Deliver dynamic, client/server PL/SQL applications with expert guidance from an Oracle programming professional. With full coverage of the latest features and tools, Oracle Database 11g PL/SQL Programming lays out each topic alongside detailed explanations, cut-and-paste syntax examples, and real-world case studies. Access and modify database information, construct powerful PL/SQL statements, execute effective queries, and deploy bulletproof security. You'll also learn how to implement C, C++, and Java procedures, Web-enable your database, cut development time, and optimize performance.

• Create, debug, and manage Oracle-driven PL/SQL programs

• Use PL/SQL structures, delimiters, operators, variables, and statements

• Identify and eliminate errors using PLSQL_WARNINGS and exception handlers

• Work with functions, procedures, packages, collections, and triggers

• Define and deploy varray, nested table, and associative array data types

• Handle external routines, object types, large objects, and secure files

• Communicate between parallel sessions using DBMS_ALERT and DBMS_PIPE

• Call external procedures through Oracle Net Services and PL/SQL wrappers

• Integrate internal and server-side Java class libraries using Oracle JVM

• Develop robust Web applications using PL/SQL Gateway and Web Toolkit

Amazon.com® Reader Reviews (Ranked by Helpfulness)

Average Amazon.com® Rating:  Based on 10 Ratings

Oracle Database 11g PL/SQL Programming by Michael McLaughlin. New York, 2008 by McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. - 2008-12-20
Reviewer Rating:
Oracle Database 11g PL/SQL Programming by Michael McLaughlin. New York, 2008 by McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

As business processes and problems rely more and more on reporting and data analysis from Oracle databases, there is an increasing need for personnel that have a working knowledge of the PL/SQL language. In this book, the author intends to teach those just beginning to learn PL/SQL the basic concepts through some of the more challenging capabilities of the language. McLaughlin does quite a respectable job of accomplishing this difficult task.

Throughout the book a reader is supplied with example code that works as prescribed, personal experiences illustrating code hazards and successes for various applications, figures demonstrating how code works in complex situations, appendices abundant with relevant information for easy reference and finally even a bit of humor here and there. Although the intended audience is new users, experienced PL/SQL programmers would benefit as new features in 11g are explained and clarified with code examples.

There are many ways to present methods for learning programming languages, ranging from brief explanations with code snippets to extraordinary or mind numbing details with few or no examples. In the former case many gaps exist and a reader is usually left without a clue as to how to use the language at all, let alone effectively. And in the latter case, by the time a reader finishes a paragraph she is left wondering how to use and apply the material in a realistic scenario. In this book McLaughlin balances the two extremes to provide a consistent method useful for both new and experienced programmers. Clearly and succinctly he presents a topic and then provides an easily understandable example. However, for some of the more complex concepts presented in Part III of the book the PL/SQL novice should be prepared to spend some time reading and practicing coding. There are a few cases where a concept is presented briefly in early chapters without a complete coding example and then in later chapters details are revealed in more advanced situations. In such cases a reader is expected to have the memory and insight to integrate this information to fully appreciate the code example. I spotted such a condition while reading the technique of overloading a function in Chapter 9 Packages. I was looking forward to an example but one did not exist. Later while working in Chapter 15 Java Libraries, to my surprise found that complete code example in HelloWorld2.sql for an overloaded procedure. This minor oversight would not faze an experienced programmer and hopefully should not prove too frustrating for a new user either. It could serve as a discovery or maybe was intended as a self-check on how well previous chapters were understood.

In summary, whether you are new to Oracle Corporation's PL/SQLO or an experienced PL/SQL programmer, this book provides valuable direction and advice for learning the language. It introduces and details new features for 11g and provides readers the opportunity to expand their repertoire of programming tools.

Great Resource for Anyone - 2008-11-23
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This book is great! It's a fabulous book to use as a resource within projects. It's a tool specifically designed to teach the user the best in database management systems. Would highly recommend this book for anyone's use!

GREAT book!! - 2009-10-30
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This is the first technical/computing book that I have ever read cover to cover.
In fact I read this book cover to cover with multiple iterations of chapters that were difficult for me (e.g., Chapter 6 Functions and Procedures, Chapter 8 Large Objects, Chapter 13, External Procedures, Chapter 14 Object Types and the PHP/Java Primers in Appendices C and D, respectively).
I have been a PL/SQL Developer for over 6 years.
I thought I was doing pretty well but it turns out I was doing a limited number of things in my development experience over and over again. The ease with which I was writing functions and procedures, organizing the same in packages and utilizing a very few of the more advanced features like BULK COLLECT and BULK UPDATE was a deceptive set of convenient facts: Thanks to this book I now know how much I didn't know and I have a more than vague feeling that even now my ship is still relatively close to shore. There is much more the the "sea of PL/SQL", if you'll allow me that much of a poetic license!
I was particularly surprised to find out how little I knew about Oracle functions after having written so many over the years. Pipelined functions? I had never heard of them! Creation options? Eh...those either! I did not know you could used mixed notation to make a call to a procedure with multiple parameters.
The book has some typographical/copy and paste-type issues which threw me off in the beginning. It's likely not the book as much as it is my personality: I'm a classically trained musician from another life (a MUCH younger life) so you can imagine that I might be predisposed to being a stickler for details.
In the end, I finished this book because it was thorough, clear, deep (the way I like it!) and had great continuity (I am easily confused so this is important to me!).
One of the most frustrating parts of reading techinical books for me has been when the book begins an example, abandons the example and then starts a new one without the author saying something to the effect of, "In this *new* example..." or "I'll use a different example to demonstrate...".
The examples in this book are so continuous that those statements are never even needed.
Mr. McLaughlin very courteously (in my opinion) allows readers to benefit from a well-thought plan (apparently!) of moving smoothly from one technical issue to the next by extending an already developed example. I find this feature to be very reassuring and conducive to quick learning. I mean, code is hard enough to read by itself; much more so when the context of the code switches from page to page or randomly 2,3,4 or 5 pages into an issue.
The way Mr. McLaughlin makes use of code examples in this book is very helpful, too, because it allows the reader to better understand how one technical issue is related to another. As an example: how to use Virtual Directories is included in the chapter on Large Objects. Now, one wouldn't necessarily *only* use Virtual Directories with Large Objects, but it does make sense, and having the subject placed there helps me understand the most common (I assume) real-world application of Virtual Directories.
I would say that this has been an excellent resource for me as a cover-to-cover read and I have already used it as a reference manual so I am sure it works well in that way also.
I hope your experience with this book is as good as mine has been.
Many congratulations and my deepest appreciation to this author!
My first technical book ever!
This is a huge accomplishment for me (and the author!)!!.

Awesome - 2009-10-17
Reviewer Rating:
Really good book. Details all the basics and more advanced topics of Pl/SQL. Great read.

Oracle Database 11g PL?SQL Programming - 2009-03-17
Reviewer Rating:
Oracle Database 11g PL/SQL Programming (Oracle Press)
I use this book in conjunction with a second I had to buy called "Oracle Database 11g: The Complete Reference". The PL/SQL Progaming is excellent in decribing how to what I want to achieve. However it had no reference to the available functions and the syntax. That is why I got the second book. The second book may not be the best option, but it is helpful. I am new to Oracle in general, but I have extensive eperience in MS SQL Server. In "PL/SQL Programming" I have been staying in the first three parts of the book. I will go on the latter parts next quarter. This is not a book for beginner's. I am experienced, but no guru in MS SQL Server so most this book was readable to me. However the book covers a wide range of topics, therefore some individuals who only want part of the book may need to look elsewhere.

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