Oracle

The Oracle database was first publicly released back in 1979 and is developed by the Oracle Corporation, which started out in 1977 under the name of Software Development Laboratories. In 1979, the company changed its name to Relational Software, Inc. and then to Oracle Corporation in 1982. Oracle started out as a relational database management system and it wasn’t until 1997 that it began to support object oriented development.

Oracle databases are well suited to large scale projects, either for the web or desktop applications, as they can store millions of records, which take up terabytes of storage space. They can also be used on many different platforms, including Microsoft Windows and Linux.

To undertake development projects that utilise an Oracle database, there are numerous tools available, from Oracle Corporation themselves, as well as third party options. Oracle also has its own database programming language, PL/SQL, which is utilised in some of these tools.

Useful Links

• Oracle Database on Stuart’s Web Design & Development Corner.
• Oracle Database 11g XE (Express Edition) installation guide and connect with SQL Developer.

Useful Twitter Accounts to Follow

• Oracle Database: @OracleDatabase – The official Oracle Database Twitter account. News around events, learning resources, communities, SQL and lots more.
• Oracle DB Support: @OracleDBsupport – Official Oracle Database Support – Keep up to speed on hot news and tips from Oracle Database Support.
• Oracle DBA Dev: @OracleDBADev – News and musings from Laura Ramsey, Oracle Database and Developer Community Manager.