Re: SQL For Smarties 3rd Edition - ATTN Joe Celko

>> No, like I said, it was your Trees and Hierarchies in SQL for Smarties that I found vapid. <<

In which case, get a copy of my TREES & HIERARCHIES IN SQL book. It goes into details on various models. It is about 200 pages in itself. The function of the SQL FOR SMARTIES book was an overview of a *lot* of SQL progamming tricks. Sorry SFS wasn't 4000 pages for $20, but you are only 1 of 3 people who have ever complained in 10 years about it.

You also never said which edition -- it keeps getting bigger.

>> My previous post simply stated that the topics in that book have nothing to do with database theory ..<<

I write for the working SQL programmer. I am not writing for academia. Again, I gave you a reference to one of the best all-time RDBMS theory books, if you have no desire to write real code for a living.

I back up my advice with industry standards, history, research and theory, but they are *support* and not the main thrust. I spend time to give a "popular science" re-caps in areas in which programmers are weak. Example: data theory; I spend time on scales and measurement theory,and missing values which are pure theory topics. They apply to all data, not just RDBMS models of data.

What makes this funny to me is that I have been blasted for almost 20 years for applying TOO MUCH theory in my work. I do not use IDENTITY, do not denormalize, do not split attributes, do not allow ambigous domains, etc. and newbies bitch about it all the time.

>> Are we to conclude that you simply filter newsfeeds, looking for your name to pop up, and, no matter what the topic, pimp your books? <<

Sure I do. And I also pimp my consulting work. And I pick up things from other people for my next book. And do freebies for charities. And some days I just get on the Internet to shoot the shit over a virtual beer with peers.

Do really not understand the idea of the free exchange of info on the Internet? Received on Mon Oct 30 2006 - 06:05:13 CET