://tahiti.oracle.com, which is about 50,000 pages of totally free, and specifically 10g, product information.

And have fun.

Regards
HJR
> Thanks for any insight or ideas. I want to learn all major aspects of
> Oracle, from querying data, writing SQL statements, ODBC, report
> writing, and management (backup/recover, fault taulerance, and
> clustering if possible).
>
> Take care,
>
> Ringo
Received on Thu Nov 04 2004 - 09:53:08 CST