DBMS_SCHEDULER is a newer, more complex job scheduling engine released in 10g, intended to replace DBMS_JOB going forward. DBMS_JOB, the older job scheduler, as of now is still available for quick and easy DB based job scheduling.

Job scheduling comprises the core of the functionality of DBMS_SCHUDULER, however here are some additional benefits available to DBMS_SCHEDULER:

• Logging of job runs (job history)
• Simple but powerful scheduling syntax (similar to but more powerful than cron syntax)
• Running of jobs outside of the database on the operating system (see below)
• Resource management between different classes of jobs
• Use of job arguments including passing of objects into stored procedures
• Privilege-based security model for jobs
• Naming of jobs and comments in jobs
• Stored, reusable schedules

I recently downloaded the new 10.x version of TOAD and could not connect to my databases. Still running TOAD 9.x, no problem. This really threw me off for a minute, so I thought I would share the resolution.

You are likely running a 64-bit Windows OS and have installed TOAD into C:\Program Files (x86)\....

I simply copied over my entire Quest Software directory from C:\Program Files (x86)\... to C:\Program Files\..., and restarted the TOAD.exe. Everything is working great, without having to reinstall anything.

PS: Not sure who to blame here. Vendors (like Oracle and TOAD) should know Microsoft is capable of doing strange things with important directory names (using spaces and, in this case, “strange” characters like parentheses)…and of course, Microsoft should simply stop perpetuating the use of these characters in important directories.

Following is a sortable table of the most common Linux commands we use on a day-to-day basis while implementing and maintaining Oracle Fusion Middleware environments.

The following are links to the download page for Oracle Database 10g Release 2 (10.2.0.1) Express Edition (XE) for Microsoft Windows:

XE Windows English Language Download
XE Windows Universal Language Download
XE Windows Client Download

Following are links to the Oracle 11g Release 1 Client downloads for the various Windows versions:

Windows Server 2000, 2003, XP, Vista

Oracle Database 11g Release 1 Client (11.1.0.6.0) for Microsoft Windows (32-bit)
win32_11gR1_client.zip (510,809,607 bytes)

Oracle Database 11g Release 1 Client (11.1.0.6.0) for Microsoft Windows (x64)
win64_11gR1_client.zip (479,383,190 bytes)

Windows Server 2008

Do NOT use the 11.1.0.6.0 client with Windows Server 2008.

The full article contains all the links.

ADF Faces provides strong support for Accessibility and 508 Compliance. Most ADF Faces components have attributes that will translate to tags that screen readers can interpret.

For example, <af:input>has an attribute shortDesc for a short description; this translates to an html alt tag, which is readable by most screen readers.

You can find Oracle’s Accessibility guidelines for ADF Faces here: http://www.oracle.com/webapps/online-help/jdeveloper/10.1.3/state?navSetId=_&navId=4&vtTopicFile=jsf_apps/adfcreate/af_aacessible.html&vtTopicId

Oracle ADF Faces 10g: How to pass data between pages

Do you have the need to pass data between pages, e.g. for a new customer signup page flow that spans multiple pages?

In ADF Faces, when you have a form that spans multiple pages, you have options on how to pass and maintain the data between pages, e.g. cache the data in the middle tier, re-write the data into hidden fields on the page, or store the state in session.

Caching and storing data in session have the drawback of not being back-button or new-window safe. Often frameworks have a mechanism to store state in hidden fields on the page and rewrite the state into the next page’s hidden fields; however, ADF Faces does not have this mechanism.

Instead, ADF Faces ships with a cross between hidden fields and session state management where a token (i.e. a unique id) is written to a hidden field on the page and the token is the key to a value in session; this is referred to as “Process Scope”.

Each page has its own copy of the state. If the user clicks the back button to go to a previous page, they will be operating on the same state of the object in session as when that page was originally rendered.

Note—ADF Faces will store up to a set number of pages’ state in session. This value is configurable in the adf-faces.xml file.

More information can be found here:

• http://www.oracle.com/webapps/online-help/jdeveloper/10.1.3?topic=sf_ascopes_html
• http://www.oracle.com/technology/products/jdev/htdocs/partners/addins/exchange/jsf/doc/devguide/communicatingBetweenPages.html
• http://www.oracle.com/webapps/online-help/jdeveloper/10.1.3/state/content/navId.4/navSetId._/vtTopicFile.jsf_apps%7Cadfcreate%7Caf_apageflowscope~html/
• http://www.oracle.com/webapps/online-help/jdeveloper/10.1.3/state/content/navId.4/navSetId._/vtTopicFile.jsf_apps%7Cadfcreate%7Caf_asetactionlistenerandprocess%7Ehtml/
• http://www.oracle.com/webapps/online-help/jdeveloper/10.1.3/state/content/navId.4/navSetId._/vtTopicFile.jsf_apps%7Cadfcreate%7Caf_adialogparameters%7Ehtml/

Did you know ADF Faces allows you to submit only part of a page? This can be useful when you have a search box on a page and only want to submit that one component when the user clicks the search button.

The ADF Faces af:subForm component represents an independently submittable region of a page. When used within an af:form tag or within an JSF HTML h:form tag, af:subForm lets you control which components should be validated and pushed into the model without having to use multiple forms on a page.

See the following for more information on ADF subForms.

I highly recommend the use of JDeveloper as the IDE for Oracle Application Server (Oracle 9iAS and Oracle10gAS — or however they are spelling/selling it these days). As I understand it, JDeveloper is now offered as a free IDE by Oracle for developers. With the built in integration for OracleAS for deploying Java-based web applications, portlets, ADF (Oracle’s implementation on top of the hot JSF techology), and much more, JDeveloper is quickly becoming the free, non-open source IDE of choice for the enterprise. ADF, specifically, requires a license before deployment to production, but regardless of this, JDeveloper has much to offer and what seems to be a solid roadmap of features planned by Oracle.

Undeploying a single application in Oracle Application Server is pretty straightforward. However, I had a scenario where I needed to undeploy many human tasks (since each of them is deployed as an application in OracleAS) and undeploying them one-by-one was becoming painful. I recalled finding a place to undeploy mutiple applications, but couldn’t remember it exactly. After digging a little, I figured it out again and wanted to write it here in case it can help you (or me in the likely event that I forget again).

From the Cluster Topology page of Enterprise Manager Application Server Control, you get a hierarchical view of your OC4J Instances and their applications. You can click into each to undeploy, but sometimes you want to undeploy multiple applications (like multiple human tasks from your undeployed BPEL processes — since the BPEL Console undeploy does not actually undeploy the human tasks). Here are a list of steps that would allow you to undeploy multiple applications from oracle application server:

1. Login to oracle “Application Server Control”
2. Scroll to Groups tab
3. Select the proper “OC4J Instance”. The instance that contains you deployments.
4. Click on the “Applications” tab

This window allows you to start, stop, undeploy or redeploy mutliple applications.