Oracle OpenWorld Blog

"What Are We Still Doing Wrong?" Asks Tom

By Richard Levitt.

Tom Kyte, vice president and senior technical architect in Oracle's Server Technology Division, Oracle ACE, and the popular blogger behind Ask Tom, enthusiastically kicked off Oracle Develop yesterday by pointing out areas where developers can realize big improvements by making minor adjustments to the way they approach their work. What are some of the things we're still getting wrong?:

1. Underestimating the complexity of jobs—code changes that seem simple or inconsequential to LOB execs may be major engineering feats.
2. Not knowing how to ask for help—with the accessibility of user forums, blogs, and other resources, developers have become sloppy about posting incomplete or irrelevant questions.
3. Generating too much code—"You can reduce a million lines of code to a single SQL statement," said Tom.
4. Pretending everything will be all right—plan for disaster and, at least, conscientiously back-up data.
5. Taking security for granted—Tom suggests developers "Submit your code to someone who doesn't like you."
6. Treating "best practices" as rules—"know the technology inside and out and make your own decisions," he advises.

To hear more from Tom, watch a replay of this keynote online, or join his next session:

ID#: S311234
The top 10--No, 11--New Features of Oracle Database 11g Release 2
Track: Database
Tuesday, 10/13/2009, 5:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m.
Moscone South, Room 103