From: "Thomas T" Newsgroups: comp.databases.oracle.misc References: <3f843d88$1@news.dnainternet.net> <3f85b86d$1@rutgers.edu> Subject: Re: Which Oracle books to buy Date: Fri, 10 Oct 2003 12:25:37 -0400 Lines: 124 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2800.1158 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1165 NNTP-Posting-Host: 165.230.189.212 Message-ID: <3f86dd83$1@rutgers.edu> X-Trace: rutgers.edu 1065803139 165.230.189.212 (10 Oct 2003 12:25:39 -0400) Path: newssvr20.news.prodigy.com!newsmst01.news.prodigy.com!prodigy.com!rip!news.webusenet.com!peer01.cox.net!cox.net!attga1!attga2!attws2!att542!att541!ip.att.net!rutgers.edu!not-for-mail Xref: newssvr20.news.prodigy.com comp.databases.oracle.misc:132195 "Randy Harris" wrote in message news:DKlhb.70$P%1.73625@newssvr28.news.prodigy.com... > > "Thomas T" wrote in message news:3f85b86d$1@rutgers.edu... > > > "Kari Laine" wrote in message > > > news:3f843d88$1@news.dnainternet.net... > > > > Hi All, > > > > > > > > I am starting to learn Oracle. Administration and also programming. I > > plan > > > > to learn how to use ADO with Oracle and I think there is also an > oracle > > > way > > > > to access (CLI). Anyway I have budgeted to buy 4-5 books and now I > would > > > > like to get the best ones. I don't want the ones which practically > only > > > > duplicate the product manuals. > > > > > > > > I once read an Oracle book in which were also examples how to write > > stored > > > > procs with Java(tm). It was on Linux env. I can't recall the title > > > anymore. > > > > > > > > Please recommend. > > > > > > > > Best Regards > > > > Kari > > > > > > > > > > > > > > "Randy Harris" wrote in message > > news:DxYgb.11$_v.12553@newssvr28.news.prodigy.com... > > > Kari, I have a book that I simply can't recommend strongly enough if you > > > plan to use VB with Oracle. It has superb discussions of relational > > theory, > > > database design, Oracle architecture, SQL, PL/SQL, application interface > > and > > > comparison of ADO with other libraries. The only negative is that the > > copy > > > that I have (dog-eared and pages falling out) is a bit dated, so it > > doesn't > > > go into some of the newer features of Oracle. I don't know whether a > newer > > > edition is available or not. > > > > > > Oracle Programming with Visual Basic > > > Nick Snowden > > > Sybex > > > ISBN: 0-7821-2322-8 > > > > One minor problem I have with that book idea- ADO/Oracle isn't just a VB > > thing. For that matter, ADO isn't an Oracle thing! ADO is the same > > everywhere. You'll have access to ADO command, recordset, connection, etc > > objects in any of the .NET languages- not just VB. And you can use the > ADO > > objects with any database- even text files. Don't concentrate on learning > > ADO with Oracle. Just learn ADO. I hope that makes sense- ADO works > > everywhere. If you can understand how ADO works, you'll be able to pair > it > > with any database you like. In fact, most ADO books start off with using > > Microsoft Access (ugh!) as a database. (And I'm sure you know this, but > > never use MS Access for anything remotely serious in the business world!) > > You might better be paired with a couple Oracle-specific books, and one > > ADO-intensive book. If a book talks about ADO with C#, so be it! You'll > be > > able to apply it to VB without any difficulty! ADO is ADO, anywhere it > > appears. > > > > Keep this in mind: Stay away from pre-made VB controls such as the data > > grid. Yes, the grid is fun and quick- but it's in no way useful. At the > > (..snip..) > > Thomas, > > You make some very good points. In my own defense, I did preface my > recommendation of the book with the condition that the plan was to use VB > with Oracle. > > I am very surprised by one of your comments, however, and would much > appreciate further clarification. Keeping indexes on a different physical > disk from the tables they are built on, is a myth? I thought that was a > recommended practice. Please explain. > > Randy Randy, I wasn't really arguing against your book- in fact I haven't seen it myself- but I just offered a different learning track. In fact, the booklist I gave might make matters worse, since my point was to learn ADO separate from Oracle and separate from VB. It might make more sense to learn ADO/Oracle/VB all at once, and then apply it to the rest of Microsoft's programming suite. But that's what makes programmers different! Since Kari said she budged for 4 or 5 books, I used up her budget in one trip to the bookstore, with no room for a mocha latte. (laughs) As to the myth bit, there's a ton out there- I've used Oracle since 7.3, and after recently (2 or 3 months ago) finding out about the myths, I'm still in a bit of shock. For a great explanation on the index/data disk issue, see this message at Tom Kyte's website: http://asktom.oracle.com/pls/ask/f?p=4950:8:::::F4950_P8_DISPLAYID:5071430793941 At that page, read the link to google- its' from a discussion from oracle.server that happened last year. Another myth you might want to dig up would be the periodic scheduling (ex: once a month) re-building of indexes to "reclaim" disk space, see http://asktom.oracle.com/pls/ask/f?p=4950:8:::::F4950_P8_DISPLAYID:6601312252730, for that bit. Definately search google.com for "Oracle Myths", and "Oracle Tuning Myths"- you'll find a lot of shockers. Most of these myths were valid back in the 90's, and everyone's just taken them as fact since then. That's what I love about these newsgroups- it's the "real world" versus the "book world". -Thomas