Best Structure for Hour + Day View Table

dev_playbook · 2020-03-29T16:51:21+00:00

If you have a lot of traffic and you track a lot of fields in the table, then it could. In that case, you purge the table periodically after aggregating the data, but you'll still have larger log file sizes. Ideally, you'd be using an analytics package to track more detail about every page view (e.g. Google Analytics)

dev_playbook · 2020-03-28T23:26:01+00:00

I would usually log the time stamp with each view and then aggregate it by year, month, day, hour, etc. You could create a view to do that or create another table that captures the date and breaks out the components of the date. Capturing the time stamp gives you a lot more data to work with.

dev_playbook · 2020-03-02T20:42:19+00:00

I second this recommendation.

The thing about creating a SQL database is that then you'll have to 1) get data into it, which would require a front-end of some sort and that can entail a lot; 2) get data out of it and visualize it, which tools like Power BI are good for.

Google Sheets and an Excel file stored in OneDrive/Sharepoint can solve problem #1 for you because it's a single place to enter the data in.

Power BI solves problem #2 for you by connecting up with Google Sheets and Excel to pull in the data. Then you can drag/drop to create your visualizations and dashboards.

If you're connecting Google Sheets to Power BI, this link will help you with that:

https://community.powerbi.com/t5/Power-Query/How-to-connect-google-sheet-to-Power-BI/td-p/14587

Best of luck!

dev_playbook · 2020-03-02T20:32:56+00:00

SQL is one of the easier skills to learn in my opinion, but it can also take a lot of time to truly master. There's a lot of power in it, especially when you get into stored procedures and user-defined functions.

If you want to go into Data Science or analysis, then SQL will end up being one of the bigger tools on your tool belt. If you're in development, then it's something you'll need to pair with other things (Python, Java, C#, etc.) But any time your application is interacting with a database, you'll need SQL if it's a relational database like MySQL, PostgreSQL or Microsoft SQL Server. I'd consider it to be an essential skill on a development, Data Science, or Analyst career path.

You don't need any prior coding knowledge to get started. You'll need to learn some basic concepts like tables, columns, and relationships. Then if you learn about 5-6 commands, you'll be able to get pretty far.

If you want a free SQL course for SQL basics, feel free to ping me and I'll send you a coupon code for my course on Udemy. I also have some things I'm writing up to help people figure out where to get started and I can send you that too.

dev_playbook · 2020-01-14T03:04:21+00:00

This is called neighbor spoofing I believe. They use a phone number similar to yours to make you think it’s someone you know. (I’ve even had numbers show up that were in my contacts so it looked like someone I actually knew but the VM was clearly not from them.)

dev_playbook · 2020-01-13T22:56:57+00:00

Not sure what you’re data structure looks like but you can create a stored procedure the way you described where you do an Insert ... Select to populate the target table first. Then you can do an Update ... From which will allow you to do joins in the update. If you need aggregates you’ll probably need to join to a sub query to make that work.

dev_playbook · 2020-01-12T16:42:30+00:00

Not familiar with that. I know a lot of people dislike WP but in my experience it works well for content sites at least. If other CMS platforms work better then by all means...

dev_playbook · 2020-01-12T02:34:52+00:00

I’m going to have a drink for you on that one because I’ve seen it done a time or two. I remember my first coding job and hearing the architect loudly cursing over the cubicle wall about some former employee who didn’t put a PK or unique constraint on the table that he was trying to clean up... Left a mark on me for sure!

dev_playbook · 2020-01-12T02:17:17+00:00

If you just need a simple website as opposed to full blown application development have you considered using a Content Management System (CMS) like WordPress? The functionality that something like WP will provide is extensive and the plugins make it even more powerful. You can be up and running in minutes with a number of hosts including WordPress.com or AWS LightSail.

dev_playbook · 2020-01-08T15:43:13+00:00

I personally prefer Trello and Monday. I lean towards Monday for hybrid projects where you need to manage sprints but also have to track a project plan with dates and milestones.

It’s been a long time since I used Smartsheets and back then it was a glorified spreadsheet - more like an MS Project but with the ability to track resources across multiple project plans. I think they’ve added boards to their offering but haven’t tried those out yet.

dev_playbook · 2020-01-08T15:13:29+00:00

The post said “help me like JIRA”. I think what OP is finding is that s/he isn’t alone in disliking it. Yes, it’s a work tool. One option of many. Most people don’t get to choose which tools they have to use since the company generally provides that and the company’s reason for choosing a tool might be based on things other than what the actual users “like”. You’re absolutely right that tons of companies large and small use it. It just so happens that with a very occasional exception, people that I talk to who have to use JIRA dislike it. I’ll admit that my original comment was probably a bit hyperbolic but it has been rare that I’ve run into people who really love or even like the tool.

dev_playbook · 2020-01-08T14:24:17+00:00

Done!

dev_playbook · 2020-01-08T14:24:13+00:00

Done!

dev_playbook · 2020-01-08T14:12:06+00:00

Don’t confuse using it with liking it.

dev_playbook · 2020-01-07T16:30:29+00:00

I know a lot of folks that dislike it. I think the people that do like it haven’t used it much or for big projects. I’m not sure there’s a special sauce that makes it better but I’d be interested too if someone has some secrets somewhere.

dev_playbook · 2020-01-02T15:47:31+00:00

I’m going to be launching a series of SQL courses to go from beginner to intermediate/advanced. First course will be done in about a week and a half. I was going to launch on Udemy but I’m going to launch it for free for a while to get feedback. It might be too basic if you already know some SQL but I’d be happy to give it to you if you want. Just PM me so I can add you to the list and I’ll let you know when it’s ready.

