Web-Based Strategies
This book considers three different strategies for creating Web sites that will access the Sales Tracking database. Chapter 9 introduces you to creating Web pages with PL/SQL; Chapter 10 introduces you to creating Web pages with Java; Chapter 11, “Using XML to Build Web Sites,” shows you how to use XML to reformat the Web site for use with wireless devices, and Chapter 12, “Using Portal v3.0 (WebDB) Web Development Software,” introduces you to creating Web pages with Oracle Portal. Each strategy has its purpose and has different levels of efficiency.
PL/SQL
PL/SQL is Oracle's proprietary procedural language. The Web Toolkit has given PL/SQL Web extensions by supplying an additional set of built-in procedures that handle the various aspects of HTML.
Advantages
The only advantage of using PL/SQL to build Web pages is a lower learning curve. PL/SQL is a fairly straightforward programming language with which many Oracle programmers are already familiar.
Disadvantages
Disadvantages of using PL/SQL to build Web pages include the following:
Less flexibility
Performs more slowly than Java
Proprietary to Oracle databases
PL/SQL is less flexible than full-featured languages such as Java. The execution of the PL/SQL code is still runtime interpreted; that is, it is not compiled into machine language as many programming languages are. PL/SQL is also proprietary to the Oracle database environment. If a possibility ever exists that the application being coded will be required to run in a different database environment, PL/SQL should not be used; one of the other languages available should be used instead to code the application.
Java
Java is an open language, meaning it is not constrained to a particular database or computing environment. Java is also an object-oriented language that can be difficult for some folks to understand. However, it is capable of easily handling Web page HTML needs as well as a variety of other computer tasks.
Advantages
The advantages of using Java to build Web pages include the following:
Code execution time is faster as compared to PL/SQL.
It's a full-featured programming language.
Code is portable between database and computing environments.
Java resources are possibly easier to find.
It's useful if Oracle might not be the only database environment for the application.
Java compiles into intermediate code that executes much more quickly in most computing environments when compared to PL/SQL. Java is a full-featured programming language with a lot more capability than PL/SQL. Additionally, when coded correctly, Java is portable between computing environments and even between different kinds of databases. This is the purpose of philosophies such as Enterprise Java Beans, JDBC, and so on. Because Java covers many database and computing environments, Java programmers might be easier to find than PL/SQL programmers. And, Java would be useful if the database environment might not always be Oracle.
Disadvantages
Disadvantages of using Java to build Web pages include the following:
Possible steep learning curve
Still have to use PL/SQL
Java is an object-oriented language that is much more powerful than PL/SQL. Being a full-featured programming language, Java might be too much for some to learn for one or two Web-based projects. When using Java for Oracle triggers and so on, the Java code needs to be called by a PL/SQL procedure. This is known as wrapping the Java in PL/SQL.
Portal V3.0
Portal V3.0 is Oracle's wizard-based Web application and Web site building environment. Portal V3.0 has significant improvements over its predecessor, WebDB, and allows users to quickly build Web-based applications and Web sites with very little knowledge of the Web environment.
Advantages
Advantages of using Portal V3.0 to build Web pages include the following:
Virtually no learning curve
Ease of use
The Portal Wizard walks the Web page builder through all the steps necessary to build complete, functional applications and Web sites. The wizard-based development takes all the guesswork out of building Web-based applications.
Disadvantages
Disadvantages of using Portal to build Web pages include the following:
Limited flexibility in appearance
Slow performance as compared to Java