Oracle SQL for an SQL Server person

Scottland · 11 Dec 2013 at 19:51

Hi,

Our servers in work are being migrated to an Oracle db instead of SQL Server (2008). Can anyone recommend me a quick start guide for coming from SQL Server? I'll be getting some training in at some point, I'm just after something to give me a head start etc.

Thanks

Xelene · 13 Dec 2013 at 00:44

Whilst I don't condone spunking money against a wall, http://docs.oracle.com/cd/B19306_01/server.102/b14220/toc.htm

Scottland · 13 Dec 2013 at 13:51

Hi, thanks for that. I'd been looking at some of the stuff on the Oracle site already - but was just after a cheat sheet of sorts with some of the distinctions between the 2 whilst I get upto speed (although I've found some for now).

Not really a fan of it so far, but it's not my call

covenantuk · 13 Dec 2013 at 14:31

Going from SQL to Oracle and you haven't got any Oracle DBAs? Good luck.

Be interested to see what the cost justification is for this, as we've sent most of our stuff the other way - only the really big corporate warehouse is still on Oracle now.

Caged · 13 Dec 2013 at 15:09

Someone who makes decisions probably watched too many Marvel films and decided that Oracle would cure whatever performance issues they might be having.

Scottland · 13 Dec 2013 at 17:08

We've got DBA's etc, it's just that the data I use for analysis will be moved from the SQL servers Oracle. Cost wise, I believe we have some sort of enterprise license for the whole company with Oracle, but the servers in question have separate licenses for SQL Server. By migrating them, they basically don't have to pay the MS licenses anymore and will be part of the enterprise license with Oracle.

Haircut · 13 Dec 2013 at 18:45

Are you migrating stored procs over as well?

PL/SQL is fairly different from T-SQL, so there will be a bit of work required there.
If it's just regular SQL queries, then you shouldn't have too much bother as they both support ANSI SQL.

Oracle does dates and times quite a bit differently to SQL Sever, so that's something to be aware of.
For the most part it's the Oracle SQL functions that will be where the differences lie.
Take a read of this: http://docs.oracle.com/cd/B19306_01/server.102/b14200/functions001.htm for an overview.

Oh, and remember that you can't just do SELECT value in Oracle, if you need that it would be SELECT value FROM dual