Re: Oracle Confusion. Please help!

Reply emailed and posted.
My comments are inline

Ann wrote in message ...
>O.K.
>
>I'm really hoping somebody out there can clear up all my
confusion about Oracle.
>
>I'm an engineer wanting to make a caeer change to computer
programming and
>Oracle developers seem to be in good demand.

    You are right, Oracle developers will remain in good demand in the foreseeable future. Based on Oracle's sales demand will increase.
>
>I'm wondering is it possible to learn Oracle on a Mac?

    I do not believe that Oracle is currently available for MAC if that is the case the answer is no. I suspect that the least expensive alternative is to acquire a PC and a version of the Oracle server that will run on a PC. (You should look into some of the deals where ISPs will underwrite the purchase of computer if you sign up for 36 months and the computer stores will give you 36-months of service with a designated ISP if you buy a computer from them.

I've been told that
>I should first learn SQL...could somebody please explain to me
the
>relationship between SQL and Oracle. Is it possible to learn SQL
on a Mac.

    Oracle RDBMS transactions are written in Structured Query Language (SQL). A database transaction may be written directly using interactive SQL (along with Oracle's proprietary SQL*Plus extensions), embedded in a procedural language such as Oracle's PL/SQL, Java, or C or generated by GUI packages such as Oracle Developer. In order to work with an RDBMS you should first learn SQL.     I am sure that you can an RDBMS for the Mac that supports ANSI SQL 92 (American National Standards Institute Structured Query Langage 1992). Given the availability of cheap PCs and the fact that you can download a copy of Oracle absolutely free from their web site (although it is better to get the trial version on a CD since all they charge is $4.95 (that's four dollars and ninety-five cents) for shipping and handling rather than attempt to download 150MB or more) it is probably no more expensive to get a PC and Oracle

>
>I'm also confused how you can even run an Oracle program on a
PC...how
>does personal Oracle work? Do you have to link up with Oracle
server to
>access the database?

    Personal Oracle, Oracle Lite, and "real" Oracle are all servers. When you install Oracle on a PC, running Windows or Linux, you install both the server and the client software.
>
>I am also interested in internet programming and I'm wondering
if Oracle
>can be used on the internet. If not...what database programs are
generally
>used on the net (or in Web sites).

    I think you have been confused by hype here. Web programming consists of writing user interface front end software. The front end code calls, or is called from, application code. The application code is what talks to the RDBMS and it shouldn't matter to the front end software which RDBMS you are using and it shouldn't matter to the RDBMS whether your front end software is web-based, a C program, Oracle Developer, Visual Basic, or .....

    In the most demanding web applications -- ecommerce -- Oracle RULES. Ten of the top ten ecommerce sites use Oracle and something like 67% of the market!
>
>I'm also interested in working from home. Would this be possible
as an
>Oracle programmer? Would I need Windows or NT in order to do
this?

    Until you get a substantial amount of experience I don't think working from home 100% of the time is a good idea. Oracle is a very complex product with a steep learning curve. You can develop poor applications with very little knowledge of Oracle, but in order to develop good applications you will need substantial experience.

    Once you have some experience you can probably find a job where you can work from home two or three days a week. In any event you won't need NT. If you wind up working with Oracle Developer you can use either an NT or 95/98. If you wind up working with C or PL/SQL or Java you can also use Linux.
>
>Any answers to the above questions would be much appreciated!!!
>
>Thank you
>
>Ann

Given that you are an engineer your best approach to switching from engineering to Oracle development may be to learn Oracle and then seek a job where your knowledge of both Oracle and engineering will be of value and put you in a position where you can acquire both hands-on experience and training on-the-job.

regards
Jerry Gitomer Received on Fri Aug 06 1999 - 09:04:59 CDT