2011-03-29

Oracle SQL Developer 3.0 released

Oracle SQL Developer 3.0 is now available for download.


Some of the new features:
  • Data Modeler: SQL Developer Data Modeler 3.0 is now fully integrated.
  • Exporting and Importing: The Importing and Exporting wizards have been updated to support a wider range of choices. You'll find these on the Tools > Database Export menu, and Export... on the context menus for Tables and Views and on Data Grids. Import Data is available on table context menus.
  • Database Navigator: Users can now manage Database Configuration files, Resource consumption, Security for profiles, roles and users, and manage Storage files such as control files, datafiles, archive and redo logs, rollback segments and tablespaces.
  • DBMS Scheduler: Create a full schedule definition using graphical and grid editors
  • SQL Tuning: SQL Tuning Advisor analyzes high-volume SQL statement and offers tuning recommendations
  • Query Builder: Visual SQL Query Builder with an object drag and drop feature from the connection navigator to the Query Builder view. SQL Worksheet and Query Builder view are tightly integrated. Switch between Worksheet (text) and Query Builder (visual) views at any time.
  • Schema Browser: The Schema Browser supports fast client-side name based filtering for narrowing the list of objects displayed.
  • Migrations: SQL Developer 3.0 brings a number of new features that support the migration from non-Oracle to the Oracle Database.
 Check all in the release notes.

2011-03-28

Mudança da hora afecta PL/SQL Challenge

Devido à mudança da hora (ontem dia 27/3) o começo do dia do PL/SQL Challenge volta a ser a 1h de Portugal continental (no horário de inverno como sabem coincidia com a meia-noite).

É pena os jogadores nacionais serem tão poucos: actualmente somente 30 (quando estão registrados mais de 200). Claro que alguns pode estar no modo "education purpose", mas penso que serão poucos nessa situação.

O PLSQL challenge tem uma pergunta diária sobre PL/SQL (a linguagem embebida na base de dados ORACLE (da companhia com o mesmo nome ;-) ) e já me permitiu aprender algumas coisas. E tem prémios!

As perguntas variam de dificuldade e mais recentemente os seus assuntos têm ido desde a programação OO em PL/SQL a funções agregadas, de problemas com o valor NULL ao uso do %TYPE em coluna do tipo INTEGER.

Se trabalham ou estudam com o uso da Base de Dados (BD) Oracle este é um desafio para aprender e solidificar conhecimentos.
Participem!

2011-03-25

Final Beta of SQL Navigator 6.5 (2)

Another (!) Final Beta version of SQL Navigator 6.5 was made available


We decided to do another beta release to include a few more changes.
(...)
Issues resolved in this release:
--------------------------------
Ability to handle user defined DUAL tables
Bug fixes with data export
View Difference: ability to enter SchemaName.ObjectName for comparing

Source

2011-03-23

Firefox 4

Firefox 4 was released two day ago.

The changes I like:
"Performance: Firefox is up to six times faster than the previous release."
(...)
"The JavaScript engine (..) for faster page-load speed and better performance of Web apps and games."
I really find start-up faster and also the javascript programs.

Private and Secure: Do Not Track: (...) allows users to opt-out of tracking used for behavioral advertising.
Firefox (..) fix(...) flaws in some Web standards to prevent others from accessing your browser history.
HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS): automatically establishes secure connections to stop “man in the middle” attacks and keep sensitive data safe from interception during the log-in process.
Content Security Policy (CSP): prevent cross-scripting attacks by allowing sites to explicitly tell the browser which content is legitimate.
The HSTS and CSP still needs some implementation in the webservers (upgrading,etc..) but I think that will happen very fast.

Some HTML5 support . It's still not a final standard but it's adoption is growing (some features more than others) and the features are already being used to great advantages.

And most visual/operational change: Tabs on Top! (you can change to the previous Tabs position if you like)

Now Opera, Chrome and Firefox looks very similar :-)

Changes I need some time to get use to:
Add-ons panel
Link Url information

It's my browser for choice!

2011-03-22

Final Beta of SQL Navigator 6.5

The previous Beta Navigator 6.5 will expire in 31st March but you can download the final beta.

Some issues resolved in this release:
-----------------------------
dbms_output : not showing output generated before error until next SQL is run
Filter Issues in DB Nav Tree : make consistent with DBExplorer
Right-click out of the highlighted area and selection is lost
When you try to highlight the code with mouse and drag off the bottom, selection is lost
View Difference Report - Should add 'No differences found" if objects are identical."
Bind Variables window doesn't exist when Scan Defines/substitution" is on
Bind Variable Window can't remember modes and types of parameters set previously
Make BFILE read-only
Add Disable menu for Constraints and Triggers in Table Editor VOE
Deleting filters still shows in filter list
Add a Disable button to Constraint Editor
Open file dialogue file, set default for file type
Issue with mouse click and shortcut menu when using dual monitor
Degraded performance of Nav on large databases (3000 users), when Show Users in Schema List" preference is set ON."
Add ability to export entire column of BLOB data like Toad for Oracle.
Include a DROP FORCE clause for type object
Could not open package object with parameters of type when having NO permission to see the type object.
SQL Nav hangs on long running query + Explain Plan+View Differences
Bug on tree refresh in DB Explorer on saved filter
Have checkbox in filter to use case & ignore case by default
DBX Filter did not take into account lower case object name
Can't save Filter in DBX if it has % symbol in name
Add process for object being formatted in the task manager so user can stop it if it takes too long
DBX filter shows current schema in Other Schemas
% in selected schema name in the Full filter - does not work in DB Explorer
Object status is not correct and it cannot be saved
The status of Extract DDL was not modified and save button was disabled, can close it without any confirmation.
Formatter: focus position becomes wrong after formatting invalid text
Editor pane does not show results as split pane
Maintain the size of the data grid after user change for multi sql execution

