Re: Interview questions for Oracle database administrator

Michel Cadot wrote:
> <agile_cell_at_yahoo.com> a écrit dans le message de news: U-udndDTCovhXebYnZ2dnUVZ_qisnZ2d_at_comcast.com...
> | Came across this interesting list. Hopefully people will find it
> | interesting.
> |
> | Thanks a lot,
> |
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> |
> | 1.. Differentiate between TRUNCATE and DELETE
> | 2.. What is the maximum buffer size that can be specified using the
> | DBMS_OUTPUT.ENABLE function?
> | 3.. Can you use a commit statement within a database trigger?
> | 4.. What is an UTL_FILE.What are different procedures and functions
> | associated with it?
> |
> | 5.. Difference between database triggers and form triggers?
> | 6.. What is OCI. What are its uses?
> | 7.. What are ORACLE PRECOMPILERS?
> | 8.. What is syntax for dropping a procedure and a function? Are these
> | operations possible?
> | 9.. Can a function take OUT parameters. If not why?
> | 10.. Can the default values be assigned to actual parameters?
> | 11.. What is difference between a formal and an actual parameter?
> | 12.. What are different modes of parameters used in functions and
> | procedures?
> | 13.. Difference between procedure and function.
> | 14.. Can cursor variables be stored in PL/SQL tables.If yes how. If not
> | why?
> | 15.. How do you pass cursor variables in PL/SQL?
> | 16.. How do you open and close a cursor variable.Why it is required?
> | 17.. What should be the return type for a cursor variable.Can we use a
> | scalar data type as return type?
> | 18.. What is use of a cursor variable? How it is defined?
> | 19.. What WHERE CURRENT OF clause does in a cursor?
> | 20.. Difference between NO DATA FOUND and %NOTFOUND
> | 21.. What is a cursor for loop?
> | 22.. What are cursor attributes?
> | 23.. Difference between an implicit & an explicit cursor.
> | 24.. What is a cursor?
> | 25.. What is the purpose of a cluster?
> | 26.. How do you find the numbert of rows in a Table ?
> | 27.. Display the number value in Words?
> | 28.. What is a pseudo column. Give some examples?
> | 29.. How you will avoid your query from using indexes?
> | 30.. What is a OUTER JOIN?
> | 31.. Which is more faster - IN or EXISTS?
> | 32.. When do you use WHERE clause and when do you use HAVING clause?
> | 33.. There is a % sign in one field of a column. What will be the query to
> | find it?
> | 34.. What is difference between SUBSTR and INSTR?
> | 35.. Which datatype is used for storing graphics and images?
> | 36.. What is difference between SQL and SQL*PLUS?
> | 37.. What is difference between UNIQUE and PRIMARY KEY constraints?
> | 38.. What is difference between Rename and Alias?
> | 39.. What are various joins used while writing SUBQUERIES?
> |
>
> It is an interview questions list for developers not administrators.
> And this is not a good one.
> Nothing about bind variables.
> Nothing about array size, bulk processing.
> Nothing about performances, optimizer, statistics...
> Nothing about concepts, transaction, read consistency, transaction isolation,
> concurrency, locking...
>
> Regards
> Michel Cadot

The problem I see with the question list is that it is an attempt to measure realitively unimportant knowledge. Most everything on the list can be looked up if the memory freezes up in the manual within minutes.  There are no questions on the important issues like discussing how to manage a database, prepare for an upgrade, management of change control procedures, how your interface with the development staff, and security policies.

You should not be interviewing anyone who you feel or doubt that he or she can answer all the questions in the list correctly to begin with. Why waste people's time?

IMHO -- Mark D Powell -- Received on Sun Dec 10 2006 - 11:33:44 CST