"Roy Hann" <specially@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
news:T_adnWNsCqvQDP7V4p2dnAA@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> "Arved Sandstrom" <asandstrom@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
> news:VEL8k.493$7%6.472@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > Not "getting" data is part of a larger problem, which is forgetting
what
> > software is actually for. Most end users couldn't care less about how
> > their solution is implemented, they just want a useable program.
>
> End-users absolutely do not care about anything except how easily they
can
> get through the 9-5. They don't own the business and they don't pay
it's
> bills and they have no investment in it's most valuable (and expensive)
> non-tangible asset--namely it's data. The end users' opinions on the
> subject of databases is as relevant as the cows' opinions on
cheese-making.
>
> > Useable meaning reliable, not too hard to use, reasonably fast and so
> > forth. Not "getting" data is also accompanied by not "getting" user
> > interfaces, re****ting requirements, do***entation, error recovery etc.
>
> Not "getting" data means being a fraud and an imposter. No business
buys
> database applications just to run applications; they buy them to get
> accurate information and for no other reason. Not "getting" the other
> things you list means delay and awkwardness and you'll surely be in
trouble
> if you can't deliver efficiency and speed, but those come second. To
prove
> it, propose to a company director that you can make his slow systems
twice
> as fast but they'll produce undetectable corruptions of the data, and
see
if
> he goes for it.
>
I can't tell you the number of times programmers have come to me for help
with a query
that produces wrong results, and when I try to change their "select" to
"select distinct" to see if maybe that's the problem, they exclaim "Oh I
never use 'select distinct'! It runs too slow!"
I patiently explained to them that I first want to come up with a query
that
is logically correct, then if necessary, come up with one that's
logically
equivalent, but runs fast.
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