Mastering Oracle PL/SQL

Do you need more from a PL/SQL book than just the correct keywords and some pretty syntax diagrams? Have you been searching in vain for real-world examples and genuine strategies for maximizing the benefits of PL/SQL within your organization? You'll find them here in Mastering Oracle PL/SQL: Practical Solutions, the inaugural title of the pioneering OakTable Press series from Apress.

This isn't a tutorial on how to code PL/SQL. It's designed to show you how to code PL/SQL well. It shows you how to write code that will run quickly and wont break in high-load, multiuser environments. It covers the vast array of the functionality that PL/SQL provides, including effective handling of relational and abstract data, security, triggers, dynamic web content presentation from within the database, creation of a DBA toolkit, and effective debugging techniques.

This book sets out to redress the unjust criticism leveled at PL/SQL in years gone by. It gives you the tools and techniques to ensure that, whatever your needs are, the PL/SQL you build will run as efficiently as possible. The practical solutions provided in this book will help you to realize the true power and functionality PL/SQL can offer your projects.

If you're brand-new to PL/SQL, then you'll want to take some time to get familiar with the language before tackling this book. It's not for the total beginner. But once youre up and running, you'll find this book an invaluable guide for ensuring that the PL/SQL solutions you build are robust, perform well, and are easy to maintain.

Christopher Beck has a bachelor's degree in computer science from Rutgers University and has been working in the technology industry for 11 years. Starting off as a junior Ada software developer for a government systems integrator, he has spent the past 7 years with Oracle, most recently as a principal technologist. He specializes in core database technologies and web application development. Beck is also a cocreator of Oracle Portal, a commercial product that began as, in Beck's own words, a "science project," then became known as WebView.