View Larger Image	Donald J. Bales Apress, Paperback, Published August 2007, 496 pages, ISBN 1590598822
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Read an excerpt: Chapter 1: Genesis       Excerpt provided courtesy of Apress. Copyright © Apress, Inc. Written permission from the publisher is required for any use of this material.

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• Databases : SQL
• * Series - Beg/Int Users : From Novice to Professional

• Apress

Get started with PL/SQL, the built-in language that every Oracle developer and database administrator must know, in Beginning PL/SQL, a fast-paced and example-filled tutorial. Learn from author Don Bales' extensive experience to discover the most commonly used aspects of PL/SQL without wasting time with obscure and obsolete features.

Author Don Bales takes his 20+ years of experience and a wealth of statistics he's gathered on PL/SQL usage over those years and applies the 80/20 rule – cover what's most needed and used by PL/SQL professionals and avoid what's not necessary! The result is a book that covers all the key features of PL/SQL without wasting your time discussing esoteric and obsolete parts of the language. Learn what really matters, so that you can get to work feeling confident with what you know about PL/SQL.

* Discover the 20% of PL/SQL that gives you 80% of the bang—key topics covered include variables and datatypes, executing statements, working with cursors, real-world objects, debugging, testing, and more.
* Learn how to write production-level, object-oriented PL/SQL—you'll explore relational PL/SQL, but unlike most other books on the subject, Don Bales emphasizes the use of PL/SQL's object-oriented features as well.
* Work through real examples of using of PL/SQL—you'll learn PL/SQL by applying it to real-world business problems, not by heavy theory.

What you'll learn

* How important SQL is in PL/SQL
* How to use PL/SQL in both a relational and object-relational setting
* How to create maintainable, modular, and reusable PL/SQL program units
* The importance of testing as you go, and of building a permanent test plan for each module
* The importance of building debugging capabilities into your code and building a permanent debug facility for each module
* The importance of documenting as you go, and in the process building a permanent documentation set for your reusable modules
* How to apply modular PL/SQL to solve real-world problems

Who is this book for?

Anyone who wants to learn how to create stored procedures against an Oracle database using PL/SQL. Programmers developing applications to be deployed against an Oracle database will need PL/SQL to take full advantage of the power Oracle has to offer. Database administrators who wish to implement functionality exposed only via PL/SQL package interfaces will also find this book useful.

About the Apress Beginning Series

The Beginning series from Apress is the right choice to get the information you need to land that crucial entry-level job. These books will teach you a standard and important technology from the ground up because they are explicitly designed to take you from “novice to professional.” You'll start your journey by seeing what you need to know—but without needless theory and filler. You'll build your skill set by learning how to put together real-world projects step by step. So whether your goal is your next career challenge or a new learning opportunity, the Beginning series from Apress will take you there—it is your trusted guide through unfamiliar territory!

Table of Contents

Foreword
About the Author
Acknowledgments
Introduction (The Big Picture)
Chapter 1 Genesis
Chapter 2 PL/SQL Is Square, Man!
Chapter 3 Now Where Did I Put That?
Chapter 4 Whoa! One Statement at a Time, Please!
Chapter 5 Next Please, One Row at a Time!
Chapter 6 Just Like It Is in the Real World!
Chapter 7 So Just What's Happening Here?
Chapter 8 Test, Test, Test, and Test Again
Chapter 9 What Does This Thing Do Anyway?
Chapter 10 Fairy Tales
Appendix How to Download, Install, and Use Oracle
How to Download Oracle Database Software
How to Install Oracle Database Software
How to Use SQL*Plus
How to Download This Book's Source Code
How to Create a New Username
How to Write a SQL*Plus Script
How to Execute a SQL*Plus Script
How to Describe Your Tables and Stored Procedures
Index

About the Author

Donald Bales is a computer applications consultant specializing in the analysis, design, and programming of client-server and web-based distributed systems, systems integration, and data warehousing. Don has over 20 years' experience with Oracle as both a developer and a database administrator, and 10 years' experience with Java. He is currently working on the migration of medical and industrial hygiene systems to a web environment for a major oil company. When he is not developing applications, Donald can often be found working with horses, playing the piano, or playing the bagpipes. Donald has had several careers, and has at various times been a mechanic, a general contractor, Mr. Mom, a developer, and currently a consultant. He has a bachelor of science degree in business from Elmhurst College in Elmhurst, Illinois. Don currently resides in Downers Grove, Illinois, with his wife Diane and his daughter Kristyn. He can be contacted by e-mail at don@donaldbales.co

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