oracle books or sites

[lilelvis2000]

I have the Linux version of both 9i and 10g here if you want them. Don't have any Windows versions though.

Thanks for the offer..sadly still on Windows for the moment.

[thunderlizard]

You sound like you might be one of my client's project DBA's...

I've just finished with this and it doesn't fit on my shelf so I'll flog it to you for £35 if you want.

[Cowboy Bob]

on a piss slow 512k connection. that would take hours for both database and client tools - assuming it doesn't crap out. The cost of being in rural england. But would be willing to cover costs if someone sends CDs.

I have the Linux version of both 9i and 10g here if you want them. Don't have any Windows versions though.

[nobody here but us chicke]

oracle

for support - you might need the client license info to register though
https://metalink.oracle.com/

for technology, info, samples, downloads the OTN
http://www.oracle.com/technology/index.html

for the best dev / admin tool
http://www.quest.com/toad_for_oracle/
(they also have a email journal which is quite good - you can prob find back issues on there somewhere)

the oracle press books are OK. Depends what you want to do.

[lilelvis2000]

Download it, install it, play with it - http://www.oracle.com/technology/software/index.html

on a piss slow 512k connection. that would take hours for both database and client tools - assuming it doesn't crap out. The cost of being in rural england. But would be willing to cover costs if someone sends CDs.

[mashetti]

I hear Kyte is a good name to look for.

Too right, Tom Kyte is the man you want. Go to asktom.oracle.com. Should be able to find out how to do most things here. I would have thought google would be sufficient to get general concepts and something like asktom for more technical, in depth advice. Or, you could pay me to do what you need

[Cowboy Bob]

Download it, install it, play with it - http://www.oracle.com/technology/software/index.html

[Spacecadet]

schemas, synonyms,tablespaces: depending on the size and scope of the project you probably won't use those or at least need to realise you're using them.

T-SQL and PL/SQL: PL/SQL is a hell of a lot more powerful than T-SQL. However most of the general syntax is pretty similar mostly as they're both piss easy to code. If you're any good at T-SQL then PL/SQL should come easily. (I've gone the other way round and keep getting very frustrated at what T-SQL can't do!!) Triggers in Oracle are much better. No Inserted or Deleted tables, instead you reference new:column_name and old:column_name to get new and old values. More types of triggers in Oracle though. There are Row and Table level triggers. As well as Before and After triggers.
SP's and Functions are typically grouped into packages in Oracle. Makes the management of them a lot easier plus you can have private functions and package static constants which are defined with the package declaration.

Database management : Get TOAD or similar. Does it all nice and graphically. There are also Oracle management tools direct from Oracle, not sure if you need to get them on a seperate licence though.

WRT memory: Oracle does less management of the memory, although the default settings should be fine, you may want to bear it in mind. Especially roll back space if you are running large volume transactions

All the indexes, tables, user security commands are the same or very similar as in SQL Server. They both conform to the ANSI standard, although SQL Server more so.
Theres some slight differences in how users and groups are arranges but nothing that should cause problems.
They are both RDBMS systems (you knew that already right?) so indexes, keys, constraints have the same effects on performance.

For ID columns, AFAIK theres no "identity" column like in SQL Server. You will need to define a sequence and then populate using a trigger (prefered) or within the SP's (not prefered usually)

Don't ask me about backups or any of that crap
Although, the Oracle 8 system that i worked on, backups were to tape and ran through a UNIX Crontab job. AFIAK there is no equivalent to the SQL Server Agent in Oracle. So scheduled tasks have to be done through the OS. I could well be wrong though.

Typically Oracle is a lot more technical and involves a lot less hand holding than SQL Server.

If you want books: Sams Teach yourself PL/SQL in 21 days is very good although won't cover some of the more advanced stuff (or at least didn't when i got it 8 years ago)
Oracle Unleashed, also from Sams, got me through all the nuts and bolts stuff that I needed.
Alternatively get yourself the OCP book from Oracle Univeristy Press

And don't forget Google Groups
http://groups.google.co.uk/groups/di...33583151&hl=en

Disclaimer: I worked on Oracle 8 in a developer/very junior DBA role and I have a feeling that the DBA i worked under set the whole thing up badly

[lilelvis2000]

starting a new project and its in Oracle. As usualy wil have to learn on the fly. I know SQL server very well but not Oracle. Oracle looks much more complex - schemas, synonyms,tablespaces and other differences.

Is there sites/books which can explain how the heck Oracle works. particularily how to sort out creating and managine these schemas, tables, indexes, SP's, triggers and other features. I hear Kyte is a good name to look for.

I've been winging currently it by googling like mad for everything. I wonder if my client has noticed yet?