Oracle is the world's leading relational database. It provides a rich environment to store, handle, and extract data. When used properly, Oracle provides a solid foundation upon which to build enterprise scale applications.

Mastering the Oracle database is not an overnight job. It takes time, practice, and a lot of real world experience. This book teaches you the core concepts behind using the database, shows you the tools and techniques you need to master, and gives you practical examples of programming Oracle. By the time you have completed this book, you will have all the knowledge you need to use Oracle databases with confidence.

You are setting out on the same journey we travelled some years ago. We know the things you are going to run into time and time again. We understand the challenges you are going to meet when you have to develop an application or administer your database. We can guarantee you that the techniques you'll learn in this book are proven and have led us through many successful implementations.

What does this book cover:

* Oracle terminology, tools, concepts, and architecture

* The functionality of the different versions and editions of Oracle (8, 8i, and 9i)

* Basic and advanced Oracle SQL

* Mastering SQL

* Plus as an Oracle development tool

* Understanding tables, indexes, transactions and concurrency, views, triggers, and objects

* Using PL/SQL to write and package procedural code in the database

* Securing your Oracle applications

* Evaluating performance and tuning your Oracle application

* A SQL Toolkit of useful scripts that you can use in your database

* Case studies that apply this knowledge to create two practical Oracle applications