Oracle and Open Source

Chapter 3. Tcl, Perl, and Python

In the first two chapters of this book, we set the scene for using and developing Oracle open source applications. In the remaining chapters, we’ll look at the open source technologies that are best suited for developing the kinds of applications needed by Oracle database administrators and developers. The first port of call in our journey through the software cosmos of Oracle and open source is the world of scripted GUI solutions. In this chapter, we’ll examine the three major open source scripting languages: Tcl, Perl, and Python. All three languages have been around for more than a decade, tracing their command-line origins back to the late 1980s. All three provide excellent functionality, are relatively easy to learn, run efficiently, have enthusiastic and active developer communities, and offer solid interfaces to the Oracle database. We’ll describe the languages very briefly, discuss how to obtain and install them, and explore ports and interfaces available to Oracle with these languages:

Tcl/Tk

Tcl is an excellent and highly extensible scripted language developed by John Ousterhout back in 1987. In 1988, Ousterhout also started working on a GUI toolkit for Tcl that he called Tk. Over the years, Tcl/Tk has become the favorite of many engineers, software architects, and academics. Tcl/Tk provides an excellent approach to developing applications, including those based on Oracle. Tcl allows developers to create applications that run advanced ...