Global Developer Survey -- Software and application development have become a global endeavor. In response, MediaLive and O'Reilly have launched a survey to profile developers around the world, and we want you to be a part of it. Participate in this first study of its kind for a chance to win $500 USD.

MIN-MAX PL/SQL is a best practices and optimization seminar by O'Reilly author Steven Feuerstein, who has selected from Oracle's many new PL/SQL features and his recommended best practices to create a three-day course that will radically change the way you design and implement PL/SQL-based applications. Steven has written many books, including Oracle PL/SQL Programming, 3rd Edition.

JDO Persistence, Part 2 -- Author George Reese covers basic JDO persistence best practices for transaction management and query control in part two of this series of excerpts from Java Database Best Practices.

Best Practice: JDO Persistence, Part 1 -- George Reese describes all of the available persistence options for Java architects and developers, and provides data to help you choose the persistence option that fits the requirements and scale of your application. This is the first of three excerpts from O'Reilly's Java Database Best Practices.

Using PL/SQL Records in SQL Statements -- Steven Feuerstein and Bryn Llewellyn show how, with Oracle 9i Release 2, you can now use the PL/SQL RECORD datatype inside SQL statements. Steven is a coauthor of Oracle PL/SQL Programming, 3rd Edition.

SQL Commands -- Chapter 15 of Managing and Using MySQL includes the full syntax of all commands accepted by MySQL. Get the list now! And get a free trial to read this and four other O'Reilly books on Safari.

Oracle Cross Tab Views -- Tom Birch makes a case for coding when he explores both the power and the limits of Oracle's Cross Tab query for turning data in a report from vertical to horizontal. For coverage on the full range of Oracle SQL features, check out O'Reilly's Mastering Oracle SQL .

Sift, Stir, Code: O'Reilly Cookbooks -- Looking for the right ingredients to solve a programming problem? Look no further than O'Reilly Cookbooks. Each cookbook contains hundreds of programming recipes presented in a special Problem/Solution/Discussion format, and includes hundreds of scripts, programs, and command sequences you can use to solve specific dilemmas. Get your daily recipes and view our complete list of Programming Cookbooks for Geeks.

Get Your MySQL Recipe of the Day -- Now you can tutor yourself or just brush up on your skills with a daily MySQL recipe. Today's recipe is on "Using MySQL-Based Sessions in Perl Applications," excerpted from Paul DuBois' MySQL Cookbook.

Safari as a College Reference Tool -- Dale Berry, an instructor at Westminster College, says that his Unix and database students are using Safari Bookshelf as an alternative to purchasing several expensive textbooks. They've saved money and don't have to lug the books around. Check out a free trial subscription.

Table Functions and Cursor Expressions -- 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.