I'm totally new to Oracle, and this book was just what I needed. It led me through every step of installing and configuring Oracle Database, the Oracle Internet Application Server, plus all the tools needed to develop Oracle applications. Then it gave a separate chapter on 5 different methods of writing the applications, including Java, Pl/SQL, Portals, Forms Designer, and Oracle Developer. Everything was clearly laid out, step by step, so that by following the instructions given, I had working examples of all the methods. I especially appreciated chapter 5, Designing an HTML Application, where the author showed an excellent method for designing a web application, starting with storyboards, proceeding to flow diagrams, then writing the code, and then separating the business logic from the presentation code. Using easy to follow examples that lead you from start to finish, the author teaches good programming practices as well as the "how-to's". I'm also used to most books having many errors in them, so you have to troubleshoot to figure out what's supposed to happen. This book was very accurate and complete, and the code actually works. The code examples are also available for download from the website, so you don't have to do a lot of typing. I appreciated the author's clear, easy to understand language. His extensive knowledge of Oracle is evident in the way he made things simple for the beginner. I'll be looking for more books by this author.
