I really only need the bare minimum - but I need to find out what that is.

I'm creating a couple of apps (VB/Windows) that can hit databases - but I'd
like them to be able to hit Oracle DBs, but I don't have the slightest idea
on what the minimum stuff I need - - like drivers - a development db with
some built in DBs and tables

I don't need a production database setup --- is there a development
environment that someone like me can get for free or on the cheap side?

"Elmo Watson" <Elmo (AT) no (DOT) spam.yahoo.com> wrote

etc. See the license agreement. You need to register but they don't spam
you. If you don't have a lot of bandwidth you can order the CD's for a very
reasonable price.
Jim

On Sun, 28 Aug 2005 00:39:42 -0500, Elmo Watson interested us by writing:

Oracle provides their software free to download - no missing features, no
time bombs, no naags, and no patches or support. The expect you to honor
the license agreement, which is 'put it in production, or otherwise get
money, you buy a production license'.

All their docco is available as well, and examples, and step-by-step
picturee-based tutorials (called Oracle By Example, under the training
area). All of this free from http://otn.oracle.com

A few things ...

1) Oracle Lite is NOT the traditional Oracle database. Designed more for
skinny laptops and PDAs.
2) Where they work the same, Standard Edition and Enterprise Edition are
identical functionality - EE has a lot more features turned on.
3) Read the docs FIRST. Especially the 'Concepts manual and the
'Installation' manual for your OS. You say you want the minimum ... the
only way to find out what that means in your case is to read those two
manuals.
4) Trying to write the same code to run against SQL Server and Oracle will
usually result in extremely lousy performance in one or the other. Read
Tom Kyte's 'Effective Oracle By Design' for the reason.
6) This newsgroup has been dead for several years. Please move further
questions to the cdo.misc or cdo.server newsgroups.

--
Hans Forbrich
Canada-wide Oracle training and consulting
mailto: Fuzzy.GreyBeard_at_gmail.com
*** I no longer assist with top-posted newsgroup queries ***