This week-end I downloaded for fun a try of db2, v9.7.
1) download db2 linux64bit trial on ibm.com
2) install enterprise edition (next-next-install principle)
3) create the instance
4) create the sample database (where database and instance means something different than in Oracle)

$ db2 create db test pagesize 32 k
$ db2 connect to test
$ db2 create user temporary tablespace temp
$ db2 connect reset

I tried a few examples from my book. Left, full and cross join works, but not partitioned outer join.

Scalar, Inline and nested query works too.

Surprisely many function that I thought Oracle specific work too, like sysdate and to_char.

In aggegation, the KEEP FIRST/LAST does not work,
In Super aggregations, all GROUPING SETS, CUBE, ROLLUP do work.
No Pivot or Unpivot.

No dual, but a powerful TABLE function

SQL> select * from table(values(1),(2));       
          1
-----------
          1
          2

Analytics works, With range, rows, order by partition, all the fancy stuff.

I have not checked at XML, but it sounds to be differently implemented.
Some things will work however

SQL> select xmlquery('1 to 10') from dual;

1                   
--------------------
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

No CONNECT BY, but as in Oracle 11gR2, recursive query factoring does build the hierarchy

No Model, obviously.

But more will come.

The conference JavaOne will be in SanFrancisco with Oracle OpenWorld.

The Sun Developer Network and Bigadmin will be integrated in OTN.

Welcome Sun Developers Ensuring community continuity

MySql and java.sun.com have the Oracle logo.

That was fast! Well, Oracle is quite used to acquisition, only this week they bought AmberPoint and Convergin.

Still MySQL strategy will probably change, I cannot believe Oracle will encourage the users to save millions on Oracle License by migrating to MySQL
http://www.mysql.com/products/enterprise/unlimited.html

select column_name, data_type, data_length 
from user_tab_columns 
where table_name='V';
COLUMN_NAME     DATA_TYPE            DATA_LENGTH
--------------- -------------------- -----------
X               VARCHAR2                       0

What’s this datatype? It is the datatype of NULL !!!

SQL> create or replace view v as select null x from dual
View created.
SQL> desc v
VIEW v
 Name              Null?    Type        
 ----------------- -------- ------------
 X                          VARCHAR2(0) 

Still MySQL founder Monty Widenius wants to have Russia and China reject the deal to save the future of MySQL… This will delay the deals further. Good for IBM, bad for Oracle !

I posted last year about 1!=1

Today I realized this could be solved with the scale

SQL> drop table lsc_t
Table dropped.
SQL> create table lsc_t(x number, y number(*,6))
Table created.
SQL> insert into lsc_t values (1/3*3,1/3*3)
1 row created.
SQL> commit
Commit complete.
SQL> select * from lsc_t where x=1
no rows selected.
SQL> select * from lsc_t where y=1

         X          Y
---------- ----------
1.00000000          1

So if you have amounts in US$ or GB£ or CHF, do not use NUMBER, use NUMBER(*,6) or NUMBER(*,2) or whatever is relevant to your business!

Ok, the last hint from my dba regarding Oracle Support :

If flash really drives you nuts, go for html : supporthtml.oracle.com

Still Oracle is suffering with European Union Commission who is still blocking the Sun deal.

google news about the deal

Sometimes the issues I submit are a bit exotic but there it was a join with one view using one function and dual returning wrong results. Reproducible at will on any db 10.2.0.4 and below.

After 2 weeks the helpful engineer told me it is fixed with patch 6471020 and in 11g. I asked if he tried it but he said no. As the patch is not available on my platform I asked if could try it but then he came back with an amazing workaround he became from an ARE (advanced resolution engineer) :

Remove the function from the view.

Unreal

-rw-r--r--   1 oracle   dba        15168 Oct  6 14:34 _anon__3ca8c5e38__AB.plz
-rw-r-----   1 oracle   dba        15883 Oct  6 14:45 db01_ora_10061.trc
-rw-r--r--   1 oracle   dba        15168 Oct  6 14:45 _anon__3c929b088__AB.plz
-rw-r-----   1 oracle   dba        15895 Oct  6 14:47 db01_ora_10666.trc
-rw-r--r--   1 oracle   dba        15168 Oct  6 14:47 _anon__3c8651198__AB.plz

let’s check one, briefly :

*** ASSERT at file pdw4.c, line 2080; Type 0xffffffff7d79fb40 has no MAP method.
Source Location = _anon__3d2474b28__AB[1, 7]

== Dump of OPT Context Object ffffffff7c519ec8. ==
  Tue Oct  6 16:31:11 2009
  Event 10944 = 0
  plsp          = ffffffff7fff67a8
  lu            = 3c9c18210
  Diana root    = 0x20014 = 131092
  Diana proc    = 0x20012 = 131090
  Graph         = ffffffff7d774d70
  Dump file     = /app/oracle/admin/DB01/udump/_anon__3d2474b28__AB.plz
  CG            = 0
...

It is a kind of dump file, apparently. I could not find details on metalink. I generate the one above in 10.2.0.4 sparc with the following code

create or replace type t1 as object (x number)
/
create or replace type t2 as table of t1
/
exec if t1(1)member of t2()then null;end if