It can be hard, as an Oracle Database administrator, to expand your PL/SQL skills due to a lack of good examples, not to mention that lines upon lines of syntax definitions can be somewhat of a turn-off. Steve Callan shows how using PL/SQL records can simplify what you have to code - and they're easy to use too.

The 'Excel Analyst's Guide to Access' is especially good for Excel users who need an introductory but aggressive tutorial into the world of Microsoft Access. Read on to find out why Danny Lesandrini decided to keep this particular book in his own personal library.

XML has become a common form of representing and exchanging data in today's information age. SQL Server introduced XML-centric capabilities in SQL Server 2000. That functionality has been expanded in later releases. One aspect of working with XML is creating XML from relational data, which is accomplished utilizing the FOR XML clause in SQL Server.

Arshad Ali discusses the Initiator, Target, Message Types, Contract and Queue--all components of SQL Server Service Broker (SSBS).

Oracle Database's Oracle Error messaging system is often forgotten but can become a staple for many database administrators.

As a database developer or DBA there is not a lot you can do about a legitimate user sharing confidential data. However, you can minimize the risks of someone breaking into your database and browsing around to find confidential information. This article explores how you can use SQL Server features to encrypt your confidential data.

This article contains common different methods of functional partitioning and common considerations for database setup and capacity. Company DBAs, database developers, engineers and architects should consider the pros and cons of any method of sharding or partitioning since compromises will have to be made given the pros and cons of a system setup.

The Data Manipulation Language (DML) includes the major commands, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, and SELECT...INTO. Today's article focuses specifically on the uber-useful INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, and SELECT statements.

Julian Stuhler addresses a couple of fascinating acquisitions, both announced on the same day and each of which could have a significant impact on the world of DB2. Join Julian as he speculates on the facts, rumors and implications of these acquisitions.

This article illustrates how to upgrade an Oracle Database 11gR1 quickly and efficiently to Oracle Database 11gR2 and place its database files within ASM-managed storage, including a brief demonstration of how ACFS snapshots can be used to recover quickly from human error when crucial components of an Oracle home are damaged or destroyed.

Steve Callan walks through some Oracle Text setup steps and working examples of different index types used by Oracle Text.

The slogan "Bigger, Better, Faster" was always the driving force behind the database technology evolution. The latest release of Sybase ASE 15.5 is no exception.

Tapas Pal shows you how to encrypt your SQL Server database for a pre-existing, business critical web application using Transparent Data Encryption (TDE), a new full database encryption technique introduced in SQL Server 2008.

Marcin Policht examines SQL Server Integration Services' component, Derived Column Transformation,and how its usefulness is enhanced by its ability to implement fairly elaborate mathematical, logical, and string operations.

The introduction of the xml data type, with its own set of methods for processing xml data, made it possible for SQL Server developers to create columns and variables of the type xml. Deanna Dicken examines the modify() method, which provides for data manipulation of the XML data stored in the xml data type via XML DML statements.

Oracle's latest purchase will provide additional protection from internal and external threats to enterprises' Oracle and non-Oracle databases.

Simplify the monitoring of queries in Oracle Database with Oracle Enterprise Manager (OEM). Learn how to analyze query related activity and reach a definitive conclusion of database performance.

Oracle's ADRCI extended commands provide valuable scripting and file viewing options, with about two dozen commands that you can use to look at and manage diagnostic information.. ADR is the future of Oracle diagnostics and it's essential that database administrators understand it.

MySQL is a great database for web-facing applications, however, it tends to be a bit rough around the edges. Enter Maatkit, a great toolkit with a bewildering array of command line tools that fill the gap where MySQL's native tools leave off. From data replication to query profiling and optimizing, Maatkit has tools to make you smarter, and help you get your job done.

Database management systems have simultaneously simplified and complicated the lives of many IT workers. Error codes passed from the database back to the application can take on more than 1000 values. What level of error checking should developers include in applications?