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May, 2006
In
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All articles have been reprinted with the written consent of their respective authors. | ||||||||||||||||
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Tapping into Oracle's Metadata - Part 2 by James F. Koopmann In this article James continues to explore the Oracle's Metadata API and provides a powerful function to compare objects and schemas and print the DDL required to bring them in sync. In Part I of this two part series we explored how to use simple SELECT statements with the DBMS_METATA API. This simple ad hoc interface is great for just doing quick lookups into the metadata, verifying structures, and possibly rebuilding some objects down the line. That particular interface is meant to be a very simplistic method that is great for tinkering with the DDL in your database. Unfortunately it does not address some of the more sophisticated DDL manipulation that we often want to do. Such as creating a certain set of DDL statements from one schema into another. Or comparing two schemas to see where differences are. To really dive into the full power of the DBMS_METADATA API that lets you manipulate DDL you need have to venture past these simple queries and put some application logic around it. This article does just that. It shows some of the minor differences in how to construct PL/SQL around the API calls to get at and manipulate the DDL extracted from the DBMS_METADATA API. This article takes on the task of comparing the tables in two different schemas to see where the differences are. Keep in mind this example could quickly be converted to compare any types of objects or you could extend the code to accept the object types to compare. Either way I am sure you will see the simplicity and power behind this form of compare that does not require you to get deep into the DBA_ views.
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Fetching New Features One of the coolest features in DB2 for z/OS version 8 turns an old programming rule on its head. For years, we taught DB2 application programmers not to use arrays (with the exception of the indicator variable). DB2 version 8 changes that with multirow FETCH and INSERT. This version 8 SQL enhancement does exactly what you would expect; it lets you insert or fetch multiple rows with a single SQL statement. Imagine the performance advantages, especially in a distributed environment. This enhancement can boost the performance of INSERT processing by as much as 20 percent and FETCH processing by as much as 50 percent. One customer I know tested this feature and averaged 76 percent improvement for FETCH processing and 20 percent improvement for INSERTs. You'll need to do your own testing, of course, because your performance will probably differ.
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Oracle Quiz on SQL and PL/SQL - See Water Burning This paper presents a compilation of quirky questions, tantalizing puzzles and cheeky challenges that will have you wander among many interesting, useful and often surprising features and functionality, sometimes as old as Oracle 7.2, yet often overlooked and forgotten. While some of the stuff will challenge and astound even seasoned developers, most can be understood and appreciated by developers with intermediate programming skills in SQL and PL/SQL. I assure you that anyone reading will have ‘since when is that possible’ experiences! Many of the topics in this paper are not entirely my doing. I do not live on an island and there are so many excellent writers on the internet that write articles, tips, suggestions etc. that have heavily inspired me. Tom Kyte, his books and his AskTom website should really be mentioned here. By the way, most examples are taken from the Oracle 7Up workshop that we have developed at AMIS, to help Oracle developers familiar with SQL and PL/SQL as it was in Oracle 7, quickly get up to speed with the many really useful features that have been added ever since. Click here for the paper.
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Comparison of Oracle Drivers Oracle is usually a dirty word in the SQL Server community, but like it or not, lots of data resides in Oracle databases. And SQL Server is often used to gather this data together in a warehouse of some sort for spinning cubes, generating reports, etc. Haidong Ji looks at the various methods that you can connect to an Oracle driver and compares the speed of each. If you need to get data from Oracle, or may need to, this is the place you want to start. Click here for this article.
In A Nutshell
Interested in learning more tips and techniques for SQL Server? "In A Nutshell"
is what you are looking for. Kevin Kline,
author of O'Reilly's "SQL in a Nutshell" and "Transact-SQL Programming" and President of The Professional Association for SQL Server,
offers tips, techniques and much more. Updated numerous times a week,
there is always valuable material to be had!
Click
here
to see what Kevin is up to in the SQL Server world. | ||||||||||||||||
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There are times when all organizations look for vendors to fill certain needs. The process is simple. However, depending on the vendor, this might be a lengthy process to complete. The following process can be used in most any selection process - package selection, vendor selection, hardware selection, etc. This process is described at a high-level and will require some drill-down on the details to make sure that it is performed with appropriate diligence for your project.
Click
here for more information about the vendor selection process. | ||||||||||||||||
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Interactive Crossword
Puzzle: "Name That Capital"
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