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6 Useful Links from Around the Web (2007-08-31)

More from my bookmarks on del.icio.us

Filed in Links with 3 Comments


Listen to Three Geeks Talking About Oracle 11g

Lewis Cunningham posted his latest Oracle Buzz podcast today. Listen to Lewis, Erick Villatoro and myself, Eddie Awad, chatting about 11g. We recorded this podcast 10 days ago. This was the first time ever I record a podcast.

Listening to myself, I noticed that I should work on my “podcasting” skills a little bit more; Lots “eh”, “ah” and “you know’s”, but that was mostly because it was unscripted. Also, if you ever wonder about my strange English accent, that’s because English is not my native language.

In any case, I would like to thank Lewis for allowing me to co-host his podcast. I was a bit nervous but I really enjoyed it.

Filed in Oracle with 7 Comments | Tags:


Add Any Search Engine to Your Browser, The Easy Way

Whether you use Firefox or Internet Explorer, you probably know about this handy search box usually located at the top right corner of your browser window. This search box puts search engines at your fingertips and makes them easily available to you whenever you need them.

I have recorded a short three and a half minute screencast, with voice, that shows you how you can add any search engine to your browser’s search box, in just four clicks: (more…)

Filed in Extensions, Firefox, Oracle, Plugins, Tips with 4 Comments


Top 10 Ways to Know Your Software Project is Doomed

Here is my top 10 from this list of 101 ways to know your software project is doomed:

  1. Developers use the excuse of “self documenting code” for no comments
  2. All of your requirements are written on a used cocktail napkin
  3. Progress is now measured by the number of fixed bugs and not completed features
  4. Your source code control system is a series of folders on a shared drive
  5. Your manager wastes 7 hours a week asking for progress reports
  6. The phrase “It works on my machine” is heard more than once a day
  7. Developers are not responsible for any testing
  8. All code reviews are scheduled a week before product launch
  9. You have cut and pasted code from The Daily WTF
  10. The last book you read: Oracle 8i A Beginner’s Guide.

What’s your favorite one?

Filed in ColdFusion, Oracle with 7 Comments


Self Documenting Code is Not Enough

I stumbled upon an interesting article titled: Comments Are More Important Than Code. In this article, the author, Jef Raskin, writes:

Good documentation should be readable on its own, with bits of code showing how the design is implemented (and making it run, of course). Reconstructing code from good documentation is far easier than trying to create documentation given the code.

The essential concept of writing the documentation first, creating the methods in natural language, and describing the thinking behind them is a key to high-quality commercial programming.

Do not believe any programmer, manager, or salesperson who claims that code can be self-documenting or automatically documented. It ain’t so.

This reminds me of a post I wrote about a year ago: Comments Do Make a Difference. It was about a real world experience with code that was not adequately documented. I believe that good code should be self-documenting. But, I also agree with Jef that “good documentation includes background and decision information that cannot be derived from the code” no matter if it is self-documenting or not.

Filed in ColdFusion, Oracle, Tips with 8 Comments


40+ Links for Knowing the New Oracle Database 11g

Since its recent launch, a lot has been said and written about 11g, the latest and greatest database version from Oracle. The following are 40 articles, blog posts and podcasts that will help you and me understand all the new features and prepare for an eventual database upgrade:

