The Heap™ – Consultancy ©®

Paul White

6:49 AM

@ConcernedOfTunbridgeWells Yes it is very different. And I was lost without an execution plan :)

Andriy M

7:00 AM

Have you got a plan, Mr MDX?

Tom V

8:46 AM

With MDX/DAX you mostly need to stop thinking in tables and rows and start thinking in venn-diagrams

@PaulWhite sqlbi.com/wp-content/uploads/DAX-Query-Plans.pdf

Phil

9:14 AM

Mornin'. Back to the daily grind

Andriy M

morning

ConcernedOfTunbridgeWells

10:08 AM

Morning all

Phil

Yo

0

Q: How to become Data Warehouse Architect?

What should every DWA know? What are necessary skills (besides experience)? BI principles SQL knowledge of OLAP / OLTP ... ?

data-warehouse

I think that's the 3rd or 4th "how do I become xyz?" question in the last week

Mark Sinkinson

Morning

Phil

10:57 AM

We should all make a joint Heap New Years Resolution - Upvote questions on here more. They don't cost you anything!

8

James Anderson

@Phil I'm in

Andriy M

12:20 PM

Can we migrate this Stack Overflow question over here:

1

Q: Can SQL Server 2012 FCI have multiple names?

Is it possible to have multiple names for the same SQL Server Failover Cluster Instance (virtual server)? IT has a naming convention they like, but it hard codes the Windows cluster name into the SQL Server cluster name, which makes extra client configuration work when we have to migrate servers...

sql-server names failovercluster

for it to be merged with this one:

1

Q: Can SQL Server 2012 FCI have multiple names?

I originally posted this on StackOverflow, and they suggested I post it here. Is it possible to have multiple names for the same SQL Server Failover Cluster Instance (virtual server)? IT has a naming convention they like, but it hard codes the Windows cluster name into the SQL Server cluster nam...

sql-server sql-server-2012 clustering failover

Paul White

@AndriyM Merge what? The SO copy has no answers?

Phil

Having a TerriBad day today. I keep on subconsciously ignoring the tbl_ prefix on table names. Obviously the queries look better, but SQL Server just doesn't understand what I'm mentally doing :)

Andriy M

@PaulWhite Sorry, perhaps I didn't get this right. I didn't know that both questions had to have answers before they could be merged.

If not merge isn't applicable, then we could just close the SO question as a duplicate of the DBA one.

Paul White

@AndriyM Merging merges answers. Can't close as duplicate cross-site.

Andriy M

@PaulWhite But of course, that's why I'm asking to migrate the SO question first

Paul White

12:34 PM

@AndriyM I see. But the titles are question text are the same, so I don't see the value. We've closed it on SO anyway now.

Andriy M

Oh I see, a moderator has just closed it as a cross-post. Problem solved then.

Paul White

@AndriyM Yes I asked him to.

Tom V

Developer question: "A customer wants to change our database to 'double byte character set' but I have no idea what 'double byte character' means, what will be the impact?"

in 2016

Andriy M

@PaulWhite I remember in the past we migrated one of the copies of a cross-posted question to either side so that it could be either closed as a duplicate of the other copy or merged. Was something different this time around or has the policy changed?

Paul White

@AndriyM Nothing's changed. AFAIK there's no value in migrating an exact copy with no answers. Closing (and the subsequent automatic deletion) creates the least amount of work.

Possibly the issue is that closing/migrating can take time, during which useful answers appear on the original. In that case, migration and merging makes sense.

Andriy M

12:55 PM

I guess I just never paid attention to the fact that in such cases we only migrated questions with answers. I was probably fixated just on the fact that we were migrating a cross-post.

Of course it makes sense that migrating an exact copy without answers only to be closed as a duplicate is pointless

Thanks for the clarification, @PaulWhite

Paul White

Cross-site duplicates are just hard work all round.

I'm not sure there's a perfect answer that covers all possible courses of events.

