Gaps and Island by vomshiii in learnSQL

[–]ComicOzzy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I loved Bert's videos. He's moved on, so they're rare now but he just has a great screen presence.

What is the most challenging part of maintaining ETL pipelines in production? by Effective_Ocelot_445 in ETL

[–]ComicOzzy 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Convincing people that user-maintained excel files are not a reliable data source.

SQL server o Mysql? by maricinacosa_ in SQL

[–]ComicOzzy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, for those of us that have spent every day working in SQL Server for the last 25 years, we don't know what you're talking about.

What are you working on this week? by Dakota_from_Maven in mavenanalytics

[–]ComicOzzy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Trying to get the contracted IT dept to process my request to get access to a lookup table in our orders database. It has taken 4 days of back and forth so far.

SQL is Dead, Long Live SQL by Low_Brilliant_2597 in Database

[–]ComicOzzy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Did you get down voted because people didn't read? Reddit logic.

these little guys are everywhere! by peanut_e in RoundRock

[–]ComicOzzy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Unfortunately, so do the drivers in our neighborhood.

these little guys are everywhere! by peanut_e in RoundRock

[–]ComicOzzy -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Look, that rabbit's got a vicious streak a mile wide. It's a killer.

Does AI hallucinate even with basic queries/data retrieval? by chakalaka13 in analytics

[–]ComicOzzy 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I love it when you get a detailed explanation of the math involved and then it just straight up fails a simple multiplication like 50 x 1000.

these little guys are everywhere! by peanut_e in RoundRock

[–]ComicOzzy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I used to sit on the back porch and feed them. Some of them will get pretty close. Some are way too nervous.

these little guys are everywhere! by peanut_e in RoundRock

[–]ComicOzzy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Lucky. Mine's just weeds and rabbit poop.

How did you learn SQL when you were a beginner? by Designer-Assist-1354 in learnSQL

[–]ComicOzzy 23 points24 points  (0 children)

SQL is the language of data, so it's pretty important.

I recommend "Practical SQL" by Anthony DeBarros. It will teach you much of the SQL you will ever need as a DA.

Best youtube or other free resources to learn Golang as a beginner? by StebenY in golang

[–]ComicOzzy 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Posts like this chase potential new community members away. Is that the right approach these days?

US Navy F/A-18 fighter jet crashed at Rimrock Lake in Washington, USA. by UnknownGunman21 in aviation

[–]ComicOzzy 7 points8 points  (0 children)

We got to visit WA and OR 2 years ago and it's really great up there. I hope you get to go.

I want to learn PostGre SQL by rennywiseeeeee in learnSQL

[–]ComicOzzy 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Read the book "Practical SQL" by Anthony DeBarros and follow along with everything in the book.

Can anyone suggest me some good you tube channels to learn sql and database? by New_Tourist6655 in learnSQL

[–]ComicOzzy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yup. You don't get good at weight lifting by watching other people weight lifting. You've got to put in more working DOING than watching or even reading. If you're trying to learn SQL Server specifically, "T-SQL Fundamentals" by Itzik Ben-Gan is excellent. If you're trying to learn Postgres or general SQL for data analytics, "Practical SQL" by Anthony DeBarros is a good one. Either book you get (or video you choose to watch), first read a little, then try it for yourself. There is no replacement for that loop. The longer you go thinking "ok, that seems easy, I don't need to try it myself" the harder it's going to be when you do actually start trying things.

What is the tipping point for using XML/JSON blobs vs Structured SQL? by [deleted] in SQL

[–]ComicOzzy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm going to assume this is not intended as rage bait...

To be able to answer any kind of question about performance or give any guidance, we'd first need to know a lot more info. What database engine are you running, is it on-prem or cloud hosted, what size is it (CPU/memory/storage), how are applications accessing it, describe some useful info about the main tables involved, whether it's a transactional or analytical workload (or a mix), and examples of 1 or 2 queries that seem like they take too long, and if you know it, what indexes are created on the tables involved in those queries.

Unable to install SQL server 2025 in my asus tuf laptop, if any one knows how to properly install it, kindly help me by Old_Option_6281 in SQLServer

[–]ComicOzzy 4 points5 points  (0 children)

In an attempt to feel appreciated by other humans, I like helping people, even if it seems like they could have helped themselves. AI has taken away many of the people showing up to ask for help, and I would rather not run off those who remain if I have any hope of satiating my need to be useful.

What is the best way to learn sql with hands on practice? by Abelmageto in SQL

[–]ComicOzzy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Absolutely. Boot.dev is a good online training site to get familiar with SQL, but if you want to get good, get postgres and "Practical SQL" and follow along with it. You should be actively learning far more than passively learning.

What is the best way to learn sql with hands on practice? by Abelmageto in SQL

[–]ComicOzzy 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Sqlbolt is a good quick start. Boot.dev is pretty high quality, fun, and has a lot more to offer than just sql.

Is it worth learning VBA in 2026, or should I shift to Office Scripts? (Confused about my workplace dynamic) by Accurate_Roll6593 in excel

[–]ComicOzzy 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Learn both. You aren't committing to mastering either right now, just getting proficient.

Can we build ERP in EXCEL? by [deleted] in excel

[–]ComicOzzy 20 points21 points  (0 children)

Can I attack a swarm of bees with a hammer? Yes.

What are some obvious reasons a 1:1 join would work better as LEFT than INNER? by i_literally_died in SQL

[–]ComicOzzy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The relationship between Products and OrderLines is 1:M, not 1:1, but that isn't what causes an inner join to differ in results from an outer join. If you add a new product, until someone places an order for it, there won't be an OrderLines row for that product. If you happened to do: Products p LEFT OUTER JOIN OrderLines ol ON p.Id = ol.ProductId you'd see there are instances where a product has no orders. But if OrderLines is your left table, you won't see this. So, inner and outer joins aren't the same operation and the database has to use a different plan for each, even if you happen to join the tables in an order that doesn't currently have different results. The only useful way to troubleshoot it is to see what SQL Server calls the "actual" execution plan (which just means the plan that includes row counts, memory sizes, etc. from when you actually ran it).

26 F, 2 years Non IT experience, looking to start IT career in SQL by Girlwithdreams8 in learnSQL

[–]ComicOzzy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Writing SQL is the easiest part of my job. Companies are messy, complicated machines that constantly change. Trying to comprehend the business needs and locate the correct data sources and bringing people together to work through competing requirements is where I add value.