06 September 2011

Finding Quizzes in Play a Quiz

Since the upgrade to v2 of the PL/SQL Challenge quiz platform, we have taken advantage of its flexibility to add several new quizzes: weekly SQL, PL/SQL and logic quizzes; the newest, Toad for Oracle weekly quiz; the Oracle Magazine PL/SQL 101 quiz.

As a result, the Play a Quiz table on the home page has gotten very full and busy. Players have been complaining about not being able to find the quizzes they need to take, or recently took. We are looking at a number of changes to avoid this confusion. In the meantime, here is an explanation of the steps you can take right now to gain clarity.

The Play a Quiz table has two tabs: Current and Upcoming. Current shows you all open quizzes that you can take, as well as some that you recently completed. You can use the Filter to restrict which quizzes are shown. You can also see other "current" quizzes by clicking on the right arrow in the bottom right corner of the table. Finally, the "View All Competitions" will take you to an Interactive Report that will allow you to search for any quiz that has already been played.



Use the filter to show quizzes for a specific technology, only those that are still open or only those for a technology in which you have expressed interest ("My Technologies"; more on this below).



My Technologies


As you can see, we offer quizzes for PL/SQL, SQL, APEX, Logic and Toad for Oracle (with more likely to come!). By default, we show quizzes for all technologies on the page. And if you take a quiz for one of these technologies, we automatically update your profile, adding this technology to your list.

If you choose "My Technologies" in the filter list, then only those quizzes for your technologies will appear. So if you are not an APEX developer and you've never played an APEX quiz, that is the quickest way to make APEX quizzes disappear from Play a Quiz.

Note: we will likely add the ability to save your Filter by selection so you do not have to keep changing it when you get to the Home page.

To modify your technology list, visit your Account (click on "Account" in top right corner) and then click on "Technologies for Play":


You can then add or remove the technologies as desired:


I hope this information helps you get the most out of the PL/SQL Challenge generally, and the Play a Quiz table more specifically.

Please offer any suggestions you have for improving how this works.

Cheers, Steven

05 September 2011

New weekly quiz on Toad for Oracle!

Bob Marley tells us in Coming In From the Cold: "Why do you look so sad and foresaken / When one
door
is closed / Don't you know another is open.



OK, so summer is coming to an end. And it can make us sad to think about colder weather (for those of us up north, anyway!) approaching. So, yes, the "door" of warmth and sun may be closing....but another door at the PL/SQL Challenge is opening: a new quiz launches in September 2011: the Toad for Oracle Weekly Quiz!


Starting on September 3, the PL/SQL Challenge will host a weekly quiz on Toad for Oracle, sponsored by Quest Software. Toad for Oracle is used by hundreds of thousands of Oracle technologists every day. Everyone has their favorite features and there's always more to learn about this incredibly useful tool. Now, you can test,
demonstrate and deepen your expertise in Toad for Oracle with the Weekly Toad Quiz!

Your answers will be ranked, based on correctness and time to answer. Top ranked players will be displayed at ToadWorld and Quest will raffle off ebooks of the Oracle PL/SQL Language Pocket Reference from O'Reilly Media to all those who played the quiz that month.

So if you are a Toad user, this is the perfect opportunity to show how well you know this tool, and learn more about what Toad for Oracle can do for you.