Oracle Built-in Packages

Steven Feuerstein is considered one of the world's leading experts on the Oracle PL/SQL language. He is also the author of Oracle PL/SQL Programming (O'Reilly & Associates, Second Edition, 1997) and Advanced Oracle PL/SQL Programming with Packages (O'Reilly & Associates, 1996). Steven has been developing software since 1980 and worked for Oracle Corporation from 1987 to 1992. He is a partner with RevealNet, Inc. (www.revealnet.com) and is the chief architect of the RevealNet products, PL/SQL Knowledge Base and PL/Vision (a code library of prebuilt PL/SQL packages which accelerates PL/SQL-based application development). Steven also sysops RevealNet's "PL/SQL Pipeline," an online community for PL/SQL developers (www.revealnet.com/plsql-pipeline). He can be reached through email at feuerstein@revealnet.com. Steven is also president of PL/Solutions, which offers training and consulting on both PL/Vision and PL/SQL (www.plsolutions.com). Finally (on the Oracle side of Steven's life), he serves as codirector of the Oracle Practice at SSC, a systems management consulting firm based in Chicago (www.saraswati.com).

Preface. I. Overview. 1. Introduction The Power of Built-in Packages Built-in Packages Covered in This Book Using Built-in Packages Examining Built-in Package Source Code. II. Application Development Packages. 2. Executing Dynamic SQL and PL/SQL Examples of Dynamic SQL Getting Started with DBMS_SQL The DBMS_SQL Interface Tips on Using Dynamic SQL DBMS_SQL Examples. 3. Intersession Communication DBMS_PIPE: Communicating Between Sessions DBMS_ALERT: Broadcasting Alerts to Users. 4. User Lock and Transaction Management DBMS_LOCK: Creating and Managing Resource Locks DBMS_TRANSACTION: Interfacing to SQL Transaction Statements. 5. Oracle Advanced Queuing Oracle AQ Concepts Getting Started with Oracle AQ Oracle AQ Nonprogram Elements DBMS_AQ: Interfacing to Oracle AQ (Oracle8 only) DBMS_AQADM: Performing AQ Administrative Tasks (Oracle8 only) Oracle AQ Database Objects Oracle AQ Examples. 6. Generating Output from PL/SQL Programs DBMS_OUTPUT: Displaying Output UTL_FILE: Reading and Writing Server-side Files. 7. Defining an Application Profile Getting Started with DBMS_APPLICATION_INFO DBMS_APPLICATION_INFO Interface DBMS_APPLICATION_INFO Examples. 8. Managing Large Objects Getting Started with DBMS_LOB LOB Concepts DBMS_LOB Interface. 9. Datatype Packages DBMS_ROWID: Working with the ROWID Pseudo-Column (Oracle8 only) UTL_RAW: Manipulating Raw Data UTL_REF: Referencing Objects (Oracle8.1 Only). 10. Miscellaneous Packages DBMS_UTILITY: Performing Miscellaneous Operations DBMS_DESCRIBE: Describing PL/SQL Program Headers DBMS_DDL: Compiling and Analyzing Objects DBMS_RANDOM: Generating Random Numbers (Oracle8 Only). III. Server Management Packages. 11. Managing Session Information DBMS_SESSION: Managing Session Information DBMS_SYSTEM: Setting Events for Debugging. 12. Managing Server Resources DBMS_SPACE: Obtaining Space Information DBMS_SHARED_POOL: Pinning Objects. 13. Job Scheduling in the Database Getting Started with DBMS_ JOB Job Queue Architecture Tips on Using DBMS_JOB DBMS_JOB Examples IV. Distributed Database Packages. 14. Snapshots DBMS_SNAPSHOT: Managing Snapshots DBMS_REFRESH: Managing Snapshot Groups DBMS_OFFLINE_SNAPSHOT: Performing Offline Snapshot Instantiation DBMS_REPCAT: Managing Snapshot Replication Groups. 15. Advanced Replication DBMS_REPCAT_AUTH: Setting Up Administrative Accounts DBMS_REPCAT_ADMIN: Setting Up More Administrator Accounts DBMS_REPCAT: Replication Environment Administration DBMS_OFFLINE_OG: Performing Site Instantiation DBMS_RECTIFIER_DIFF: Comparing Replicated Tables DBMS_REPUTIL: Enabling and Disabling Replication. 16. Conflict Resolution Getting Started with DBMS_REPCAT Column Groups with DBMS_REPCAT Priority Groups with DBMS_REPCAT Site Priority Groups with DBMS_REPCAT Assigning Resolution Methods with DBMS_REPCAT Monitoring Conflict Resolution with DBMS_REPCAT. 17. Deferred Transactions and Remote Procedure Calls About Deferred Transactions and RPCs DBMS_DEFER_SYS: Managing Deferred Transactions DBMS_DEFER: Building Deferred Calls DBMS_DEFER_QUERY: Performing Diagnostics and Maintenance. A. What's on the Companion Disk? Index