If we jump forward to Oracle Database 10.1:
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/B13789_01/server.101/b10743/datadict.htm

“One of the most important parts of an Oracle database is its data dictionary, which is a read-only set of tables that provides information about the database. A data dictionary contains:
•The definitions of all schema objects in the database (tables, views, indexes, clusters, synonyms, sequences, procedures, functions, packages, triggers, and so on)
•How much space has been allocated for, and is currently used by, the schema objects
•Default values for columns
•Integrity constraint information
•The names of Oracle users
•Privileges and roles each user has been granted
•Auditing information, such as who has accessed or updated various schema objects
•Other general database information”

And then to 11.2:
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E11882_01/server.112/e16508/datadict.htm

“An important part of an Oracle database is its data dictionary, which is a read-only set of tables that provides administrative metadata about the database. A data dictionary contains information such as the following:
•The definitions of every schema object in the database, including default values for columns and integrity constraint information
•The amount of space allocated for and currently used by the schema objects
•The names of Oracle Database users, privileges and roles granted to users, and auditing information related to users (see “User Accounts”)

The data dictionary is a central part of data management for every Oracle database. For example, the database performs the following actions:
•Accesses the data dictionary to find information about users, schema objects, and storage structures
•Modifies the data dictionary every time that a DDL statement is issued (see “Data Definition Language (DDL) Statements”)

Because Oracle Database stores data dictionary data in tables, just like other data, users can query the data with SQL. For example, users can run SELECT statements to determine their privileges, which tables exist in their schema, which columns are in these tables, whether indexes are built on these columns, and so on.
…
Overview of the Dynamic Performance Views
Throughout its operation, Oracle Database maintains a set of virtual tables that record current database activity. These views are called dynamic performance views because they are continuously updated while a database is open and in use. The views, also sometimes called V$ views, contain information such as the following:
•System and session parameters
•Memory usage and allocation
•File states (including RMAN backup files)
•Progress of jobs and tasks
•SQL execution
•Statistics and metrics

The dynamic performance views have the following primary uses:
•Oracle Enterprise Manager uses the views to obtain information about the database (see “Oracle Enterprise Manager”).
•Administrators can use the views for performance monitoring and debugging.”

So, at least in recent versions of the documentation, anything performance related that is “continuously updated while a database is open and in use” should probably be called a “dynamic performance view” – but then I could quite possibly be wrong (I still intentionally mispronounce the word gigabyte as gig-a-bite, rather than as jig-a-bite).

so yes I understand the distinction, but its a bit too hair-splitting for me (and I am generally rather prone to hair splitting myself).

Thanks for the terminology correction. That “data dictionary query” phrase and the missing “s” at the end of the wait event name in the first sentence of the quote were the final two problems that I found in the quote.

I would have said that v$session_wait was a dynamic performance view, not a data dictionary view.

There was an OTN thread a couple of years ago that finally helped me understand this performance view. See Jonathan Lewis’ description of the columns (and the follow up by Hemant):
http://forums.oracle.com/forums/thread.jspa?threadID=684852

So, anything else wrong with the quote?

You provided very good descriptions of the problems, and how to fix those problems. I found those same two problems in about 60 seconds, although your answers are much more complete than the ones that I had put together.

Now for the bonus points, what other problems are in the quote? I think that I spent about 3 minutes on this part of the test (that is, 3 minutes after the initial 60 seconds).

select
  p1 "File #".
  p2 "Block #",
  p3 "Reason Code"
from
  v$session_wait
where
  event = 'buffer busy waits'

the first [p1 ("File #".), the '.' should be replaced with ',']

Seriously …

if the book was written after the release of Oracle Database 11.2.0.1
the query must be corrected:

select
  p1 "File #", 
  p2 "Block #",
  p3 "Class#"
from
  v$session_wait
where
  event = 'buffer busy waits'

In fact, with Oracle 10g the parameter p3 (parameter3)

select name, parameter1, parameter2, parameter3 
from V$EVENT_NAME 
where name = 'buffer busy waits'

NAME                                   PARAMETER1     PARAMETER2   PARAMETER3 
------------------------ -------------- ------------ -----------
buffer busy waits                   file#                   block#            class#     

class# refers to the class of the block (example, class# 1 refers to the Data Blocks)
and not to the “Reason Code” (ID, such as 100, 110 etc.).

I think you are referring to this

Regards