I don't use this book a lot, but have found it to be worthwhile. It's a good read when riding the bus because I can always pick up a tip or two.

Useful - but I would say costs too much for its content.
Anyone can make their own reference book similar to or better than this using TOAD's Help features!

As in most of the O'Reilly pocket paperbacks, this one is a wonderful resource. If you need a quick check of something you don't recall the details, this will probably assist you admirably. It requires you be knowleable of Toad. If you are looking for something to instruct you in the use of Toad, you may want a more substancial book. This one includes some tips and tricks that should prove beneficial to most experienced Toad users. As a quick reference the layout is good and the table of contents makes it easy to find what you need. There is not alot of meat on these bones, but the meat is pretty good. For more in depth explainations you may want to look at the Toad Handbook by Bert Scalzo and Dan Hotka.

Helped me learn a new tool for easier SQL verification of Oracle update scripts for my work!

Helped me learn a new tool for easier SQL verification of Oracle update scripts for my work!

I've used TOAD awhile now and saw there were 2 books coming out on it - this on and the TOAD handbook. This little reference is excellent. Great that it just happened to be written on the version I'm using now - 7.4. The book however is based on TOAD's core functionality and not really so much on new features. Just skimming through I came across some features I hadn't even used.

It's does touch on the optional add-ins you can get for TOAD (if you get the commericial version) like the DBA module. It had plenty for me on the debugger. If you're looking for a tutorial, this isn't it, though it does remind you about looking in the docs folder for TOAD documentation in PDF. This little guide is a great reference.

I have been TOAD-devotee for several years now. I have found it as an indespensible tool for myself, and have converted my Oracle development departments at each of my employers to drop their current SQL tool (SQL*Station and Rapid*SQL in another) and pick up TOAD as the tool of choice for developers and business analyst alike.

Over the years I have found one feature after another that further solidifies my devotion to the tool. Now I finally have a book, that gives yet more hidden secrets. What a wonderful Christmas present it was when I opened it under the Christmas tree.

BChase
MylxHQ - Oracle Resource Portal...

I have been TOAD-devotee for several years now. I have found it as an indespensible tool for myself, and have converted my Oracle development departments at each of my employers to drop their current SQL tool (SQL*Station and Rapid*SQL in another) and pick up TOAD as the tool of choice for developers and business analyst alike.

Over the years I have found one feature after another that further solidifies my devotion to the tool. Now I finally have a book, that gives yet more hidden secrets. What a wonderful Christmas present it was when I opened it under the Christmas tree.

BChase
MylxHQ - Oracle Resource Portal...

In my past few years, I am working as a developer for an e-Banking System, I have an opportunity to know Oracle, however, I would like to know more about it, apart from reading books or being certified, the best way is to "Practise", there is an experienced DBAs told me you can use a tool called "TOAD" for your reference, you will be much faster to be on tract and see what's going on in Oracle, it helps during load test and development time. Also, it is a tool for Oracle developer, some of my friends test their program in Oracle, but it is not a good practice and TOAD provides a good way for us to defend our standard and practice.

Actually, why do you need this book ? Why don't you just download the documentation or print out the manual from [the website]?

The reason is simple: This book is precise and direct.
This book likes provides clear steps for you to achieve various functions including administration, debugging , SQL and Procedures.

If you find, there are two books called Unix For Oracle and Oracle DBA Checklists, those are simple and crucial steps required by DBA as well as manager, we don't need a thick book with 800 pages, we just need a book with 100 pages and portable.

I strongly recommend this book for consultants and developers.

It helps me to solve problems many times...:>

Anthony

In my past few years, I am working as a developer for an e-Banking System, I have an opportunity to know Oracle, however, I would like to know more about it, apart from reading books or being certified, the best way is to "Practise", there is an experienced DBAs told me you can use a tool called "TOAD" for your reference, you will be much faster to be on tract and see what's going on in Oracle, it helps during load test and development time. Also, it is a tool for Oracle developer, some of my friends test their program in Oracle, but it is not a good practice and TOAD provides a good way for us to defend our standard and practice.

Actually, why do you need this book ? Why don't you just download the documentation or print out the manual from [the website]?

The reason is simple: This book is precise and direct.
This book likes provides clear steps for you to achieve various functions including administration, debugging , SQL and Procedures.

If you find, there are two books called Unix For Oracle and Oracle DBA Checklists, those are simple and crucial steps required by DBA as well as manager, we don't need a thick book with 800 pages, we just need a book with 100 pages and portable.

I strongly recommend this book for consultants and developers.

It helps me to solve problems many times...:>

Anthony

I've been downloading TOAD for a few years, but mostly done the same old stuff in the same old way. This book, by the TOADman himself, has been great because it covers the 95% of options I've never bothered with, especially the right-button mouse-click options. I wouldn't claim a 500% increase in TOAD productivity, but maybe a 50% one, when using TOAD, especially with PL/SQL. And the size of the book is great too, perfect for coat pockets, and the desktop, with all the tabs, clicks and being being quickly accessible. Nice work.

I used TOAD during my work every now and than. I especially liked the Schema Brower. In this book I learned about the other features of TOAD that I did not use before. I will probably start to use some of these features in the future.

I like books that teach me new things and help me be more productive in my work. This is definitely one of those book.

It might be unfair that I only give 4 stars but I would have liked this book to be longer and with some examples. This is of course not possible in a pocket reference.

I can really recommend this book to the normal TOAD user. Maybe this is superfluous for the advanced TOAD user.