'Oracle 11g Express Edition' and Java and Eclipse

[Rod Hittle]

I just learned a few days ago what I had to do to get Java to work with MySQL when I am using ECLIPSE.
But now I want to try out 'Oracle 11g Express Edition' as the company I will be joining in the near future is using Oracle and PL/SQL.
They use Java too but note sure if their Java code ever uses the PL/SQL.

That said, while I am learning Java I might as well be using Oracle rather than MySQL.

So I am hoping the process is the same. Down load a Java JAR file for Oracle and place it in the Java Build Path libraries. Any one know of any issue?

[Jesper de Jong]

From the Java viewpoint, it will be pretty much the same.

Java's database access API, JDBC, is database-independent, and it uses drivers to connect to specific brands of databases. So if you use MySQL, you need the JDBC driver for MySQL, and for Oracle, you use the JDBC driver for Oracle. Oracle has a page where you can download JDBC drivers.

From the programming side, you shouldn't have to modify your Java code at all to work with a different brand of database.

[chris webster]

If you're working with Oracle, you should definitely download SQL Developer. This is a powerful IDE for working with the Oracle database, with good support for SQL, PL/SQL, data modelling etc. It's free to download and use, and is much better than any generic Eclipse database plugins I've ever used. Even if you will be working mainly with Java, SQL Developer gives you excellent tools for exploring your database or trying out your SQL to make sure it works before you put it into your Java code, for example.

[Rod Hittle]

Well I went to Oracle and installed 'Oracle Database Express Edition 11g Release 2(11.1)
Then I went download the JDBC driver(s) as Jesper suggested.
Well that stumped me as I have no idea which of these many JAR files I need.
Keep in mind this is just for learning and I am using Eclipse to run my JAVA classes.

[Tapas Chand]

ojdbc6.jar will do