Re: Suggestions for first exam ...

"Jonathan Lewis" <jonathan_at_jlcomp.demon.co.uk> wrote in message news:bl61a2$p09$1$8300dec7_at_news.demon.co.uk...

>
> In which case, Oracle does not use B*,
> whatever it says in the manual..
>

In the absence of any specific info from Oracle, I'd even hesitate on calling their indexes anything other than trees...

The details of indexing change from version to version. Index rebuilds are not necessary nowadays, but a few years ago even Oracle's doco claimed they were needed. Yet we never heard from them exactly what changed to make them not needed, when and why.

If it wasn't for yours, Richard's and Howard's work, it would have gone unnoticed by the vast majority of users.

This goes back to something I talked to Ken Jacobs last week about: we need a concrete and COMPLETE "differences" document for 10G, as well as a "what's new" written by someone like Connor. Who can discern what is important from what is just marketing fluff.

I can assure you if Connor's recent paper on the "hidden" diffs had been available years ago when 9i first came out, we'd all have a lot more users on this version than we have. Oracle made a very poor argument for 9i in their official doco. Hence why very few people upgraded. Note: I said upgraded. Of course NEW licences are on 9i, they better well be!

I really hope that all the little "hidden" differences are detailed on a new doc with 10g. There are quite a few I know of already that would make very strong arguments for some sites to go straight to 10g from 8 or 8i. Bypassing 9i completely. Yet not one has yet made it into any of the available info on 10g. Pity.

If this is a sign of things to come, Oracle will have a problem once again in getting people to upgrade. Unless of course they significantly reduce the prices...

-- 
Cheers
Nuno Souto
wizofoz2k_at_yahoo.com.au.nospam