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Oracle XE - An Analysts Playground

Oracle XE is a free, lightweight version of the Oracle database that allows companies of any size to view and manipulate data. It has some storage and resource limits compared to the full Oracle database. Oracle XE can be used to load data from other databases, files, and web sources using techniques like database links, materialized views, and external tables. Data can then be manipulated using tools like SQL*Plus, SQL Developer, and HTML DB. Reports and data exports can be created with those same tools to output data to spreadsheets, URLs, or other reporting and business intelligence applications. The Oracle Technology Network provides documentation and resources to learn more about using Oracle XE.

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Lewis Cunningham
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146 views

Oracle XE - An Analysts Playground

Oracle XE is a free, lightweight version of the Oracle database that allows companies of any size to view and manipulate data. It has some storage and resource limits compared to the full Oracle database. Oracle XE can be used to load data from other databases, files, and web sources using techniques like database links, materialized views, and external tables. Data can then be manipulated using tools like SQL*Plus, SQL Developer, and HTML DB. Reports and data exports can be created with those same tools to output data to spreadsheets, URLs, or other reporting and business intelligence applications. The Oracle Technology Network provides documentation and resources to learn more about using Oracle XE.

Uploaded by

Lewis Cunningham
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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e acl r tO p oas rou c un er G S Us

Oracle XE: An Analysts Playground


Lewis R Cunningham
Database Architect Shepherd Systems An Experts Guide to Oracle http://blogs.ittoolbox.com/oracle/guide

Topics
What is XE? What XE is not! Getting Data In Manipulating Data Getting Data Out Where to find out more

What is XE?
Oracle 10gR2 Express Edition Free, Free, FREE!!!! Free to develop and distribute For DBAs and Developers to learn ISVs can embed Oracle

What is XE?
XE has some limits
4 GB of Disk 1 GB of RAM 1 CPU (or core) 1 Instance per machine No JVM

What is XE?
My supposition:
Oracle XE is a tool that allows companies of any size to make better use of it's data. If your job is to view and/or manipulate data, Oracle XE can help you do that. (As in it's better than Access!)

What XE is not!
XE is not open source XE is free but still has a license XE is not Oracle Enterprise Edition

Getting Data In
Database Links Materialized Views External Tables Spreadsheets (via HTML DB) URLs OWB?

Getting Data In, Cont'd


Database Links
Access Remote Databases in Realtime Access any database you can access from your desktop
CREATE DATABASE LINK my_link CONNECT TO myusername IDENTIFIED BY my_password USING 'database_name'; SELECT * FROM table@my_link;

Getting Data In, Cont'd


Materialized Views
Queries across database links must be reran everytime the data is needed A materialized view queries the data once and stores it in your XE instance Performance can be tuned (via local indexes) Reduces the impact to the server Don't forget about the 4GB disk limit

Getting Data In, Cont'd


Materialized Views
CREATE OR REPLACE MATERIALIZED VIEW my_data_mv AS SELECT department_name, count(*) over () empCnt, count(*) over ( partition by e.department_id ) emps_by_dept FROM employees@remote_db e, departments@remote_db d WHERE e.department_id = d.department_id

Getting Data In, Cont'd


External Tables
Doesn't count in the 4GB disk space Change data by changing text files If your warehouse is already using text files from the mainframe or other source, you have a ready source of data Can be queried and joined like any other table

Getting Data In, Cont'd


External Tables
CREATE TABLE emp_raises(Emp_id number,raise_pct NUMBER(5,2) ) ORGANIZATION external ( TYPE oracle_loader DEFAULT DIRECTORY data_file_dir ACCESS PARAMETERS (RECORDS DELIMITED BY NEWLINE CHARACTERSET US7ASCII BADFILE log_file_dir:'bad.log' LOGFILE log_file_dir:'log.log' FIELDS TERMINATED BY "|" LDRTRIM ( Employee_id, raise_pct)) location ('employee_rasies.dat') )REJECT LIMIT UNLIMITED;

Getting Data In, Cont'd


Spreadsheets
HTML DB Create Application From Spreadsheet Wizard Loads CSV files Creates a table if one does not already exist Creates an application (can be read/write or read only)

Getting Data In, Cont'd


URLs
UTL_HTTP to access data on the web Web data presented as XML can be loaded FTP directly into XE

Getting Data In, Cont'd


OWB?
Paris is the next big version of Oracle Warehouse Builder (OWB) Paris will support XE through generic connectivity OWB may be best for complex extracts and transformations

Manipulating Data
SQL*Plus SQL Developer HTML DB

Manipulating Data, Cont'd


SQL*Plus
Tried and true, works on all platforms Most SQL commands supported SQL Analytics are supported SQL Model is not supported If you're using SQL now, you can continue doing so

Manipulating Data, Cont'd


SQL Developer
Like XE, SQL Developer is Free! Like XE, SQL Developer is NOT open source SQL Developer includes a schema browser, query screen and PL/SQL editor Comes with some predefined reports Lets you create your own reports

Manipulating Data, Cont'd


HTML DB
Comes pre-configured in XE Graphical, HTML based environment Recently renamed Application Express No programming skills required Point and click screen building

Manipulating Data, Cont'd


HTML DB
Administration Module
Disk Usage Memory Users

Object Browser SQL Builder and Edit windows Application Builder

Manipulating Data, Cont'd


HTML DB Application Builder
Menu driven application development Page Based, think page = form or screen Access and security is built-in Pages can be read or write Use HTML DB to create screens that allow you to edit your data

Getting Data Out


HTML DB (again) Spreadsheets (again) URLs SQL*Plus SQL Developer Report Writers/BI Tools

Getting Data Out, Cont'd


HTML DB (again)
A screen can be a report Reports are defined as easily as a form Use the graphical query builder and create a report Export to CSV (spreadsheets)

Getting Data Out, Cont'd


Spreadsheets (again)
Most spreadsheets support ODBC Select directly from XE into your speadsheet application

Getting Data Out, Cont'd


URLs
Make data available via the web development toolkit HTF and HTP PL/SQL packages Make your relational data available as XML Others can use a browser to view your data

Getting Data Out, Cont'd


SQL*Plus
The original report writer SQL*Plus has been in production for many years Sophisticated SQL support and formatting Easy syntax and good documentation

Getting Data Out, Cont'd


SQL Developer
Did I say it's free? Easy to install User defined reports are SQL Based Export Reports to CSV or XML Supports some SQL*Plus syntax Share your reports with other users

Getting Data Out, Cont'd


Report Writers/Business Intelligence Tools
XE is an Oracle 10g database If your tool supports Oracle at all, it will support XE Allows you to offload your reporting

A Possible Scenario
Use database links and materialized views to create local data Manipulate it as needed with HTML DB Create XML Views Make your data available via URLS Use jDeveloper to create a portlet

Where to find out more


Oracle Tech Net (OTN) XE Homepage:
http://www.oracle.com/technology/products/database/xe/index.html

Or my article on OTN:
http://www.oracle.com/technology/pub/articles/cunningham-database-xe.html

e acl r tO p oas rou c un er G S Us

Thank you!
Lewis R Cunningham
An Experts Guide to Oracle http://blogs.ittoolbox.com/oracle/guide

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