Chapter 11. Using PL/SQL Pages, Java Pages, and XML with Apache/Oracle9iAS
This chapter focuses on adapting existing HTML to PL/SQL pages, Java Server Pages, and building Web and wireless applications with XML, using examples from both Chapters 9 and 10.
This chapter teaches you the following
Oracle9i provides many ways to present data on the Web. Oracle has embraced Java as an alternative to PL/SQL. Within Oracle 8i/9i Java is spoken natively inside the database. This means that developers have the freedom to program using either or both Java and PL/SQL, using whatever solution fits best for the given situation. Java is well suited to Internet applications through the use of Java Servlets (introduced in Chapter 10, “Using Java to Build Web Sites”).
PL/SQL Pages are a way of imbedding PL/SQL into existing HTML Web applications (generated with tools such as Frontpage, Dreamweaver, and so on) and Java Server Pages are a way of imbedding Java into existing HTML Web applications.
Java server pages are loosely analogous to PSP pages and Java Servlets are analogous to PL/SQL packages. PL/SQL pages can do many things well, but it does tie your application to an Oracle-only database solution.
XML is the next generation of Web languages. Not only can you develop Web pages using XML but you can easily adapt Web-enabled applications to wireless devices such as cellular telephones, and so on. Oracle has made using XML data easy. A full XML implementation is included with later versions of Oracle8i and with Oracle9i. It can also be downloaded separately as the XML developer's kit.
The Oracle corporation has made a large investment in XML and has provided excellent tools and utilities for developers to use. They have made using XML in PL/SQL, Java, and C/C++ quite easy. They have also used their own technology to create another Web page generating facility called XSQL pages. These XSQL pages are simple to use and allow developers to get started with XML without worrying too much about XML details.
With Oracle9i (and later versions of Oracle8i) you have all these abilities built right into the database. Oracle has bundled the Apache Web server with the Oracle9iAS environment to make PL/SQL, Java, XML, PSP, JSP, and XSP as seamless as possible.