Database Programming with Perl

"Database Programming with Perl"  3 days Next Public Offering: TBD; Help Us Schedule!

A former student says: •  Excellent teacher [Colin Meyer]—obviously knows subject as opposed to having just read manual previous night. Very helpful dealing with all questions, reglardless of depth. Gary Holmesmith, Engineer, Kaiser Aluminum Corp. Attended: Bash Shell Programming & Linux Utilities Read more testimonials and reviews of our courses and instructors.

Course Description

Consider Companies A and B, which both use Oracle databases. A's programmers wisely use Perl to write their database-interfacing programs, using a generic coding protocol that's easy to learn. In contrast, B's programmers write (more difficult) Oracle-specific programs instead, to accomplish the very same tasks.

Suddenly, salespeople from Oracle's competitor Sybase descend on both companies, offering them heavy discounts to switch to their product. The respective IT managers, eager to look like financial heroes, both agree to the deal.

Once the databases have been switched, to adapt to this drastic change in the IT infrastructure, Company A's programmers will only need to change one or two lines of code to "port" each program to the new database. Company B's programmers, on the other hand, will need to learn lots of Sybase-specific coding details and then extensively rewrite much of each database-accessing program.

Thus, a major benefit of using Perl's DBI to write database-interfacing programs is that doing so obviates the need for extensive program rewrites when the database changes.

Of course, most IT managers wouldn't be silly enough to switch databases without fully considering the implications of doing so on their existing base of custom programs. But the benefits to Company A' of using Perl's DBI also apply every time the existing database is upgraded to a new version, which may require laborious program rewrites for outfits like Company B.

Perl provides the most efficient and portable platform for database programming, which is is one of many reasons why this unique language is so popular.

To ensure that all students start out "on the same page", this course begins with a brief review of Perl references and simple data structures. Then a detailed description of the use of DBI for creating, updating, accessing, and deleting database records is provided, along with training in the use of SQL query language. Approximately 40% of class time is spent in instructor-supervised hands-on exercises, to ensure that students are effectively mastering the materials. The instructor will also offer recommendations about "best practices" and point out common blunders that students should try to avoid.

Who Should Attend

Author & Instructor

Colin is an easy-going guy who likes to share his knowledge and is really good at doing so! However, he rarely gets a chance to teach this popular class that he created, so if you want to learn about database programming with Perl from an expert, you'll want to seize this opportunity to do so. Consultix instructors are renowned for their ability to communicate complex concepts in simple terms and to make the study of dry technical material enjoyable.

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