Looking at Oracle Express after a long break

The version I am now looking at is Oracle 11G Express. It is also entry level like its predecessor 10G, free with a small foot print. If you are looking at getting acquainted with Oracle you may sample the express which is based on the Oracle 11g Release 2 code base. The download link is here:

http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/products/express-edition/overview/index.html

The last express version of Oracle I looked at was 10G XE. Here are the links (earliest last) to my previous Oracle 10G XE articles. It is possible some links are broken.

In many cases, exporting a table to create an XML file is easy, but importing an XML file to create a table is much more difficult. This is true for Oracle 10G XE, as you will see in the following article:
 
Loading and Unloading XML Files Using Oracle 10G XE

Queries are quantitative questions you pose to a database. Questions such as "how many employees make more than $20,000.00 a year?" or "which employee has worked for more than two years?" are typical examples. In some cases, to answer questions like the ones above, you may go no further than looking it up in one table. However some questions may need more than one table, and it is not uncommon that several tables must be used to provide the answer. Here is how you query multiple tables in Oracle.

Multi-Table Queries with Oracle 10G XE

If you need to dealing with moving legacy data  to more recent databases, this article might help.
It will show you how to move data from an MS Excel file into an Oracle 10G XE table.

Importing a CSV Text File into Oracle 10G XE

Creating tables is one of the most basic tasks you will be doing. Oracle 10G XE provides a wizard to help you create a table. The wizard walks you through several steps for creating a table, taking you to the next step after you have entered valid entries for the current step. While scripts can be used to create a table, creating a table using the visual, form-based creation process is a lot simpler and less prone to errors. This tutorial describes a table to be created in the HR database with all the necessary ingredients for a typical database. This article shows you how.

Creating a Table using Oracle 10G XE

If you're a DBA, one of your basic tasks involves managing users: dropping, adding, and changing
permissions. Even if you aren't a DBA, if you use a database, you may find it helpful to know the
tasks that a DBA performs. This article explains the basics for how to perform these tasks in Oracle
10G XE. Here is a 101 level explanation.

Oracle 10G XE User Management 101

If you have ever loaded data into an Oracle table, you know that it is a rather complicated process.
You will be surprised at how much easier it is to do in Oracle 10G XE. Keep reading to find out.

Loading Spread Sheet Data into Oracle 10G XE

In a previous article, a set of tables from Oracle 10G XE were transferred to SQL 2005 Server using
SQL 2005 Server's Export/Import Wizard. This article is about migrating a table from Oracle 10G XE to SQL Anywhere 10. Someone commented why would anyone want to do this.

Migrating from Oracle 10G XE to SQL Anywhere 10

This tutorial takes you through the process of creating a web service client using the
ApplicationBuilder interface in Oracle 10g XE. The client will access the services offered by a web
service created using the Visual Studio 2005.

Creating an Oracle Web Service Client for a Web Service Created in VS 2005

Oracle 10G XE is versatile. You can also create applications.
This tutorial shows you how to create a report based on a table in the Oracle 10g XE database without stepping out of the IDE. It will show you how to manipulate the report and create a UI.

Developing Applications on Oracle 10g XE: Generating a Report

In an earlier tutorial we saw how to use SQL commands in the Oracle 10g Express Edition, or simply
Oracle XE. We also saw how to use the PL/SQL commands as well. In another tutorial we saw how to use the Query Builder, the graphical interface for fashioning and running SQL in the Oracle XE. The
present tutorial describes the SQL scripting support in Oracle XE. In order to bring out the basic
features of scripting support a few example scripts are considered in the discussion.

SQL Script Support in Oracle 10G Express Edition

Here is my favorite. Learning step-by-step everything you want to do, the technique in all my books so far.
Many enterprises need to move data from one kind of data source to another. This tutorial guides you through the steps necessary to move data from Oracle XE into a SQL 2005 Server database.

Step-By-Step Guide to Importing Data from Oracle XE to SQL 2005

In an earlier tutorial we saw how to use SQL commands in the Oracle 10g Express Edition, or simply
Oracle XE. We also saw how to use the PL/SQL commands as well. In this tutorial we will see how to use the Query Builder, the graphical interface for fashioning and running SQL in the Oracle XE. The
tutorial shows how to interact with the query builder to create a SELECT query in the context of a
single table as well as a SELECT query from two related tables.

Using Query Builder in the Oracle 10g Express Edition

Querying the database is one of the most common tasks that you may have to carry out routinely. This tutorial shows you the options for running SQL queries and how to run the queries against the database in the Oracle Express Edition, Oracle XE for short.

Learning to Query in Oracle XE

There are plenty of companies that produce large, expensive database programs with lots of features. But if you're a small company, you don't need to spend a lot of money to get a database that suits your needs; in fact, you may not need to spend any money at all. This article introduces you to Oracle 10g XE, a free database with a friendly user interface.

Experience the Possibilities with Oracle 10g Express Edition

Here is an article from my book:

"SQL Server Integration Services Using Visual Studio 2005", Chapter 13: Package to Copy a Table from Oracle XE', Packt Publishing, Birmingham and Mumbai, 978-1-847193-31-5, 2007".

This book is a real low cost option to learn SSIS with very little effort from your side.
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Oracle 11G XE

It is very easy to  install and work with Oracle 11G XE. Here are some Oracle 11g XE installation slides. After downloading run the setup (319662 KB) program. Here are some installation slides:

Make sure you choose a password for the SYSTEM here. It is not very stringent as in Windows Azure.

After installation you would have a shortcut like this one on your desktop.

You just double click it to launch as shown.

You are in. Login to start your session.

