Featured resource
2026 Tech Forecast
2026 Tech Forecast

Stay ahead of what’s next in tech with predictions from 1,500+ business leaders, insiders, and Pluralsight Authors.

Get these insights

Advanced Oracle SQL

Course Summary

This course moves beyond basic data retrieval to explore the robust analytical and performance-tuning features of the Oracle database. Participants will learn to craft sophisticated reports using advanced grouping and analytical functions, manage hierarchical data, and utilize regular expressions for complex pattern matching. A significant portion of the course focuses on query optimization, ensuring learners can interpret execution plans and write efficient, scalable SQL code.

Prerequisites:

To get the most of this session, participants should have:

  • Solid understanding of basic SQL syntax (SELECT, WHERE, GROUP BY, ORDER BY)
  • Experience working with table joins and subqueries
Purpose
Learn analytical and performance-tuning features of the Oracle database
Audience

This course is ideal for:

  • Application developers requiring complex data retrieval skills
  • Data analysts and reporting specialists working with Oracle databases
  • Database professionals seeking to optimize query performance
Role
Data Analysts | Software Developers
Skill level
Advanced
Style
Lecture | Hands-on Activities | Labs
Duration
2 days
Related technologies
Oracle

 

Learning objectives
  • Implement analytic functions to solve complex reporting problems without self-joins
  • Construct hierarchical queries to model tree-structured data
  • Apply advanced grouping mechanisms for subtotals and cross-tabular reporting
  • Utilize regular expressions for sophisticated text searching and manipulation
  • Analyze execution plans to identify and resolve performance bottlenecks

What you'll learn:

In this Advanced Oracle SQL course, you'll learn:

Advanced Analytical Functions

  • Concepts of windowing and partitioning
  • Ranking functions including RANK, DENSE_RANK, and ROW_NUMBER
  • Windowing functions including LEAD, LAG, FIRST_VALUE, and LAST_VALUE
  • Defining window frames and scope
  • Writing complex analytical reports for trend analysis

Advanced Grouping and Aggregation

  • Extensions to the GROUP BY clause
  • Generating subtotals with ROLLUP
  • Creating cross-tabulations with CUBE
  • Using GROUPING SETS for specific aggregation levels
  • identifying super-aggregate rows with GROUPING functions
  • Building summary reports with multiple levels of aggregation

Hierarchical Retrieval

  • Concepts of tree-structured data
  • Using CONNECT BY and START WITH syntax
  • Traversing hierarchies with the PRIOR operator
  • Filtering data within a hierarchy
  • Formatting hierarchical output using the LEVEL pseudocolumn
  • Constructing organizational chart queries

Advanced Data Manipulation and Matching

  • Performing conditional inserts with multi-table INSERT
  • Synchronizing data using the MERGE statement
  • Using REGEXP_LIKE, REGEXP_INSTR, and REGEXP_SUBSTR
  • Implementing pattern matching constraints and data cleansing

Performance Optimization Concepts

  • Understanding the Oracle Optimizer basics
  • Reading and interpreting the Explain Plan
  • Impact of indexes on query performance
  • Identifying full table scans versus index seeks
  • Best practices for writing efficient SQL queries
  • Analyzing and tuning slow-performing queries

Dive in and learn more

When transforming your workforce, it’s important to have expert advice and tailored solutions. We can help. Tell us your unique needs and we'll explore ways to address them.

Let's chat

By clicking submit, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and consent to receive marketing emails from Pluralsight.