System requirements for accompanying discs: Pentium 166 processor (Pentium 266 or higher recommended); 128 MB RAM (256 MB recommended); 200 MB virtual memory; Windows NT, 2000, or XP; 2.8 GB hard disk space; Internet connection with either Netscape 4.76 or higher or Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 or higher (6.0 required for Windows XP); 256 color video adapter; CD-ROM drive.

The accompanying discs contain a trial version of Oracle 9i.

Includes index.

Chapter 1. Introducing Relational Databases -- Rows/Records -- Columns/Fields -- How Is a Database Different from a Spreadsheet? -- Many Rows -- Many Users Simultaneously -- Security -- Relational Abilities -- Constraints to Ensure Data Quality -- Case Study -- Clapham Specialty Store -- Designing Your First Database -- How Will Knowing This Help You? -- When Developing Software -- When Doing Database Administration -- When Doing Business Analysis -- If You Just Want to Know How to Use Databases Better -- History of SQL -- Chapter 2. Storing and Retrieving Data: The Basics -- Prepare to Work with a Database -- Creating a Table -- Inserting Records -- Selecting Records -- Dropping a Table -- Creating Tables -- Guidelines for Naming Tables and Columns -- Creating a More Involved Table -- Determining a Table's Structure -- NULL and NOT NULL Columns -- Inserting Data -- Additional Techniques -- How to Insert Records Containing NULL Values -- Creating and Populating a Table -- How to Insert Data That Contains Apostrophes -- Viewing Data from a Table -- Additional Techniques -- Selecting Specific Columns -- Changing Column Order -- Performing Math Using Data in a Table -- Connecting Two or More Pieces of Text Together -- Assigning Aliases to Columns -- Changing the Data Values You View -- Chapter 3. Performing Advanced Data Manipulation -- SQL Command Categories -- Data Definition -- Data Manipulation -- Data Control -- Data Retrieval -- Transaction Control -- Limiting Which Records You Select -- Filtering Records Based on Numbers -- Filtering Records Based on Text -- Filtering Records Based on Dates -- Viewing Records in a Different Order -- Sorting on Individual Columns -- Sorting on Multiple Columns -- Showing Only Unique Values -- Selecting from the DUAL Table -- Modifying Data in a Table -- Removing Records from a Table -- Deleting Rows Matching Specific Criteria -- Deleting All Rows -- Transaction Control -- Undoing DML Transactions -- Making Data Available to Others -- Implicit and Explicit COMMITs -- Performing Advanced Data Manipulation -- Chapter 4. Controlling SQL*Plus -- Editing Prior Commands -- Using a Text Editor -- Using the EDIT Command -- Line-Level Editing -- Copying and Pasting -- Using Your Mouse to Edit Text -- Clearing the SQL*Plus Screen -- Customizing the SQL*Plus Environment -- Customizing Using the SQL*Plus Menu -- Customizing Using Commands -- Saving Environment Customizations -- Producing More Readable Output -- Formatting Numbers in SQL*Plus -- Formatting Text in SQL*Plus -- Formatting Column Headings in SQL*Plus -- Spooling Output to Disk -- SQL Script Files -- Creating a Script File -- Running a Script File -- Using Variables in Script Files -- Chapter 5. Oracle SQL Built-in Functions -- Implementing Commonly Used Single-Row Functions -- System Variables -- Number Functions -- Text Functions -- Using Single-Row Functions -- Date -- Data Conversion -- Other Functions -- Implementing Commonly Used Group Functions -- Grouping Data via the GROUP BY Clause -- Including and Excluding Grouped Rows via the HAVING Clause -- Using Group Functions -- Chapter 6. Indexes, Joins, and Subqueries -- Creating the Test Tables -- Indexes in Databases -- How to Create Indexes -- Types of Indexes -- B-Tree Indexes -- Bitmap Indexes -- Bitmap Versus B-Tree Indexes -- Function-Based Indexes -- When to Use Indexes -- Relationships Between Tables -- Creating an Index -- Writing SELECT Statements to Display Data from More Than One Table -- Types of Joins -- Set Operators -- Writing Subqueries -- What Is a Subquery? -- Types of Problems Subqueries Can Solve -- Single-Row Subqueries -- Multirow Subqueries -- Multicolumn Subqueries -- Correlated Subqueries -- Chapter 7. Creating a Program with PL/SQL -- What Is PL/SQL? -- Describing PL/SQL -- Who's Who in SQL, PL/SQL, and SQL*Plus -- Stored Procedures, Functions, and Triggers -- Stored Procedures and SQL Scripts -- Structure of a PL/SQL Block -- Header Section -- Declaration Section -- Execution Section -- Exception Section -- Creating a Simple