Make sure you read the following to explore Oracle 11G XE further:

http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/articles/sql/11g-xe-quicktour-498681.html

Enjoy.

Mahalo
 

Migrating a MySQL table using Oracle SQL Developer 1.5

Now that MySQL is joining the Oracle family, migration of MySQL to Oracle will be one of internal transfer. However this article written prior to recent developments describes the migration of MySQL to Oracle.

This article shows how you may use Oracle's most recent tool, the Oracle SQL Developer 1.5 to work with the MySQL database. An example of migrating a table in MySQL to Oracle 10G XE is described.

Migrating a MySQL table using Oracle SQL Developer 1.5

The Oracle SQL Developer Tool has steadily improved from its beginnings in version 1.1. The earlier versions are briefly explained here. The latest version, SQL Developer 1.5.4 released in March 2009 was described in this article.

The SQL Developer tool[(1.5.4.59.40)] bundle can be downloaded from Oracle's web site, Oracle Technology Products. When you unzip the bundle you are ready to start using this tool. You may get an even more recent version of this tool as it is continuously updated.

It is assumed that you have a MySQL Server that you can connect to and that you have the required credentials. The MySQL server used in developing this article was installed when the XAMPP bundle was installed. Reader will benefit by reading earlier MySQL articles 1, 2, 3 on the Packt site.

Taking a table over to MySQL from MS Access

MySQL was bought by SUN

SUN agrees to be bought by Oracle

It's big fish eating tiny fish. May be not that tiny either.

But MySQL has a large coterie of lovers and it is the largest open source database product. As it always happen people are restless. There is always a need for moving things from here to there and there to here. We live in a dynamic world.

Here is an article that shows how you can move data from MS Access 2003 to MySQL. The XAMPP shipped MySQL is used.

In this article the built-in method of exporting tables in Microsoft Access is explored to take a table in Microsoft over to MySQL, the open source database product that changed hands recently. This article steps you through the process with a number of screen shots to guide you along the way.

Exporting data from MS Access to MySQL

Microsoft Products with other software

Enterprises use products from disparate vendors based on their business needs; chronological evolution of their business; plain necessity and for any number of other reasons. Hence there are always occasions that they will be looking beyond a single vendor or product. I have been looking at how Microsoft products mesh with other vendor products with the view of helping to provide some help by writing about my experiences which I list here. It is possible that the list is not complete.

Enhance your database skills - Jump start on EnterpriseDB

Installation and basic features of EnterpriseDB

Postgres is the well known and most used Open Source OLTP database available today. EnterpriseDB sits atop Postgres and leverages it to provide enterprise capabilities to Postgres users. EnterpriseDB is available for Windows platform as well. It has most of the necessary features of an enterprise class such as advanced development, monitoring, migration and administrative tools with a stable environment. It also has plug-in capabilities for Oracle. In the present form EnterpriseDB claims cost effectiveness versus Oracle and better scalability than MySQL. It can easily integrate with most applications such as Java, Ajax, Ruby, Drupal etc.

Read on...
http://www.packtpub.com/article/installation-and-basic-features-of-enterprisedb

In Reporting Services what types of Vendor products can be used for Data Sources?

This question was asked in the MSDN forums with a slightly different wording.
The answer is, you can connect to a number of vendor products as seen in the following figure.

On my Windows XP machine I have SQL Server 2008 Enterprise evaluation edition and Visual Studio Standard edition with SP1.


















More than 50 tutorials discusses all aspects of SSRS 2008 in my forthcoming book published by Packt.com

On connecting to Oracle 10G XE from VS 2008

Review the following note,

http://hodentekhelp.blogspot.com/2008/05/how-do-i-connect-to-oracle-10g-xe.html

Do you know how to use the Oracle SQL Developer Tool?

Oracle SQL Developer Tool is a GUI based stand alone tool that you can use to query couple of different database products.

If you would like to learn how to use this tool, read on...

How to Use the Oracle SQL Developer Tool
This will show how for Version 1.1 with an example using the resident Oracle 10G Xe Server

MS Access Queries with Oracle SQL Developer 1.2 Tool
This will describe the Version 1.2 with an example using an MDB file.

Have fun and learn some...

Links to my articles on Web Services

Here is a collection of my articles on web services that you may want to review:

Web Services and SOA will be future trends in business IT get a Jump start on them !!!

Web Service Calling with VB 6.0:

Calling a Web Service using VB6 with SOAP 3.0

Cold Fusion related:

Creating a VB.NET Client for a ColdFusion Web Service

Creating a Web Service with ColdFusion: the Basics

ColdFusion WS Consumer for a WS Created in VS2003

Using Web Matrix:

Creating a Web Service with Web Matrix

Consuming a Service Created with Web Matrix


On Web Services Enhancements 2.0:

Exploring the Pipeline Class Using Web Services Enhancements SP2

Exploring the Header in the WSE 2.0 SoapEnvelope Class

Exploring the SoapEnvelope Class in WSE2.0


Visual Studio .NET Client / Server:

Encoding/Decoding Web Service: Service Consumer

Encoding/Decoding Web Service: Web Service Provider

Client calling with Sun Java Studio Creator:

JSP Consumer for a Visual Studio Created Web Service Using Sun Java Studio Creator

Crystal Report as a service with VS 2003:

Publishing Crystal Report as a Web Service

Using Sybase Central:

Using SQL Anywhere Database with a Web Services Server

Using the Oracle 10G XE IDE:

Creating an Oracle Web Service Client for a Web Service Created in VS 2005

Using Microsoft Access 2003

MS Access Project Using Multiple Web Services