Oracle SQL*Loader: The Definitive Guide

SQL*Loader is a utility used to load data from flat files into an Oracle database. Despite its wide availability and use, few Oracle users know how to get the most out of it. This book has everything you need to know about SQL*Loader: a reference to all of its syntax options and step-by-step instructions for all of the SQL*Loader tasks you'd want to perform--and maybe some you didn't realize you COULD perform. You'll learn how to construct the necessary control files, load from different types of files containing different types of data, validate data, load data selectively, transform data as it is loaded, and recover after failure. The book shows how to optimize SQL*Loader performance by adjusting the transaction size and using the new direct path option. It also covers the newest SQL*Loader features--the loading of large object (LOB) columns and the new object types (nested tables, varying arrays, and object tables).

User review
An excellent book
The authors have done a superb job of covering all corner cases that one might encounter while loading data in the database. The text is sprinkled with practical advise, do's & dont's

I am not sure if sqlloader development has kept up with the database development (i.e. if there exists a 10g version of the sqlloader to go with the 10g Oracle database). If so, then I wish they will come up with a second edition of the book.

User review
Where are the examples?
This book contains a somewhat disjointed overview of SQL*Loader. It starts to explain something and then shows one little example of a character column, for instance. But then there is nothing at all about what to do if the column is a number or date. It explains a lot but it shows little. A very frustrating book.

Oracle's SQL*Loader is fragile, counter-intuitive, dated, and hard to work with. If there were ANY other books available, I would try one of those instead.

User review
Good intro to SQL Loader
This little book is a lifesaver. I have benefitted a lot from the examples provided in this book. SQL Loader can be hard but very easy if you have a guide like this book.

User review
No Bull straight to the point
I have been dealing with databases for over three years now.
Right now I am doing Siebel Consulting in which Enterprise Integration Module(EIM) is responsible for data transfer from any source to Sieble database. I came across a requirement where I had to use Oracle SQL Loader, so I went looking for a good book.
This 250 page book tells you everything you need to know about SQL Loader in less time than any other. Lots of code and real time examples.
Worth having as ref book for all DBAs or even developers.
Five Stars for sure.

User review
Comprehensive info on SQL Loader all in one place
I searched through several manuals and guides on Oracle only to discover that very few cover the SQL Loader tool in great detail. This book does so, and in a way that's fairly easy to read. It is a huge benefit over the sparse 2-3 pages of documentation you'll typically find elsewhere.