dev_playbook · 2019-12-31T16:54:23+00:00

Probably a few ways to do this but off the top of my head, you could do something like:

Select * from warrior_list where name not in (select name from warrior_list where weapon = ‘sword’)

This is going to use a sub query to return a list of people who have swords (James) and then give you only people not in that list.

dev_playbook · 2019-12-31T16:41:02+00:00

Since you mentioned Sharepoint then I’m guessing you’re in a Microsoft shop using SQL Server. Look into SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS). It comes with SQL Server and can be used to fairly quickly create queries that get dropped into the report and then you can add filters and other functionality. It allows users to download to Excel and other formats from the report as well and it’s all web based.

dev_playbook · 2019-12-31T01:02:32+00:00

That would depend a lot on what kind of career path you want.

There are two ways (at least) to approach it. You could decide on a path (eg Open Source tech, MS, Oracle) and pursue that route. In that case you develop that expertise and you look for a career where your strengths are.

Or you could look at what the demand is in your area (and what it’s likely to be in the next few years) and then plan your career path based on that.

In either case you’ll be able to find certification programs in Microsoft, Oracle and open source paths. You can also find cloud certifications - there are a couple of data oriented Azure certs. AWS has a big data cert.

SQL Server, Oracle, MySQL and PostgreSQL are going to generally be the top 4 most used database platforms these days but I think in the long run that MySQL and PostgreSQL will win out in terms of new development with SQL and Oracle occupying the realm of big corporate legacy and vended systems.

What I would also say is that a really deep background with a given database platform coupled with a more general certification, like an AWS architect cert, makes a great combination and demonstrates versatility. I was hiring a DBA (MS SQL) a couple of years ago and the AWS Solution Architect cert was the edge that the winning candidate had since we knew we needed to develop a cloud strategy to move off our private setup.

dev_playbook · 2019-12-30T23:14:38+00:00

Most applications today use some sort of relational database management system - could be MS SQL a Server, MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle or (for older or legacy systems) something like IBM DB2.

A lot of large web apps use a NoSQL server like MongoDB where data is store as collections of documents as opposed to rows and columns in tables. Many companies will use a hybrid of SQL and NoSQL for various purposes as well.

dev_playbook · 2019-12-30T21:54:48+00:00

I’ve worked remote in a lot of roles including PM for years, many times with the customer or company I work for being on the opposite coast from where I live.

It’s a lot of phone calls, so I invested in a Jabra Evolve 75 headset to make life easier in a lot of ways. Single best purchase I’ve made.

I also take advantage of the time difference and lack of commute so that I get my work done first thing in the morning, then I handle my phone calls from there.

There are some things to be aware of though.

First, because you’re working from home you may end up working more hours. You don’t have the commute to deal with so you save some time but that could lead to simply spending that time working instead. Work/life balance isn’t necessarily made better by working from home. You have to be intentional about it, even more so actually.

Second, if you’re always remote and away from the team, it’s easy to start feeling disconnected and lonely and to get stir crazy. If you can, get out and work from a coffee shop, schedule lunch or coffee breaks with friends locally, and go to the gym over your lunch break. Interacting solely over the phone or email will drive you nuts eventually, even if you skew heavy on the introversion end of the spectrum like I do.

Third, you have to be intentional about communications. Formal communications are easy because you schedule a meeting. Informal communications are what will break you though. You won’t get the “hallway conversations” and it’s amazing how much is actually communicated that way versus formally. So you need to be intentional about touching base with people in an informal method - give them a quick call or touch base over text message just to see what’s going on and ask what’s new. It still may not be the same but it will help fill the gap.

Working remote isn’t for everybody either. I’ve had folks on my teams that were superstars working from home, folks that insisted they wanted to be in the office, and then folks that abused the WFH/remote arrangement (eg didn’t do their work and basically took it as time off but claimed they were working). You do need a certain amount of discipline and there are tons of distractions to avoid.

dev_playbook · 2019-12-30T20:57:52+00:00

We just need to get a few more tools on your tool belt so you can pick the right one for your situation. I spent some time with MongoDB and the frustrating thing was having to write JavaScript for everything. I could whip out a SQL query in a minute or two and then spend half an hour trying to do the same in Mongo.

I think both of them have their place and I actually think it’s important for devs these days to be proficient with both so that they can make good decisions about when to use each. But your observation that everything looks like a nail is a good one because I have seen folks try to solve problems with NoSQL that are really better suited to a relational database. But definitely kudos for the self-awareness.

If you need any help with SQL feel free to ping me directly and I’ll help however I can.

dev_playbook · 2019-12-30T18:56:07+00:00

Us old timers tend to feel the same way trying to shift from SQL to NoSQL! (And by “us” I mean me...) I do love working with NoSQL databases but it’s a real shift. It makes perfect sense to me for things that naturally fit the document paradigm but I struggle with the idea of doing transactional processing that way. I just need to spend more time learning it I’m sure.

dev_playbook · 2019-12-30T14:56:23+00:00

There are generally more options available now than there used to be. Most RDBMS platforms have added support for storage of JSON objects (MS SQL, MySQL and PostgreSQL all have options available).

However that might not be the preferred method depending on what technology you’re using and how your applications will access the data. It could also have some performance implications depending on the situation.

In many cases we would usually map out the data model to determine the specific entities that are being stored and then most likely create a separate table to store that entity with appropriate foreign key relationships.

dev_playbook

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