Timestamps....Stinkin' timestamps

I've spent way, way too much time on resolving this issue.  I'm talking about timestamps.  You'd think the subject pretty cut and dry: i get the user's browser and obtain their time and timezone.  When she creates a new record that timestamp ought to go right into that "created date" field.

Not so fast.

Oracle has taken the position that a browser is a lousy way to get time.  It's not reliable because the user can manipulate their browser to show the wrong time or geography.  Oh well.

So what's the Oracle approach?  Well, when you set up your user account, you can set the user's timezone.  then, you can look up the timezone from the account and offset the value on a new record.  You're going to use the webserver's time.  there's no way around it, unless you want that browser time and that requires some effort using javascript.

Here's how i added a timestamp function to a "Create" button.  After the row is instantiated on the screen, you perform the timestamp function and assign the value to the "Create Date" field.

Woof!

Connect to a Pluggable Database from JDeveloper

I've been puzzling over the dearth of results about a simple problem, once the pluggable database has been created.  How do you connect to it from your web application?

I use JDeveloper, and after some "experimentation", I believe I stumbled on the answer.  Take a look at the configuration in the screen shot

The connection information looks identical to how i connect to the CDB.  But, instead of using the SID, I'm using the Service Name field.  The Service name starts with the pluggable database' SID.  In this case my pluggable database is pdsmall.  dachshund.com is my database domain.

Woof!

SQL*Plus Commands

From Oracle's 12c documentation, a helpful listing of useful SQL commands: http://docs.oracle.com/cd/E16655_01/server.121/e17322/sqlqraa001.htm#sthref1564

Many Thanks Inspires My Own Blog

I've worked in web development for the better part of a decade.  In large part, it's due to the charity of others who spent time with me or, via the internet, presented the impossible understandable.  I owe a deep sense of gratitude and thanks.  So this blog begins with a link to another blog that helped me out.  

I'm trying to install Oracle 12c database on a Debian machine.  This post deals with a 12c but on Ubuntu.  It bailed me out of two days of wayward progress.  Thanks GOP:  http://gemsofprogramming.wordpress.com/2013/09/19/installing-oracle-12c-on-ubuntu-12-04-64-bit-a-hard-journey-but-its-worth-it/#comment-90

Woof