oracle xe

thebaz

Anyone use Oracle free mini databse XE, and html-db (renamed now !)to build any small apps or web site ? if so did you find it good ? and easy to use ? in comparison to say front page and/or access ?

art

I used html-db only very briefly but intend going back soon - found it excellent for putting together quick online Apps. Took me only about 90 mins or so to get something together one morning a few months ago, with bells and whistles attached even, so definitely would recommend you go have a look alright.

secret_squirrel

Have installed XE and HtmlDB (aka APEX) and messed around a bit with APEX.

Just had an Oracle Technical Workshop on it this week (at Oracle) which was well worth doing and it was free (you might want to sign up for the next one - was well worth it)

Think of it as a basic MS access replacement without and drag and drop capability.

It probably wont replace any big access systems but its what I would call a good front ending tool. Its only worth playing with if you are an Oracle site.

It looks particularly suited to replacing small data entry type access progs and excel spreadsheets with regards the advantages (and disadvantages) of moving everything serverside.

ITs strength is lots of wizards, its weakness would be to tweak things afterwards you have to change lots of obscure drop downs and dialog boxes.

It has the makings of a great front end for any PL/SQL pkgs you might have.

dazberry

secret_squirrel wrote:

Just had an Oracle Technical Workshop on it this week (at Oracle) which was well worth doing and it was free (you might want to sign up for the next one - was well worth it)

I was there too - thought it was pretty sh1t tbh (HTMLDB/Apex not the workshop itself). I strikes me that if anyone else but oracle had come out with that (regardless of it being free or not) it would be slated. Personally I don't think it knows what it wants to be. Its not going to replace Access/Excel and all the criminal uses people find for them, its seems like a poor mans version of Business Objects.

But credit where credit is due - it is handy having a HTML interface to the DB. I'd installed XE a week prior at home for other reasons and it is handy being able to quickly build tables etc. without having to root out tools - notably since my focus would be in developing against these tables and not trying to figure out some exotic tool or other

D.

art

dazberry wrote:

I was there too - thought it was pretty sh1t tbh (HTMLDB/Apex not the workshop itself). I strikes me that if anyone else but oracle had come out with that (regardless of it being free or not) it would be slated.

Why? A free database and front end design tool ... can't see any real reasons for wanting to slate that. Hell of a lot cheaper than Access/Excel too for that matter!

dazberry

art wrote:

Why? A free database and front end design tool ... can't see any real reasons for wanting to slate that. Hell of a lot cheaper than Access/Excel too for that matter!

Hey, I got a half day off work and free sandwiches - I'm not complaining But you got to be realistic here - regardless of how Oracle are trying to push it - its on the far side of silly to think it will replace Access/Excel/Open Office etc. as is. It's called managing expectations - and it doesn't matter if its free or not.

D.

art

dazberry wrote:

Hey, I got a half day off work and free sandwiches - I'm not complaining But you got to be realistic here - regardless of how Oracle are trying to push it - its on the far side of silly to think it will replace Access/Excel/Open Office etc. as is. It's called managing expectations - and it doesn't matter if its free or not.

D.

Don't know how you can say that it doesn't matter if it's free or not - I have the Office suite at work and I also have Oracle. When I come home and want to tinker with something I can download a free, robust product from Oracle or I can go spend 320 euros on MS Access or 570 for Office with Access and Excel together. Are you seriously claiming that paying out 570 euros does not matter to me?

People are probably slave-ish enough to Microsoft not to notice, or support, Oracle's effort but I am amazed at how casually you are dismissing a new product apparently just because it is not an old product. "Managing Expectations" like yours - must pay over 500 quid for a product :eek: - is certainly one that I hope Oracle ignore!

astrofool

Doesn't oracle have licensing costs if you want to use its db for more than just playing about? I know they do for the full oracle 10g, but is this new product completely free now? (i.e. to anyone, legally).

art

astrofool wrote:

Doesn't oracle have licensing costs if you want to use its db for more than just playing about? I know they do for the full oracle 10g, but is this new product completely free now? (i.e. to anyone, legally).

Yes, it's limited to a certain max size of database but it's completely free. They are developing a number of free tools/packages at the moment, their "Raptor" is an excellent piece of software for DB management etc of 10g for example

astrofool

Whats the max size? And its completely free? even if say, MS wanted to use it to host the db on one of their sites (with a db lower then the max obviously)

secret_squirrel

Its completely free.

Its limits are ONLY
1Gb max of memory used.
1 Processor used (not sure how it treats dual cores)
4Gb of Disk used.
1 Database allowed (unlimited num of schemas though)

As you probably know MS Sql server and IBM DB2 are also offering small versions of their enterprise database for cheap/free.

thebaz

XE failed to install on my 250 mb pc ,do you know how much ram is required ? its a bit confusing how much space is actually required . Also does the html-db application come bundled with XE or is that a seperate install ?

secret_squirrel

I've heard of people having installation probs alright.

HTMLDB comes build in with the current XE download but is also available as a stand alone for Oracle 9.2.

Sean^DCT4

thebaz wrote:

XE failed to install on my 250 mb pc ,do you know how much ram is required ? its a bit confusing how much space is actually required . Also does the html-db application come bundled with XE or is that a seperate install ?

The 'HTML-DB application' you refer to is the front end GUI for the Oracle XE DB and no it is not a seperate install.

What is 250MB? You're HD space or RAM ? Whichever one it is you don't have enough. Ideally you should have around a GB of RAM and 4GB of free space.

Oracle XE creates tablespace in memory and whether or not there is data in it Oracle XE will just set aside that max amount of memory/space for it e.g. 4GB

secret_squirrel

Sean^DCT4 wrote:

Ideally you should have around a GB of RAM

It should be noted that XE runs very happily on my work desktop with just 512Mb Ram in total. Having said that I use it just for messing around (aka prototyping lol)

thebaz

i have 250 ram , and it wont go past install - says 250 mb required ! must be just under limit - i will install at work & check it out. apparently oracle offers html-db space up on htmldb.oraclecorp.com

secret_squirrel

Dude if you mean you have 256 Mb of Ram (rather than disk) give it up. Thats certainly not going to be enough to run OracleXE unless you plan to use it as a server - even then it will be slow.

7aken

can anyone post download link? haven't used this but it sounds interesting

DC

You must be a member of the oracle technology network. Go to http://otn.oracle.com which will redirect you to the appropriate page. Sign up and login then click on downloads.

full forward

Currently playing with Oracle 10g XE and Oracle Application Server at home. Its good, more stable than the full blown 10g which I had installed. Also worth downloading Jdeveloper to learn some J2EE. Oracle Reports is not a very good tool but worth putting on the CV. I also just downloaded Oracle SQL developer but haven’t installed it yet. Its a competitor to TOAD.

A gig of ram is recommended.