See full announcement

Why Oracle is not search engine user friendly?

More than ever we use and relay on search engines to find things in the Web (i.e. Google, Bing, etc).

Oracle has a history of changing link around (OTN, etc..) and not maintaining an internal redirection list or even issuing for a time the HTTP 301 Moved Permanently (with the new URL) to web clients (including the crawlers of the search engines).

So we keep on getting oracle site pages in the first places of the search answer list but with no information and search in oracle site means you have to logon. OK using the "Single Sign-On" it's free but even so it's for the normal web user a "wall" and they will leave.

An example of this (at the time of the post) ? Easy!
Search: "Java Stored Procedures" and you will get a link to
http://www.oracle.com/us/technology/sample_code/tech/java/jsp/index.html in the first page (OK it depends on search engine features, country and if you logged on , but should be there)
That link will get you to a page "Error Page 404 - We're sorry, the page you requested was not found." :-(

You can try to use the "Internet Archive: Wayback Machine" but will no success :-(
A possible workaround? Try to check the cache result of Google for the link if available.

Why can't Oracle (a "Database also" Company) maintain their links or keep a database (!) of old link-> new ("related" if not equal) link and search on it when it would display the "Error Page 404" and or redirect the person to that page or show in that 404 page the new link (or list of links)?

2011-03-18

Get IP via hostname or hostname via IP in PL/SQL

Sometimes you need to find out in PL/SQL the IP address of a hostname or more frequently the hostname from the IP address (as nslookup does), for instance to check where a web request is from.

Oracle has the package utl_inaddr that allows us to solve that problem.

2011-03-13

Great post about the Japanese Disaster Preparedness and Engineering

I found this great post about the Japanese Disaster Preparedness and Engineering : Some Perspective On The Japan Earthquake.
Lot of lifes were lost but even more were saved due to great engineering and readiness.

2011-03-11

Rio - A não perder

Uaaaa...
Esta foi a minha expressão ao ver os dois primeiros minutos do novo Filme "Rio" que chegará em abril aos cinemas.
Fez-me recordar a sensação que tive aos primeiros minutos do "Rei Leão" antes dos créditos iniciais: a cena de apresentação do Simba aos animais ("Circle of Life"). Disse nessa altura a quem estava comigo "só por isto já valeu o dinheiro" :-)

2011-03-09

TIOBE Programming Community Index for March 2011

PL/SQL in 30th in TIOBE Index for March 2011. It's was in 15th place in March last year!

Proteger Páginas Web Dinâmicas de acesso errado

Versão em português do meu outro post em inglês.

As vezes queremos proteger o acesso a página web dinâmicas (por exemplo criadas por procedimentos PL/SQL) de acesso errado (não normal) e que não tem relação a permissões de acesso. Uma das razões para o fazer é para evitar tráfego HTTP e carga na base de dados devido a acessos que não foram realmente efectuados pelo normal uso da aplicação web ou sitio web.

Vou usar como exemplo páginas geradas por procedimentos PL/SQL usando o Oracle Web Toolkit e a gateway mod_plsql. Diferentes gateways ou linguagens de programação terão variáveis de sessão web similares.

Do not forget this month ODTUG free Webinar: Introduction to SQL Developer

Tuesday, March 15, 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM EST

Introduction to SQL Developer Session 1
Lewis Cunningham, Oracle ACE Director


2011-03-04

Deolinda "Um Contra O Outro"

Uma canção dos Deolinda que me anda na cabeça
--

"Um Contra O Outro"
Deolinda

Mod_plsql's History

In the other day I found out a post in asktom with the history of mod_plsql.
I present here the relevante bits only changing the format, link info and making clear that the "I" in the text is Tom Kyte.

2011-03-03

Será que só sobe?

Há coisas que não mudam!!! onde se vê 2008 veja-se todos os demais anos até agora!



Oracle APEX Listener 1.1 available

Oracle APEX Listener 1.1 is available

New feature: "(...)RESTful Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) are created by configuring resource templates. Each resource template is a configuration file that binds a set of Uniform Resource Identifiers (URIs) to a SQL query or anonymous PL/SQL block."

2011-03-02

Oracle SQL Developer Release 3.0 : EA 4 available for testing

Oracle SQL Developer Release 3.0 - Early Adopter 4 is available for download.

This version fixes several bugs reported in the previous EAs.

Update: links removed -> final version 3.0 available