  1. Oracle Database Online Documentation 11g Release 1 (11.1)
  2. Oracle Database 11g on OTN
  3. Oracle Database 11g: The Top Features for DBAs and Developers
  4. Podcast: Dr. DBA, What’s New in Oracle Database 11g?
  5. Podcast: Change Assurance: Andy Mendelsohn on Oracle Database 11g
  6. ORACLE-BASE – Oracle 11g Release 1 RAC On Linux Using NFS
  7. ORACLE-BASE – Articles on Oracle 11g new features
  8. Pythian Group Blog » Wouldn’t Automatic SQL Plan Management be the 11g killer app?
  9. Pythian Group Blog » Tuning Pack 11g : Real-Time SQL Monitoring
  10. Pythian Group Blog » When 11g SQL is faster than 10g without any plan change…
  11. Pythian Group Blog » Oracle 11g’s SQL Performance Analyzer 
  12. New Parameters in 11g | Dizwell Informatics
  13. Installing 11g Release 1 on Centos 4.5 | Dizwell Informatics
  14. Johns Blog » Blog Archive » 11g and APEX
  15. Oracle 11g – How to enable native WSDL services : blog.gralike.com
  16. Oracle 11g Security – XMLDB is here to stay… : blog.gralike.com
  17. AMIS Technology blog » Blog Archive » New in Oracle 11g: Read Only Tables
  18. AMIS Technology blog » Blog Archive » New in Oracle 11g: the FOLLOWS Clause in Create Trigger Statement
  19. AMIS Technology blog » Blog Archive » New in Oracle 11g: wait added to lock table syntax
  20. AMIS Technology blog » Blog Archive » New in Oracle 11g: PL/SQL Function Result Cache
  21. AMIS Technology blog » Blog Archive » New PL/SQL Compiler Warning in Oracle 11g
  22. AMIS Technology blog » Blog Archive » Implementation Restricted Relaxed in Oracle 11g
  23. AMIS Technology blog » Blog Archive » Oracle 11g – First Impressions
  24. PSOUG – New in 11gR1
  25. Oracle Magazine: Manage Change with Oracle Database 11g
  26. Oracle Magazine: Ask Tom: On Oracle Database 11g
  27. Oracle Magazine: PL/SQL Practices: On the PL/SQL Function Result Cache
  28. Oracle Magazine: In the Field: What’s New in Oracle Database 11g
  29. One size doesn’t fit all: Other 11g news: The little SQL Developer editor that could
  30. Changes in Oracle 11.1 – Julian Dyke
  31. Software Engineer Thoughts: Oracle 11g is released – my links
  32. Robert G. Freeman’s Blog: 11g New Feature!! Revenge of Compression!!!
  33. Robert G. Freeman’s Blog: 11g Security New Feature… A short one…
  34. Robert G. Freeman’s Blog: Oracle 11g is released and Invisible Indexes!!
  35. Robert G. Freeman’s Blog: Oracle Database 11g Finer Grained Dependencies
  36. Robert G. Freeman’s Blog: Oracle Support and 11g
  37. SingleQuery.com » Oracle 11g New Features – Oracle Partner Seminar Notes Part 1
  38. SingleQuery.com » Oracle 11g New Features – Oracle Partner Seminar Notes Part 2
  39. Halis way: Oracle 11g: basic rundown
  40. Oracle Today: Invisible indexes in 11G

Whew! That’s a lot of 11g’s. Ok, now let’s move on to something else please.

Note: I’m sure I missed a few more, so please feel free to add a link (in the comments) to any Oracle Database 11g article or blog post that is not included in the list above.

Filed in Links, Oracle with 6 Comments


Oracle OpenWorld 2007

As my fellow bloggers Laurent, Tim and Lewis have declared that they will be attending Oracle OpenWorld this year, I am also declaring that I will be attending the conference for the second year in a row. I have already registered. Here is my QuickConnect Card:

Join Me at Oracle OpenWorld Connect!

Last year, I have been chosen Blogger of the Year just prior to OOW06. This year, I have been named an Oracle ACE Director which means that I’ll be attending the annual Oracle ACE dinner on November 11 and the product briefing with the Oracle database product team.

Looking forward to meeting all of you in November.

Filed in Oracle with 6 Comments | Tags:


Oracle Bookmarklets, Search Plugins and New Features Updated

The following now support Oracle Database 11g Release 1:

Moreover, the index of What’s New since Oracle Database 9i Release 1 now includes 11g Release 1.

(Thanks Yas)

Filed in Firefox, Oracle, Plugins with Comments Off


Oracle Flying, The Movie

For the first time since I moved to Oregon about 8 years ago, I attended the yearly Oregon International Airshow at the Hillsboro airport with my son George last Saturday. I was happily surprised that Sean Tucker and Team Oracle were going to perform in the show.

In case you do not know, Sean D. Tucker is the famous aerobatic pilot of the Oracle Challenger Plane. I managed to take a video of him preparing for his Power Aerobatic routine:

George and I had a great time.

Filed in Oracle, Personal with Comments Off


Download Oracle Database 11g Release 1 Now

Justin Kestelyn, OTN Editor-in-Chief, has just announced that Oracle Database 11g Release 1 for Linux is available for download right now. Get it while it’s hot. However, the documentation is still not out yet.

Update: Here is the Oracle Database 11g Release 1 (11.1) Documentation.

Update2: And more specifically here is the documentation for Oracle 11g Database New Features. You can even submit your comments about the documentation.

Oracle11g Download

Filed in Oracle with 4 Comments