Learn how to run any SQL query against external data without requiring that the external data first be loaded into the database.

By Jim Leask – This tip describes the process required to browse operating system (OS) files from a PC application like TOAD or SQL*PLUS. This process will be useful for browsing the Oracle alert log when access via the OS is restricted. It will only work on Oracle version 8.1.6 and above.

Tensions may be mounting with Iraq, but the renewed emphais on homeland security in the US has applications vendors such as Oracle and SAP could mean rich pickings.

by Jonathan Reinharz – The following script quickly and, more importantly, efficiently provides both tablespace status and structural data. Datafiles are grouped by tablespace and ordered by the percentage of free space in them. Output is made clearer with the use of literals (%, MB).

By Renee Boucher Ferguson – Oracle Corp. on Tuesday announced the formation of its Supplier Advisory Board, a body created to help improve supplier relationship management processes in line with evolving business requirements.

New XMLSPY 5 Simplifies Application Development For Oracle9i XML DB Users

By Indira M – Here is a handy script that will correlate the operating system process with the Oracle process. You’ll also be able to see the most current SQL run by that process. Therefore, if you find an OS process is consuming significant resources in a monitoring tool like top, you can run this

by Mike Selvaggio – If you need to calculate working days between two dates and you can’t create the Oracle-recommended working days function, here is SQL that can accomplish the same task:

Steven Feuerstein introduces cursor expressions and shows how they can be used with table functions in this article, cowritten with Bryn Llewellyn. Get all of your PL/SQL questions answered with Oracle PL/SQL Programming, 3rd Edition.

By Kevin Shidler – This tip truncates data from tables using PL/SQL for Oracle8i. It first disables all foreign key constraints that would cause the “ORA-02266: unique/primary keys in table referenced by enabled foreign keys” error, truncates the tables, and then re-enables all the foreign keys.