November 2015

Just the other day I needed to parse a URL, and could not find one that acted like I was used to in python. So tired of always missing out in plsql, I want to do something about it.
So yesterday I decided to create a package with different URL utilities that I need from time to time. The package is
called url_ninja. It can split an URL into the different components (scheme, authority, path, parameters, query, fragments)
and back again to a complete URL. It can parse an array into a query string and it can parse a query string into an array.

What is the Oracle ACE program?

The Oracle ACE program is a community advocacy program for Oracle technology evangelists and enthusiasts, sponsored by and managed by Oracle Corporation.  As stated on the ACE overview page at “http://oracle.com/technetwork/community/oracle-ace”, it is both a network as well as a resource for everyone in the Oracle community.  It is not a certification program, and there is no course to study and no test to pass.  Rather, the ACE program is a recognition program by one’s colleagues and peers, and joining is a process of nomination, review, and acceptance.

Who are Oracle ACEs?

At Open World I overheard a snippet of conversation which went something like this:

Bob – “How’s it going? Did the last talk go down well?”
Bill – “Sure, it was on time, the audience seemed to like it.”
Bob – “Will you be here next year?”
Bill – “Errmm….” pause…*sigh*… “I don’t know…. I’ll see how I feel.”
Bob – “Oh? In what way?”
Bill – “It just that, at Open World… I have to fend off two dozen people just to go have a pee!”

Wild horses could not drag out of me the name of the person who said that (though several pints and the offer of a curry might do the trick – try me). It both made me smile and made me think. There are down-sides to becoming highly respected in your sphere.