Oracle Developer Starter Kit

Rating:
Summary: Not for the beginner
Review: <...>It is possible to follow through the chapters using the examples. The previous reviews were false. Excellent book ! Buy it and learn Oracle Developer. END

Rating:
Summary: Review of ORACLE DEVELOPER Starter Kit by Robert Muller
Review: I bought this book because I'm new to Oracle and the book title has the words 'starter kit'. This is a farce because it already assumes you have a little knowledge of Oracle. So I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone starting out. What makes this book completely useless is the fact that it goes through a tutorial example that doesn't even exist on the CD. There is no possible way to follow through the chapters because it keeps referring to this example that doesn't exist. This was the worst computer book I've ever bought.

Rating:
Summary: Horrible if you don't already have Oracle Databases
Review: I have never worked with Oracle databases before and figured this book, with the CD, would be the best place to start. Screen shots in the first chapter showing examples on the CD DO NOT ACTUALLY EXIST ON THE CD! It was deceptive and apparently there's no help to be had. If you don't already have an Oracle database you can play with, this book is completely useless.

Guess I'll stick to VB/ASP and Microsoft SQL Server!

Rating:
Summary: Starter Kit??? This kit doesn't work!
Review: I just wanted to learn more about Oracle Developer... I know MS Visual Studio 6.0 and .NET featuring SQL, but I wanted to start learning Oracle in order to use the development capabilities its tools... This book is really disorganized! I really wonder if it is a starter kit... This kit doesn't work. I have tried to get the TALBOTSTANDARD LIBRARY used since chapter 3 but no way... it's not included any where... I tried installing the Oracle 6.0 Demo Forms but only the tables mentioned in Appendix A are created... I think I will have to buy another book.
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UPDATE: You can download the mentioned TALBOTSTANDARD LIBRARY at http://www.osborne.com/products/0072120479/0072120479_code.zip or http://shop.osborne.com/cgi-bin/oraclepress/downloads.html. However, the book is unfortunately a lost of money. It's not updated and very rought.

Rating:
Summary: Example libraries used in book not included
Review: I've been very angry this past week since I had this book.

I purchased the book pretty much for the CD. I've got a slow modem so I can't afford to download the software from the internet site.

Basically the CD requires you get a trial authorization key (by registering at .... This is to be able to install the software. However, the page leads to a 404 error message. I've spoken to Oracle and the publishers and they have been VERY unhelpful.

So all I can say is, if you are buying the book for the CD, then DON'T buy the book.

How good is the book? Well, I havn't read it yet! No point in using the book without the software installed.

Rating:
Summary: Do not buy this book!
Review: If you want fast, to the point, explanations and examples on how to make forms or create reports on Developer, don't read this book. Content feels disorganized. When I use the glossary I never seem to find the information that I need. I also confirm the CD problems other people have commented here.

The author spends the first three chapters just explaining the 'Talbot' (Oracle Press pet database) example which is in the rest of this book. Even when you get to chapter four tha author is *still* setting up the example. I don't want to become an expert in an 19th century farm database, I want to get my job done!

In my opinion, I don't want to read 138 pages before actually *learning* the skills I need: I want to get on it right away!

Rating:
Summary: Example libraries used in book not included
Review: It could be a good book. But, from chapter 4 on the reader has to struggle to find ways around the missing library (TalbotStandard) which was not included on the CD. And nowhere does the author mention how to obtain the library or the example database. You can type in 30+ pages of data given in an appendix but you still can't work the examples given in the book. A really really bad job of QA here. The author and/or the publisher blew it big time. If I could return it and get my money back, I would.

Rating:
Summary: Waste of time and money
Review: This book could have been good if they include the the database library examples. I've been reading the book up until chapter 4 where you can follow the instruction but I end up very disappointed for the database that the author is referring to doesnt exist. I already shelve the book down to my basement until somebody can give that old database from Talbot farm.