Re: 3vl 2vl and NULL

Mikito Harakiri wrote:
> dawn wrote:
> > Marshall Spight wrote:
> > > Instead I am simply asking for examples. Sort
> > > of like, here's a problem I had once, and it was solved
> > > with MV like this, and see how much harder the SQL
> > > version of this solution is? Even the last is optional.
> >
> > It is complex enough that any example would be some tiny look. That is
> > why I thought perhaps I should get an MV and SQL solution to the same
> > problem in order to illustrate. But to answer your question, here is
> > an example of a pattern that is repeated often that obviously could be
> > solved by SQL systems (all examples I care about can be).
>
> Have you ever seen a SQL database in your life, Dawn? Because you act
> like you never did.

I'm not sure what makes you think that, but am curious. I'm definitely not an expert in SQL, although I've been called one on many occasions. I know I often sound stupid and usually sound ignorant, Mikito, but scary as it is, once upon a time I taught a group of IT professionals introductory SQL for Oracle (yes, hands on an Oracle schema). I was asked to teach it not because I was the one who would typically do such things (I was in a Director position) but because I was one of those who knew the most about it in a mid-sized shop of developers (> 100) that was just starting to use Oracle in production. I'm best off claiming I know little about it in this crowd, however, and yield to those with more knowledge.

I have also worked on my own with MySQL, PostgreSQL and a teeny bit with SQL Server. Only the Oracle and SQL Server were production implementations, however. Granted, most of my SQL experience is with ODBC against a non-RDBMS speaking SQL as a second language. In that case, there were not the type of constraints that folks around here establish in their databases.

> For some people just reading Date "Introduction
> into the Databases" is convincing enough.

I've read it.

> Others need a hands-on at the
> ad-hoc querying.

I've done it,.many times.

> Perhaps, it might be a good idea to download MySQL
> database and go through some basic tutorial?

Thanks for the tip, but I can go a bit beyond that, even if it sounds like I'm a completely and totally ignorant about everything.

>
> P.S. I give you credit for the "naked model", but that's about the only
> entertainment in these threads.

I've had a slug of folks read my blog entries, including that one and they don't all consider me a moron, thank goodness. There are a few folks who read cdt who don't think I'm as dumb as you might. I am not doing, nor have I ever done, mathematical relational research, however.  I understand a little bit in such threads, but don't have enough interest to dig in. It seems there would be room for many varied interests in this group.

One guess I have is that I am someone who is willing to ask dumb questions. We cannot all know everything, and I ask about and speak up about what I don't know so that I will learn. Some people don't do that because they don't want to look dumb. Cheers! --dawn Received on Fri Feb 17 2006 - 00:53:54 CET