PostgreSQL vs. MySQL vs. Commercial Databases: It's All About What You Need

Can you trust the leading open-source database engines, PostgreSQL and MySQL, to deliver the performance and features that the Oracles, SQL Servers, and DB2s of the world do? Not just yet, but they could offer enough to meet your needs. Find out how they stack up against each other, as well as against the commercial alternatives.

Conrad, Tim. DevX.com (2004). Articles>Information Design>Databases>Open Source

Programmatically Manipulating Microsoft Excel Spreadsheets with the Apache POI API

The Apache Jakarta POI project consists of Java APIs dedicated to the manipulation of files based on Microsoft's OLE 2 Compound Document format. In this article, you'll learn how to use the APIs of the POI project to read from and write to Microsoft Excel spreadsheets. As you will see, the programmatic liberty to manipulate Excel files represents a powerful offering to the Java programmer.The Apache POI contains a number of components. In this article, we'll be focusing our study on the HSSF component. The HSSF project will provide us with the ability to read and write from XLS spreadsheets.

Bhogal, Kulvir S. Dev Articles (2003). Articles>Web Design>Server Side Includes>Databases

Querying Databases in Microsoft SQL Server 2005

This hands-on tutorial should help you in understanding the interface available for querying MS SQL Server 2005 databases. Some of the major features will be discussed as related to their use rather than going into a lot of details. Querying the database is one of the most basic activities that is routinely and frequently performed.

Krishnaswamy, Jayaram. ASP Free (2006). Articles>Information Design>Databases>SQL

Refining Data Tables

Many articles have been written on what is probably the single most ubiquitous interface element within Web applications today: the form. Forms justifiably get a lot of attention because their design is critical to successfully gathering input from users. Registration forms are the gatekeepers to community membership. Checkout forms are how eCommerce vendors close deals. But what goes in must eventually come out, and the information users provide to Web applications often makes its way back to users in the form of tabular data.

Wroblewski, Luke. UXmatters (2006). Design>Web Design>Forms>Databases

The SALIS: Software Repository System    

Software development and related IT services have boosted the Indian economy in the recent past. There are potential opportunities to provide innovative products and services. There are a large number of small and medium sized software development enterprises that are today in the market in response to demand. While most of them are engaged in software development services, there are a few organizations involved in software product development. Parallelly, Open Source Software (OSS) developers provide the complete source code of their software (libraries, APIs, device drivers and functional packages) free of charge. There is a great incentive for software product developers to use these available resources. However, all Open Source software is subject to specific terms of use or a license which is specified as part of the software. There is no catalogued repository of open source software that provides the licensing details as well as terms of reuse of the software. Software And Licensing Information System (SALIS) fills that void and attempts to provide details required by software product developers to make a decision on what software components can be used and built upon.

Garge, Gopi Krishna, Malati Hegde, Geetha Anil Kumar and Savitha Anil Kumar. International Journal for Technical Communication (2007). Articles>Software>Databases

SQL Cookbook: Advanced Searching  

Some types of searching operations stand apart from others in that they represent a different way of thinking about searching. Perhaps you're displaying a result set one page at a time. Half of that problem is to identify (search for) the entire set of records that you want to display. The other half of that problem is to repeatedly search for the next page to display as a user cycles through the records on a display. Your first thought may not be to think of pagination as a searching problem, but it can be thought of that way, and it can be solved that way; that is the type of searching solution this chapter is all about.

Molinaro, Anthony. O'Reilly and Associates (2001). Articles>Information Design>Databases>Search

SQL Functions

A function is a special type of command word in the SQL99 command set. In effect, functions are one-word commands that return a single value. The value of a function can be determined by input parameters, as with a function that averages a list of database values. But many functions do not use any type of input parameter.

Kline, Kevin and Daniel Kline . O'Reilly and Associates (2001). Articles>Information Design>Databases>SQL

Review: SQL Server Integration Services Using Visual Studio

Beginners Guide to SQL Server Integration Services Using Visual Studio 2005 provides you with the basic knowledge that you should have before you move on to more advanced ETL [Extraction, Transformation, and Loading]. The book will also provide you with a comprehensive description of the many designer windows that you may encounter while working with the designer. This guide provides the building blocks describing each block by way of an example as well as describing the nuts and bolts that bind the blocks. A majority of SSIS tasks are covered in this book and they are described fully in the summary of table contents section. You start building packages right from Chapter 2 and continue on to Chapter 20 gathering and building upon your knowledge in each step.

Krishnaswamy, Jayaram. Packt (2007). Articles>Reviews>Databases>SQL

SQL Tuning  

Even if the vast number of end users leads to high calculation loads outside the database, you can generally throw hardware at the application load (the load outside the database, that is), hanging as many application servers as necessary off the single central database.

Tow, Dan. O'Reilly and Associates (2001). Articles>Information Design>Databases>SQL

Staying Competitive Through Continuous Improvement: The Business Information Service at ABN AMRO    

Case study describing the realignment of the Business Information Service (BIS) in ABN AMRO. Explains the reasons for change and the plans to incorporate the concept of continuous improvement, helping to ensure the service constantly evolves to meet demands of the organization. Includes a description of the bank and its operations and explains the role of the BIS within it. Explains how the service will be realigned to embrace the principles of continuous improvement, covering changes in both the Research and Support Services sections, and outlines how these changes will be achieved. Concludes that to make a difference, such change must be a constant.

Beattie, Jacqueline. Business Information Review (2007). Articles>Knowledge Management>Databases>Case Studies

Storing Hierarchical Data in a Database

Whether you want to build your own forum, publish the messages from a mailing list on your Website, or write your own CMS: there will be a moment that you'll want to store hierarchical data in a database. And, unless you're using a XML-like database, tables aren't hierarchical; they're just a flat list. You'll have to find a way to translate the hierarchy in a flat file.