@AndriyM Maybe you're right, from the point of view of Heap votes to close, that they should be for migration just in case a good answer appears before enough Heapers see it. Personally, I don't mind the extra work this end. I originally asking why you mentioned "merging" specifically.

billinkc

@TomV "My friend, I'm going to let you in on a little secret" dramatic pause, along with an exaggerated turning of the head "When I don't know something, I type it into google to get the tiniest frame of reference for the question"

Tom V

1:12 PM

I replied with the Joel classic

it gets better: "but the xml we output already says utf-8"

billinkc

I'm unfamiliar with this article, bbiab

Andriy M

@PaulWhite The reason was another of my misconceptions (cleared up now). I somehow believed merging to be an improved version of closing as a duplicate, primarily (albeit not exclusively) intended for questions that are exact copies of each other. (That is, closing one of them as a duplicate of the other would still be fine, but merging them would be better.)

Paul White

@AndriyM Ah I see. Ok then.

billinkc

1:28 PM

"If a letter's shape changes at the end of the word, is that a different letter? Hebrew says yes, Arabic says no" Egads, if anyone needs me, I'll be sobbing in my bed

Although it might sound like snoring, it started with sobs

Phil

1:43 PM

-2

Q: Which database for the problem?

Dear all professional! I have a problem, and want to ask you which database is good for my problem. 1/ Problem log 500 millions records/year. 1 record has 1000 attributes (are generated from event and log), but generally 200 attributes has value, others are null (depends on which event) 2/...

spatial scaling big-table

Another shopping list question that needs some love*

bluefeet

@Phil love given

Phil

@bluefeet Much love back, and a happy new year to you. Your bread picture made me hungry this morning :)

Andriy M

1:59 PM

@billinkc There's also the Greek sigma. I think the lower-case letter has two code points in Unicode, one for the word-ending shape and one for the other.

Paul White

2:18 PM

> Please forgive me if you feel confuse for the question.

Ha ha.

YperSillyCubeᵀᴹ

@AndriyM Correct. And they are considered the same letter. @billinkc

billinkc

2:40 PM

Very silly indeed

Paul White

Why do we have android???

YperSillyCubeᵀᴹ

@billinkc And don't forget, we also have several diacritical signs ;)

Max Vernon

@PaulWhite platform tagging perhaps necessary for SQLLite? I dunno sounds a bit suspect to me.

billinkc

The only critical sign my language supports is !

Paul White

@MaxVernon Why would the tag be necessary though? I can see why sqlite is useful.

Max Vernon

2:44 PM

@PaulWhite just guessing, but perhaps SQLLite has something different when installed on Android. I doubt it, just pointing out the possibility. Having said that, I'm all for having a smaller set of tags.

Tom V

from the android tag

I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because it has nothing to do with database administration — Tom V 24 secs ago

Paul White

Down to 3 open questions now (I blame caching).

Max Vernon

I just removed a couple of android tags from some of those questions where it clearly makes no sense.

Paul White

@YperSillyCubeᵀᴹ Thanks. It's java, huh.

YperSillyCubeᵀᴹ

I think Android => Java

Paul White

2:52 PM

I think you're right.

Max Vernon

This is the only question that perhaps needs a platform tag. However, I'm pretty sure it should be on Stack Overflow not here anyway.

1

Q: Create database with multiple columns using SQLite in Android Studio

I want to create a database with 3 columns (name of point of interest, longitude and latitude). Since I am completely new to databases I am using an example I found online and try to change it to my case. The problem is it works for 1 column but if I add the other 2 it breaks. This is my code: ...

sqlite android

Paul White

Too old to migrate and it has answers here. Seems just about on topic. Removed tag.

Max Vernon

cool

Paul White

Automatic tag clean up should dispose of Android now. Thanks all.

YperSillyCubeᵀᴹ

Are the hats gone? :(

bluefeet

3:03 PM

yeah, they disappeared

YperSillyCubeᵀᴹ

Ah, I remember from last year.

