The Core of the (BI) Issue…? I’ve been talking with a lot of speakers, writers and other industry professionals trying to get a handle on the challenges of successful Business Intelligence (BI) projects. One thing is becoming increasingly clear, and that is that of course you have to start in small steps. I don’t think that’s a suprirse by now. […]
Editorials
Access as a Presentation Layer Tool
Access as a Presentation Layer Tool SelecTViews With Stephen Wynkoop Watch as Stephen talks with Scott Gode from Azaleos talks about gaps between private cloud systems and Office 365. Alvin writes: I think most people writing to the editorials have already said it one way or another. There is no doubt that SQL Server is a more robust database platform […]
Tools of the Software Development Trade
SelecTViews With Stephen Wynkoop Find out the latest news on Windows Phone 7 upgrades or some of the features slated for MySQL 5.6 and more. Also, MVP Stephen Wynkoop addresses some feedback on LINQ from our newsletter’s readers. [Watch the Show] Tools of the Software Development Trade As we have been discussing MS Access the last little while, I was […]
Access has Its Place
Access has Its Place Our reader’s comments are varied. However, one thing that appears common in almost every comment, for or against, is that Access is bad as long as it stays where it belongs. It is a great tool for prototyping, one step up from spreadsheet power users. It helps support needs for ETL, reporting, monitoring and other niche […]
Is Access Really Dead?
Is Access Really Dead? One reader asked my opinion about Access, and is it dead. So, here is where I stand. Back in the early ‘90s I was actually a Microsoft Certified Developer with my primary tool being Microsoft Access. It really bothered me that developers hated the tool. I thought it was cool. I could do a LOT of […]
Is Access Dead?
Is Access Dead? Microsoft Access has filled a niche in software tools for departmental applications for many years. It provides a lot of rich functionality for less technical individuals to use filling business data requirements when development resources are not available. Some people have tried to create applications with a broader user base having different levels of success. The product […]
Reader Response Null and MOD
Reader Response – Null and MOD Last time I introduced the topic of null from a different light. Usually, those opposed to the use of null, are approaching it from a perspective of “Why store nothing if nothing is what you really have.” I submitted a practical reason; if you allow null in your data, you are required to have […]
Why NULL?
Why NULL? Let me open a can of worms here. Should you use/allow null in your databases? Personally, I’m very flexible on the use of null. I’m not going to move to 4th or 5th normal form in an OLTP database just to get rid of null values; although I’m not against the process either. What I am finding, however, […]
LINQ What is its Place? – More Reader Feedback
SelecTViews With Stephen Wynkoop Microsoft BI Expert Jen Underwood talks with Stephen about the ever-changing roles of the DBA. You won’t want to miss this. [Watch the Show] LINQ – What is its Place – More Reader Feedback This will be the last newsletter on this topic for a while. I have more responses from readers than I can possibly […]
LINQ What is its Place?
LINQ – What is its Place? The concept of making LINQ work natively in SQL Server has certainly resulted in a great response from our readers. I have so many responses it would take up three or four whole newsletters. People tend to fall in one or more camps when it comes to the idea of enabling LINQ to work […]