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

"paul c" <toledobythesea_at_dbms.yuc> wrote in message news:6aU1h.231127$1T2.121981_at_pd7urf2no...
> >
> > I periodically direct newbies to "database answers". They have over 200
> > models over there, free for the browsing.
> > Everything from lending library to order processing. Are their models
the
> > best? I'm not sure, but they look pretty good on first inspection. Of
> > course, examples aren't theory.
> >
> > The best low level theory for newbie database designers is over at the U
> > Texas IT department. I also send newbies there.
> > It's got a few errors in it, IMO. But over all, it's a better job of
> > presenting the theory in a nutshell than I would have done.
> >

[snippage]

> As for the other comments, I just cannot buy them, I think that for most
> of us it is essential that examples have some obvious relation to our
> question. It is only after some study (which eliminates neophytes) that
> most of us see a connection. Abstraction is one of the most significant
> human mental abilites, but it is truly rare and we shouldn't expect
> newcomers to be any good at it without practice.

OK, fair enough. I was thinking of newbies who specifically ask questions that call for eith a short response of one's own or a referral to some web site.

Many newbies, either here or in comp.databases, ask questions like: "I 've never designed a database before, and now I'm designing an invetory management system for my company. Any advice?" This question is ideal for a pointer to Databaseanswers. One of the databaseanswers models is going to be close enough to the mark so as to be better advice than most posts on a newsgroup. If you've never seen databaseanswers, I suggest you check it out, Paul. I'm sure you are expert enough so that you don't need their help, but you might approve my use of it as a referral.

As to the questions that call for more of a theory response, I hope the U of Texas outline serves as a motivator for people to buy a good book on the subject. All I can say in defense of my referrals to U of Texas is thet their outline is more comprehensive than I wish to type in everytime somebody asks. Received on Wed Nov 01 2006 - 14:20:32 CET