This book is for Oracle developers, database administrators, and anyone who needs access to data stored in an Oracle database for reporting or ad-hoc analysis. Whether you are new to the world of databases or a seasoned professional, if you use SQL to access an Oracle database, this book is for you. Whether you use simple queries to access data or embed them in PL/SQL or Java programs, SQL is the core of all data access tasks in your application. Knowing the power and flexibility of SQL will improve your productivity, allowing you to get more done in less time, and with increased certainty that the SQL statements you write are indeed correct.