Van Tulder, Gijs. SitePoint (2004). Design>Web Design>Information Design>Databases

A Study of Instructions for Information Systems: Variations on a Minimalist Theme  

To perform complex tasks, workplace computer users have to know how to control their programs and adapt program capabilities to the needs of their job goals and methods. I inquired into the instructional information that will help users learn such adaptive computing for complex data processing tasks by interviewing twelve experienced database users and analyzing twenty-five exchanges between experts and users on a database helpline network. Findings show that instructions may help users emulate expert approaches to adaptive computing for complex tasks by providing enough substantial technical information to help clarify task problems, goals, methods and analogies and presenting it in the form of rules of thumb, general procedures, and task-to-program explanations.

Mirel, Barbara E. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>Documentation>Databases>Minimalism

Synchronize MySQL Data Using SQLyog Job Agent

As MySQL developers, we are often required to keep two databases in complete sync with one another.

Chand, Karam. SitePoint (2004). Design>Information Design>Databases>SQL

Transactions in MySQL

Protect your data from crashes and the confusion of multiple user requests with a transaction-capable database.

Greenspan, Jay. Webmonkey (2002). Design>Web Design>Databases>SQL

Turning Word into a Pseudo-Database by Using Mail Merge Query Options

Purists might argue that the power it gives ordinary users isn't necessary because they should use Access queries for this sort of thing and link the merge to the query. But in my experience, many people who are very comfortable working with Word and Excel find Access (or any full-fledged database application) very difficult to work with, and can get the job done far more quickly and easily using a combination of Word and Excel. At the end of the day, getting the job done is what matters. The vast majority of the world's databases (in terms of number of databases, rather than in terms of amount of data) are stored in Excel spreadsheets.

Rado, Dave. Word MVP Site, The (2005). Articles>Word Processing>Databases>Microsoft Word

Using a Database as a Feedback Mechanism  

The success of any technical document depends on the reliability of information presented in the document. A database can provide an informal mechanism for exchanging information about product development and support, The database system should have a user interface that is easy to use and does not require too many operations. Factors that must be addressed in the design, testing, and implementation of the database include the type of information, ownership, system maintenance, access control, and system development tools. Writers, who have special expertise in information gathering, can take the initiative and build support for the project.

Govindan, Anumarla and Nancy E. Jacobs. STC Proceedings (1993). Design>Documentation>Assessment>Databases

Using the SQLXML Data Type

If you're a Java 2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE) developer, you'll want to preview the SQLXML technology, currently in development. Check out procedures to create an XML document, store an XML document in a relational database, retrieve an XML document from a database, and navigate an XML document with the SQLXML Java data type.

Vohra, Deepak. IBM (2006). Articles>Information Design>Databases>XML

Using Topic Maps to Extend Relational Databases

Topic Maps provide a very flexible and robust way to add arbitrary data to a relational databases at runtime. Moreover, Topic Maps come with a predefined exchange mechanism (the XML Topic Maps (XTM) interchange syntax) to allow data to be exported to XML.

de Graauw, Marc. XML.com (2003). Articles>Information Design>Databases>XML

Using XML in Databases

Today, we can find many applications to manage XML content that demonstrate the power and flexibility that can only be achieved through XML-native databases. Information intensive companies such as the airline and manufacturer described in this paper have achieved significant technical and business benefits from their use of XML standards and database technology over alternative approaches.

Waldt, Dale. Gilbane Report (2004). Articles>Content Management>Databases>XML

Validity Checks

Work with your fellow employees to understand how they enter data so you can determine the best way to present their choices; they won't forget who's responsible for their improved accuracy and speed, particularly around performance appraisal time. Of course, you'll also earn your own manager's gratitude once you're no longer wasting time fixing preventable errors.

Hart, Geoffrey J.S. Geoff-Hart.com (1999). Articles>Usability>Databases>EPSS

VB.NET Application with SQL Anywhere 10 Database

This article by Jayaram Krishnswamy shows how you can develop a VB.NET 2.0 application using the integration features provided by the SQL Anywhere database. The SQL Anywhere tools are directly accessible without going out of the Visual Studio 2.O IDE. The article describes a window application with two examples developed with this easy to use integration interface.

Krishnaswamy, Jayaram. Packt (2007). Articles>Information Design>Databases>SQL

VB/MySQL.com

An online resource for people developing database-driven web applications using Visual Basic and MySQL.

Hillyer, Mike. VBMySQL.com (2005). Articles>Web Design>Databases>SQL

Vendor View: An Interview with Greg Simidian    

Interview with Greg Simidian, Managing Director of company information vendor Perfect Information. Discusses the company itself and how it has changed over the years, concentrating particularly on its customer relations. Considers relations between vendors and intermediaries generally, covering contract negotiation and the impact of end users, and also considering recruitment and skills issues for the information industry. Speculates on the future of the industry, considering social networking in particular. Reflects on Greg Simidian's previous career, considering the benefits of working for both mainstream and niche information providers.

Simidian, Greg. Business Information Review (2007). Articles>Interviews>Databases>Case Studies

Web Enabling Data on a SQL Anywhere Server using a Native Web Service

Exposing server data to intranet/internet, an attractive and much needed method has become possible due to the native web services, services that can be created on the database itself to which HTTP or Soap requests can be made. SQL Anywhere server, even in version 9.0 [present version SQL Anywhere 10] possessed this built-in capability of being able to expose data on the database server to HTTP requests.

Krishnaswamy, Jayaram. Code Project, The (2008). Articles>Documentation>Databases>SQL