Re: Oracle and Visio

On Wed, 24 Jul 2002 09:47:47 +0100, "Niall Litchfield" <n-litchfield_at_audit-commission.gov.uk> wrote:

>"Daniel Morgan" <dmorgan_at_exesolutions.com> wrote in message
>news:3D3D77DF.EB932B77_at_exesolutions.com...
>> Charles wrote:
>>
>> > On Tue, 23 Jul 2002 10:27:30 +0100, "Telemachus"
>> > <telemachus_at_ulysseswillreturn.net> wrote:
>> >
>> > >Yes.
>> > >But only if all the pk and RI and fk constraints are in place otherwise
>it
>> > >can only get what it can see.
>> > >
>> >
>> > I just used Visio on a legacy database. 60 or so tables and no fk/pk
>> > defined. All you get is a set of tables, not all that well organized.
>> > Not very usefull although it is a place to start.
>>
>> Why would anyone have a relational database without primary key
>constraints?
>
>Because you let the application handle it.
>
>NB Note I am emphatically not recommending this. This is just how developers
>think so far as I can see.

I don't know why this is so difficult for developers to understand. I've been doing development for 20 years, most of the time in a db that did not support constraints. Everything was controlled by the application. When I got started in Oracle, I had a bit of a tendency to continue using the apps to control things, mainly out of habit. That lasted about 3 months, until I got exceptions handling down pat. Now I take advange of the constraints wherever appropriate.

[Quoted] I think the biggest issue is that developers tend to consider themselves the 'expert' and the dba role is for support only. I know that in the last 3 projects I've worked, I've had to really push to get the dba's on the design stage of the project. I'm close to approaching critical mass to get this standardized here. It's a win-win. I learn dba stuff and they are learning what goes into the design from a developers point of view. Received on Wed Jul 24 2002 - 16:26:44 CEST