Oracle Database Programming using Java and Web Services

Part I. Java in the Database

At the beginning, there was SQL, a high-level query language for relational databases. Then the need to extend SQL with procedural logic gave birth to the concept of stored procedures and their corresponding languages, such as Oracle’s PL/SQL. Stored procedures allow developing data logic that run in the database, decoupled from business and computational logic, which runs in the middle tier. However, the proprietary nature of stored procedure languages, leads to some concerns (or perceptions) of vendor lock-in and skills shortage. Java is a response to these concerns. The ANSI SQLJ Part I specification^[1] defines “SQL Routines and Types Using Java.” Although there are differences in their specific implementations, ...