Priority of skill development

[RobPolley]

Re: Priority of skill development

Thanks!

[lvasic]

Re: Priority of skill development

A good example is Reports. I used to blow up Crystal Reports before I starting using views. Alpha makes it easy to use a view. So If I have a report that requires 15 tables to be linked I create a SQL view and then build the report in Alpha. Another reason to use MS SQL is that it is used at the corporate level and if you have those skills or create something for them then it is not an issue. Also, if you start with express it will migrate to the Enterprise version, if your software exponentially grows.

[RobPolley]

Re: Priority of skill development

Thanks, Lee!

[kkfin]

Re: Priority of skill development

Both MS SQL Server and MySQL and other siblings are without no doubt good choices. But they are some how complicated. You need to install and configure. Sometimes installing MS SQL Server can break you. You also need to be expert to take advantage of their over helming features.

Currently for SQL database needs I use SQLite. It is a most popular database engine with zero configuration and has full-featured sql implementation(also json support). SQLite is not best in client/server situations where clients access directly databases but this is not the case when between is an application/web server like Alpha(IIS or WAS). So it is perfect for website, application database, IOS, Android and so on. Alpha security loves it. SQLite is easy to understand, backup and copy. Makes life easy for developer.

Beside color and width CSS can be very complicated so I basically do not use it unless I really need to do something simple. I leave CSS for frameworks. I use currently Boostrap4 so in practice CSS is a synonym for a class name in html tag. With HTML tags and javascript I spent most of development time.

Obviously you need xbasic for server side. Unfortunately not much has happened with xbasic in recent years. Basically wrapper function after wrapper function so forget speed. I am sure that there is some logic in xbasic how functions are named but yet I have not found it. I try to spent minimum time with xbasic.

[Larry Gordon]

Re: Priority of skill development

I'm with Lee (mostly). MS SQL Server is extremely powerful with it's triggers and stored procedures (another word for programmability(as it called in MS SQL Server)), AA is cushioning the need to learn a lot of this by generating the code for you, but its very light on. So you might as well learn it in the database, so pick a database you think will suit your abilities and the outcomes YOU require - In the last 15 years in what we develop the database does 90% of the heavy lifting, without understanding the programmability of as database like MS SQL Server - i'd be washing cars for a living.

Pete, I think you have your brackets in the wrong place. You have: (another word for programmability(as it called in MS SQL Server))

I think the correct syntax is: ((another word for programmability)as it called in MS SQL Server)

As for the SQL stuff - it's all double dutch to me...

[peteconway]

Re: Priority of skill development

Brackets go like the (this is what I said (and this is to clarify what I said)).. I know what it means.
Anyhow my usage is as Nils responded in#7.
Good luck with it. Remember anything worthwhile is never easy.

[RobPolley]

Re: Priority of skill development

Thanks Peter! I guess I have to improve only these skills -- sql, xbasic, javascript, css, and html -- that should keep me busy!

[kkfin]

Re: Priority of skill development

One interesting thing about SQL databases. SQL Server or MySQL and other traditional sql servers are actually client/server databases. So every SQL send to server makes a round-trip to server. There is then a lot of latency with each SQL command. These servers try to overcome this latency with stored procedure concept (single round-trip).

But SQLite does not have stored procedures. It does not need them. Every SQL statement is a stored procedure. No network traffic, not IPC so very little latency. So SQLite can handle traffic that would kill client/server database performance.

[RobPolley]

Re: Priority of skill development

Ken,

Great info; thanks! I have a very small number of customers who use my system to schedule swimming lessons, so this may not apply. ...but still good to know.

Thanks,

Rob

[NBoje]

Re: Priority of skill development

Here is an interesting fact about SQLite, consider this info from Sqllite.org/about

"SQLite is an embedded SQL database engine. Unlike most other SQL databases, SQLite does not have a separate server process. SQLite reads and writes directly to ordinary disk files. A complete SQL database with multiple tables, indices, triggers, and views, is contained in a single disk file."

Replace SQLite with Access, and you have an exact description of how Microsoft Access works. Access is a great database, and has many uses, but it's not really suited for webbased multiuser databases, just like SQLite is a single user embedded database that stores all data on the device.

It's a question of picking the right tool for the right job, and this thread is about Priority of Skill development, not is SQLite a better database than Sql Server or MySql.

I can certainly see uses for SQLite in a Phonegap app, for saving large datasets that needs to be modified on the device. But then you need to write your own sync routines to get the data out of the device, so unless this is a one user solution it would make the app much more complicated.

In order of priority for building Alpha skills, my guess is that most clients are corporate, and they nearly always have large Sql Server/MySql/Oracle etc. server databases, so learning a Server based Sql database before SQLite is probably a better option

[kkfin]

Re: Priority of skill development

Here is an interesting fact about SQLite, consider this info from Sqllite.org/about

"SQLite is an embedded SQL database engine. Unlike most other SQL databases, SQLite does not have a separate server process. SQLite reads and writes directly to ordinary disk files. A complete SQL database with multiple tables, indices, triggers, and views, is contained in a single disk file."

Replace SQLite with Access, and you have an exact description of how Microsoft Access works. Access is a great database, and has many uses, but it's not really suited for webbased multiuser databases, just like SQLite is a single user embedded database that stores all data on the device.

It's a question of picking the right tool for the right job, and this thread is about Priority of Skill development, not is SQLite a better database than Sql Server or MySql.

I can certainly see uses for SQLite in a Phonegap app, for saving large datasets that needs to be modified on the device. But then you need to write your own sync routines to get the data out of the device, so unless this is a one user solution it would make the app much more complicated.

In order of priority for building Alpha skills, my guess is that most clients are corporate, and they nearly always have large Sql Server/MySql/Oracle etc. server databases, so learning a Server based Sql database before SQLite is probably a better option

Is this joke? Check your facts about SQLite

[NBoje]

Re: Priority of skill development

Hi Kenneth

Why should it be a joke?

Which facts about Sqlite have I got wrong?

[Davidk]

Re: Priority of skill development

Agreed... how is this a joke?

[iRadiate]

Re: Priority of skill development

Hey Rob,

I have found the Joes2Pros books, lessons and videos to be an absolutely wonderful resource for when I first started learning MS SQL.
There is just something about the way Rick Morelan is able to present the material that makes it really simple, interesting and fun. At least I find it to be so.
The videos used to be free but might be paid service now however, there are still some great free videos on youtube ... https://www.youtube.com/user/Joes2Pros/playlists ... including how to install SQL Server ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0h8e...z0cHXdmJHTYVph

[kkfin]

Re: Priority of skill development

SQLite is far from single user embedded database. That is just one aspect. Sure it is best at a traditional client/server database where clients has direct access to database. So it needs application server frontend for example Alpha then clients can not access directly database. Also as a website database it can handle 100000 hits/per day and still 10 times more (1000000) without loosing performance. It has full-featured SQL implementation. It has nothing common with Access database.

When you talk about learning skills with SQLite you have time to learn because zero configuration, zero stored procedures, easy backup. You can concentrate to SQL and you can then use these skills in every platform(Windows, Linux, Android...) in future. So for learning sure SQLite is better to start with.

So if you are building traditional client server solution(multi tenant) then do not use SQLite or if you need clusters for your SQL data servers.

And David, did you forget put my name to your list?