Perl is a very powerful tool for Oracle database administrators, but too few DBAs realize how helpful Perl can be in managing, monitoring, and tuning Oracle databases. Whether you're responsible for Oracle9i, Oracle8i, or earlier databases, you'll find Perl an invaluable addition to your database administration arsenal.
You don't need to be a Perl expert to use the excellent applications and scripts described in Perl for Oracle DBAs. The book explains what you need to know about Perl, provides a wealth of ready-to-use scripts developed especially for Oracle DBAs, and suggests many resources for further exploration. The book covers:

• The Perl language -- an introduction to Perl, its rich history and culture, and its extensive text processing and data transformation capabilities.
• The Perl/Oracle architecture -- Detailed information about Perl DBI, DBD::Oracle, the Oracle Call Interface (OCI), Oracle::OCI, extproc_perl, and mod_perl, the modules that allow Perl programs to communicate with Oracle databases.
• Perl applications for Oracle DBAs -- Profiles of the best Perl open source applications available for use and customization by Oracle DBAs: Perl/Tk, OraExplain, StatsView, Orac, DDL::Oracle, SchemaDiff, Senora, DBD::Chart, SchemaView-Plus, Oracletool, Karma, Embperl, and Mason.
• The Perl Database Administration (PDBA) Toolkit -- a comprehensive suite of specialized, ready-to-use scripts designed to help Oracle DBAs perform both routine and special-purpose administrative tasks: monitoring the Oracle alert log and databases, creating and managing Oracle user accounts, maintaining indexes and extents, extracting DDL and data, troubleshooting and tuning database problems, and much more.

Part I. Introducing Perl for Oracle

1. Perl Meets Oracle
     What is Perl?
     The Perl/Oracle Architecture
     Perl for Oracle DBAs
     For Further Information

2. Installing Perl
     Installing Perl
     Installing Perl DBI
     Running Perl DBI
     Installing Cygwin

Part II. Extending Perl

3. Perl GUI Extensions
     Perl/Tk
     OraExplain
     StatsView
     Orac
     DDL::Oracle
     SchemaDiff
     Senora
     DBD::Chart
     SchemaView-Plus
     Open Source Perl IDEs
     Open Source Perl GUI Debuggers

4. Perl Web Extensions
     Apache
     Oracletool
     Karma

5. Embedding Perl into Apache with mod_perl
     mod_perl
     Apache::OWA

6. Embedded Perl Web Scripting
     Embperl
     Mason

7. Invoking the Oracle Call Interface with Oracle::OCI
     What is Oracle::OCI?
     What Is OCI?
     Installing Oracle::OCI
     Coding with Oracle::OCI
     The Future of Oracle::OCI

8. Embedding Perl into PL/SQL
     Communication Between Perl and PL/SQL
     Embedding Perl Within Oracle

Part III. The Perl DBA Toolkit

9. Installing the PDBA Toolkit
     Introducing the PDBA Toolkit
     Toolkit Modules
     Installing the PDBA Toolkit for Unix
     Installing the PDBA Toolkit for Win32
     Configuring the PDBA Toolkit

10. Performing Routine DBA Tasks with the PDBA Toolkit
     Managing User Accounts
     Maintaining Indexes
     Killing Sniped Sessions
     Managing Extent Usage
     Extracting DDL and Data

11. Monitoring the Database with the PDBA Toolkit
     Monitoring the Alert Log
     Monitoring the Databases

12. Building a Database Repository with the PDBA Toolkit
     Repository Table Structure
     Installing the Repository
     Loading the Repository with Data
     Reporting on Database Changes
     Reporting on SQL Execution Plans

13. Extending the PDBA Toolkit
     Modifying a Script in the Toolkit
     Modifying a Module in the Toolkit

Part IV. Appendixes

A. The Essential Guide to Perl

B. The Essential Guide to Perl DBI

C. The Essential Guide to Regular Expressions

D. The Essential Guide to Perl Data Munging