The first edition of Oracle PL/SQL Programming quickly became an indispensable reference for both novice and experienced PL/SQL developers. Packed with examples and recommendations, it helped everyone using PL/SQL (from the Oracle Forms developer to the database administrator) make the most of this powerful language. Oracle8 presents PL/SQL programmers with new challenges by increasing both the possibilities and complexities of the language. This new edition updates the original book for Oracle8, adding chapters describing the new PL/SQL object features (object types, collections, object views, and external procedures). The second edition also contains a much-requested chapter on tuning PL/SQL, as well as expanded discussions of debugging and tracing PL/SQL execution. The book comes with a companion diskette containing the Companion Utilities Guide for Oracle PL/SQL Programming, an online tool developed by RevealNet, Inc. The online guide contains more than 100 file of source code and documentation prepared by the authors. Even if you"ve already read the first edition of Oracle PL/SQL Programming, you"ll find an enormous amount of new and revised information in this second edition and on its companion diskette. If you"re new to PL/SQL, you"ll soon find yourself on the road to mastery. NOTE: To make room for the new material, some summaries and code from the first edition have been moved to the companion disk. Oracle PL/SQL Programming is divided into seven parts: Foreword Preface Part I: Programming in PL/SQL 1. Introduction to PL/SQL 2. PL/SQL Language Fundamentals 3. Effective Coding Style Part II: PL/SQL Language Elements 4. Variables and Program Data 5. Conditional and Sequential Control 6. Database Interaction and Cursors 7. Loops 8. Exception Handlers 9. Records in PL/SQL 10.PL/SQL Tables Part III: Built-in Functions and Packages 11. Character Functions 12. Date Functions 13. Numeric, LOB, and Miscellaneous Functions 14. Conversion Functions Part IV: Modular Code 15. Procedures and Functions 16. Packages 17. Calling Stored PL/SQL Functions from SQL Part V: PL/SQL Oracle8 Features 18. Object Types 19. Nested Tables and VARRAYs 20. Object Views 21. External Procedures Part VI: Making PL/SQL Programs Work 22. Code Design Tips 23. Managing Code in the Database 24. Debugging PL/SQL 25. Tracing PL/SQL 26. Tuning PL/SQL Part VII: Appendixes A. What"s on the Companion Disk? B. Calling Stored Procedures from PL/SQL Version 1.1 C. Built-in Packages