It always surprises me when SO imposes cultural differences on us

(being used to Greek ones where Christmas holidays is from around Dec 23 to Jan 6)

Phil

3:24 PM

Every day's a holiday when you're working with databases! Joyous!

Paul White

3:47 PM

2

A: Database BackupSize has Changed after migration from SQL Server 2012 Exterprise to SQL Server 2012 Express

Assuming no significant data volume changes occurred after migrating to the Express Edition then the simplest explanation is backup compression. Backup compression is not supported in Express Edition. Furthermore you may had been leveraging it on the Enterprise server without even noticing, if it...

JNK

hi all

2

Paul White

Heroic. Considering the question.

@JNK Hello!

Phil

Greetings, fellow Earthling

JNK

4:02 PM

been a while, sorry I've been absent

my year got v. busy in October

billinkc

4:15 PM

It's okay, we only call you the second moderator who must not be named

YperSillyCubeᵀᴹ

@billinkc the other is a non-moderator now. Does that make JNK the first? ;)

billinkc

I thought you were a diamond for life

Unless you willingly relinquish

ConcernedOfTunbridgeWells

4:32 PM

@billinkc I think he-who-is-not-to-be-named was persuaded to resign.

JNK

lol

Yeah I think so

ConcernedOfTunbridgeWells

Although I do sympathise with @JD's view that he made the rest of the mods look good.

JNK

now I'm the slacker

bluefeet

@JNK fired!

ConcernedOfTunbridgeWells

Well, I did think about modding once, but I decided that I couldn't be arsed.

JNK

4:34 PM

it's easy until you get actually busy at work

which I realized I had not been for several years

you don't realize how NOT busy you are until you aren't not busy any more

ConcernedOfTunbridgeWells

Yes. I've been busy at odd times, but I can't say I've been under a lot of work pressure in a while.

I'd almost say that I'd like a change of pace because I'm bored most of the time at work. Trouble is that I would have to take a substantial pay drop to do that.

Illegitimi non carborundum and all that.

JNK

Yeah I was too for a bit

then my boss quit and I took over his responsibilities on top of my old SQL dev work

ConcernedOfTunbridgeWells

@JNK Are you getting paid to do this?

Max Vernon

What do you say to this? dba.stackexchange.com/questions/125068/…

I'm thinking it's not a massively big deal to update a table with 300 million rows once per week.

JNK

4:51 PM

@ConcernedOfTunbridgeWells yep!

well mostly

ConcernedOfTunbridgeWells

@JNK As long as it translates into a material increase in your take-home pay it should be OK.

JNK

I left my last job b/c they weren't paying me enough

ConcernedOfTunbridgeWells

Beware of responsibility without authority, though.

JNK

I'm now making just about double what I was there

ConcernedOfTunbridgeWells

@JNK Good man. Switching jobs used for its intended purpose.

JNK

4:52 PM

that was like 3 years back now

interesting upside is The DBA™ now reports to me

4

ConcernedOfTunbridgeWells

Try and make sure you get a job title and description that explicitly acknowledges the management work. This will be useful on your C.V. for your next career move.

'Manager of team with 'N' reports.'

Paul White

5:05 PM

@JNK Did you miss the announcement? SE are paying us $1 per mod action now. No need for work!

* Not actually true

JNK

@PaulWhite is that USD or NZD?

Paul White

@JNK Would it matter? ;)

JNK

yeah!

Your dollar is like 75 cents here

bluefeet

@PaulWhite that would have been nice as a SO mod :P

JNK

68 cents

Paul White

5:07 PM

Yeah it used to be a lot higher.

JNK

@bluefeet they would need a new round of venture capital funding

but all the SO mods could buy nice homes in the bay area

Paul White

@bluefeet You'd be retired on a beach somewhere, surveying your yachts.

bluefeet

@JNK most definitely

Paul White

@JNK Did that go down well?

JNK

@PaulWhite yeah he's doing OK with it

Paul White

5:09 PM

Is he easier to manage that work with?

