Syllabus for 276 Fall 1999

California State University, Chico
Department of Computer Science

Syllabus/Course Requirements

Fall 2002 - CSCI 276

Course Number: CSCI 276

Course Title: Advanced Databases: Introduction to Oracle - SQL and PL/SQL Programming

Course Times and Locations: MW 10-11 AM - Main Lecture in OCNL 241
MW 11-12 noon - Lab in OCNL 241
Instructor: Dr. Melody Stapleton

Teaching Assistants (TAs) :

Daniel (Pei-yu) Chung, email peiyu@ecst.csuchico.edu
Barbara Mallery, email barblee@inreach.com

Instructor's Office Hours: TBA in OCNL 208

Faculty Phone: (530) 898-5617 , message 898-6442, fax 898-5995

Instructor Email: melody@ecst.csuchico.edu or mjstapleton@csuchico.edu

Course Prerequisite: The prerequisite is either CSCI 273 or equivalent or experience with relational databases, including design, transactions, concurrency and SQL.

Textbooks:

Mandatory Texts: Oracle Course Manuals for "Introduction to Oracle: SQL and PL/SQL Programming" - $5 to be able to download two pdf files from course directory
Optional: Oracle PL/SQL 101 by Christopher Allen, published by Oracle Press of Osborne McGraw-Hill, Nov. 2000, ISBN # 0-07-212606-X
Optional: Oracle PL/SQL Tips and Techniques by Joe Trezzo and TUSC, published by Oracle Press of Osborne McGraw-Hill, 1999, ISBN # 0-07-882438-9
Optional: Oracle 8 PL/SQL Programming by Scott Urman, published by Oracle Press of Osborne McGraw-Hill, 1997, ISBN # 0-07-882305-6
Optional: Oracle PL/SQL Programming by Steven Feuerstein, published by O'Reilly, 1997, ISBN # 1-56592-335-9

Course Description: This course will cover the SQL programming language from basic SQL through restricting and sorting data, writing functions, displaying data from multiple tables, using group functions and subqueries. We will cover formatting output in SQL*Plus as well as inserts, updates and deletes on data. We will cover creation of tables, constraints, views and other database objects. The course will then focus on PL/SQL and how to declare variables, write executable statements and interact with the Oracle server. We will work with writing control structures, composite datatypes, explicit cursors, and exception handling. We will learn how to write embedded SQL in our applications. We will cover all 23 lessons in the Oracle Course Manuals and complete the bulk of the lab exercises from these manuals.

Course Goals: Students are expected to become proficient at SQL and PL/SQL programming as a result of a solid effort in this course. Students who perform well in this course by comprehending the lectures, scoring well on quizzes and completing all laboratory exercises have a strong chance of passing the Certification Exam for "Introduction to Oracle: SQL and PL/SQL Programming".

Course Notes: In Oracle Course Manuals, the Oracle Lab (OCNL 431)

Web Page: www.ecst.csuchico.edu/~melody/ (watch for Live Courses for Fall 2002 - CSCI 276 - SQL and PL/SQL materials)

Mandatory Attendance Policy for On-Campus Students: This course is in high demand from your fellow students. Only serious students who plan to attend each class should take this course. Otherwise, you should drop the course and make room for other, serious students who desire to take this course. It is mandatory that you attend both the lectures and labs for this course. You can be dropped from the course for non-attendance. Each unexcused absence will result in a half letter grade reduction for your overall grade for the course. Thus, if you miss class once, you will receive at maximum a grade of "A-". If you miss the course twice, you will receive grade, at maximum of "B+". If you are ill, you must notify Dr. Stapleton via email right away. If you are ill for more than one class in a row, you must provide a Doctor's excuse. You may be excused for family emergencies. Non-attendance due to workload in this course or other courses is not acceptable as an excuse. A seating chart will be made and your attendance will be noted daily. There are many more students that desire this course than can fit in the classroom, so your seat in this course is quite valuable.

Note: Are you sure you are taking the right course? This course assumes some maturity in database management systems in understanding good relational database design (ER and Object Modeling, normalization). It is mandatory that you have had the equivalent of 273 as a prerequisite. If you have not had this prerequisite, you need to drop the course and enroll in 273. You will be required to sign an affidavit that you have taken the prerequisite.

Plagiarism/Cheating Policy: Anyone who as determined by the Instructor/TA has copied any part of another students work will automatically receive a grade of "F" for the course. Anyone cheating on an exam, as determined by the TA or instructor will receive a grade of "F" for the course. Any student altering the answers on an exam after it has been graded will receive an "F" for the course. Anyone signing the attendance sheet for a student not in the course will receive an "F" for the course. Anyone passing information on any exam to another student will receive a grade of "F" for the course.

Course Assignments:

There will be lab exercises assigned from the Oracle Course Manuals. Students will need to demonstrate completion of these exercises by a means to be determined by your instructor and TA.

Policy on Turning in Lab and Homework Assignments: Due dates are firm. No late assignments will be accepted unless serious illness or other excused absences merit allowances in the judgment of the instructor.

Grade Evaluation Procedures: Students will be graded based on their performance in the following course components -

Lab Exercises/Assignments/Attendance(on-campus) 40%
Quizzes (2 midterms at 15% each) 30%
Final Quiz 30%

First Assignment: Read Lesson 1 and 2 from your Introduction to Oracle: SQL and PL/SQL Course Manual, Volume 1. Complete Exercise 1, pages 1-35 through 1-38 of your Course Manuals.