The Old Joel on Software Forum: Part 5 (of 5) - Reading Recommendation Requested

Reading Recommendation Requested

I need to learn to write & understand SQL queries for a database with an Oracle backend.

Does anyone have a recommendation for a tutorial?

Thanks.

Todd D. Levy
Tuesday, July 6, 2004

SQL Queries for Dummies

You Don't Want to Know
Tuesday, July 6, 2004

You could always go to http://safari.oreilly.com and sign up for a trial subscription and check out some of the books there.

CF
Tuesday, July 6, 2004

Philip Greenspun has written one back in the Oracle 8i days: http://philip.greenspun.com/sql/

Li-fan Chen
Tuesday, July 6, 2004

If you have Oracle running, read the Oracle documentation. That's how I learned.

Chris
Wednesday, July 7, 2004

Also for any questions or problems you come across.....

http://asktom.oracle.com

Probably has the answer.

I just learnt Oracle PL/SQL recently. Some niceties compared to MS SQL although I do like the extra 'non standard' functions / sql code that MS gives you to do things.

James 'Smiler' Farrer
Wednesday, July 7, 2004

Not as a tutorial, but a good reference is O'Reilly's "SQL in a Nutshell" I have an edition from 99 or 00 and it covers Oracle, MS SQL, mySQL, and Postgres.

Good stuff.

KC
Wednesday, July 7, 2004

My typical approach to learning new things:

I usually just Google for tutorials on how to do a specific thing, and start there. If you have to just SELECT, google for that with a term like "sql select oracle". Etc. etc. Once I start to get comfortable with the principles (can't emphasize enough how valuable it is to try to understand the principles - i.e. translate the code into your language in your mind so that you can "talk it out"), then I like to have a good reference book and a few websites available to go back to when I need to find a specific thing.

Bottom line, though, is that Google is your friend. I believe that you are probably better off using Google and the web to learn something from the ground up than from a book. That's just me though.

Clay Whipkey
Wednesday, July 7, 2004

Run the the store now and buy "Oracle Desk Reference" by Guy Harrison. It is outstanding.

Grumpy Old-Timer
Wednesday, July 7, 2004

To Everyone:

Thank you all for your suggestion.

You have all been very helpful.

Thanks again,

Todd D. Levy

Todd D.Levy
Wednesday, July 7, 2004