JNK

I have him doing just reporting work at this point

Paul White

Ah, somewhere where not too much damage can be done.

JNK

yep

Paul White

* touches wood

4

Max Vernon

@PaulWhite eeeewww

Paul White

5:19 PM

Ha ha. Really? LOL

billinkc

beavis and butthead the mystery of morning wood

►

Phil

"Not sure if this is a DBA or CodeReview type of question."

0

Q: Database design of Room Booking system in a Hotel

Intro and System Description I am currently designing a Database for a Room Booking system in a Hotel. Client fills a Form / Request with following information about Room: amount of people in room rating of a room check in and check out date Administrator has a dashboard with list of Forms ...

mysql database-design schema foreign-key

Paul White

It's on-topic ~~for both~~ here and at Programmers.

Hm actually, having looked more through their meta, I'm not 100% sure. Checking with a CR mod.

The acid test for CR is that the question must include code. In this case, it means DDL. Off-topic for CR in its current form.

Paul White

6:01 PM

@MaxVernon Why did you create a tag wiki for sql-delete? It is a synonym of delete.

Just checking in case I am missing something.

Max Vernon

@PaulWhite because I stupidly didn't realize there was a delete until after I made the tag wiki edit.

Paul White

@MaxVernon Ha. OK.

Max Vernon

it can be blown away and/or made a synonym.

Paul White

@MaxVernon It's already a synonym. I'll merge it.

Max Vernon

cool

This is great, thank you very much for your effort, however, I am storing the values with a comma as a string. I'm already using them in multiple places within the application, so at this point it's too late to store it in a different way. This is the last thing I have to do with it, basically display the values that were previously saved. I'm thinking of making an array of the values, and running a loop with a dlookup function for every time that was saved, then concatenating it to display in a textbox. — barry17 13 mins ago

^^^ sucks to be That Guy™

Paul White

6:07 PM

Merge complete.

Max Vernon

thanks, Paul!

Paul White

Unfortunately, the tag system is a bit borked, so your suggested wiki edits will remain in limbo for all time.

Max Vernon

@PaulWhite lol

Max Vernon

6:40 PM

uh-oh-dupe-hammer-close. dba.stackexchange.com/questions/125166/…

Paul White

6:54 PM

@YperSillyCubeᵀᴹ CASE expression!

YperSillyCubeᵀᴹ

@PaulWhite I'm getting tired. 4 answers?

Paul White

@YperSillyCubeᵀᴹ I was about to do the same thing for answer 4 when your edit appeared :)

Phil

Heh, I saw my statement had been sabotaged :D

bluefeet

hey y'all what do you think? Be Kind to Me :)

2

16

Q: Introducing the Developer Story

We've had a lot of announcements lately about changes to Stack Overflow, including the addition of Documentation, the Power of Teams, and our plan to serve programmers better by integrating Jobs. We started by updating the profile so you could show off a bit about who you are but now we're exp...

discussion featured profile-page developer-story

Paul White

@bluefeet Looks too much like Facebook to me. Sorry if that's not kind.

YperSillyCubeᵀᴹ

6:59 PM

@bluefeet Does "6-8 somethings" stand for 6-8 some weeks?

bluefeet

@PaulWhite that's fair criticism. We're attempting to recreate the standard resume in a completely different way.

@YperSillyCubeᵀᴹ it's my way of saying sometime in the nearish future

Max Vernon

@bluefeet I like this. And certainly if you can disable it. I don't see any downside; if you don't want to use it/show it off, then don't. I'd love to point clients towards something like that.

Paul White

@Phil Wouldn't your answer set any rows with a gender not M or W to NULL?

Or try to.

I'd be adding a WHERE gender IN ('M', 'W') I think.

Phil

I'd assumed he didn't have any NULLs

I'll edit for completeness

Paul White

@Phil He might not have. My point is the existing gender might be 'T' or 'X' or something. So the CASE expression would return NULL.