PL/SQL Procedure -- Calling Procedures and Functions -- PL/SQL Variables and Constants -- Declaring PL/SQL Variables -- Declaring PL/SQL Constants -- Assigning Values to Variables -- Using Variables -- Control Structures in PL/SQL -- IF Statement -- Loops -- Cursors -- Nested Loops and Cursor Example -- Error Handling -- Exceptions -- System-Defined Exceptions -- Programmer-Defined Exceptions -- Creating a Programmer-Defined Exception -- Chapter 8. Reading a Data Model -- Overview of Data Model Design -- Purpose and Benefits of Models -- Relational Integrity: Quality Data -- Types of Data Models -- Conceptual Model -- Logical Data Model -- Physical Data Model -- Reading an Entity Relationship Diagram -- Entities -- Attributes -- Relationships -- Cardinality and Optionality Notations -- Reading an Entity Relationship Diagram -- Chapter 9. Basics of Designing a Database's Structure -- The Business Specification: Let the Data Tell You Where It Goes -- Selecting the Database's Grain -- Entities and Attributes -- Identifying Records Reliably: Primary Keys -- Why Do You Need a Primary Key? -- Composite Primary Keys -- Natural Primary Keys vs. Surrogate Primary Keys -- Relationships: Referring to Data in Other Tables -- Common Data Model Standards -- Crow's Foot (IE) -- IDEF1X -- Relationships: Cardinality and Optionality -- One-to-Many -- Many-to-Many -- One-to-One -- Optionality -- Dependency: Identifying Relationships -- Recursive vs. Binary -- Modeling Multiple Categories: Supertype and Subtypes -- Creating Basic Data Models -- Categories, Supertypes, and Subtypes -- Implementing Super/Subtypes in a Physical Model -- Chapter 10. Normalization -- The Process of Normalization -- Dependency -- Dependents and Determinants -- The First Three Normal Forms -- First Normal Form: Eliminate Repeating Groups -- Second Normal Form: Eliminate Redundant Data -- Third Normal Form: Eliminate Attributes Not Dependent on the Primary Key -- Apply the Normal Forms to a Database Model -- The Fourth and Fifth Normal Forms -- Fourth Normal Form: Isolate Independent Multiple Relationships -- Fifth Normal Form: Isolate Semantically Related Multiple Relationships -- The Rules You Really Need -- Anomalies in the Data -- Normalizing the Data -- Insert -- Delete -- Update -- A Tax on Being Law-Abiding -- Moving from Logical to Physical Models -- Choosing Your Engine -- Translating Super- and Subtypes -- Chapter 11. Analyzing Data Quality Issues -- Datatypes and Missing Data: Quality Basics -- Handling Missing Values -- Apples and Oranges: Defining Datatypes -- Choosing a Datatype -- Creating a Table and Inserting Data -- Converting Datatypes: Weak and Strong Typing -- Data Domains: Sanity Checks -- Domains as Sets of Values -- Column and Table Constraints -- Column Constraints -- Table Constraints -- Primary Key Constraints and Indexes -- Uniqueness and How to Enforce It -- Alternate Keys -- Other Indexes -- Foreign Key Constraints: Values from Other Tables -- Adding the Constraint -- Implementing Cardinality and Optionality -- Cascading Effects -- Cascade Delete on a Recursive Relationship -- The Cascades That Don't -- Creating the Movie Database -- Declarative Relational Integrity: Pros and Cons -- Declaring Foreign Key Constraints -- Triggers and Procedural Code -- Naming Constraints: Make It Easy for the Programmers -- Naming Tables and Columns -- Naming Check Constraints -- Naming Foreign Key Constraints -- Naming Indexes -- Chapter 12. Other Useful Oracle Techniques -- Transferring Data Between Tables -- Transferring Data Using INSERT -- Creating a New Table Based on an Existing One -- Renaming Tables -- Altering a Table's Structure -- Adding Columns -- Changing Column Datatypes -- Changing NULL Options -- Views -- Creating a View -- Updateable Views -- Dropping Views -- Top N Analysis -- Creating a View on a Table -- Other Database Objects -- Sequences -- Synonyms -- Appendix. On the CD-ROMs -- About Oracle 9i Standard Edition for Windows.

"Learn to use a database to transform vast amounts of information into orderly, correlated data. Introduction to Relational Databases and SQL Programming introduces fundamental database concepts, then teaches you how to store, retrieve, and manipulate data and how to use SQL and PL/SQL. Using Oracle9i as an example, the book offers hands-on tutorials and exercises, including the Clapham Specialty Store case study, so you can apply your skills to real-world business scenarios. Book jacket."--BOOK JACKET.

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