I would like to thank many people for helping me complete this book.

First, I would like to thank you, the reader of this book. There is a high probability that if you are reading this book, you have participated in my site http://asktom.oracle.com/ in some fashion, perhaps by asking a question or two. It is that act—the act of asking questions, and of questioning the answers—that provides me with the material for the book and the knowledge behind the material. Without the questions, I would not be as knowledgeable about the Oracle database as I am. So, it is you who ultimately makes this book possible.

I would like to thank Tony Davis for his previous work making my work read well. If you enjoy the flow of the sections, the number of section breaks, and the clarity, then that is in some part due to him. I have worked with Tony writing technical material since the year 2000 and have watched his knowledge of Oracle grow over that time. He now has the ability to not only edit the material, but in many cases tech edit it as well. Many of the examples in this book are there because of him (pointing out that the casual reader was not going to "get it" without them). Tony did not edit the second edition of this book, but the contents rely heavily on the first edition. This book would not be what it is without him.

Without a technical review team of the caliber I had during the writing of this book and the previous edition, I would be nervous about the content. The first edition had Jonathan Lewis, Roderick Manalac, Michael Möller, and Gabe Romanescu as technical reviewers. They spent many hours poring over the material and verifying it was technically accurate as well as useful in the real world. This second edition had a team of similar caliber: Melanie Caffrey, Christopher Beck, and Jason Straub. I firmly believe a technical book should be judged not only by who wrote it, but also by who reviewed it. Given these seven people, I feel confident in the material.

At Oracle, I work with the best and brightest people I have ever known, and they all have contributed in one way or another. I would like to thank Ken Jacobs in particular for his support and enthusiasm over the years. Ken is unfortunately (for us) no longer with Oracle Corporation, but his impact will long be felt.

Lastly, but most important, I would like to acknowledge the unceasing support I've received from my family. You know you must be important to someone when you try to do something that takes a lot of "outside of work hours" and that someone lets you know about it. Without the continual support of my wife, Melanie (who also was a technical reviewer on the book!), son Alan, and daughter Megan, I don't see how I could have finished this book.