There could be anything in that column, given MySQL's implementation of CHECK constraints :)

Phil

7:08 PM

Yeah, probably a few actual people lost in the database & they've no idea how they got in there!

Paul White

@Phil I would up-vote your answer, but I'm out of votes today.

I'll try to remember when the cycle begins again.

JNK

@bluefeet As a hiring person, I worry less about chronology of someone's career than skills and accomplishments

I may find it distracting to sift through their timeline to find all the projects or whatever

now if its filterable that's a whole nother story

i.e. "Show me certifications only"

Paul White

And no pictures of cats in amusing situations.

billinkc

@bluefeet I look forward to seeing it implemented on some of the other sites. Check out my profile on Mythology, I'm a demigod

JNK

@billinkc on Cooking.Se you're a demi-glace

4

billinkc

7:14 PM

Bravo

Good to have you back

Paul White

And here he's a demi-dba.

JNK

lol

he's all-the-way BI pro though

Paul White

Certainly.

bluefeet

@billinkc haha, nice

billinkc

On Psychology I'm just demented

Phil

7:17 PM

I'll volunteer to be a demibeer

Heh, they get some funny questions

0

Q: Irish beer vs German beer and fat people

I was few times in Ireland and noticed that Irish guys drink as much beer as Germans but for some reason they are not having those beer belly. Is there something in the irish beer that is not in the german beer that keeps Irish people in shape?

german foreign-beer

billinkc

@bluefeet I figured claiming project management was an experimental phase was safer than bagging on manga or some of the other sites

bluefeet

probably smart

Tom V

7:32 PM

@Phil Ha, Four answers and up to a minute ago 0 upvotes

resolutions fade fast

Paul White

UPDATE  @Test
SET Gender = CHAR((((ASCII(Gender) - 77) + 10) % 20) + 77)
WHERE Gender IN ('M', 'W');

Obviously the best way to do it.

Tom V

not that it's a great question, but if it was worth answering it might have been worth 5 unicorn points

Paul White

Very true.

Five answers now.

EBrown

8:11 PM

@PaulWhite Do you still want me to include the DDL for this question?

Tom V

@PaulWhite around here the (old) joke is "touches wood" and then grabbing your forehead

"houten kop" would translate to "wooden head" and means either "hard headed" or "hung over"

Paul White

@EBrown If it is convenient, yes. No worries otherwise. You have 2 good answers.

EBrown

@PaulWhite I can get it around here shortly.

@PaulWhite Added.

billinkc

8:37 PM

Max, King of the Trolls

Pity there wasn't a hat for it

Out of curiosity, why do people like you keep asking that? The trolls sure are thick in here. — Bob77 1 hour ago

Erik

@bluefeet I'm not a big fan either. It seems like (as an outsider) a large portion of development resources are going towards Careers. Is that because SE sees that as a major income stream? I'm not trying to be disparaging. Everyone needs to make a living and if you can fill a need while earning money so much the better.

YperSillyCubeᵀᴹ

@YperSillyCubeᵀᴹ, AG is there....... Listen, if you have any point, you can write an answer. — anonymous 2 mins ago

another friendly user.

Aaron Bertrand

@Bob77 The same reason if a police officer pulls you over for rolling a stop sign and notices an AK-47 on your dash, he or she might ask you about it. — Aaron Bertrand 18 secs ago

swasheck

raging headache. and no liquor consumption to blame

bluefeet

@Erik Careers has always been a large part of our product but it had some issues - separate domain, etc. We're attempting to make it a bit easier to use in a variety of ways - integrating with SO, etc. This is just another piece, revamping the Careers CV

Tom V

8:41 PM

2016 sure is off to a good start

swasheck

@TomV newfound vigor

Erik

9:05 PM

@MaxVernon You're a brave soul to post your home address on a page listed in your profile.... maxvernon.tel :)

Max Vernon

@Erik lol. I'm not hard to find, and I do try to not be rude :-)

Tom V

unfortunately pizza delivery pranks won't work well with a 0032 phone number