Oracle PL/SQL 101

I bought this book as a compliment to a current course I'm taking on DB systems. Knowing nothing about Oracle and very little about SQL, I've found this book to very informative thus far. Though I'm still reading this book, it is the perfect companion for someone new to Oracle PL/SQL and SQL.

With all the many Oracle Press books I have been able to review, I have not yet been disappointed by one of them. They have consistently been written clearly, been relevant, and valuable in real-world Oracle development. This book is of course no exception. It is written as a beginning guide to not only Oracle development but as an entry-level text to SQL syntax and concepts as well. After a good introduction to what a database is, the author begins into a tutorial on basic SQL syntax. In this introductory section, the reader learns how to create tables, write INSERT statements, and then select the data back out via the SELECT statement. The author quickly moves to more advanced techniques, illustrating the use of the WHERE clause, and discusses use of the UPDATE statement. Practical use of the techniques just discussed will likely be implemented in SQL*Plus, so the author begins a very thorough discussion of this tool. Many of the potential problems a user might experience with SQL*Plus are covered and solutions are provided. I was quite pleased with how extensive this chapter covers the topic of SQL*Plus. It is an excellent introduction to this tool. The author then begins to discuss more advanced database techniques, including the use of indexes and constraints. Finally, the author begins a discussion of basic PL/SQL syntax. This is really my only problem with the book: the book is called PL/SQL 101, yet only the last chapter is dedicated to discussing the subject. Sure, the proceeding material is necessary to have the framework to discuss PL/SQL. I just think the title is a bit misleading.

This is the best introduction I've seen to PL/SQL programming. The book takes its "101" moniker seriously - it doesn't assume anything, but explains fully everything you need to know to learn how to program in PL/SQL. Since PL/SQL relies on a fundamental knowledge of SQL, the book invests a good deal of time covering the database concepts, SQL concepts, and SQL commands necessary to write good PL/SQL code. Bravo! That's why this deserves to have "101" in its title. Those who already have some SQL knowledge would do well to read over these SQL chapters anyway - the book really pulls things together, filling in the gaps that often come with self-teaching. It also has great examples for some of the more obscure features of SQL and PL/SQL.Perhaps the author can be persuaded to do a "PL/SQL 201" book - I would buy it.

I enjoyed reading the PL/SQL 101 thoroughly, I have finished one complete reading of the book and now I am going through it the second time. I decided to buy this book after getting totally frustrated of asking others to help me with Oracle. I asked our dedicated Oracle DBA to show me how to create a simple table, it took me more than three months to chase her and could not get any result and one day I found out she was gone, then I bought the PL/SQL 101 and in chapter one the author explains the most basic way to get going.Remember this is a 101 book, if you already know quite a bit of SQL, then this book might bore you. The title is perfect, and its readers should of that level. I would like to thank the author for getting me hooked to Oracle and PL/SQL the easy way (Ofcourse there is no easy way, you still have to read and reread the book several times, and practice and practice).

JOB WELL DONE Mr. Christopher Allen!! This is the MOST helpful book to me on Oracle Pl/ SQL that I have ever seen in Silicon Valley area! I have spent many months browsing and buying books on Oracle from almost all bookstores in the bay area, but this book is the only one that helped me. I am very thankful for that. Abdullahi Koshin from Oakland, CA