Database Tutorial

Objectives

There are seven objectives for the first week. The best way to accomplish these objectives is two fold. First, you need to read the articles and web pages referenced through links in the summary page. This also includes any subordinate pages referenced through links. Second, you need to do the work and use the tools, like the SQL*Plus Command-Line Interface (CLI), SQL Developer IDE, and Oracle’s APEX Web Interface.

• Learn how to describe a relational database.
• Learn how to install a VMware Linux Instance.
• Learn how to access an Oracle Database using a SQL*Plus Command-Line Interface (CLI).
• Learn how to access an Oracle Database using a SQL Developer (a GUI IDE).
• Learn how to access an Oracle database using Oracle’s APEX Web Interface.
• Learn how to describe the Structured Query Language (SQL).
• Learn how to write SQL queries, using the SELECT statement.

Reading Assignments

You should prepare by reading the following articles or excepts. There will be many new terms. You may want to check the Glossary in the Oracle Database 12c PL/SQL Programming book to understand most of those new terms. After your preparation, you should work through the examples provided for you in the reading.

• Prepare (Reading):
• Introduction to Databases article explains the basic of relational databases.
• SQL Interactive and Batch Processing section of the Oracle Database 12c PL/SQL Programming book, which is provided as an electronic copy inside iLearn.
• Step-by-step tutorial on how to query results from a table with SQL Developer
• Step-by-step tutorial on how to query results from a table with Oracle’s APEX Web Interface
• Teach One Another (Lab):
  • Query a table with SQL*Plus and inspect the results
  • Query a table with SQL Developer and inspect the results
  • Query a table with APEX Web Interface and inspect the results
• Ponder and Prove (Internalization):
  • Compare and contrast the merits of SQL*Plus, SQL Developer, APEX Web Interface
  • Determine the strengths, weaknesses, and application of SQL*Plus, SQL Developer, APEX Web Interface

Reference Materials

After you’ve read the Introduction to Databases article and tutorials, you should experiment with the examples provided in the article or tutorials. The first week’s lab starts with reading some web pages:

• Reading
  • Modern Databases
  • Database History
  • SQL Engine
  • Two-tier Databases
• Articles
  • SELECT Statement
  • SELECT Clause
  • FROM Clause
  • WHERE Clause
  • GROUP BY Clause
  • HAVING Clause
  • ORDER BY Clause
• Tutorials
  • SQL Developer
  • APEX Table Query
  • SQL*Plus CLI
• Lab
  • Description
  • Help Section
  • Instructions

The lab relies on your ability to navigate in the SQL*Plus command-line interface, SQL Developer IDE, and Oracle APEX Web Interface. Please refer to the tutorial web pages for instructions on SQL Developer IDE and Oracle APEX Web Interface. Unfortunately, these two components change periodically and the tutorials are updated with each new Fedora image.

You should read through the Quiz 1: Review Notes to ensure you understand Week 1 material before moving on to Week 2. Please feel free to identify and comment on anything that would benefit form different wording or supplemental ideas.